Sunday, August 24, 2008

noveling

(dream castles, courtesy of Matthew Cromer)

Through the years, a man peoples a space with images of provinces, kingdoms, mountains, bays, ships, islands, fishes, rooms, tools, stars, horses, and people. Shortly before his death, he discovers that the patient labyrinth of lines traces the image of his own face.

-Jorge Luis Borges

11 comments:

the7msn said...

Billie, I hope you're having a pleasant and productive writing retreat. If you need a little break, you might enjoy this article from today's Washington Post magazine. I immediately thought of you when I read it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/15/AR2008081502356.html?hpid=features1&hpv=national

billie said...

Linda, what a fabulous story - thank you!

Grey Horse Matters said...

Beautiful picture and wonderful prose. Hope your writing weekend is going well.

Janet Roper said...

Stunning! Hope your retreat is going well.
Harmony,
Janet

billie said...

Thanks Arlene and Janet, things got shifted around a bit due to some last minute changes in schedules, but at midnight on Friday evening I was sitting out in the back paddock with fellow writer and glasses of wine and horses and donkey - and the rising moon - talking book structure. Great start to a good weekend. I'm back in the thick of book stuff again. :)

Victoria Cummings said...

Beautiful photo, beautiful quote. Thanks - I needed that.

billie said...

It was exactly what I needed when I came across it, Victoria, so I felt compelled to share!

Peggy Payne said...

Are those sand castles? Did he build them? Wow, what a picture! At first I thought Mont Saint-Michel.

billie said...

Yes, Peggy, those are sand castles - but we did not build them. One year when we were at the beach, a sculptor and his family were right next door. Every day they spent hours on the beach building the most AMAZING things with the sand - knowing of course that at high tide all their work would melt away.

M. took this picture just at sunset - it is stunning blown up big where you can see more detail and the color in the sky.

Peggy Payne said...

Sort of like those Zen sand mandalas.

I hope there are pictures of all of them. I don't have the strength and Zen-ness to let my work wash away. I want it carved on the side of a mountain.

billie said...

You know, I forget if there are other shots - those years when we went to the beach every year after Labor Day were always full and wonderful.

We started with one week and then went for two for several years, and the last year we stayed for 3. There is no way of doing that with all our animals now, but I have good memories.

I hear you about the carved in the side of a mountain part. But there is joy in both expressions, I think.