Tree made whole

Tree behind a building on NW Thurman, reflected in storefront. (SOOC)

I was intrigued by the way these branches, reflected in the big windows, make it seem as though you can see the entire tree. The edge of the building becomes the trunk. You don't even need Photoshop to lie with photography. ;-)

Photography can also be dangerous!
Wearing dark sunglasses, walking in the shade on the north side of a building, eyes on the bright scene ahead of me, I was focused on my capture and not on where I was putting my feet. Got caught in an uneven bit of pavement, and down I went. The picture I was after didn't even make the cut, but I spent the afternoon downing ibuprofen and juggling ice packs. This morning, only one owie left, and I'm hoping I can help the healing with a judiciously chosen bit of yoga.

Yesterday's backblip, 'Reverse bokeh,' is here.

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HARD CHOICES

You cannot serve God and Mammon the novel and Blipfoto.

At least that's how it seems to me.

I've been seriously thinking about taking a break from Blipfoto, except that I'm fairly sure I wouldn't come back. Not because I didn't miss it/you, but because momentum once broken is difficult to restore. Yesterday I finally broke down and looked at a few blips by people I know, just a handful, blippers with anniversaries and people I knew who'd made Staff Picks or the Spotlight. I could see how delightful it was to reconnect with your stories and images, and I could see how easy it would be to let the allure of this community sweep me away. Even though I have serious work that also calls me.

To those who keep wondering hopefully if I'll finish my novel soon:
I'm afraid not.
I'm beginning to think the end of this year might even be optimistic.
The New Yorker used to run an end-of-column series called "Our Forgetful Authors" where they quoted what you said on page 17 and the opposite on page 234. Or else where you said the same thing here, there, and somewhere else. This is hard, painstaking work that requires daily diligence in order to keep it all in mind as you work. Any break, like falling on your face taking photos for Blip, is costly.

Even if I'm not ambitious to try new cameras and create elaborate setups, I find that selecting an image can be a lengthy process. Yesterday I made changes to a photo, reverted to the original, tried other changes, reverted to the original, again and again. I don't see the point of putting up an image that doesn't please me in some way, or that gives me something interesting to write about. So I work hard at blipping, and sometimes I choose that over my novelistic duties because it's more fun, or easier, or it just takes hold of me.

Then there's the guilt of not being able to respond generously to your hard work. I appreciate your comments but I also feel guilty that I don't return them. I feel I'm turning my back on friends—even though I think about you often!

So, a dilemma.
How it will be resolved, I know not.
All I know is that I've got to be ruthless about putting my book first.

Like the tree I posted today, I need to be made whole.