Still Time

The boats had set sail - her name was never called. She wasn't quiet sure what to do at that moment so she began walking. Where? Anywhere. It didn't matter at this point.

She just wandered. Walking into the night, wondering when it would catch up to her. Wondering if it had caught up to the others who had chosen to stay rather than flee. She knew she should be scared, but her mind was empty, blank of all thoughts.

She wasn't aware of where she was until her foot entered to water. Snapping out of her trance, she found herself on the beach - a spot she had never been before. Taking her foot out of the water, she sat down on the sand and pulled her knees up to her chest - hugging them tightly.

The mist had begun to creep through the trees on the edge of the beach, drifting out over the glass-like water. The moon was shining so bright the mist almost appeared translucent - as if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Now it was just a waiting game.

She knew it wasn't far because she could feel the ground beneath her beginning to tremble.

Last Chance

She wasn't nervous - she wasn't even scared. She didn't care about anyone else. She wanted on a boat now. She stood there, waiting for her name to be called. It wasn't a guarantee, but she was holding her breath, listening.

The boats were filling up fast and she was one of the last few in her block to have been notified of the mass exodus. She had gotten there late and had already missed her name being called once. Now it was dependent on luck. Were there others who missed their chance after her? Would there be room? Maybe people stayed home, wanting to try and wait it out.

All she wanted was to get on. Ship out to see. Get away. Be safe.

She was waiting for her name.

She couldn't hold her breath for much longer.

Cleansing

He wasn't really sure what it was about trees. When he stood amongst them, he felt whole. Whole in life. Whole in health.

It was never clear to him what about trees did this to him. It could have been the color of the leaves - how vibrant they were in the sun. It could have been the oxygen slowly seeping from their pores and entering his nostrils, traveling all they way to his lungs.

It didn't matter  much to him what caused it. He just knew he liked the feeling.

Sad Proof

I call this post Sad Proof for one reason.

If I stumbled upon one of these boxes in my lifetime, I would most certainly press the enticing red button on the front of them.

And.

If this happened, I'd instantly be happy.

There you have it, the definition of Sad Proof.

(Side Note: I think the French language is beautiful and exquisite. It also doesn't hurt that this takes place in Paris - the city I fell in love with the moment I stepped foot in it)


Escape Machines - Surprise from The Cool Hunter on Vimeo.

Flakes

I was never a great snow sports kind of person. I could easily hold my own on a pair of skis while snowboarding never was difficult for me - yet, neither "hooked" me as much as other sports, like soccer or tennis,

Don't get me wrong - I love snow, I just never delved into those sports as deeply as I have in other areas of my life.

What I do love though, is watching them. I think it's extremely impressive what these athletes can do and it's unbelievably graceful and mesmerizing in my eye.

Beside the point, everyone knows I love recording things - with cameras.

If I love snow and watching snow sports, why not combine the two?

If I get a camera soon - you can bet I'll be shooting something like this in my spare time.

Enjoi


Isenseven 2011 - Welcome Trailer from Isenseven on Vimeo.

Travels

 Places I want to go (and will go):

                                           Yosemite National Park

                                                Zion National Park

                                                        Ireland

                                          Ecola State Park, Oregon

                                              MacWay Falls, CA

                                            Save Valley, Zimbabwe

                                                    New Zealand

                                                   South Dakota

                                     The Twelve Apostles, Australia

Deep Roots

The others kids had laughed at him. Pointed - stared, talked amongst themselves. They thought he was weird. Crazy - not like them. How could he be with such a dumb idea?

He used to be the talk of the playground - the gossip of their parents. He didn't understand the big deal in what he did.

It had been years since he had passed. He grew up and the tormenting followed. Snickers in middle school. Teasing in high school. College was a new world for him. His life after, was not a problem.

It wasn't until after he was gone that the wood began to crack through asphalt, finally reaching the sun. Everyone thought it was impossible. He just wanted to plant a tree - he didn't care if the city was paving over his spot in a couple days. It was going to be planted and that was the end of it.

Now - years after, the tree stands tall, in the middle of the road, undisturbed. People were amazed by it - afraid and unwanting to touch it.

He may be gone, but thanks to the tree - he is not forgotten.

Uncertain

He wasn't sure what as out there, but he could feel the ground shaking as it approached. It was coming towards him fast. The Earth was constantly rumbling and the giant stride of whatever was on the other side of the mist was beating rhythmically.

