On the days that it is up to me to walk the dog, we go west, out of town on 724. Dog panting and whining in the back seat, windows down, air filling the car with the smells of spring, warm weather. Over rolling hills, the houses start to spread out, the population thins. The dog knows where we are, where we are going and he starts to whine when we make the right to cross the river. Tires crunch on gravel, scampering paws in dirt, silence broken by the crashing of canine into brush.

Here, it is me and the dog. A quarter of a mile into the public hunting lands and the sounds transition from the rush of cars to the soft rustle of leaves, crops bowing in the breeze. He is running, jumping and crashing through the landscape, giddy while flushing the birds from their perches in trees and on the ground; you can see solid lines of birds fly away from him.  In the worn work boots I bought ages ago on a midnight trip to Walmart, I walk with my shoulders back and look around, noting the subtle changes to the familiar landscape.

While I have a four-legged friend to accompany me, I am without human company and as a woman, this is remarkable. Ever present in our culture is the notion that women should not walk alone, not in secluded places where no one can find them if “something” were to happen. I do it at least twice a week, now that my day to day life has shifted into something new. I place one foot in front of the other, enjoying the landscape and my place in it. These few squares miles of land offer me intimacy, solitude, peace. I am clued into the subtle cycles of the planet, the weather, the seasons.

I have recently learned the art and skill of making my own pizza. My crusts are thin and crispy, loaded with tons of fresh veggies and cheese; they have been delicious in a way that most pizza that one can purchase is not. Imagine my surprise and delight, upon arriving at my aunt and uncle’s place last Friday evening, when my uncle told me he was making that pizza for dinner. Different execution and style but so, so good. Bubbly cheese, soft crust and fresh toppings; they were to die for.

Donna and Mark’s Backyard, near dusk. Sunbury, PA.

Pond Scum at the Vernal Pools, Honeysuckle Blossoms, Woodpecker Feathers. Black Rock Sanctuary, Phoenixville.

Last week, I went for a stroll, guided by the landscape architect who created it, through Black Rock Sanctuary. Orginally used as dumping grounds for the coal silt pulled out of the Schuylkill River, an attempt to clean up the water quality in the early 20th century. The space was cleaned up and designed to be a wetland wildlife sanctuary. It is fabulous and quiet, verdant and lush right now. It was a pleasure to hear all of the planning and thought that went into making Black Rock a natural, living environment.

2012 April 24

Beer, Dogwood Tree. Phoenixville.

I learned some good things this past Friday, the 13th of April. My intuition is strong and I probably shouldn’t ignore it. This is hard for me, because I still can’t discern between anxiety and intuition a lot of the time; both are uncontrollable emotional reactions to events and occurrences in my life. Listening to that little voice that says something is wrong is incredibly important. I know it and I feel it and when I listen to it, it keeps me from making some seriously bad decisions that effect my emotional well-being and self-confidence for the worse.

Also, don’t order the special at your favorite local restaurant on Friday the 13th. It’s a surefire way to be disappointed.

My image One Hundred and Seventy Seven Vintage Bone Buttons illustrated two short stories by Barbara Fried in Guernica Magazine this week. The writing that accompanies the image is wonderful and I am excited to see my work featured on a website like Guernica.

Units 1&2, Tree Line. PA State Gamelands 263.

Life, my friends, is good.

My favorite tree from the PA State Gamelands, the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant.

Units 1&2, the series of the cooling towers from the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant, will be featured at the New Vox Gallery in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The show will be two parts; a series of postcards featuring every single one of the images will be put out into southeastern Pennsylvania in July and a selection of the images as large prints will be hung in November, as part of the Invision Photography Festival.