by ruralpearl | Sep 7, 2012 | Inspiration
Deer in Rocky Mountain National Park, 2009
Running has become a bigger part of my life than I would have ever imagined. It no longer feels like exercise, but rather one big long meditation, especially since I’ve now changed my route (and doubled my distance) to the river levy trail where I’m surrounded mostly by nature. I’ve logged 23 miles out there this week.. not that it’s about the distance, but it feels good to know that I can go that far, and even farther if I’d allow myself the time.
This morning’s run was extra special.. and the experience could never really be put into words without sounding like a total fruit basket (not that I don’t already), but when I got out there a sudden breeze came up, which I always find meaning in, mumbled a few words in the direction of the sky about the kind of energy & experience that I was looking for this morning, and went about my way. About two miles down the road, two deer emerged from the corn field to the north about 20 yards ahead and stood on the trail, looking toward me. I slowed down and stared back until they ran off into the woods. Then a buck came from the same spot and stood on the trail momentarily looking my direction, then galloped (do deer gallop?) a bit in my direction before taking off into the woods. I smiled happily at it all.. About a quarter mile further, I looked up to see the silhouette of a red-tailed hawk circling in front of the sun. I decided to stop and watch for a minute. It ended up right above me and we watched each other for a minute before it disappeared behind the trees.
It gets better.. my stopping point is this great big tree that I like to stop and relish in it’s shade. When I lived in Brooklyn, there was a huge tree in Prospect Park that I’d go sit by often. They’re kind of like big, comforting grandfathers. Anyway, I stopped at the tree, and above it was another red-tailed hawk. So, I watched it flying around and talked to it a bit (in my head, it could hear me), did a nice big stretch toward then sun, and embraced another rush of breeze. Then I looked to my right, and about 10 yards away on the trail stood a doe and her fawn staring at me. I crouched down quietly and we studied each other for about a minute before they took off into the woods. I laughed again and made my amazement very vocal (there were no human souls in sight, thankfully), and went on my way back.. Then I saw some gigantic toadstools and passed a very furry caterpillar racing down the trail. I dunno, but these are the kinds of things that make my day. And these same things that will eventually make their way into my artwork. Til next time..
by ruralpearl | Sep 5, 2012 | Inspiration
Since I have no new paper cuttings as of late to show since I’ve been busy getting other things made, here’s some original art which I was gifted this evening. A youth’s rendition of the moon:
by ruralpearl | Sep 5, 2012 | Inspiration
iPhone Hipstamatic photo taken somewhere, sometime in 2009.. no recollection really. Probably on an early morning drive to an art fair.
I woke up early this morning (err, 4am early) to do some work but was diverted by a comfy couch and hot tea and pleasant thoughts. (oops). Post sunrise: spent another 1.5 hours running on the river levy, with the sun to my face, eastward, and the moon to my face, westward, thanking both, in my unconventional way, that I get the time to do this.. (even though I’ve got lots of things that need doing). I wished I had my camera out there – the sun was covered behind a large gray cloud with shining silver lining – its beams stretching out past the cloud in all directions..
Excerpt from Give me the Splendid, Silent Sun by Walt Whitman
GIVE me the splendid silent sun, with all his beams full-dazzling;
Give me juicy autumnal fruit, ripe and red from the orchard;
Give me a field where the unmow’d grass grows;
Give me an arbor, give me the trellis’d grape;
Give me fresh corn and wheat—give me serene-moving animals, teaching content;
Give me nights perfectly quiet, as on high plateaus west of the Mississippi, and I looking up at the stars;
Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers, where I can walk undisturb’d;
Give me for marriage a sweet-breath’d woman, of whom I should never tire;
Give me a perfect child—give me, away, aside from the noise of the world, a rural, domestic life;
Give me to warble spontaneous songs, reliev’d, recluse by myself, for my own ears only;
Give me solitude—give me Nature—give me again, O Nature, your primal sanities!
by ruralpearl | Sep 3, 2012 | Inspiration
“On soft Spring nights I’ll stand in the yard under the stars – Something good will come out of all things yet – And it will be golden and eternal just like that – There’s no need to say another word.” -Jack Kerouac, Big Sur
by ruralpearl | Sep 1, 2012 | Inspiration
The clouds cleared way for me to catch sight of the blue moon this morning as I was driving. This pic doesn’t really do it justice — it looked much larger in person..
I’ve had a blue moon inspired paper cutting in my head for awhile — it may come to fruition sooner than later.
by ruralpearl | Aug 31, 2012 | Inspiration
I actually snapped this iphone pic a few weeks ago. I came to my original homestead armed with my camera to make up for last weekend’s rainout on my planned photo-escapade. But alas, hurricane Isaac has made midwestern landfall and I’ve been rained out again. So instead, I sit here reading poetry by computer light to the sound of dogs barking, occasional cars sloshing by, and a single barred owl making it’s presence known. A very early morning ahead as I head home to get myself ready for my afternoon paper cutting workshop at the library. Til then, here’s one of Millay’s short, lighter works (I also recommend reading her work “Renascence” – much longer and heavier and one of my favorites):
Afternoon On A Hill by Edna St. Vincent Millay
I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.
I will look at cliffs and clouds
With quiet eyes,
Watch the wind bow down the grass,
And the grass rise.
And when lights begin to show
Up from the town,
I will mark which must be mine,
And then start down!
by ruralpearl | Aug 31, 2012 | Inspiration
Looking through some old, awesome photos.. My grandfather (on the left) in appx. 1925.
by ruralpearl | Aug 30, 2012 | Inspiration
“Be as you wish to seem.”
by ruralpearl | Aug 29, 2012 | Inspiration
7.5 mile run on the somewhat desolate Kansas River levy trails.. a place I’ve mostly avoided because of the paranoid Brooklynite in me who’s always looking out for lurkers. My biggest goal for the year is to release all fears, and I’m well on my way. And this morning, I learned that all I was doing by fearing something unknown was forcing myself to miss out on a really great experience.
On one side: distant farmhouses and machinery, fields of flourishing crops and scorched corn, farm cats, roosters calling..
On the other side: lush trees lining the river, crickets and cicadas chirping, various birds singing morning songs, leaves slowly falling to the ground.
In front of me: morning sunlight creating bokeh on my eyelashes one way, company in my own shadow on the way back; every moment ahead.
Behind me: a light end of summer breeze; every moment past.
With me: my mind and body working together, the feeling of movement, feeling my feet on the ground, thinking about how to translate what I’m seeing into a paper cutting, enjoying every moment, remembering what really matters and how simple it can be to enjoy it all.
It feels good to be alive and to not fear making the most of it. (Maybe it’s the runner’s high that makes me want to write about it all. Either way, it’s good to put it here to keep myself and maybe somebody else going).
by ruralpearl | Aug 28, 2012 | Inspiration
“The highest and most beautiful things in life are not to be heard about, nor read about, nor seen but, if one will, are to be lived.” -Soren Kierkegaard
