One day this summer

Stepping into
opaque pools of water

a soft hand beckoned
come and enjoy
the flow

gentle waters splashed
around my ankles

I was stirred by their
energies captivated
by the movement

as we began to swim
strong arms encircled me

I was held breathless

carried into seventh
heaven never having been
there before

as pools of water
engulfed me I was taught
to swim.
   
          ~ Heather Burns

Art in Cornwall

 September - a trip to this lovely ancient town - St. Ives, in Cornwall, England. I happened upon this artist in his studio - John Emanuel. "Come in!" he shouted. And I did. I asked if I could come back later to take some photos in his whirlwind of a studio - art and colors and imagination everywhere.
He works in an enviable artists' building (see the view?) that was renovated renovated, thanks to a bevy of angels and a fund-raising group.

An Engaged Couple

 It may be the beautiful beach or the time of day...

 Or maybe it's just the good old fashioned love that makes them so ready for the future.

 Even the dips along the way.

Sydney and a Song

 I have photographed Sydney Nycole twice before and had so much fun watching her blossom. Her first cd is coming out in May. Watch for it!

Two big sisters and ...

Sometimes all you need is one look to know the whole story.

Walking around Paris

Two days in Paris in May. A yummy lunch around the corner from the Pompidou and THIS was our view. Wall art and Dali lips. 

 Is this what the homeless look like in Paris??

 We happened to be there on May 5 when Sarkozy was voted out and Hollande in. This was shot from the top of the museum.

                                     
 Was this a weekend afternoon? I don't remember ~ but it seems the French know how to make the most of a few chilly moments in the sun.

 Flowers inside the tea salon Angelina on the rue de Rivoli. This has been a glorious favorite for many years for their chocolat chaud. But ... times have changed. Oh well ~ at least the peonies are still inviting.
                                     
 A discussion outside Angelina about ... something secret?

Boule, Collioure, France

Don't you love this?
A fourteen year old boy playing on the same court as ...

... this more "experienced" player.

And please, watch your step.

Weight Class

 It would seem that there is no
weight requirement to playing the age-old Boule.

Or ..... maybe there is?

Boule in Collioure, France

 What's your style?

Kangaroo Island

  (Homage to Virgina Woolf)

                                                        

Chapman River Wines Cellar Door features one single item on its one-item menu.  We shared two platters between the four of us ~ delicious cheeses, sausages, breads and salads.

I have sand in my shoes from Kangaroo Island.

You can't know how happy that makes me unless you've been to Kangaroo Island, walked on the pristine beaches and seen sights so impossible to describe that they actually have one spot here called Remarkable Rocks. 

We were invited by our business colleague Rob to stay with him and the beautiful and graceful Sue at his family "shack" (as all vacation homes are called here). We left Adelaide on the 4:00 p.m. ferry and rocked our way across the Backstairs Passage (I'm not making it up, it's not a euphemism, it's truly the name of the water between the mainland and the island. Does it help if I tell you the water to the north of the island is called Investigator Island??) to the tiny harbor town of Penneshaw. 

From there it was just a few minutes to their red cedar shack - a perfect retreat, built in the '80's by his parents, with a long expansive deck all along the front, overlooking the spectacular water. It is just one of a handful of homes dotting the beach.  Picture pure white crunchy sand, shallow emerald-colored baby waves oozing into a brilliant sapphire blanket of sea. There's nothing between that spot and Antarctica so we did not swim out farther than our ankles. 

On Saturday Rob did a yeoman's job of showing us the treasures on the island. We spent all day being chauffeured from one spot to the next -  a red-topped lighthouse (see photos above), the Remarkable Rocks perched on top of a kind of mesa over the ocean, sea lions (ok, California has 'em too) lolling on their own rocky beach, another beach with caves and rock formations that must be seen to be believed. 

But, besides the wonderful company (lots of stories and lots of laughter) and delicious food prepared by our host and mounds of chocolates from my new favorite chocolatier, Haigh's in Adelaide, really ~ the beach right in front of the house is what I would come back for. It was sort of mesmerizing and rhapsodic. We strolled it three times and even then, at the beginning of summer, only once did we see anyone else. Way down at the other end. Children squealing in the chilly water. Heavenly.