Come aside, and rest...

As I often do when my denatured brain cells overheat, I spent some time this evening enjoying the photographic evidence of nature's brilliant calm as captured by my oldest brother's camera.

You can enjoy more of his work, and his friend ruuscal's photos, as well, over at his American Idyll blog. TW has a longstanding love affair with the Grand Canyon, in which he has lived, loved, worked, and played.


When he and I reunited after what seemed a lifelong time apart, TW was quick to realize that I often needed "armchair" access to Anywhere Else, and gave me the first (of his many) gifts -- my own Late Night Insomniac's Pass that lets me traipse about the canyons, smell the flowers, and worship at The River's edge. 

Brother-Unit TW chose to add some of Chopin's Nocturne in B flat minor and lush videography to offset his triptych of "the beautiful Butte."  There is also a bit of good advice, for good measure, tacked onto the end.

Older brothers just can't help themselves.
I love you, Tumbleweed. We're gonna get you to The Manor once Linda at the Lone Alp Home Depot gets our flooring order straight. We're having a test run on Brother-Unit Visitation next weekend, when Grader Boob is flying in, provided he can successfully elude the Dean of the English Department, who is already dicking around with The Boob's grades. The poor boy is overwhelmed:

Been dealing with a cold, grading, and the final plagiarists/collusionists (?) of Fall semester.


Each equally aggravating.

It's important to remember, on days like today, that "the beautiful Butte," Chopin, and even freezing, stormy weather are as much "reality" as the shootings in Tucson or that nagging pain sitting right behind your eyes.

Breathe deep:

Take long walks

in stormy weather

or through

deep snows

in the fields

and woods,

if you

would keep

your spirits up.

Deal with

brute nature.

Be cold

and hungry

and weary.

--Henry David Thoreau

(journal entry for December 25, 1856)

* Please don't reproduce TW's photography without securing his permission -- just leave me a comment here and I'll hook you guys up!