I'm counting this as silence

Today I spent time next to my beloved father-in-law's grave in blissful silence

(I'm not counting that there was major construction going on just a few feet behind me on the road just outside the cemetery. It wasn't a child, partner, client, employee,  hungry pet, vendor,  sales person,  attorney,  ex husband,  random friend that wants hair advice, family member wanting to know what the hell is going on with me ((or my own brain wanting to know what the hell is going on with me)* SO I'M COUNTING IT AS SILENCE)

and I drew a weird twisted tree that fascinated me with its bare spindly weeping branches.  I was instantly in love with its perfectly split trunk,  so I decided to attempt to draw it.

I became very involved in the art, looking back and forth between my sketchbook and the tree as reference, and mostly forgot where I was until suddenly a "caw" brought me out of my trance.  I looked up and a crow was perched on the highest branch,  watching me. 

The crow raised his head to the sky and called again,  and I felt like we had a little moment.  Like maybe it was my FIL come back to show me some small sense of comfort on this gorgeous,  breezy spring day?

....pshhhh...NAH... that's some religious BS and he would have never stood for that. Unless he came back to shit on people's cars 🤔🤭…Anyway, I quickly added the crow to my sketch before he flew off, laughing to myself.

Any tree experts know what kind of tree this might be? Google brought me to possibly Corkscrew/Curly Willow?

Also I braved VERY high winds for this whole thing.  By the time I got back to my car I realized my ponytail holder was actually holding on to about 2 little pink strands of hair.  It had totally blown itself away 💨 I should have taken a picture of that, actually.  That was a fail.  Classic me.

Don't forget to take some time for silence and self care soon- whatever that looks like for you.  🖤

*yes I did use parentheses inside parenthesis, but this is my blog, and I get to make the rules here so nyah. 😝