Line of Least Resistance

A glimmer of blue sky appeared through the heavy dark cloud. I seized the opportunity, and drove to the woods

Stone, mud, water, trees - here and there, little clusters of frozen snowflakes

The sound of rushing water from the nearby stream.

I walked about for a bit, looking at stones, dreaming grandiose ideas of massive stone assemblages…

And making those sorts of instantaneous calculations, without really thinking about it, that I suppose is second nature to most of us here:

How much time did I have? Did I really want to carry bags of stones through the woods to a more ideal site? What was my current state of fitness? What was the weather going to do? Could I get a good photo angle?

And noticing some parked cars in the distance, realising that this was a school holiday week, therefore I was unlikely to be left alone…

My grandiose ideas grew smaller and smaller in scale. I kicked a few stones around. I fiddled about with a piece of string that I found in my pocket. My nose, hands and feet grew colder and colder.

Finally, heavy dark clouds gathered overhead and it began to sleet.

A happy noisy group of young people approached with children and a frisky dog..

So I decided to take the line of least resistance

And went home.

Two days later, I came back and made this piece: