Dryads Fried my Film

When I was eleven and my younger brother five, our family drove a questionable old RV down the west coast. It took us two weeks to drive to San Francisco, and then a week to drive back. When we visited the Redwood Forest, we took nearly a roll of film of photos. Something happened to that roll of film, and it was completely black when we got the pictures back. We were so disappointed because not only was the forest magical and the pictures great, but this was the first time in over a year that my brother allowed his picture to be taken. I figured maybe I had accidentally opened the back of the camera before completely rolling up the film. (To my children and other youngsters this will sound so very strange and dated!) Many times over the years I've thought back on that lost roll of film. There was just something about those pictures and that time.

Well. I just read in Bronwynn Forest Torgerson's essay, "Midsummer: Otherworldy Magic" in Lewellyn's 2011-2012 Sabbat's Almanac (on sale right now for $3.25):

At California's Muir Woods, it is not uncommon to catch a glimpse of dryadic faces peering through the bark of redwood trees. If your eyes are honored with such a sight, do not think to capture it on film, for your batteries will go dead in an instant.

We were farther north, but of course dryadic spirits are in any redwood forest. A-ha! It wasn't my negligence, but magic afoot.

Dryad Sister by Jane Starr Weils
http://www.magicalomaha.com/Janestarrweilsartprints.htm

As a little side, a fun synchronicity: I was just thinking of writing up this trip as a young adult novel involving magic. More material that I'd forgotten about! Another: On this trip, I visited a friend named Bronwyn, whom I always think of when I hear that name, shared by the author of the above quote. Don't you love little fun synchronicities? They are signs that we are on the right path.