Prose: Summer Solstice

I arrive at The Lost Creek Hiking Trail in Chatfield, MN on Sunday, June 21 at 5:57pm; 73 degrees feels lovely with 7 mph winds and 44% humidity.

​Even with the beautiful weather, I have to force myself to go. I haven’t been to Lost Creek since Trail Days on May 30th and the last time I brought my camera was May 3rd. In the final weeks of April, I could feel my resistance to photographing begin. Looking back, I now uderstand I had already started dreading the end of Spring ephemeral season.

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Throughout May and early June, I knew that I needed to find a new way to approach my photo practice, but I was too exhausted for creativity.

On the day of the Summer Solistice, I was determined to honor my commitment to use the turning of the seasons as creative checkpoints, and so I grabbed my camera and went.

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With vegetation fully grown and shades of green all around, I knew I needed to move away from finding unexpected color and stages of growth. I knew that I needed to be realistic about my process, too, because I also know myself and I know that Summer becomes overstimulating for me.

The heat, the humidity, the overgrowth, the visual complexity, the BUGS, they all start dominating my senses and I find it difficult to stay present to beauty, especially for extended periods of time. So, on my way out the door, I gave myself permission to leave after one image.

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On this visit, I did not hike in, but stopped almost immediately when I noticed tall grasses hanging over the babbling creek.

For about 20 minutes, I ligered on the bridge at the entry point to the Carson-Groen Wildlife Sanctuary. In that 20 minutes, something shifted.

I felt drawn to enter more fully into relationship with the landscape and I felt a renewed sense for how to enjoy noticing Summer.

And I ended up making eight images. 

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The Lost Creek Preserve will continue throughout the Summer and, though I know that I will continue shifting and that these practice sessions will likely happen in short bursts, I am looking forward to learning more from Summer at Lost Creek.