Heavy into Light

Shelter Cove light house

 “I cannot cause light; the most I can do is try to put myself in the path of its beam. It is possible, in deep space, to sail on solar wind. Light, be it particle or wave, has force: you can rig a giant sail and go. The secret of seeing is to sail on solar wind. Hone and spread your spirit till you yourself are a sail, whetted, translucent, broadside to the merest puff”  Annie Dillard


Annie Dillard is one of the most elegant writers I know of things natural. When I first read her books, I was pretty discouraged about my own writing; we looked at the same world, experienced the same feelings, yet she wrote from this compelling microscopic viewpoint while I continued along, blithely driving my bulldozer into the word sea. I finally came to accept a world of words that contained both the room and the need for the Anna Pavlova's right next to the Mike Mulligan's with our steam shovels.

Yesterday, these were some of the sights I saw while sailing in the light.

While waiting for my turn at the gas station, this horse kept grinning at me. Really.

This might be considered more of a supercilious smirk, as if knowing I'd be telling horse grinning stories and not be believed. Even worse, Pipi was sending it to the big island yesterday, so I have no live backup of an albino, teeth-bared grinning, smirking horse. Which is why I take pictures.

Spotter fishing crew

Chiquitine and his crew, coming up to Dinghy Dock

Do we have to stay in the boat, Dad? Do we? Do we? Will we?

Fall is for the color orange! And for smiling! And, around here, for drinking beer, in shorts. No, the little one was not drinking beer.

The rain was finished, work was done (thank you, bread buyers!), some good friends from St. Thomas had sailed over, life is good in the light.

Have a shimmering Saturday! Do something to be savored.

Light...and Kentucky Derby Day!

Yesterday afternoon, at the closing of another beautiful day here on Culebra, the light was pouring soft as the sun went down.

This morning, it was blinding gold.

Speaking of gold...(what a segue, eh? that's why I get the big bucks here), today is Kentucky Derby Day. If you forgot to remember that, there is still time to wager your bets! For all the info and a look at the horses running, you can check it out here. I'm going with Master of Hounds. Sure, at 18 to 1, he's not in the top ten, but I like how he looks, and his name reminds me of my Dad. And his trainer and jockey are good looking. Very scientific of me. Which is why you don't see me in Vegas. Or Monte Carlo either.

Master of Hounds

Usually I watch the Derby at Diinghy Dock. There might be a bit of a time conflict this year, but we'll see what happens. I know my old KDD partner, Linda, will be watching up in Michigan, her bet on her favorite color of horse, Twinspired. Good luck! Because I can't stand mint juleps, I'll just have to forego that Southern pleasure. And my hats are all still being shipped back from London. The wedding, you know. Damn the postal services.

Have a steady Saturday. Do something stable.

Culebra 's Loud Pink Dawning

The louvers on my windows are the solid kind, which means they are usually flat wide open for the view and air. But we've been having on and off rain showers, and the 'weather side' window has been 3/4 shut since last night. As I sat here drinking my tea and doing whatever it is I do early in the morning, a dense pink light crept in the window like fog, suffusing the air inside with an almost tangible color. I ran outside and started snapping away, Cwim going crazy running up and down the yard. Maybe because I was quietly yelling Oh my! Oh! Oh! Oh! Or maybe that's just her.



There are times in shooting photos that I almost want to scream in frustration because I can't gather in everything I'm seeing and feeling and this morning was one of those times. Circling around, trying to capture, in a tiny little box, a sense of the sultry thick atmosphere that almost felt like pink thin water in my throat, was impossible. Then to add another layer of oh!ness, on the last turning there was a rainbow, half in the pinkness, the rest fading into  blue...finally becoming its whole arced self over a span of ten minutes or so. It might still be hanging out there...I stopped trying and just enjoyed the wonder.

The pinkness is gone now and we've calmed down. But all thoughts of what I was going to write have been swept away by color. Maybe later.

Here is what the camera saw. I've only sharpened a few of the photos. I know how to bring out color but I don't know how to tone it down out of the ridiculously, insanely full. These aren't 'good' photos but sometimes, that doesn't matter much. The rainbow isn't nearly as wonderful as it was in real life, but I'm putting it in anyway...

Top of the pink morning to you!

Have a fabulous Friday! Do a farruca!

Little bits of light and color

Hard to believe right now in the grey blankness of the sky right now that only an hour ago the sun was out and brightly shining...but it's true. It's also hard to believe that it is the end of July and the air is still cool. But so it is.

Here is what I saw this morning. Life is good.

The rain brought out yet another orchid...surprise!

Enjoy Wednesday, looking for the little things.