An impressive historic stone building houses a treasure trove of knowledge. There are over 50 libraries in Rhode Island, all connected by one central catalog system. Request a book from anywhere in Rhode Island, and return it wherever is convenient to you. The South Kingstown Public library is full of character, a warm and welcoming place that holds a special place in my heart. I have been traveling the world here since my childhood, through the pages of these priceless books.
If anybody would ask me for a rough estimation I’d say that this unique local alley’s length is around 300 feet in total with an average width of around 4 feet. Obviously a place that seems as if it has been pulled out straight off any claustrophobic’s fever-dream. But here comes the interesting and truly paradox part: after all these years I’ve been wandering through that corridor the effect it has on me has changed fundamentally from an eerie and menacing one at first to one that makes me feel warmly and also creatively “hugged” these days. As Heraklit once said: Everything flows, nothing stays still. Apparently this also includes my gut feeling. Oh and yes: this post, it’s title and picture is also a very appreciating nod to Temple Grandin.
When life pulls me in all directions, to and fro, with a never-ending To Do List…
I take the back roads, pull over for a minute, and find stillness in the mad rush.
This week’s post is a special one for both me and my oldfashioned German to English dictionary. What’s the translation for a medieval object that’s neither a fortress, nor a palace and not really a castle as well? In German it’s called “ein Schloss” which makes the search for the correct English term and translation even more tricky because “ein Schloss” also means “a doorlock” in English. One more English word I’ve freshly learned today is “a moat”. Something that’s also surrounding “the object” on the photo, even though its existence is only slightly hinted behind the bushes. I guess I’ll play it safe this week and will say the following: What you are seeing here is a typical Austrian “Chateau” of the late 1100s and that is surrounded by a traditional “moat” that’s filled with water! Et voilà, that’s exactly what it is and what I’ll say!
There’s a little bit of everything in New England. Experience the gorgeous coastline with sprawling dunes, rocky shores, and even shipwrecks; climb the snow-capped mountains along the Appalachian Trail; hike the lush deciduous forests with trails that go on for miles; or take in the views from the rolling hills overlooking quaint historic towns throughout the region. Meadows, marshes, valleys, sand plains… variety is the spice of life, and there are so many flavors to try in the New England landscape.
Truly, it is paradise for a photographer like me!
It’s likely one of these “hidden features” of the human mind: to let memories vanish. Memories of that early ages in a human’s life, where the very first steps of growingly complex activities are seen, imitated and finally internalized & learned. Where professional skiracers are admired to fly down Tyrolean slopes at literally neckbreaking speeds of over 75 miles per hour it’s often forgotten on where these people’s skills have had their humble beginnings: On little, nearly flat hills. Just fast enough to be caught by their parent’s arms at any time. And with one thing above all the rest: pure, safe and cozy fun.
My childhood memories of this place are hazy. I recall the smell of incense, the sound of reggae, the animals on the farm. I was always excited to visit.
Returning as an adult, some of that magic is still there. Prayer flags, Buddhas, a mystical bamboo forest. It’s a familiar place, yet my awareness is different. All these things which I didn’t give a second thought to as a child now hold meaning to me. I wonder how the exposure at a young age ultimately impacted my spiritual growth over the following years.
The mid of the winter season has nearly arrived and there’s a growing hint in the air that things get rushier each day of the passing season. TwinTip, Freeride, All Mountain? It’s a tough choice. Yet there’s still some time left to find that ultimate majesty ontop and down the local slopes.
To be in the moment.
To act naturally, to do without thinking. Effortless action. A state of flow.
Whether on a surfboard or behind a camera. What better way to start & end a year?
Forget now, little child,
Your grief, your sorrow
That you have to suffer
In the stable, on the heath.
Yes, the angels adorn
Your manger,
More beautifully
Than a king’s house.
Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye,
Sleep sweetly, dearest Child!
(from “Es wird scho glei dumpa” – a traditional, old, Austrian Christmas lullaby)