As far back as anyone can remember the massive Oak tree stood over the back of the home on my family’s farm in Lexington, South Carolina. This majestic tree filtered the morning light like none other I have ever seen, it shaded our family cookouts and fish fries during the summer, played host to many of my childhood fantasies of fighting villains, and many occasions drew my ire in the fall as it dropped an unprecedented amount of leaves that required my young arms to rake, as it did for countless generations before me.
Tag: tree
Coastal Catharsis
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend some time on the coast at one of my favorite places in the world, my friend Charles’ river house on Fenwick Island. The best thing about Fenwick is that it is private, and with the exception of about 5 houses which are all owned by members of the Baldwin family, it is completely un-spoiled by the meddling of man. Wild, un-touched, and completely cut off, this is the perfect place for me to get back in touch with my personal vision, explore, and have an adventure fishing off-shore, and have deep philosophical discussions with others much wiser than I.
We’ve turned the corner…
Spring is heading this way, and nothing can stop it, not that there won’t be a few dreary days to come, but thats okay. For the third day in a row I’ve walked outside to take a smoke break, and have been greeted by sunshine and 70 something degree weather, but today there was something different. As I stepped off of the porch, I was greeted by the sound of birds chirping and the sight of flowers in bloom and green leaves returning to the trees.
Say all you want about January 1 being a time for new beginnings, and starting all over again, but in my opinion that is just chronologically speaking. For me, spring is more symbolic of the chance to start anew, as everything wakes up from its winter slumber, and starts to thrive once again. Perhaps the surfer in me, is always wishing for the “endless summer” where everything thrives, and keeps on going without taking a break. But I welcome the chance to every year see things start all over again. I think it goes back to the quote “without pain, you would know no pleasure.”
On the photo side of things though, it has once again been a week with minimal picture taking, and more taking care of business. I’m currently neck deep in re-designing my website, to better promote myself, but rather than looking at it as something negative, the change in climate has encouraged me to look at it as a chance to hit the reset button and start over again. As I look at the work I have done over the past six years to create my new website, I have convinced myself to see it as a way to learn from my mistakes in the past, and a way to set goals for my work in the future. Now if I could only have that mentality all the time, I’d be in business.