Fear wasn't even on his mind. He was curious what it could be. Where it was from. What it - whatever it was, looked like.

He couldn't make out anything through the fog yet - no shadows or outlines. Nothing.

The air was becoming thick and moist with it's breath - heavy and pungent with a smell very similar to the fall foliage rotting on the forrest floor.

IIt was growing stonger as it was getting closer.

Oh Blinky

Yeah - it's a disturbing film. I'll agree to that. But it looks pretty!

And it has the kid from Where the Wild Things Are.  I don't think you could logically ask for more.

I knew about this short film for a while, so I've been itching to see it. I hope you enjoy it too. But, like I said, it is a little disturbing...


Blinky™ from Ruairi Robinson on Vimeo.

Hopefully with my Tax return(s) (if I get any) I'll be able to get a camera and start shooting films much in this same style. No...not disturbing, or full of great amateur CGI - but indie short films.

I really really really hope I get some cash back because I really really really want a camera.

I've been dying to shoot stuff recently.

Waiting

From where he was laying, nothing mattered. He was alone in his mind and at piece. Nothing and no one had the power to bother him.

The ground was cool to his back - even as the sun baked his chest, face, and legs. It was soft, pungent - smelling of fresh grass clippings and the musty nodes of moss. He liked the way the blades felt between his fingers and tickled the backs of his knees.

He knew that he wouldn't be disturbed. When people looked for you, they don't look in the back yard. They look through the house and just assume you aren't home - not out back, on the ground, looking up at the sky.

Today was a perfect day to gaze up. The sky was almost completely clear. Crystal blue like the waters in the caribbean, with a few wisps of clouds drifting by on an unseen current. The breeze played softly in his ear and cooled his cheeks. When he closed his eyes, the world was orange and vacant. He could hear everything, but it was nice seeing nothing. When he needed to return to reality, he's open them again - to that large wonderful blue swath above him.

Sometimes he'd wish a plane would fly overhead - to make him feel small to the rest of the world.

Other times he hoped for a storm to gather above him and drench him. Bringing with it that sweet smell of ozone.

Today, he just wanted to remain planted in the grass and gaze up.

At this very moment, he was lost in the sky.

Sucker Punch

So there is a movie coming out by the name of "Sucker Punch." I'm sure a lot of you out there have seen commercials for it and are wondering "what the hell is this movie?"

Fair enough. It does seem strange and very out there - but I have to tip my hat to the director, Zack Snyder. He is one of the true visionary directors of today. He has an extremely keen eye and sees things in ways many of us don't. You don't believe me? Go ahead and look at his roster of films, which include, 300, Dawn of the Dead, and The Watchmen.

Watch ANY of those and tell me they aren't visually stunning or stimulating. It's impossible.

Anywho - his new movie is weird - I'll give you that. It involves nazi zombie soldiers from world war I, dragons, orcs, robots, and giant (literally) samurais. Will it all tie together? Probably not, but I hope it does. The story revolves around a young woman sent to an asylum where she must escape before her stepfather has her lobotomized. To escape, she must collect a few things - a map, fire, a key, etc. But, all of these things are found in her imagination (where the dragons, soldiers, and samurais come in). While she is in this "dream world" she is actually doing things in the real world...get it? If you don't, watch the trailer and hopefully you'll understand.

I'm excited for this movie. It looks amazing (visuals-wise). The story may not all be there, but my eyes will be pleased.

But to the main point -Trailer Park (my place of work) was the company that was lucky enough to have been chosen to cut all the trailers, so I've been engulfed in everything "Sucker Punch." One of my final duties as the vault manager was to make a DVD cover for a reel that contained all our trailers for the film.

I knwo I've discussed how I've enjoyed messing with Photoshop recently and how proud I am of my 'fake' album covers - but may I present to you my magnum opus...(imagine it folder as if it were in a DVD case/sleeve -  also the back cover doesn't have a list of the spots yet)

Dope

He's dope.

His writing is dope

The blog he created is awesome.

http://thosewhoinherit.blogspot.com/

He's Carlos.

Thats all you need to know.

Ahahaha I Love Him So Much...

http://dlisted.com/node/41245

or...Dave Grohl is the man with how he feels about Glee...

“It’s every band’s right, you shouldn’t have to do fucking Glee. And then the guy who created Glee is so offended that we’re not, like, begging to be on his fucking show… fuck that guy for thinking anybody and everybody should want to do Glee.

