Chasing Turtles

Here, on this tiny strip of land, molded through the millennia by tides and currents, the lives of Duncan Lear's descendants are changed by wind, water, and chance. One seeks to capture in paint the beauty of sunrise and sunset; another is stalled in the past while looking for purpose in the future; and the third seeks unconditional love and acceptance from a family she has shunned. They are joined by a stranger who seeks redemption and connection in the songs of turtles. Individually, they find that ambition can propel one to great feats, or break the soul, and that memory can inspire or defeat. Like marine animals or a child building a sand castle, they construct shells around their true selves. This foursome comes together in a landscape both beautiful and harsh, tamed and savage. Open to Nature's generosity, they are soothed by the rhythm of the tides, the rising and setting of the sun, and the regeneration of life. Alternately, they are brutally tested by Nature's fury as well as their own demons. Together they discover that their protective carapaces must crumble to release their true selves. They learn that vulnerability is not defeat; rather, it is what connects us to those we love.