A Pile of Rocks

Next to love, balance is the most important thing.

John Wooden

I named my rock piles…

The Light Spirit

with a big-hearted base.

The Little Universe

Light and dark

sun and moon

sand, stone and feather.

The Bird Bath

a little white bird

found a place to land

and a bath

to cool in

The Running Man…

it’s precarious,

running.

one foot touching down,

one mid-air,

one arm forward,

one back.

Gravity and momentum

briefly

in balance

propelling you

forward

through space.

Everything changes, even stone.

Claude Monet

Balancing rocks, and finding rock balances, or cairns, of others is one of the pleasures of living near a rocky beach. Last month, while visiting Mackinac Island, I found a book called The Rock Balancer’s Guide by Travis Ruskus. It’s a meditative approach to rock balancing. I’m just learning. Some of the stones I find here, on Lake Michigan, called lightning stones (or Septarian), often appear to have images of familiar things etched into their surfaces. I love finding them and using them in a stack. It makes each rock pile like an ephemeral message from me to the universe. And great fun. You should try it!

There are a couple of updates to my schedule I wanted to share. Firstly, I'll be scaling back my blogging to once a month during the summer to dedicate time to updating my website galleries, creating prints for my physical gallery, and fulfilling commitments to others.

Secondly, for anyone near Saugatuck, Michigan, I'm organizing a one-day bookbinding workshop in late September 2024. More details to come.

I will see you again on July 19, and on the third Friday of every month through the end of October. Thank you so much for being here.

Deer’s Leap

Wandering With Wally

I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list.

Susan Sontag

Wandering With Wally

Wally is a tiny walrus

A plastic one at that

He doesn’t speak, but he captures hearts-

My silent diplomat

I have to carry him everywhere -

His feet were not made for walking

He soulfully stares as we wander the world

from the corner of my pocket.

He probably wishes it was cooler

In the places we go together,

But he doesn’t complain; he just goes along

No matter what the weather.

A diplomat, my Wally is -

He’s always making friends

So I always take him with me

When I go to explore new lands.

Overlooking the Atlantic on the way to A Guarda in Spain along the Portuguese El Camino

Resting on a cliff in the Cies Islands National Park in Galicia

Wally carrying a little burden on the Portuguese Way…

Sitting on a signpost along the Portuguese El Camino.

In Italy - sitting on a terrace overlooking the mountains in Emilia Romagna

Resting among the leaves on a sidewalk in Fort Worth

Wandering through a unique historic district of Fort Worth, Wally posed on an outdoor tap dance stage, and beneath the eggplant at a community garden.

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

George Bernard Shaw

I’ve been traveling a lot this fall - to Europe for three weeks, then a quick trip to Indiana and then Texas for my mom’s 80th birthday. Everywhere I go, I bring Wally with me. I found him in a rest area parking lot on a road trip a couple of years ago - he was a little dirty, a little banged up, but adorable. (Click Here to see the first Wally post). Over the past couple years, he’s been stuffed in my luggage, backpack; purse, pockets and/or camera bag - sometimes I just carry him in my hand while I’m walking or running. I’m always looking for photo ops for him while I’m out wandering. He’s very photogenic. He lightens my mood and makes other people smile. Maybe they just think I’m crazy. Either way, it’s ok - I learn a lot by trying to put him into a scene; to have a little fun with perspective, to inject a sense of humor into my travels. I hope you enjoy the results.

Thank you so much for being here! I will see you next week!

Wistfully watching the sun rise over the mountains in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.