I watched 10 minutes. It’s not my thing

The Glee guy, what a fucking jerk. Slash was the first one. He wanted to do Guns ‘n’ Roses and Slash is like, ‘I hate fucking musicals. It’s worse than Grease.’ Then [Murphy's] like, ‘Well, of course he’d say that, he’s a washed up ol’ rock star, that’s what they fucking do.’ And then Kings of Leon say, ‘No, we don’t want to be on your show.’ And then he’s like, ‘Snotty little assholes…’ And it’s just like, Dude, maybe not everyone loves Glee. Me included.”

Nailed it!

Red Handed!

Adorable and funny all at the same time!

Say Whaaa?

I'm in a goofy mood. So this calls for a goofy video.

Say what? A goofy video.

What the hell?

Words cannot describe this...

Is it awesome? You bet your ass it is! Can I do it? You bet your ass I can't!

I have some musical talent - I'll give myself that, but I can't do anything close to this! I wish I could. It's one of those useless skills thats someday at sometime when you least expect it - it'll come in handy.

I guess if I really want to learn how to do the hambone kneeslap (what the f*ck kind name is that anyway), I can just hang out with some hill billys or red necks.

Branson...here I come!

Remember That Time I Said Super 8 Was the Movie to See This Year? About That...

Ok - I knew this was happening. It wasn't a secret to me, but I didn't know it was going to be like this.

An Oscar winning director? Check.

This is my most important film of you year. Why? You'll know why when you see the trailer below.

I'm seriously stoked for this film. I don't think I can describe it. Go ahead and be honest with me - when was the last time I was excited for a documentary either? Um...I don't even think I could answer that.


The best part about it?


The buzz it's been getting has been HUGE. It hasn't be released yet, but the early reviews say it's amazing. Am I biased? You bet your ass I am, but I'm not the one reviewing it - lots of people are, and the consensus has been good.


Hell - the trailer looks amazing!

Splat

I know I've written about paint before. And slow motion. And both of them combined. So would you at all be surprised if I did so again?

Of course not.

Well, this following video is cool...but the music really sucks. I'll be honest with you. Poor choice by the film maker.

But, at least the footage looks cool - minus the backwards part (lame effect).

Hope you enjoy!


The Speaker Orchestra from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

Uncertain Memorie

As he stood at the door he was uncertain if he was making the right choice.

It had been so long since he had heard from them - since he had seen them, known them. He was so small. He wasn't even sure if he remembered them.

Would they remember him?

He was cold. A draft was blowing through the hallway, licking at his exposed skin. He pulled his coat tighter around his neck and he stood waiting. He had knocked but heard nothing.

He saw himself in the eyepiece - so small and featureless.

Is that how they would perceive him if they opened the door? He straighten as a creak from a floorboard escaped from inside the apartment.

It had been so long since they given up on him.

But now, he was home.

Bleached Boards

It had been some time since he had walked down this dock.

Everything was new to him once again. It had been too long. The boards under his feet felt brittle and rugged - poking at his feet - splinters toying with the idea of jabbing him. The air was heavy with the smell of algae and salt. The water around the dock hadn't moved in some time. It was covered with an organic covering, green and healthy, pumping oxygen into the air.

The breeze flew up the pathway, blowing his hair back form his face.

He couldn't remember how much longer it was until the beach, but he knew it was there, for he could hear the gulls chittering away in the afternoon sunlight.

Super 8

This is the ONLY film that matters this summer.

Mainly because it looks amazing and prove that classic style of cinema still exists. Sure, this summer is going to be HUGE for movies. It's going to be one of the biggest on record. Sequels galore. X-Men, Harry Potter, Thor, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Hangover II, Captain America, Cars 2, Green Lantern, Transformers, etc.

And the only one that is important is Super 8.

Directed by JJ Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg - this film is everything I grew up on. It's part The Goonies, part E.T., with a smidge of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The best part of it? It's trying to be like those films. And whats better than that? It succeeds.

It does something very special. It doens't just look and sound like an old Amblin film - it feels like it.

This is the kind of movie I miss.

The kind that I grew up watching every Saturday morning in my PJ's...

I am literally giddy for this film.



So please...do me a favor and yourself...and go watch it the trailer...

If you're curious about the premise, ask about it - because the trailer is a little cliff hangerish and vague.


You can also watch it in it's full glory in HD here...
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/super8/

Buzzz

Bee's are interesting. Their hive structure, thei habits. Honey is delicious. And bright flowers are pretty.

