Black and white. Smooth and crumbly. Ancient and fresh.
This may be one of my favorite still lifes. The smooth, volcanic rocks on this particular beach are remarkable for their deep, rich black color and smooth texture. Many of them also have constellations of white, dotted inclusions. On this early morning, this short segment of tideline was filled with the squiggly lines visible in the bottom of this photograph. I cannot figure out what makes these paths, but they sometimes are evident in the narrow section of drying beach just as the tideline regrets to low tide.

Regardless of their origin, the juxtaposition of this particular rock next to these interesting patterns on the sand is really lovely. I could stare at this for a long, long time. It is simply restful.

Black teardrop rock sits
Mournfully on the white beach
While the insects dance