I am pretty certain that anyone who’s spent the smallest amount of time around me knows that I love to run. Like most runners, I’m motivated by endorphines, competition and staying strong and healthy. As a writer, though, I run to open my mind, to turn on the faucet and let the ideas roam around. Once in a while, I might get some nugget of wisdom or insightful notion but most of the time I try to observe, to let myself respond to what I see. The imagination needs regular practice.
Here are a few examples...
This is a mushroom that looks like a rose. It makes me think of things that are not what they appear to be, like an unexpected character deviation.
Prince William Forest, Virginia
This makes me wonder who put all the stuff in the truck bed
and why they left it in the woods.
Moneta, Virginia
This one sent me to Google. It could be a deliberately bent tree placed as a marker tree or prayer tree by Native Americans. I ask myself if the tree is old enough for that. I imagine the tree telling its story.
Smith Mountain Lake State Park, Virginia
Here is one of two bear cubs, taken right before their mother appeared on the scene.
It reminds me of the ferocity of motherhood.
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
This is a stray dog who watched me each morning as I ran through a coffee plantation. I found it curious that he never barked or growled
but he wouldn’t let me get too close.
Alajuela, Costa Rica
They are tiny roadside cemeteries all over the place in Southwestern Virginia.
Many are unmarked.
Some, though, do give us a few details. The rest is up to the writer,
limited only by the edges of imagination.
This is such a wonderful reminder to take a moment to inhale our surroundings. There is truly so much around us everyday. Thank you for sharing, Kate!!! ❤️