Why not combine those things to make an awesome little documentary?

And throw in some "unique" people?

Color me interested.

FPS Doggie Cam

Take a Stroll Through the Woods

Would you like to take a hike along the Appalachian Mountain's 2,200 miles of trails? Trekking from Georgia all the way up to Maine?

I would.

How about in a mere 5 minutes?

Let's go on an adventure together...




In reality, it took the man behind this 6 months of hiking to shoot.

Cudos to his hard work - cause that film kicks ass.

Epic

So I decided a while ago that I want to use the bulk, if not all of my tax return money (if I get any) towards buying a camera. Whether it be a still camera with the ability to shoot in HD or an actual video camera has yet to be decided...but one of the two will be bought.

For a while, the market for digital cameras has been owned by one brand RED. It was founded and created by the man behind Oakley and since it's creation, RED has been dominating the digital film domain.

Recently, they've been developing a new camera to release into the world, called "Epic." It's supposed to have a higher resolution than film. When I heard this it was a little hard to believe.

The first model went out to a client about two months ago and it was stolen - with the finder's reward being 100,000. That's a ridiculous amount of money for finding a camera - even if it is the first of it's kind.

I don't know if they ever found it and I don't really care haha. What is important is that the first footage shot by the camera was released. While it may not seem amazing to you - it's mind blowing to me. The quality is amazing and to be able to shoot HD film at 96 frames per second is unheard of.

It's also crazy that the camera weighs under 5 pounds...thats lighter than a laptop!

Maybe it's not that amazing...but it blows my mind.


Test Footage from Red Epic: "Ride of the Valkyries" from Tom Lowe @ Timescapes on Vimeo.


I sure as hell won't be buying one of these...but one can dream :)

Paris, Je T'Aime

I love a lot of places in the world - the caribbean, the berkshires, Long Beach Island, Boston, NYC. I absolutely adore Los Angeles, I knew as soon as I first came here that I'd move back here.

But one place, one city on this planet has truly captured my heart like no other.

Paris captivated me the moment I stepped off the plane. It's a magical place. A city that everyone should experience in their lifetime.


Le Flâneur (music by The XX) from Luke Shepard on Vimeo.


It's stunning. Absolutely beautiful. Breathtaking. I was lucky enough to have been everywhere in that video - and I will return to those places again in the future.

I promise.

(And yes, this entire "video" is made from photos mended together - meaning someone took that many photos in a row, taking one every few steps)

More art you say?

More designs? Alright you got it...even if it means I did these at work...rather than work...

Give me a break - there was nothing to do! At least I was being constructive with my time and working on something that applies to my field!

Does this picture make much sense? Let's be honest...no. But the band is fun and so is the picture. Hell, it's a guy who had to go to the bathroom so hard, he literally exploded - shooting through the roof. That's some serious gas.

Can I explain this photo? No. Not really. It's a blob...that is dripping, down what I think is a tree. Oh well - it looks awesome. I think it is my favorite.

My friend Carlos asked me to make him something with the number '9' in it. He gave me in instructions further than that. So, I made him a Panda that was very happy with the number '9' because he had gone to China a while ago. Turns out this is not what he wanted. Oh well - the panda still kicks ass.

This one os simply for my friend Kevin Metz. For a while he had a profile picture on Facebook that was a bear. He also loves The Felice Brothers. So, this makes perfect sense.

I think this picture pretty much sums up ska music. Nuff' said.

This monkey looks drunk. I like this band when I'm drunk. I also like monkeys. What a match made in heaven.

Three awesome bands combined to make the super group Them Crooked Vultures. They all have awesome symbols (Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, and Queens of the Stone Age). They all deserve to be represented.

Today was his day. He had been thinking about it all week. Working himself up to it. Willing himself into it. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but ever since he could remember, he wanted to do it - he needed to do it. For him, today was going to be the day.

There was nothing wrong with the beach. It was fun - he played with his friends there. They built castles, threw shells, frolicked in the waves, and of course laughed. But something was missing.

For as long as he could recall, he wanted to swim past the breakers to the poles that jutted out of the sand, creating a barrier to the shore. They had been a protective wall for driftwood and timber left behind from the ships in port up the shore. The older kids always challenged each other to swim out there. To touch them.

It was part of growing up.

