#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream

Colorful Reflection, Schuylkill River Walk

Up at five to begin my journey to Philly. I try to swim before I leave, that was my plan, but I am late for my reservation and there are only four spots for swimmers, so I have to give up my 1/2 lane after just a few laps. Frustrating, but fair enough. i hit the road. What an easy drive! Five and a half hours and I’m at my hotel in downtown. I will stay here tonight and go to the conference tomorrow to check in. I am eager to walk and walk. The Schuylkill River trail is a few blocks away, and I head there, walk some miles along this river that runs through the city. It’s a nice trail, with wildflowers and nearness to the river. Very much a city scene, the tall buildings all around, and the bridges full of traffic crossing the river all along. It’s terribly muggy and hot and the air quality is a bit compromised, but I am very happy taking my pictures. The river has some pollution, as far as I can tell. Certainly does not seem swimmable. There is some strange pollution, I think: oil spots, somehow like paint floating on the surface. But also, so much loveliness. Tonight, in my hotel room, I run my Epistolary Erasure workshop for the Franciscan Center and it goes really well. The original letters participants bring to erase are wonderful sources. Very satisfying. Then I get a facetime call from home. I have a wild deer prancing through the front hall––my daughter is facetiming me with Wave. They want to report the deer they found who was prowling Grammy’s garden! Yes, by the sunflowers! And she was not shy! They finally shooed her, reluctantly away! So, I got a wonderful dramatic reenactment of the scene I missed. Oh, my poor sunflowers. Will any of them live to come to bloom?

Oil spots?