This is beautiful, Amanda. I want to know if you camped the night before or drove up with headlights in the morning when you took this shot. I want to know if the trees burned down or if it was disease or something else. And, I ove this--"I was busy proving to my mother I could make it through the night"--and want to know everything about it.
Yep, this was a drive up in the pre-dawn morning. Tom and I had gone home the summer before the release of "Going to Solace" to hit the area when Solace takes place. Well, that would be Thanksgiving, and this was about a month before in October, but close enough. I was collecting pictures that are still a treasure today. It's in fact mostly balsam up there and there had been a big fire along one of the flanks--the worst I remember since my childhood. You can see a little of the singe but if you headed down the west trail from where I was standing, you'd have come into quite an area of char. Gotta get back! Also, another question here reminded me--we were just plain lucky to get up there and not be buried in cloud. That's the usual. Sending love to you and YOUR dad.
Tom and I drove up in the dark on a wonderful trip we took just before the release of the novel to gather as many photos as we could. A treasure of a trip. Well, you know what that's like fresh from your astonishing trip to Japan. Now, those are some photos I won't forget...
You bagged it (my heart, that is). Lovely on many levels; your parents, too, are coming to mind. I need to visit Mt. Mitchell -- it's only an hour away from where I live these days and I'm up that early!
No question, Bob, dawn is the best time up there, though often in cloud! That means driving up in the dark. This was October btw and a while ago. I haven't been back to see how the burn sections are doing. Love that you know mom and dad.
Tom and I drove up in the dark on a wonderful trip we took just before the release of the novel to gather as many photos as we could. A treasure of a trip. Well, you know what that's like fresh from your astonishing trip to Japan. Now, those are some photos I won't forget...
"Our sleeping bags were cotton. When it rained, they were rain. When the rain stopped, they were still rain." and "I thought I knew everything about forever." I love the soggy feeling of wet cotton up against the soaring space of forever. I keep thinking I know forever, and keep being proven I'm wrong. The grace in this peace fills that with love.
This is beautiful, Amanda. I want to know if you camped the night before or drove up with headlights in the morning when you took this shot. I want to know if the trees burned down or if it was disease or something else. And, I ove this--"I was busy proving to my mother I could make it through the night"--and want to know everything about it.
Yep, this was a drive up in the pre-dawn morning. Tom and I had gone home the summer before the release of "Going to Solace" to hit the area when Solace takes place. Well, that would be Thanksgiving, and this was about a month before in October, but close enough. I was collecting pictures that are still a treasure today. It's in fact mostly balsam up there and there had been a big fire along one of the flanks--the worst I remember since my childhood. You can see a little of the singe but if you headed down the west trail from where I was standing, you'd have come into quite an area of char. Gotta get back! Also, another question here reminded me--we were just plain lucky to get up there and not be buried in cloud. That's the usual. Sending love to you and YOUR dad.
I haven't seen that area suffering burn but we did make a trip to Yosemite when a familiar forest was all burnt up. Devastating.
The writing and the photo! Love.
Tom and I drove up in the dark on a wonderful trip we took just before the release of the novel to gather as many photos as we could. A treasure of a trip. Well, you know what that's like fresh from your astonishing trip to Japan. Now, those are some photos I won't forget...
You bagged it (my heart, that is). Lovely on many levels; your parents, too, are coming to mind. I need to visit Mt. Mitchell -- it's only an hour away from where I live these days and I'm up that early!
No question, Bob, dawn is the best time up there, though often in cloud! That means driving up in the dark. This was October btw and a while ago. I haven't been back to see how the burn sections are doing. Love that you know mom and dad.
Tom and I drove up in the dark on a wonderful trip we took just before the release of the novel to gather as many photos as we could. A treasure of a trip. Well, you know what that's like fresh from your astonishing trip to Japan. Now, those are some photos I won't forget...
"Our sleeping bags were cotton. When it rained, they were rain. When the rain stopped, they were still rain." and "I thought I knew everything about forever." I love the soggy feeling of wet cotton up against the soaring space of forever. I keep thinking I know forever, and keep being proven I'm wrong. The grace in this peace fills that with love.
Love that strong mama, leading you to find your own strength.
You've pushed me back to the piano to play that song: What's Forever For?
Thanks for a lovely morning opener with your delightful writing, Amanda.
Your writing always takes me to the place in my mind's eye. Love it.
Beautiful
So lovely! Transcendent.