Category: Photography

Fiction, Flash Fiction, Photography, Pictures & Words Challenge, Writing Prompt

Pictures and Words Day 2: Cherry on Top

Carrie Sue Barnes
Photo/Writing Prompt: Reflection
Photo taken at Beernsten’s Candy & Ice Cream Shop, Manitowoc, WI

The little guy was in the booth kitty corner from mine. There was a mirror on the wall beside each table and I caught him watching me in the reflection. Smile on his lips and cherry ice cream on his chin; I guessed he was about three. Every time I snuck a glance, there he was with his shining eyes on me.

Lowell made me promise when he left for Afghanistan that I would treat myself to something every single day. Just until he returned, I had to treat myself as well as he treated me. That’s how he put it, with that self assured smirk of his that made me want to kiss him. I was terrible at taking care of myself, of checking in with my own consciousness and seeing to its needs. Lowell was always calling me out on it. He was the one who made sure I came home at ten on the fifth night after four nights of working on a case until two a.m. He’d pack my lunches then text to remind me to eat. If I made an absentminded remark on needing a haircut, the next week I had a voicemail from my salon with an appointment reminder for a cut and a manicure.

Those are only a few examples, of course. So many little things. So many little things I did my best not to take for granted. So many little things I miss until it aches now.

While he’s been away, I have tried to keep my promise. I kept a calendar and wrote on each and every square.

September 3: Finally replaced my running shoes that I have complained about for months. The new ones are pink.

November 22: Went to our favorite coffeshop by myself for the first time since you left.

December 11: Came home early from work with a migraine. When it let up, I didn’t go back to the office. Stayed on the couch in my pajamas and finished the novel I started when you were still here.

February 14: Found the exact same truffles you bought for me last year. Ate one for you and one for me.

April 30: Attempted two recipes from Pinterest from the hundreds I have saved but never tried. Results were tasty.

May 6: Painted my nails in the color I wore on our wedding day.

June 25: Caught up on casework at home instead of at the office since it’s Saturday. I watched hours and hours of my favorite TV shows while I finished it all.

And today. July 2: Left work at 6:30 and stopped at Beernsten’s for ice cream. Again and again, I smile back at the little boy in the mirror. His cheeriness is contagious. This is the last day, the cherry on top of all the good moments I’ve clung to in the last year. I already know what I’ll write on the calendar tomorrow.

July 3: Picked up Lowell at the airport.

Flash Fiction, Photography, Pictures & Words Challenge, Writing Prompt

Pictures & Words Day 1: Listen to the Lake

Carrie Sue Barnes

Photo/Writing Prompt: Through My Window

Photo taken from my car at North Point Park, Sheboygan, WI
I thought about getting out of the car. Crossing the rocks, putting my toes in the waves. I could hear the handful of children braving the cold water down at the beach. Squeals and shouts, words indiscernible as the breeze took them up and away. I considered walking down there, sitting in the sand. Still, I stayed in my car. Through my open window, the blue view filled my eyes until I closed them against the midday sun. Keeping them closed, I waited. The prism of outlines faded from the backs of my eyelids. The children’s voices and passing cars fell behind the hum of the wind. Everything went to the background except the water. 
It was my therapy, listening to the lake. I’d started driving here after work on the worst days. The days when I had no wish to go home to face what was there. Or what was not there. Instead I’d drive here. I would stay until the sun was dipping on the other side of the trees and my stomach growled as if food still tasted worthwhile. At first, I kept my eyes open. I tried to notice everything, anything that could hold my focus. Every movement, every face, every smell and sound. Each one gave me a few seconds outside of my head. After some weeks I learned to listen to the lake instead. It was the only thing that could hold me long enough to do any good. 
That was a year ago. A year. A year without him. I’ve listened for a year to the crescendo as the water swells before breaking and the waves course over the shore’s rocks. Twelve months of hearing the lapping water on the smooth little stones closer to the beach. 
Even through winter I came. Window down, heat high in the car. It was less often by then though. I didn’t miss him any less but I was less startled by the absence. The emptiness of his favorite chair and his side of the bed didn’t choke me when I walked into the room. Instead of the lake after work, I’d leave early some mornings to sit in the grass and lean my back against his gravestone. That helped, too, certainly, but nothing could soothe like the lake. 
Now summer has come again. Indifferent to my feelings, it would not be put off. Maybe I’ll get out of the car tomorrow. There’s a picnic table under a willow tree that’s empty most days. Maybe I’ll get out, walk that much closer to the water, sit cross legged on the wood of that table, close my eyes, and listen to the lake.
Photography, Pictures & Words Challenge, Writing, Writing Prompt

A Picture Is Worth How Many Words?

Carrie Sue Barnes

For the month of July, I am combining two of my great loves: writing and photography. I’ll be doing a month long photo challenge then using each day’s photo as a writing prompt. It’s a busy month but I shall do my absolute best to consistently post the results each day. This exercise in creativity has me quite excited. It shall be an adventure of the imagination! I hope you’ll enjoy it, too.

If you want to catch each post, consider following my blog by clicking the Google+ “Follow” button under my picture on the left side of the page. Thank you for being one of the much appreciated readers of Carrie In Writing!

Photography

For the Beauty of the Earth

Carrie Sue Barnes

Our excursion to Marinette County, or a bit of the county. These are only 4 of the 15 parks on the ‘waterfall tour.’ A delightful day in every sense of the word…

We began at Veteran’s Falls with a picnic and some traipsing around the water.
Next we drove to McClintock Park. I fell head over heels for this park. Not a waterfall site but a series of wooden bridges over the beautiful river and trails through the forest.
A rocky, steep trail leads from the parking area to Eighteen Foot Falls.
Along the way is one of the coolest tree stumps around.
The day was wrapped up with some traversing of rocks and trails at Dave’s Falls.

Photography

Chasing

Carrie Sue Barnes

Last night I chased down a sunset. From my front step I am only allowed a teasing glimpse of the end of day, closed in as we are by trees and houses and low elevation. Yet last night’s glimpse was everything necessary to know this sunset needed to be chased. It was not one of the many that can warrant a glance and nothing more. It deserved to be seen. So I drove. I turned up the music in my little sedan, lowered the window to let my elbow meet the wind, and I drove. Farm field after farm field was passed as I moved further from town and nearer to the middle of nowhere. Barn peaks and silos inserted themselves on the glowing orange canvas of the quickly fading sunset. It was magnificent. I got absolutely no photos that do it justice and I didn’t care a bit. Turning around, heading home, restricting the colors to only my rearview mirror… I really didn’t want to go. The music was turned up a little more, my whole arm hung outside the open window and I drove back into the valley, chasing nothing.

Advent, Christmas, Photography

Let’s Find a Christmas Tree!

Carrie Sue Barnes
As we do every year, my sister and I (with our niece too this time) went tree hunting. It’s a lovely process. Taking our time, picking out our favorites, tramping through the snow to compare the possibilities, realizing we aren’t lumberjacks when our shoulders are aching after sawing through half the trunk. Good times are had by all. This year’s tree is decidedly plump, overtaking half the living room. I’m growing more fond of it each day.