Picture in Hand

You never know when inspiration is going to sneak up and hit you. It could be a walk in the cold, while working or maybe even at a construction site. This is a collection of pictures I have taken when I felt inspired by the beauty of life surrounding me.

Stay or Go
This picture was taken during a really cold really snowy winter. My body hurt from all the shoveling and I was lamenting that evening’s storm. As art reflects life I came upon two crows. One seemed content on staying perched on the cold rail and the other wanted to fly away from its misery. I was lucky enough to capture the crow in mid flight.

Before the Storm
I was at the beach this last summer with my family. We were having fun in the water at high tide. It was decided that pier fries were a must. We started walking the mile to Old Orchard pier when the dark clouds and wind rolled in. I decided to walk back to our car and I noticed some rather interesting events. The water had receded leaving the beach looking like ice, families divided on leaving or staying and people playing beach games as they were when we walked past them. Shortly after taking this picture I was hit with harsh winds that caused the beach to exfoliate my exposed skin.

Incoming
This was a fun day with a friend of mine biking and taking pictures. I love Old Orchard and the contrast of beauty and harsh currents.

Pick Me
I love this picture. I would love to say I know what this plant is but I do not. I was walking a friend’s dog behind Shaws on outer Congress St in Portland. I took so many pictures that my battery was almost dead. I had walked past this plant and it kept bobbing in the wind as if it was raising its hand. After I took the picture the plant stopped bobbing and just swayed with the breeze.

This Way
This picture was taken at the Portland Farmers Market. Snell Farms has the best flowers. I love smelling them and taking pictures. I noticed a spot in one of the flowers I was about to smell. I looked closer and saw a bug facing me. It turned then looked back at me and then continued deeper into flower. It's like it was inviting me into its home where all the good nectar is.

I was born Marie Nicole Francis to Mary Albert Francis and Melvin Joseph Francis in Eastport, Maine on December 23. I struggled with learning and I had eye and heart problem at a young age. I was diagnosed with Dyslexia, amblyopia (lazy eyes) and a heart murmur. I was held back in first grade and I started getting tested by specialists in the health and education field. My mother made sure I got all the help I needed and she did not give up when she was told I would not accomplish much due to my disabilities. I got her fire to fight and prove them wrong. I studied till my brain hurt and I asked for extra help from my sibling when I was struck. I graduated from Reservations Middle School with academics and achievements awards including the Beatrice Rafferty school awards and George Bush Presidential Academic Award. I was accepted to Landmark High School in Beverly Massachusetts. I had a grade 5 reading level, grade 4 spelling level and grade 12 math level my freshman year. I tested at 9th grade spelling and 11th grade reading at the close of my sophomore year. I was approved to return to school back in Maine for my junior and senior years. I was thankful that my advisor fought to keep me at Landmark and placed me in their preparatory classes. I graduated top of my class, I founded their current peer leadership program, lettered in Soccer (offered a college scholarship) and Wrestling and acted, sang and ran over a half a dozen plays including “Singing Day by Day” in Godspell. I was accepted to Curry College and University of Southern Maine. I chose USM because my brother was going there and my older boyfriend/high school sweetheart got a job working at Tabitha Jeans (named after the owner's mom and Stephen King’s wife). I did not stay with USM after my first year. My life hit adulthood. My brother transferred to University of Orono, my boyfriend and I broke up and I was left with an apartment in Portland, Maine. I was luck enough to get a well paying job with the City of Portland. It’s been 19 years with the city and I've done a lot of side jobs and hobbies. I’ve done sound merging for local bands, organized benefit concerts and events, was expected to compete in a TV show Fear Factor, competed in Darts National rate bowling, National Corporate track and field and arm wrestling and I was a member of The Equinox Petroglyph Project that lead to the writing of my only published poem “Diminished Dreams.”