I’ve been trying to compose a post about my trip down to the gulf coast—about how restorative it was for me, and about how heartbroken I feel about the oil spill—but for some reason I just can’t seem to do it. It really was wonderful—just a friend and I went down on the spur of the moment— it was like a retreat. I came back refreshed and ready to tackle summer and with new eyes to see the farm.

But it also felt like saying goodbye to the gulf, and as such was faintly tainted with horror and sadness. That part I still can’t shake. It’s so beautiful, and feels so doomed.

Here are some photos from my time down there, and now I’m looking forward to getting back to posts about the farm.