SEEDS, PODS AND VERTICAL DRAG

 

Weather: High 70’s today, breezy, mostly clear blue sky. 50’s tonight.

Seeds, Pods & Nutcases

Dearest Readers,

I’ve been slow in adjusting to my Southern Normal–six weeks since my last blog when I left Vermont, and over a month since arriving in Decatur. As usual after the long drive, I couldn’t shake a breathless sensation in my chest for a week or so, and a fuzzyness in the head.  I call it Vertical Drag. It’s some sort of jet lag for same-time-zone auto travel–in this case north to south within the same longitude. (Rutland VT to Georgia). It’s like a mean old friend, come back to nag me. Gone now and good riddance. 

Along the route home I picked up some signs of Fall in the shape of seeds, pods and tree detritus. I did some drawings realistically at first with a sharp HB pencil and some touches of white, then I let-it-rip for the second rendering. 

My grandson Roman and I found a spiky chestnut pod on the sidewalk in Brooklyn. It’s been slowly opening its clamshell mouth on my Decatur window sill.  A chestnut rattles around inside.

Chestnut 1

Chestnut 2-Dream of a Chestnut

I picked up a storm-downed pecan on the ground in Raleigh, NC at my friend Ann’s house along my route home.

Ann's pecan #1

Ann's pecan #2-Dream of a pecan

I brought a pointy, pimply milkweed pod from Vermont that burst forth a slew of silky, seed parachutists throughout my kitchen.

Milkweed Pod and seeds

Vermont milkweed pod and seeds #1

Vermont milkweed pod and seeds #2

 In Atlanta, Fall manifests in a magnolia tree’s seed casing, studded with red kernels tucked inside custom sleep cells...that already broke out.

Magnolia Seedcase #1

Magnolia Seedcase #2

Grandson Jack gave me a tiny acorn with a poufy beret

Jack's Atlanta Acorn 9.23.2012

 I rescued a fat standard pine cone from the street, 

Decatur Pine cone 9.30.2012

and some sort of tree vine seedpod frozen in the act of spitting out its contents, long gone.

Tree vine seed case_Decatur10.1.2012

My cherry tomato plant still produces a few fruits a week. I pop them in my mouth and taste the sharp, acid-sweet flavor burst in my mouth.

Cecelia's Cherry Tomatoes #1

Cecelia's Cherry Tomatoes #2

I’ve set up my studio in my home again. I’m playing regularly with my grandson and granddaughter, visiting friends and going to openings. From out of the blue, a feeling of deep wisdom has settled in.