Friday, October 17, 2008

Tis the season.

The Cannon Beach Library is holding its Annual Harvest Fest, which has appeared on this site before.  Gifts and collectibles, homemade pies and jams, lovingly knitted scarves and hats--of course I brought home Rocky Road Brownies and freshly canned Peach Preserves.

I've been thinking about the harvest.  Friends have been showering me with squash and cucumbers.  As some of you know I, myself, have been busy cultivating this year:  concepts, ideas, relationships, interests, a business and even a few tomatoes.  It really hit me when I visited wine country a couple of weeks ago, looking at the plump, ripe grapes on the vines and realizing they are part of several cycles simultaneously:  the growing season, the wine-making process, the land itself, the ecosystem, the economy...The wheels turned again about why I was there and why I am Here.

I was "there" to shoot photos for a calendar project that's been in my head for years.  (I should receive the first copy in the next couple of days.)  I was in wine country--WINE country--another interest from a past life that has had a growth spurt during my life in Cannon Beach.  But this year these old interests are blossoming in a more soulful and intimate way than I ever could have predicted when I arrived on the Coast five years ago.  The fruit varies with climate, terrior, pruning. 

What is my harvest this year (aside from a few really nice cherry tomatoes?)
    A new business venture and continued growth as a photographer
    A new circle of friends, alliances and fascinating acquaintances met through Spirited
    A greater appreciation for art in all forms as well as for artisans who create with passion in paint, in grasses,
         in grapes, in milk, in words, in the earth. 
    A greater willingness to let things evolve and mature and run their courses.

Water a bit; weed a bit;  reap what you sow.