Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Project 365 - In the Cave

I had one of those days.  A day when things had all gone gray.  My camera seems heavy and words out of reach.  And so I took to the cave.

Our house was built in 1861.  Most of the origins of the structure have been renovated out of existence.  All that speaks to it's history is the basement and a glorious mahogany banister that runs from first to third floor.  But, this day I want to retreat, and so I go downstairs.

I run my hand over field stone foundation walls at least one foot thick. Rounded window sills peering out at ground level.  There is a root cellar.  You step through up and through a doorway cut through the thick stone and onto a dirt floor.  The supports on either side of the cellar stairs are hand hewn timbers.

There is dust here.  Cobwebs and cellar dirt.  I have not kept this space well.  There is ductwork and the PVC plumbing we had to install a few years back when our mineral laden water ate through the snazzy copper piping.

My camera leaves my tripod and when I emerge I feel lighter, more connected.  Perhaps I simply needed to hear the whispers of the grimy past housed in the cave beneath.

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