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Sunday, March 14, 2010

Saugatuck's Oval Beach

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Place: Abandoned. Wild. Quiet except for a spiky gull's call.

Me: Climbing, like dune grass, or motionless, like fog. Breathing at the pace of waves. I got away from normal [appointments·work·email] to get back to normal [whole·imaginative·energized].

I plan to post a little more from my Small Escape.



86 comments:

PurestGreen said...

How utterly fantastic. Beautiful, beautiful photos. I am away from the normal in my kitchen today. :)

Shaista said...

Dearest Ruth, here you are among the the peace of wild things... I wonder if you have a volume of poetry with you? Or some Annie Proulx?
Sink into your skin, all is well x

C.M. Jackson said...

how peaceful--I feel the wind and hear the waves lapping at te shore--beautiful shots. I love the Rumi blog-it will be another showcase for your photography--I look forward reading your daily posts-

*jean* said...

oo ruth!! these are beautiful! how nice to have such a quiet getaway...it looks like the perfect place to walk & pick rocks...

Jodi Anderson said...

Ahhh, this post is like a deep breath.

Patricia said...

The sight of this water, mist, and sand calms my soul on a rainy Sunday morning.

Thanks for sharing your life with us!

Unknown said...

very beautiful and peaceful. i love the mixture of colors, the tans, whites, dark browns, and the denim blue of your clothing and the water. so glad you got to get away and refresh your mind and spirit.

Mary said...

I am jealous of anyone near a body of water with waves and clearly larger than a creek. The photos are exquisite and hauntingly quiet. I look forward to more.

Mary

Vagabonde said...

These are beautiful pictures of the type of places which recharge one’s soul. To be part of such landscape is to revive spiritually and physically I think. Thanks for posting them.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Ah.
Just what I need.

joaop1960@gmail.com said...

Purest morning. Delight.
The world is always new.

Oh said...

Ah, beach. Beach-ness. Any time of year. Photos say it all. Text not needed.
I hear the waves. I smell the salt (and fish and ...flotsam and jetsam). Sigh.

Lovely.

♥ Kathy said...

What a beautiful post Ruth! I love going places that no one else is at :)

ds said...

Achingly beautiful. Love the fog, and the color of the water (clear, perfect). Glad you have returned to "whole."

RD said...

Gorgeous photography! The "ocean" is what I miss about living in Michigan.

@ctors Business said...

That first photograph is amazing - lke a still from a movie (guess that's sad nature should come first)

Leena said...

Peaceful, harmonic photos, thank you!

Is this your hand? If it is, you have that magical M there as I have :))
I have no idea, what does it mean, but it must mean something great ;)

Nice week to you, Ruth!

Babs-beetle said...

Beautiful! ;)

lovely you said...

Ruth, I believe the vastness of your heart could bring intimacy to a thousand wild places.

(I chose the word thousand because the verification word was thousn, but really I believe it is an infinite number of places your heart can hold.)

I'm excited about! and thankful for! Rumi Days.

cathyswatercolors said...

Lucky you, beautiful photos,writing, just wonderful, got away from .....whole imaginative, creative, breathing at the pace of waves... I'm almost there. I love Saugatuck and Lake Michigan. How cold were your tootsies? Wish I was there... maybe over Easter break.

gma said...

Getting away from normal so you can get back to normal.That is so TRUE.
Love this post!

myonlyphoto said...

Ruth I like your space. The photos are so serene, I could just jump into these photographs. Something about fog, I like sitting in the mids of it. Thanks for sharing Ruth, you are the best. Anna :)

freefalling said...

Sigh.
Breathing out.
Pulse slowing.
Mind dreaming.
Such lovely photos.
I can feel them through the screen.

* said...

I love that, getting away from "normal" to get back to "normal."

I hear you. The buzz and hum of life can stunt us in ways unimaginable until we are truly surrounded by "normal" (eg: nature). And then I find my breath again and sing.

Arti said...

Mesmerizing... do you really live close to such dream-like retreat? I particularly like the long shot towards the pilings... you know, it gives me the feeling of looking at a Chinese brushstroke painting. I like your poetic description too: 'Breathing at the pace of waves. I got away from normal to get back to normal.

amuse me said...

You made me remember how peaceful I felt one late summer day, lying on this same beach with my husband, listening to the waves and the birds, and forgetting all the madhouse work that normally needs my attention. Thank you for that memory-booster. :)

CottageGirl said...

Ah!!! What a way to wake up this Monday spring-forward morning!
So peaceful!

Thanks, Ruth!

Shari said...

Beautiful. I have always wanted to see Saugatuck since my husband is from Michigan. I should get to the beach and take some pictures. Enjoy your vacation.

Susan said...

I love the way there are lines of demarcation in almost every picture....normal/theothernormal. Absolutely gorgeous colors...stunning...breathtaking in a peaceful way.

margie said...

serene photo story!! i love it.

Shattered said...

Oh my goodness, my blogging friends are visiting some beautiful places lately! Enjoy your time! :)

photowannabe said...

Breathtakingly beautiful and almost etherial.
I am in the need of a small escape too, but "life" keeps getting in the way.
Maybe I just need to go walk out in my backyard and look at the new buds and leaves popping out on the fruit trees.
Bye, I think I will do that right now.
Sue

The Bug said...

Sigh. I want to be there too! I'll be quiet! Or, you know, duct tape works.

Jeanie said...

Well, I'm already escaping with you through these photos. Savor every second!

Marcie said...

Absolutely idyllic!! Love how you said that you needed to get away from normal..to be once again normal. So true...

California Girl said...

How do you put your mastheads together? They are always so eye-catching. I'm talking about your triptych of images. How do you do that?

