Last night I made a different edit of my work, and I am really happy with it. It's getting closer with every revision. One decision I have been struggling with is wether or not to include some photos of dead animals I took. I want them in, because it makes it more personal to me, but I am still conflicted over it. One photo in particular is one that I took back in February of a squirrel that is draped over the skinny branches of a sapling as if it were dropped from the sky. It is frozen, and has crystals on it's fur, and a frozen droplet of blood hanging from it's nose and even scarier, a squished or even deboned head. I wasn't able to get that close, so you have to enjoy this squirrel from a little distance, but still, there is something about this photo that is so wrong that it is delicious. I thought it might be too disturbing, as in so disturbing it's distracting, to other people.
I was in the dog park with sweet pea this morning when I turned a corner and found a woman calling out for her dog, who had disappeared. I told her I hadn't seen her dog on my trail, and asked if I could help her out. She said that it had happened before and if she stayed put the dog would return. Then I made a comment on the day and the woman asked me if I had seen the dead squirrel. Now, surely squirrels meet unfortunate ends every day in this park, but I instantly knew this woman was talking about my dead tree squirrel, my photograph and I could feel the glint forming in my eye when I told her that not only had I seen it I had also taken a photo of it. Our connection was immediate. She was talking about the very same squirrel, and we shared our mutual love for the dog park, and she confessed to writing poetry about the park and was thinking of publishing some. I confessed to worshipping the park through photography and told her I would definitely be publishing a photo book this summer! We discussed the spots that we both think are special (totally in sync) and it was just the most exciting connection I've made in a long time. Luckily I had photographed my book last night, so I shot her a text of my page with the squirrel on it. I asked my advisor what he thought about adding poetry to my book, and he said he knew nothing about poetry, but I should bring some to Berlin if I want it in my book. I'll text her later and see if she is game. This is way too freaky for mere coincidence. Freaky!!
I wish winter would leave already.
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