The Orchid Journal

(from the front yard of our former house in Tucson, AZ. 2009 double rainbow after a storm) There is nothing like a storm that pounds its fists into the dry cracked ground while the raindrops dash onto my streak soaked face whether by rain or tears no one can know but me ~Laelia

This man played his steel guitar with a fiddler and slide guitarist who sang. His steel guitar reflected back the colors in his friends' shirts as his lackadaisical gaze belied his apparent keeping with the music. The trio played in Tucson's Reid Park during a pet fair in 2009. I was fascinated by their focus while playing and each of the old men were captivating in their own odd way- grey hair, beards, eclectic clothes, weathered wrinkled hands that seemed molded to the shape required to play their instruments. The bit of condiment, mustard or ketchup, on the slide guitarist's hand reminds me of the human quality of music. Often we speak of the divine or sinister nature of music that causes our souls to rise and fall in ecstasy and despair, but this day, watching the three men enjoy playing together a jaunty bluegrass ditty, I was reminded that often music is earthy and grounding. Neither too lofty or too low, only sensible and fun, and a tad messy. I won...

I am not sure I want to write anymore. As the few but mighty who read this blog may have noticed, I have been a bit incognito lately. Basically my writing feels pointless and dull, and I have no words in me at the moment. Even writing these few sentences feels like I'm dragging my brain across a rocky beach. It is possible that I will suddenly remember my voice and continue writing gobs like I did before Holy Week, but in the meantime, I'll try and check in every day to at least post a photo and write a few painful sentences. Maybe a change in blog focus is in order, or maybe I should stop writing on it altogether and put my energy into sending my book manuscripts to agents, or maybe I'm just in a writing funk and will snap out of it by next week. Let's hope so, because right now, it feels like I never want to write again. In the meantime, "enjoy" this rather dreadfully dramatized warning sign I found while walking downtown with a friend one day. We ha...

When no one is looking, the flamboyant flamingo shows his true nature. (Downtown St. Louis City Garden 2012)