I should be commenting but I'm questioning.

California Girl said...

Hi Ruth! Looks like you've had a nice bit of time to yourself. The photos are restful and obviously make the rest of us wish to join you or visit.

You sound very happy right now.

Dutchbaby said...

O,o,o,o, swoon! Every single shot - a work of art. This is so good for the soul. Thank you!

Nancy said...

What a heavenly spot. We look forward to hearing more.

Patty said...

Great pictures, I love the fog in the first one. Keep it up!

Ruth said...

Hi, PurestGreen, I just left your kitchen where the fragrance of ragu melted my sox off. I think we have done each other good.

Ruth said...

Shaista, I heard you in the waves, and that was poetry.

Ruth said...

C.M., Lake Michigan can feel very lake-ish, and other times it can feel ocean-ish. It was lake-ish and calming Friday.

Thank you for following the Rumi blog. I hope his words will be a comfort to you.

Ruth said...

Jean, I didn't see too many rocks this time, a lot of tiny tiny shells, thin and the size of finger nails.

Ruth said...

Jodi, I'm glad you feel those waves.

Ruth said...

Well, Patricia, thank you for your sincere interest. I had such a good good time.

Ruth said...

Wesrey! Thank you, sweetie. You know I love brown and blue too, which is why I love marine scenes I guess. Well, don't we all. :)

Ruth said...

Hi, Mary. This place is about two hours from where we live, just far enough that we don't go as often as we think we should. Thank you.

David Hart said...

Stunning! Thank you!

Ruth said...

Vagabonde, you got it. I count on these places being there.

Ruth said...

Hi, Pamela, you too?

Ruth said...

João, yes, every morning.

Ruth said...

Oh, I long for the salt, which we don't have here in the Midwest. But that is one thing I would just love.

Thank you.

Ruth said...

♥ Kathy, so remote, abandoned, wonderful for reflection.

Ruth said...

DS, I believe you would love to wander in those dunes. Ohh, the sound of the gull's "scrawny" cry.

Ruth said...

RD, thank you for stopping by. Sometimes I forget we are surrounded by water, because it's just far enough away to lose sight of it.

Ruth said...

It's ok, Gwei Mui, we live in a digital age.

Ruth said...

Dear Leena, wouldn't it be so wonderful to join our magic M's one day!

Ruth said...

Thank you, Babs the Beautiful. :)

Ruth said...

Lovely, you go straight to my heart.

I'm so glad you are happy about RUMI DAYS, thank you.

Ruth said...

Cathy, the water was cold, I guess, but it didn't feel cold to me. I wonder if that makes any sense.

I think I need to make a pact with myself to get over there more than once or twice a year. Here's a thought - we could meet up there?

Ruth said...

Gemma, don't you just love how we use the word normal in our culture? What the heck is normal?

Ruth said...

Thank you, Anna. Fog adds romance and mystery. I never get tired of it (except if I'm driving and can't see).

Ruth said...

Well, Letty girl (I miss rauf, don't you?) your Poof photos have been doing that to me for several days in a row. I like our wormhole.

Ruth said...

Terresa, yes. I keep working at staying balanced in the middle of chaos - without a day-long retreat. I'm getting better at it. But still, the day away was much needed and welcome.

Ruth said...

Thank you so much, Arti. We live 2 hours from here. Close enough, but far enough to find excuses not to take time and go. I am determined this season to go more often.

Thank you for the Chinese brushstroke painting.

Ruth said...

Hi, M., it's great to dig yourself into a comfortable position in the sand so you don't want to move.

Ruth said...

CottageGirl, that's how I feel after absorbing your Ireland posts. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Ruth said...

Shari, it's still unspoiled, a treasure. I'll post more about it soon.

Ruth said...

Susie, if you and David come to Saugatuck for a weekend, Don and I can meet you for lunch or dinner, OK?

Ruth said...

Peace, Margie.

Ruth said...

Jennifer, I'm grateful to have the big lake so close. I have to get there more often.

Ginnie Hart said...

Oh, Ruth! This to you is like my windmills, I do believe. What is it that calls us to these places, deep within our souls. The ebb and flow of the big waters are within us, sloshing around, asking for release. Thank you for these beautiful images that beckon...and inspire.

Ruth said...

Sue, I hope you get out often and long enough in one of the most beautiful places on earth to get rejuvenated by Nature. It can be so hard to slow down, but when I do, especially outside in the sun or fog, I almost immediately feel better.

Thank you for your incredible post today for "I".

Ruth said...

Hi Dana, oh I would never duct tape your mouth. I have a feeling the dunes would do the job. Please do come.

Ruth said...

I did, Jeanie, thanks so much. Gotta get over there more. I think because we live on this beautiful property I don't always feel the need to leave.

Ruth said...

(To be clear, I mean we live on this farm property - not the beach.)

Ruth said...

Thank you, Marcie. It takes constant reminding that normal is not frazzled and splintered. Normal is whole.

Ruth said...

California Girl, first, thank you for your comment. It was a filling-up kind of day Friday. I loved it.

I use picnik.com to create collages, and then frame them with their very nice options.

Ruth said...

Thank you, Dutchbaby, that's how I feel about your blooming artichokes.

Ruth said...

Nancy, thank you. More soon.

Ruth said...

Thank you, Patty, best wishes to you.

Ruth said...

Hi, David!!! I think you have many memories here.

Ruth said...

Boots, yes. Thank you for your poetic words. And you and Astrid also had this kind of refilling on the weekend. Oh, and Granny Towanda of course.

Susan said...

Sounds like a plan!

Cindy said...

Your pictures represent a wonderful peace. I'll visit again.