we just said goodbye to my daughter and my mom, who were here for two weeks. it was heartwarming to have family around for the holidays, and to see my strong, smart daughter in mid-transition from girl to woman. but their departure means that we are in the home stretch of this, our longest stay in france. and it is already feeling too short. if we had the money, i think we’d stay longer. the dollar plant seed pods in the photo above are wonderful and valuable in their way. but they aren’t going to get us there.

lunaria (dollar plant)

languedoc, france

i’m still working my way through johannes itten’s book on color theory, and trying to apply its lessons to my daily wrestling with art, composition, and color. i’m sure there’s a theory behind the colors of the mackerel. all i know is that somebody just got this one absolutely right. I mean like, dude. Whoever you are. Rock on.

mackerel

autignac, france

in theory I suppose these oysters could have made pearls before succumbing to whatever oceanic force tore them from their moorings and tumbled them toward land. but i’m not sure i’ve ever seen a pearl with just this shade of creamy slate gray. and i’m not sure i would prefer any of the pearls i’ve ever seen to this collection of unpolished wrack.

beach tumbled oyster shells

sète, france

i found myself admiring the delicate beauty of the striations on this crab’s back, and then i found myself feeling bad about the two left rear legs it lost before it washed up in a tide pool in collioure france. and then i checked wikipedia and saw a photo of a ghost crab feasting on one of the most adorable animals in the entire world–a loggerhead turtle hatchling, and i found myself thinking, hmmm. too bad about those back legs, you little monster.

crab (ghost crab? speckled crab? sand crab?)

mediterranean coast, near collioure, france

this is a good month for curling up behind someone whom you are completely devoted to. someone whose warm body gives endless winter comfort. someone to whom you have pledged eternal devotion, into whose ear you could spend entire days whispering how much you love him. in my case, this would be my puggle, jack. sorry, steve…

magnolia leaves

autignac, france