She Went Out

Microseason No. 34, July 22-27

It’s a few minutes after sunrise—a new day.

Some say that we leave part of ourselves in another world when we sleep.

We wake and wonder: Who am I? And where have I been?

Once more, the forest is like a memory book that helps us re-member ourselves.

This morning, I’m one of the odd ones, who loves to get up early and walk in such a cool and blessed hour.

Gemmels: Two trees of different species that are growing in close partnership. Their roots are intertwined underground; their branches form a shared canopy in the sky overhead.

This morning, I got on the trail just in time to see the illumination of my favorite pair of gemmels. One is straight and stoic; the other is curving and lyrical. Their slow-motion dance has gone on for many years. In fact, their long-shared life greatly surpasses the mathematical odds of 1 in 10,000 that any seedling will be able to grow to be a small sapling.

This points to a deeper truth— but my reasoning is not yet elegant enough to grasp it.

A pair of gemmels in Johnston Mill Nature Preserve.

And, we know this process takes a very long time— 16 years, give or take, to reach just 2 meters high.

“A small seedling you see in a forest could be older than your grandparents.”

—Chia-Hao Chang-Yang

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The Crown-tipped Coral fungi is plentiful now. I’m seeing it growing in large colonies. I think it looks like an oceanic creature that has washed ashore onto the forest floor— a gift from an invisible sea.

As I walked this morning, I listened to all of Volume II —a gorgeous collection of music by Fog Chaser. And once again, I’m in awe of the creative energy that gets to sing through talented and generous souls such as Matt. I’ve been experimenting with incorporating different sources of music into my workflow. Fog Chaser helps me deepen my focus in a relaxed and clarifying way. Equally good for writing sessions and for working the kinks out on my yoga mat after a long clinical day.

And, on the topic of generous creativity, I want to show you something else I found that feels just right for this microseason— mysterious and sublime! It’s a painting by Max Dowdle (@maxdowdle) He’s a local artist who definitely understands the ethereal beauty of North Carolina on a warm summer morning.

"She Went Out" oil on birch, 12" x 18" by Max Dowdle

Wherever you are in the world, you can see a collection of his paintings. Details can be found here. Feel free to make a bid during Max’s solo show and silent auction. It’s happening until July 31st over at Eno River Mill Gallery.

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty

and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study

and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

—Rumi

See you in the next microseason,

Ann