Saturday, November 06, 2010

Breaking The Fast

Yes, I'm breaking my fast. Today was the first time I have made any photographs since August 13.  I can't remember any time since the 1980s that I have gone three months without doing some kind of photography. But I just haven't felt like picking up the camera. To take the camera on some of the trips we have made back and forth to Houston would have felt like I was carrying a rock....a heavy rock.

Today the weather was beautiful, we needed some fresh air and Carly needed a walk so we headed to one of my favorite places in Houston, the open spaces along Buffalo Bayou. It has been a while since I had been there and Houston has been gentrifying this long green space. I liked it wild and tangled but I may have been a minority of one. At first I was shocked. Lots of the big trees along the bayou's edge had been cut down. Then I saw that a lot more trees had been planted just a little further from the edge of the bayou, cypress, sycamores, oaks. Maybe they are replacing the old trees and some of them were trash trees with varieties that grew along the bayou back at the time the Allen brothers were "selling" Houston to new settlers.

Using the camera today felt good but was I was just practicing. I guess it is like someone who is a pianist or an athelete who has laid off for three months. They aren't going to start where they left off. I know I'm not starting where I left off. But at least I'm picking it up again and it felt good to break that long fast.

9 comments:

Jonna said...

Your photos on a bad day are better than most people's on their best day. I'm glad you are back at it and back here as well.

Hugs to both of you,

Anonymous said...

I love your photos. Glad you are back at it. Jan in Mississippi

debbie said...

I;m so glad you're back. And, you're right the weather's been picture perfect here in Big H.

Debbie

deb did it said...

Hola Billie! Thanks for stopping by my blog, I just arrived back to Texas last night after one glorious week in SMA. Be in touch, and enjoy Big H...the concrete jungle!!

John said...

Hi Billie -
Just found your blog via your SoFoMoBo book on New Orleans. Great stuff. Colors were hyper-intense but not fake looking. Hope you don't take too many layoffs!

John

Billie Mercer said...

Thanks everyone. Deb did it, hope you come back to SMA soon. You have some lovely photos from there.
John, glad you found me. I hope you hang around and I've bookmarked your blog so I'll be dropping in on you.

beth said...

3 months....oh, i could never do that and keep breathing.....

Billie Mercer said...

There have been times in the last three months when I've had to tell my self to breathe. so I understand what you are saying.

Teri said...

So glad you did! I love your blog and the wonderful images you capture.