Red dust on my shoes


…but not in my heart. Imprints burning with each step.

That’s it? Yes, that is it for today. No explanations or musings. I am taking a cue from my incredibly wise friend Suze and giving self-awareness a bit of a rest, most especially as I am still right in the midst of my visit to the States where there is much to absorb. Mainly a whole lot of love. 
So I hope that you enjoyed the last of these photographs from the Colorado Provençal with its varying shades of ochre, a million years crushed into dust to swipe across the palm of your hand. Time is feeling a bit like that for me these days, both with the length of a shadowy pull while the past ripples out behind me and as strikingly immediate as a pinprick without pain.
I will be back in Provence on Monday. Remi has a way of teasing me about being squirrel-like at times and true enough, I am busy gathering nuts of memories for the winter ahead. 

19 comments

  3. Spectacular photos as always!
    I hope you've enjoyed your time on this side of the world…but I bet you must be looking forward to cross the ocean again.
    Bon voyage!
    Sylvia S.

  4. What photographs!! The red rock is almost unbelievable and absolutely enthralling, Ben playing in the dust makes me want to make a beeline to Provence just to play with him, and the incandescent rock in the green glen is otherworldly! Milles mercis, Heather.
    You will be both suspended and speeding between two places of such love as you return to Provence on Sunday/Monday. Je vais penser de toi et suivre tes vols electroniquement. XOXO, Leslie

  5. Hi Heather, the pictures are marvelous. The colors are beautiful. Some of the pictures remind me of areas around the rims of the Grand Canyon or maybe Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado (the Four Corners). The picture of Ben enjoying himself makes me think he must be missing you a whole lot. I know what it's like to try and squirrel away as much love and feelings of home to last for a long time. Hope the airline won't be charging for that sackful of love nuts you'll be hauling back to France…:) The life of an expat…it's like that song "torn between two lovers" or something like that.

    XO Amelia

  7. I too am a squirrel when it comes to memories. I cling to them for dear life. When I saw your first photo my first thought was Utah. The formations looks so similar to ones we had seen at Bryce Canyon. It was my first trip to the US in 2002 – it seems like a lifetime ago. You see, you are in France for love and my husband, who is American, moved here for me. So I understand what you're feeling quite well.

  8. Oh my – even your brief posts are poetry! I am reminded of my time in Arizona and seeing the mountains there – all red and beautiful. I took some of the rocks home with me to Seattle and then I felt so guilty about it that when I moved back to NY a year later, I told a friend of mine that she had to return them to Arizona. I hope she did.

    Love your writing and photography…

    Linda

  9. I love that natural red ochre (never heard of it described as Colorado Provençal, but how fitting!). And the shot of Ben writhing in happiness is PERFECT! 🙂

  10. That red dust certainly looks amazing! No explanations needed. Heather, I hope you are enjoying every last sweet minute of your time in the States and that you have a safe journey home. XOXO

  13. I love the idea of giving self-awareness a break. I could learn and thing or two from doing that. : )

    Safe travels back to France and savor every moment you have with your family in the States!

  14. We are in Red Rock country right now so your post is most timely for my mental state of mind. I love the approach you took on this post – safe travels on Monday! ox J.

  15. How I ever miss any of your posts is beyond me…they are incredible! Between you, Vicki and Jeanne I feel like I've traveled the world! My first thought when I saw this "Red" clay/dirt was when I lived in Denver and my parents talked about Red Rock…then, my most vivid thought was the gosh awful red clay dirt that makes up the playground at the Elementary School my kids attended! You could never get it out of their clothes…no matter what you did! So…maybe that's what you are experiencing!! Even though you love living in Provence…you can never get the "American Dirt" out of your veins! And you know what, you don't need too! You can make both work and mesh quite well….maybe the dirt will end up being just a darker shade of brown and never turning to red! Who knows! but in the end, I bet it will be perfect!

  16. Wow. Amazing photos as usual. I thought of you this morning while walking Karina. We've had a bit of light snow here and there and she was particularly frisky, turning on the speed, doing her Bambi leaps and skidding to my feet in a full hockey stop when I call her.

    Safe travels, my friend. I have loved knowing we were in the same time zone these past few days.

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