Grapevine, after the rain. 300 mm lens, ISO 125, aperture f/2.8, shutter speed 1/30

August 12, 2008 – Sometime, long ago, my life as an artist was shut down. My life as a story teller was not, but I’m not sure how honest all of the stories were, as I knew too little about myself, and dwelled somewhat in a realm of fear, pain and confusion. I believe – strongly – in hard work, and that goes for pain and fear as well as the making of money and the other so-called necessities of life.
 So I’ve worked hard, and the parts of me that were shut down are coming to life. Simple as that, I think, though not really simple at all.
 This morning, I wrote, and did farm chores, and then made a hospice call, and then it poured, and now when it pours, I grab the camera and call the dogs and run outside in the rain, hauling a growing mass of equipment – cameras, lenses, a tripod (which broke right in half today). And every time I do that I see something different, in a different light, in a new way. Some people call that art, and I never called myself an artist, but now I do, and am grateful to reclaim the part of me that was closed off, and it was a good trade, for all the trouble, and I would take it again in a heartbeat.