Our local Art Museum is sponsoring an exhibit by artists who live and work in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene. I was overjoyed to see so many people at the opening. Events that bring people together are so important now. One of my favorite pieces from the evening was by Jon-Delia Freeman, a digital photograph titled “Pine Sap (Tears of Helene), 2024.” It was a reminder of all the tears that have been shed since September, and how we are all interconnected: people, animals, spirits, and the land.

During October, much of my time was spent among fallen trees. Picking up branches that had fallen in my yard, chainsawing trees that had fallen to the ground, chopping bucked trees into firewood, stacking firewood to allow it to season. There was one log that was particularly difficult to split. I used a maul, I used a wedge, I used an axe. And when it finally opened, this amazingly beautiful pattern presented itself. Even among the destruction, there is beauty.