Snowy hill
On this day we decided to take our dog for one last walk in the hills of Chaudes Aigues. The next day we were to return to Paris, leaving behind two months spent with friends among these hills and forests.
There was not a hint of snow in the lowlands where our house was located, and I thought about leaving the camera at home, as I had become a little bored with the local scenery in two months, and it seemed that I had already squeezed all that I could out of my camera.
Little did I know.
As we climbed higher, we suddenly discovered a lot of snow covering the top of the hill. And once again I was glad of my habit of taking my camera with me everywhere.
There was a slight shade of sadness in this last walk. On the one hand, we were saying goodbye to the wonderful time we had spent with friends and Cléa’s family during our second quarantine. On the other hand, we wanted to give one last playtime to our dog, Doudou.
During our stay in the village, he had become so used to almost daily walks in nature. Watching him running through endless fields, playing with cows, or trying hopelessly to get out of the thicket of the woods, it was hard to recognize in him the old dog that used to lie under the desk of the Chaudes Aigues notary's office all day long.
Cléa and I were well aware that after our departure he would lie under the door of our empty room for days, still hoping that we would call him out for a walk, or invite him to sleep in our bed.
Even though Doudou is not on this picture, it reflects well the mixed feelings of white sadness that we shared with Cléa on that last day.
The small wooded area at the top of the hill looks like an oasis in the desert, toward which the girl's figure heads.
The snow and the pose speak of the joy she feels, perhaps for the first time since her childhood, letting herself go for a run in the snow, leaving her footprints on a virgin white canvas.
But if you look at this joyful childish gesture through the eyes of a photographer, it's hard not to fall into a sense of nostalgia, as if something joyful and cheerful is slipping away from you.
Also on this day:
