Autumn Shoot #5

Pin It

This is my most recent shoot...

Enjoy.

A Pocketful of Thoughts

Pin It

The park behind my house sports a vast array of trees all in the midst of taking off their summerwear. The amber and golden discards lay in puddles, puddles thick enough to wade though up to your shins.

The autumn skies threaten snow, and then part to reveal pale blue.

I feel like the day is undecided.

I turned on the radio on my way to work this week. Two of my favorite stations were already playing the sounds of Christmas, and the mall was beginning to put up the seasonal adornments that make Thanksgiving seem like nothing more than a day off of work.

I reprogrammed the two stations on my radio and have since found two others. I’m not quite ready for winter and Christmas – well, at least not yet. I might steer clear of the mall for another few weeks as well; provided I can quell the temptation of the newest Harry Potter installment.

The zucchini I purchased nearly two weeks ago was thinking of showing the early signs of spoiling. Something needed to be done. I decided to make them into a few loaves of bread that are – even as I am writing this – halfway finished baking. The smell is wonderful and it seems to bring my cold, empty house alive as I listen to a computer full of tunes from my vantage point over the park grounds.

I’ve written about Joni Mitchell before. I’ve written about ‘The Circle Game’ before as well.

As my computer’s playlists shuffled from song to song, I found myself listening to various versions of this one particular, thought-provoking song. I simply cannot pick one version as a favorite; they all have their endearing qualities. They do, however, beckon me to ponder days gone by.

As I cleaned my kitchen, I starting thinking of the lyrics, “The years go by and now the boy is twenty…” I remembered a time when I was singing this song with my old teacher a lifetime ago – back when I was only ten years old. My friends and I would gather around her on the floor in the back of the room with our old songbooks in hand, we’d sing our hearts out as her fingers strummed across the strings of her old guitar.

I loved music time.

Simple reason why I play the guitar with my own class today, isn’t it? Unfortunately we missed music yesterday due to a plethora of other things which needed to be done. I need to not miss that with my students…in fact, a few weeks ago I gave them the choice to either have read aloud or music.

Music won, hands down.

But then again, I’d have voted for it, too.

In writing this post I realize that I haven’t written about any of Joey’s exploits lately, either. Not to say that there haven’t been any…heaven knows I could write volumes, only many of these moments I have chosen to simply enjoy at the time and then forgotten to write down.

But still, I do still have many in my little notebook.

You know what? I have an idea.

It is a brilliantly wonderful idea…to celebrate teaching and Thanksgiving I have decided to have “A Week of Joey.” One whole week of Joey posts. Sure, I might just throw something else into the mix as well, but for the week – one Joey post per day. After all, when he’s not driving me crazy, I find myself smiling. I think I could use the smiles, too.

As I look off into the park I can see an elderly man is now strolling along with his metal detector, looking for treasures buried away in that ocean of leaves.

I hope he finds his sunken ship of riches.

Heaven knows that I’ve found mine...







This version by Tom Rush has embedding disabled.

Autumn Fire

Pin It

As I drove home this evening, the gray clouds hung about the eastern mountains like the smoke around mount doom. My eyes traveled up the steep slopes to the fireworkian display gracing the mountainside. Like lava flowing from the volcanic depths, the bushes and trees near the top of the mountain emitted shades of deep maroon, rich amber, and pumpkin orange as they seemed to spread the changing of the seasons one to another, flowing down the mountain in a lava-ish landslide of rich, burnt color.

I felt the fresh air billow about me in shimmering folds as I cranked the stereo, and the strains of Jars of Clay wafted through the early evening air, breathing in the smells which spelled autumn.

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I can’t tell you just how much that I look forward to the onset of Halloween and Thanksgiving. I love fresh pumpkin pie, dressing in costumes, leaves falling in a myriad of rainbow showers, and crisp mornings that invigorate the lungs and mind.

There are times that I wish the season would last a few months instead of being so brief, but unfortunately it is not to be. It just makes me appreciate the time I have all the more.

The tinder has been set, and the tree outside my kitchen window has already begun to spark, the green in one small patch has turned to bright, sunny yellow. This is just a precursor to what is yet to come.

I look forward to the onslaught of autumn, and the entire forest igniting into flames.

Musings of an Early Morning

Pin It The whistle of the train sounds from the distance over the sleepy city as I lie awake, listening. It’s a bit funny, really. Lately I’ve been tired, and getting up in the morning has been a challenge.

But not today.

Maybe is it because it’s the first day of September, a day usually marking the transition from summer to autumn. Perhaps it’s because of carefree sun-filled days readying to turn themselves to amber leaf canopies and crisp mornings.

Perhaps.

School started a week ago. Judging from the photos and a few posts I’ve written, you’ve probably already figured that out. I have a new Joey this year. He’s awesome. He has already started giving me plenty of fodder, now I just need to get into the mode of writing it all down as it happens; far too many moments slip away because I’m in the midst of teaching and don’t have anything handy to write on.

I wanted to write a post about my Joey from last year. I wanted to write about how he showed up in my classroom at Back to School Night last week. I wanted to write up the interaction between us. You would have laughed. I wanted to tell you all how much I missed having this boy in my classroom. I’d have told you how he finds me in the school at recess, lunch, or after school and makes it a point to give me a hug, or simply let me know that he is still awesome—but sixth-grade awesome.

He’s also humble.

Did I ever mention that I was on crossing duty last year?

I hated crossing duty.

I lied to myself, put on a smile, and pretended that it everything was great.

But secretly? I hated it. I’d stand there with a handheld stop sign and tick off traffic when I allowed students to cross through the intersection. I always felt like an idiot.

Really.

This year we were allowed to sign up for what job we’d like to have for the year. I signed up for the bike rack area at the back of school.

It’s quiet.

I don’t see too many parents. There’s no vehicular traffic. I get to talk to the kids a lot more than I did last year. There’s not as much pressure associated with the area. It kind of reminds me of the desert. The rows of corn in the field beyond the chain link fence are readying to turn. Before I know it, there will be a harvest and the stalks will be hewn down.

I wish they’d planted pumpkins again this year. Pumpkins always seem to make me feel happy, they remind me of Halloween.

I went to the grocery store yesterday for razorblades and yogurt – almost sounds like the name of a band, doesn’t it? I found myself drawn to the aisle filled to capacity with Halloween candy, decorations, and costumes.

I love Halloween.

The clock now rolls over to 5:43 and I have finally caught up on my blog reading. My alarm clock will sound in just a little bit, offering up a lame attempt to wake me – I take that back, it’ll play a Dustin Christensen song which I’ve found really helps to get me going during the mornings. The regular alarm sound just wasn’t working out for me.

There is goes again – the train whistle sounding; I can also hear the telltale sounds of traffic starting up. From out the window, the sky is a deep blue and the world is just coming to life.

I will now join it.

I awoke to an orchestra

Pin It The flash of light ignited against the other side of my closed eyelids; that’s probably what awoke me from a restful slumber. The low, guttural tones of thunder followed only moments behind it, chased by the rain. The glorious downpour smattered down upon rooftop in cascades of monsoon. It layered the sidewalks in shimmery wet, inviting worms to surface for schoolchildren to step on as they make their way to my classroom later this morning in this watery-shimmered world.

I moved through the house with lights off, attentive to the wondrous orchestra playing all around me—reverberating through the four walls and ceiling—and even permeating through the very earth below me.

Light flashed, bringing to life the images hanging on the walls of my home for a brief moment of time.

Exhilaration.

Windows were thrust open, and the sounds were fully welcomed into my world—or I into theirs. Above, the lights of the city reflected off of the dark, twisting clouds as a train whistle pierced the darkness from someplace off in the distance; a melancholy souvenir of places far away, and stages of summer I loathed, yet hunger to live again.

But for now, the rain continues to fall in its eternal drizzle from the skies above me, and the August rushing of wind hits the trees in my Olympic-sized backyard, adding to the ensemble which continues to acquire its musicians.

Like before, I am prepared to meet with a smile whatever challenge is here to greet me today,

Welcome, rain.

Canyons

Pin It Strains of Billy Joel accompanied me as I drove along Alpine Loop’s twisting and tendrilish roadway—switchbacks hugging the mountains to the east of Timpanogos; traveling amongst the brightly-lit fireworks display of autumn which once-again graced the threshold of that place where summer departs and fall begins.

The waning day’s light was subdued as it reached over the distant hills, finally winking out of view to whisper back the night.

The world is content, and so am I.

…and life is good.

Hurricane photo shoot

Pin It When I was down in Hurricane, I was asked to do a photo shoot of some friends of mine. They wanted something, but were not quite sure what it was. Unfortunately, with the several onslaughting days of rain, the leaves (as well as ground) of the backyard was completely soaked. Additionally, the little treasures' left by their two dogs would have made it a bit more treacherous as well.

I suggested we take their couch and get a few shots in the middle of their street.

These are a few of my favorites from the session...

We called this one, “High School Musical.”

Leaf puddles

Pin It
I watched the mist this morning.

It crept along the ground of the park behind my house.

It was amazing to watch as it slowly made its way, shrouding the ground in early morning grayness.

As I walked outside, the rush of August air greeted me as I stepped into the world.

It started to beckon me…to draw me to the “outlife.”

The smells of yellow and dampness permeated the air around me as a gust of wind made the leaves begin to rustle a soliloquy—a chorus of music which transcends words.

I watched the leaves as they raced each other along the streets, eager to be first to get to wherever they were going. Some were caught in the puddles of a rainstorm from the night before—reflecting all of their colors back to me.

I couldn’t help but smile.

Leaves

Pin It
I park under a cluster of maple trees each day in the parking lot across from my school.

I’ve watched the color of their leaves change little by little each day.

A few days ago, the leaves began to fall.

I found several them inside of my car yesterday because I’d left the sunroof open.

Today, as I walked to my car, I found myself wading in a dry, crunchy sea of rust, orange, magenta, and amber. Words just can’t express how much I love the sound they make as I stir through them—like etchings of memory on the tablets of time.

I remembered crawling into piles of these leaves when I was a boy and finding a candy bar some unlucky trick-or-treater had dropped while cutting through our yard the night before. Ah yes, the leaves bring back good memories.

As I climbed into my car, I looked at a few of these lone travelers who’d found refuge on my windshield. I took their picture before sending them whisking away yet again into the autumn winds.

Moonshadow

Pin It The moon and I went for a walk tonight up on the mountain.

It was just us two…and an iPod full of Nickel Creek tunes.

The invigorating, chilled air caught in my lungs like snatches of broken fear, as the milky-white light illuminated everything it touched.

The city lights below me twinkled, and from down by the overpass, a spotlight shone like a beacon…pointing upward to remind me where heaven was. How I wanted to ascend that beam, and reach the moon.

But alas, I am the ground.

When you’re flyin’ high, take my heart along.
I'll be the harmony to every lonely song,
That you learn to play.

When you’re soarin’ through the air
I'll be your solid ground.
Take every chance you dare,
I'll still be there,
When you come back down.

Autumn Bouquets & School Supplies

Pin It “Don't you just love…the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I just knew your name and address.”

—Joe Fox
You’ve Got Mail

Today had a glorious morning.

It was chilled and there was just a touch of frost on the ground. It was absolutely fantastic. I drove to work with the windows down and the music playing.

I couldn’t help but smile the entire way there.

When I arrived at school I was greeted yet-again with a beautiful bouquet I received yesterday from a friend of mine. I’m so glad that she knew my name and address.

They kept the smile with me all day.



Thanks, T.

Chilled morning

Pin It I awoke this morning feeling a distinct chill in the air of my bedroom. I’d left the window open the night before in order to capitalize on the coolness of the evening, and to give the AC system a break.

It was so cold this morning I had trouble getting out of bed. Climbing into a warm shower was like a blessing from heaven itself.

When I was ready to leave, I emerged from my home, and the bite of the morning air greeted my nostrils with more intensity than it had while I’d been inside. I fully expected to see frost covering the long blades of grass of the front yard, like carpeting shards of broken glass. It made me think reminiscently of Halloween, and felt that I should have seen decorations festooning the neighborhood and people emerging from their homes shrouded in costume.

They weren’t.

It was at this moment that I was reminded just how much I love Halloween. It is, I would have to say, one of my absolute favorite holidays.

That, and National Corn-Fritter Week.

The best Halloween costume

Pin It No, it isn't this one...


Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays of all time. I can remember being a kid on Halloween and looking forward with anticipation to the night festivities…AKA: trick-or-treating. When I was little, my mom had me dress up as Andy, from Raggedy Ann and Andy because she’d made the costume. But, as a kid, I didn’t mind…after all, what is there that a kid won’t do for a great, big bag of candy?


When I turned 9 years old, I began to pick my own costumes and one of my favorites was dressing up as Zorro. There was something amazing about dressing up as a guy who defies a tyrannical government and who could single-handedly take on an entire army of villains and come out on top. Plus the fact that I’d get to wear a mask and carry a sword were always perks to being Zorro as well…not to mention that since my last name started with a Z, I could always leave that mark of his on my papers at school, claiming it as my own.

Costumes come and go, and as they do I would find myself choosing them much more carefully than I had when I was younger. Who would I want to be this year? Lately, a personal favorite costume of mine is Professor Severus Snape. Since I am elementary school teacher, dressing up as Snape makes school much more fun, considering the fact that I black out the windows, have thunder and rain sound effects playing, and very little lighting in the room…it’s amazing just how you can make a bright and cheery classroom feel so much like a dungeon. All of this plus the fact that I can be a ruthless character whom the kids absolutely love to have as a sub.

This year I decided to not only dress up as Snape, but in a few other costumes as well. It started off last year with the thought that it would be fun to be two different characters. So, I was Snape to start off the morning, and then after morning recess was a military commander whom I’d named, Sir Yessir. It was fun for the morning hours and as my class went to lunch I heard a few of them comment to each other with things like, “I can’t wait to see who’s going to be here after lunch!” Well, I hadn’t thought about being anybody else so the class had to content themselves with only two teachers that year.