And he had. He had made it and he didn't know what to do. He clung to them - his lungs heaving for more air. His legs felt numb. It didn't help that the water was cooler than normal today, but his muscles were tired - aching from paddling so hard for so long.

He wanted to let go - to swim back to shore. But he wasn't sure if he could. The poles were also slimy.  He contemplated letting go for a second, to rub his hands together, to get the algae off of them - to cleanse them, but he couldn't. He was too frightened. His grip was already loose enough - the barnacles on the poles from years past were on the verge of cutting his palms.

He wanted to catch his breath. He wanted to swim back to shore. He wanted to tell all his friends and family what he accomplished. He'd make it - he knew he would, even if it meant he had to wait.

The barrier may have been able to stop timber - but it would not stop him.

This is when the beauty of nature is at it's fullest.

The clouds haven't left the sky yet, shielding any available light, making it hard for you to see - to view the Earth's beauty.

When there is a sudden lapse in the clouds, the haze floating lazily over the water keeps your sight in check, reducing your vision to nothing more than just a blur.

The air is cold - enough to make you want to hide your skin from it.

Nature knows its beauty - this is when it's pure, untouched, unfazed, and unaffected by people.

It doesn't care if the colors are desaturated, dull, or seemingly uninspired.

It's brilliant.

Not only does this prove raspberries are the best looking berry...but doesn't it make you crave some?

The clouds were beginning to gather overhead as the sun began to burn off, falling from the sky, drifting to it's bed below the horizon. The beach was empty other than the shapes off in the distance, coming in from the water, trying to beat the cool breeze that would tickle their wet skin as soon as the sun disappeared.

These were the moments that were magical. Her skin was still warm from the remaining rays that were blanketing her body - protecting her from the few shadows that occasionally crossed her path. The water was warm as it licked at her toes - the sand only able to stick for a second before being washed away.

Her hair was a mess, but at the same time exquisite. The salt from the ocean had dried, spiraling her hair into broad tuffs that fell to her shoulder. The fading sun, coupled with the salt made her hair appear a shade lighter - almost bleach blond, but still strikingly beautiful.

The breeze was beginning to pick up - creating goosebumps on her exposed skin. It was almost impossible to see the hair on her arm standing on end - the sun having faded all color. The breeze also stirred the leaves in the trees - enough to fool her ears into thinking it was beginning to rain.

Silly her.

It doesn't rain in paradise.

Sunsets on the shore are not like any other sunset in the world. They're different from the rest.

Everything goes quiet in the moment(s) leading up to the disappearance of the sun - nature seems to know of the sacred moment that is about to occur. There are no gulls laughing, crickets chirping - just absolute silence. The only noise is the swirling wind, which in a strange way, intensifies the lack of all other sounds.

It's like a void is created - separating the real world from that one particular moment.

When the sun begins to fall, the view is just astounding. The bright white light that was once illuminating the sky slowly and steadily begins its decomposing to yellow, orange, pink, and finally red. It will always appear that the sky is on fire - the clouds appearing to be smoldering ashes left behind as the remaining light burns off over the horizon.

The most miraculous part is the water. It doesn't change color - no, it does something much more spectacular. It knows of the end of the day. The lower the sun dives , the smaller and more docile the waves become. They know their day is over and it is time to calm down.

The whole experience is something that everyone should be lucky enough to view in their lifetime. As beautiful and mesmerizing as it is - it's over in an instant - only lasting a few mere minutes.

As quickly as it begins, it's over.

But, luckily, that's when the twilight begins and more magic occurs...

New Phase

Do I love telling stories? Absolutely. Do I enjoy writing? Of course.

It finally clicked to me why I love this blog so much - I get to do both.

One of my main concerns out here was that I would lose hold of my creative side. Sure, I'm always imagining things, but with work and long hours, it would have been easy to stop the creative process. Originally my two roommates and I were planning on writing a web series (so 6-13 half hour scripts) to shoot and put online. What happened to those plans? We all work and we're all always bushed when we get home.

So I decided after this failure, that I'd try to write a script. Did this happen? Nope. I realized this the other day and got upset with myself. How could I forget/give up on a goal so easily?

But then it dawned on me - I've been writing creatively on here, almost every day for the last month. This has been my easel. My imagination. My playground. And frankly, it's been awesome. So thank you for sticking with me since each story is written on the spot and not really edited.

With that said though - I need to break tradition for a day. While I do have more stories I want to share - I'll share some of my other creativity that has been boiling over.

