Henry David Thoreau wrote that In Wildness Is the Preservation of the World. As we witness and contribute to the erosion of our natural world, I think those words are more true and relevant now than ever.

I love taking pictures. Not for the end result of a perfect frame, the impossible shot, or simple proof of my being there. I am not that kind of picture taker. Nor do I possess those technical skills to warrant such an aggrandizing view of my efforts.

Near Sentinel Beach

I just love the tiny space of a view finder and living, for the briefest of moments, in that magical square where there’s only room for me and the world as only I can see it.

In that little box, I am riding horseback through snow laden forests of pine and birch. I am sailing the oceans blue, in search of undiscovered lands and the mysterious deep. I am a magnificent bird, soaring across canyons and arroyos with great wings spreading to blacken the sky.

Mirror Lake

Or, maybe a squirrel or other woodland rodent foraging in the snow for nuts to sustain me through the deep freeze of a long winter.