Temple Square

Temple Square is a magnificent place, even if you’re not Morman. If you’re ever in Salt Lake City, go explore. You’ll love the flower gardens!

The Year In Pictures (Proof That It Does Get Better)

When the year began, this is is what I was photographing.

As you can probably see, my mood was dark and brooding. I spent hours stomping around in the cold and looking for anything I could find to occupy my mind and camera. My world was quite small too. My adventures took me around my own property and local state parks but not much further. Life was quiet and introspective. It was intensely focused on self betterment and on finding beauty despite the starkness and darkness that seemed to envelope my world both inside and out.

If you’ve been following this blog you know I’ve come a long way since January. In fact, I’ve come a long way since starting this blog over the summer. And I am thankful for that.

This has turned out to be a very good year. A beautiful year, actually. I’ve had so many adventures as well as time with friends and family and have learned a lot.  I’ve traveled near and far, spent countless hours relaxing on the back porch and met some special people along the way.

I still do some black and whites but have come to enjoy more playing with color and light. In fact, most of my recent black and whites exist because the color or light is poor but the conversion salvages the picture. Here’s what I’ve been photographing lately.

My eye reaches for happier things… I call this photographic proof that it does get better.

My life isn’t what I thought it would be a year ago but that’s ok because it has turned out to be great anyway.  In fact, looking back on last January, it’s leaps and bounds more than I could have asked for or imagined.

I am cautiously optimistic that 2019 is going to be even better and I look forward to seeing what life has in store. I’m certain something special is around the next corner.

Happy New Year, my friends. Make 2019 amazing!

A Dip In The Great Salt Lake

When you think of Salt Lake City, you probably think of the Great Salt Lake and the Morman Tabernacle Choir. We didn’t get to hear the choir sing but we did spend a day roaming around Antelope Island which is in the Great Salt Lake.

The Lake is nearing historic lows and it’s pretty obvious when you walk around a bit. Antelope Island is accessible via a causeway and is about 45 minutes from where we stayed downtown. One thing that impressed us both is the sheer number of birds everywhere you look here.

The Island is a story unto itself as it boasts hiking trails, an historic ranch, wildlife, kayaking and other fun things. We set out that day  intending to hike but it was extremely hot and we got a late start (not to mention the triple berry pancakes with whipped cream and syrup were slowing me down a bit) so we opted to do several short walks that kept us close to the car. After all, there is essentially no shade here and there was high heat every day.

One of the trip highlights for me was taking off my shoes and wading in the lake. It’s just one of those things you should do at least once.

Please understand that this was a bucket list item for me but it isn’t necessarily the most pleasant experience in the world. From one parking lot there is a paved sidewalk that will take you down to the shoreline. We parked in a lot where you wade through deep sand to reach the water. I was fine with this as it adds to the experience and makes it seem more authentic.

However, something that doesn’t add to the experience is the smell. The lake smells a little bit like rotten eggs. There’s also flies and brine shrimp to contend with. However, if you can get past these things (I’m laughing as I’m typing), it really is a peaceful place and one that is beautiful for its stark simplicity. It’s lovely really, especially once you get used to the odor.

I know this doesn’t sound so appealing but we really did have a great time! Wait till tomorrow when I tell you about the ranch at Antelope Island.