Well, wanting to have a little more fun, I spent quite a few more hours preparing for Halloween this year. Not only did I have to get the classroom ready, but I had to get the costumes ready as well. It was at 12:30 on the eve before Halloween that I found myself driving home from the school and it was at about 1:30 that morning that I finally got to sleep.

When my alarm clock sounded a few hours later I thought that it was much too early…after all, it had just seemed that I had put my head to my pillow when it was time for me to go to school again. I rolled out of bed and quickly got ready…gathering up a large bunch of costume props which I needed for the day and headed out to school.

The beginning of the day was great. Playing Snape is always a lot of fun…especially considering the entrance I make when I have this ominous song for my entry and I turn off the lights so that only the dim lighting in the classroom I’d set up before is now noticeable. It’s strange too…for some reason, the kids absolutely love it when I would take points from their “houses” and mostly from any student dressed up as a character from the Harry Potter books (this year it was Lilly Evans).

After first recess my class was surprised when the next character arrived. A military commander who made them run obstacle courses on the playground, made them listen to patriotic music, and profess his love of America. I have to admit, last year I was much more brutal as this character (whom the kids still loved). This year, Sir Yessir had mellowed quite a bit from what he’d been in the past.


After lunch I was a character whom I decided to simply name, “Captain.” This was merely from the fact that I was supposed to be Jack Sparrow, however, my sister was unable to finish the costume so I was just a pirate captain instead. This was a fun character who gave the entire class pirate names like, Worm Gut and Ugly Pete.

A bit later I came in as “Earl.” Earl is an employee of Wal-Mart who is the host of multiple personalities whom would all surface at various times of his visit to our classroom. My favorite personality he housed was Blanche—a 50 year-old lounge singer whose voice had deteriorated into a gravely quality.

At the end of the day I had chosen to be a Jedi…a pretty cool costume which is a lot of fun to wear. In all, it was a fun Halloween.

A lot of work? Yes.
Fun? Yes.
Would I do it again? Not sure.

The reason I would not want to repeat my Halloween costume fest is mostly from the fact that it was an amazing amount of work which took far too much time in the end.


On a different note, however, I did get a little pleasant surprise before the day was through…do you remember what I said before about imitation being the most sincere form of flattery? Well, imagine my surprise when I found the 8 year-old boy across the hall dressed up in HIS Halloween costume.

Now, I can only wonder…did his mom make him dress up that way? After all, he’s only 8.

Giving Up

Pin It

(October 12, 2007)

It is really amazing what life teaches us through what we see around us. As I woke up this morning I was greeted by a beautiful day. I was up immediately and was taking some photographs when I found two trees, side-by-side.

One of these trees was alive and the other was dead. Both had gnarled bark and each was stooped, as if standing straight had been far too much. However, it looked as if one of them had just given up.

It amazes me that both of these trees took different pathways and is still with us, while the other is not.

Is this not a metaphor of life? That there are many around us still in the land of the living, but inside are “dead” because they’ve given up?

As I sit there and gaze at these two trees, I am faced with a daunting question...which of these two am I?

Thankfulness

Pin It There are so many things I have to be thankful for. As I sit here up at Sundance yet again on a Sunday afternoon I am surrounded by the glory of God’s creation and find myself in awe of all of this beauty. How can one doubt His existence when we have all of these reminders? The elegant mountain stream as it cascades over stones, which become rounded by its continued rushing and flow. The call of birds in the Autumn-hemmed treetops. The smell of lazy smoke from bright, crackling flames burning the summer’s dried leaves…

Sundays and Sundance

Pin It

What is it about being at Sundance here in Provo Canyon that makes such a big difference for me? I think that it comes from being tucked away in the mountains surrounded by the majestically towering pines, the wind blowing through their lofty branches, and the veritable orchestra of sound as the river courses its way past me. Throw in the sound of the leafy aspens, just starting to show distinct signs of fall, kissed with reds and yellows, and you’ve got yourself off to a good start.

I love the smells up here too…those fresh, invigorating scents which make me remember old songs on the radio and cherished memories. I drink in these smells and greet them like some of my oldest and dearest friends.

Sunday afternoon…what a perfect time to find a place of solace! You can also imagine my surprise when I decided to write for a few minutes up here at the theatre at Sundance, opened my laptop, turned on a few Nickel Creek tunes, and then discovered that they had free wireless Internet. Ah, what a great extra bonus to an already glorious day!

It wasn’t long before a few friends contact me on IM and I began to wonder…do they have any idea of where I am right now? I also wondered just how jealous they may be if they only knew…

Oh, and by the way, Lindsay Lohan is up here too though I haven't seen her...after all, she is in rehab.