Honestly, this week I needed a break from seeing the world through a viewfinder. That, three weeks of 18+ hour days traveling in Alaska and the task, even if anticipated, of reviewing over seven thousand photographs seemed to warrant a bit of time off. Seeing again what I have seen will take patience though I’m excited about the results.

A tundra hillside contrasts beautifully against the backdrop of a “new” mountain in Denali National Park. At literally every turn there are more and more such fabulous views to be seen and appreciated.
There have been times when my camera has become a barrier to my seeing rather than an opening onto the world. That was not the case for me in Alaska. The challenge was seeing so much and so much that was new , most of it on a scale grand beyond my imagining.

The color of this small tundra flower, Glaucous Gentian (Gentiana glauca), is so unexpected and so stunning.
I remind myself, back this week in a “smaller” Vermont, to see this familiar landscape as well. It is, after all, a new morning with new light, a newly refreshed landscape from the rain we had last night; if I were to pick up any handful of dirt or get down on all fours anywhere in my yard, I could easily be lost again for three weeks seeing worlds as yet unexplored—all without a long ride on an airplane!

Always in the seat by the airplane window (thank you Rob!), camera in hand, seeing the miracles of life—how else could I think of a cloud like this?
As Marcel Proust points out, “The journey of discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” You’ve ALWAYS had the “eye” of curiosity and wonder–so I’m sure your backyard holds yet more miracles, albeit of a different size than what you beheld in Alaska. I’ve always like the word “behold”–taking it to mean not just looking at the world but BEING in it and HOLDING it with awe. Thanks for capturing so much and letting all of us share your vision. And welcome home! 🙂
You are a sweetheart! Thanks for always helping me “connect the dots!”
And thank YOU for seeing SO MANY DOTS! 🙂