Recently while at work with nothing to do - rather than surf the web or eat (yes, I'm one of those people who will eat out of boredom - fatty at heart), I have been practicing my graphic design skills, specifically in photoshop.

What have I been doing? Creating t-shirt or album cover designs for bands I like.

Take a looksy and let me know what you think...

Do they make sense? No not really. Do I make sense? Not most of the time.

Yay art.

Yay creativity.

So, the Foo Fighters had a slew of secret small shows throughout LA (5 to be exact). Unfortunately I wasn't fortunate to make it into any of them. Sad I know, but in a city of 3.8 million people, could I honestly have expected to get into a show of 150?

Hell no.

So, of course, I've been on a Foo kick recently. It also doesn't help that they have a new album coming out in a month (dare I say I pumped).

Does it help (again) that they just released a new single? Of course not.

Listen to it!

As a result to all this Fooness - I've been watching a bunch of old videos and found this gem.

A tribute...if you will.



I'll admit the band is pretty terrible - including the off-key background singers.

But, I do think Grohl holds his own paying tribute to a classic.

You agree?

I mean, the man can basically do anything.

It's been a while since I've posted a video.

The reason? Nothing has really moved me in a while.

The following video very much moves me. Not only is it beautiful and not only is it fun to watch, it looks like it was a blast to shoot. The people in it seem genuinely happy. It's a great piece because it seems less about the actual footage and more about the experience of the moment(s).

Does it make me want to go to Brazil even more? You bet your ass it does.

I hope I get there soon. You are more than free to join me.

Any takers?


Ferias no Brasil from Javi Devitt on Vimeo.

The bins were still empty. The lids remained shut. They hadn't been rooted through yet for the seagulls were not around.

The air was still cold. Too cold for any gull to playfully laugh in - their heads still white to match the frigid temperature.

The beach was barren. No tracks except the occasional few, treading near the water, only to wind back up through the dunes.

It was almost time though. The clouds were beginning to thin and the sun was starting break through. Day by day the air was getting warmer.

Soon enough the gulls would be back to claim the beach as theirs.

It was just the beginning of Spring, but they could taste Summer in the air.

There has always been something eerie about the beach at night - yet something magical. The only light around is the moon, only allowing you to see as far as you need to - playing off the water, teasing you with visions of what may be out in the distance.

It's not eerie in the sense that something is going to happen to you, but rather, you are so vulnerable.

Beyond the dunes the lights of the streets glow warmly, but only in a haze that doesn't stretch far into the sky. The breeze is always churning, bringing a chill to your skin - its rare for a still night.

Between the sounds of the crashing waves and the wind, you're deaf to everything else in the world.

Around you is black - the moon only revealing so much.

You know there are creatures out there, scurrying about, but you don't know where.

Really, you're just so tiny and alone on the beach.

But, that's why it's so magical. You feel small. You feel the Earth's presence. You smell it in the air, feel it against your bare feet.

You don't rule this planet - it rules you.

It was tough growing up on the island. Poverty ruled the streets. Education had all been abandoned and there was virtually no escape.

Tourists ruled the land throughout most of the year. Coming in droves on giant boats, visiting for a day or two then leaving - taking what they'd want, invading the lives of those who lived there, disrespecting sacred land. It was their vacation after all - they had the right to be happy.

The community was the island's saving grace. The family dinners. The local festivities and parties. Everyone knew one another. Yet, she needed to get away sometimes - somewhere she didn't need to think, need to be concerned. Somewhere she could just exist.

She had known of this place ever since she was little. One day she had wondered off, down the beach, following it's meandering curves, back behind the dunes until it opened up. For as long as she could remember, the water had been shallow and bath-warm. The current was so light, one would swear the water was stagnant, but it could be felt ever so slightly tickling as if flowed over their feet.

The sun played on the surface bouncing of the shadows caused by the clouds drifting lazily overhead, shimmering like a field of diamonds. When a cloud passed directly overhead, the true beauty of the water was revealed - crystal clear and aqua marine, as teal and any water in the world.

This was her place to escape, the breathe out, and soak in the tranquility of her surroundings.

The tree had always been there. Standing tall. Old and weathered, dried over the years by the pounding sun. As far as she knew, it had never moved, even though it's roots had given up their battle to hold onto the sand a long time ago.

She would make her journey out through the shallow bay and sit against its trunk, feeling it, sometimes hugging it.

It was the perfect reminder there was still life in the world.