This is my Halloween themed layout. It wasn't going to be like that, but today I went to the park and started snapping pictures of things with the colors inverted. The background photo was the root structure of a tree. The dirt around it had been eroded away. I like the way that is looks more like a painting than a photo. Anyway, it looks spooky. So. Halloween.

Yesterday was my dad's 50th birthday. I gave him a call; he was busy with his side of the family so it was relatively short.

The park by the bay was a bit more crowded than usual. Crowded for this place is five or more people in your line of vision as you look down the beach or train tracks. I found a barnacle clad beach log and sat on it and stared out at the bay. I broke off a branch from the log and fiddled with it for the longest time. It made me think of a teacher I had in high school.

He, unlike most of my teachers, taught in a way that encouraged formation of ones own opinions and ideas. In one of his classes, he had an ongoing project where we polished and oiled pieces of wood. I still have the ones I did and the one he sent me as part of my high school graduation care package.

It's really hard to place just exactly how he impacted my life, but I am overwhelmingly certain that he did, and that it was for my benefit.

My little brother is in his class now, loving every minute of it.