my Favorite place on earth....

I could  wander through this place and over 

these mountains every day,

and never get tired of the grandness of it all.

It's incredibly humbling being surrounded~

by something that is so much greater 

than me.

One More Time~ Trail re-visited

Remember the couple I met in this post  ~~Just One More Time.... ?

Well I was lucky enough to make another trip to the mountains last weekend, and re-hike the trail where I had met them last Fall.
I wanted to see what they had seen over the years- the differences between the seasons.
And....in a sense....hike the trail in honor of the both of them,  who said they had hiked their last up to this amazing place.

(the bench where they sat and we visited last fall)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Snow had fallen during the night, and when I got to the trail head

I was thrilled to find no one yet had arrived...

{which meant I got to make the first tracks in the new snow.}

I felt like a kid. 

First one to make new tracks is something to smile over.

(for me at least:)

My favorite "difficult trail" was closed for the winter, so Easy it was.

But just as beautiful.

The view as I climbed were just as breathtaking as in the summer...maybe more so after a snowfall.

And then The Lakes came into view.

It was unearthly quiet and still.

And beautiful.

I truly felt as though I had stumbled into some sort of winter dream.

No wonder they loved this place in the winter.

I can't even describe it, nor can these pictures.

It seems as though the couple I met months ago had a secret in this winter trail~ 
and I'm incredibly thrilled they shared it with me.

weekend wedding

~Just got back from here~

~Taking pictures like this~

I was asked to photograph my friend's wedding in the mountains this weekend.
The 2nd scariest thing I've ever had to do besides my Olympic Distance Triathlon.

The above picture is one of literally 100's.
Now, to go through them all, edit, print.....
and hope they don't get deleted some how.
Ahhhhhhhh!!!

(I cannot wait to get these pictures off  my hands.
 Did I mention how nervous I am about this?)

Objects in Mirror

"Spend more time looking at life through the windshield,  rather than the rear-view (or side;) mirror." ~~~

the Old and New

They say some things aren't worth keeping.

Once it gets old and worn...get rid of it.

The old seems useless when the "better" comes along.

Funny thing is, old things don't ever really go away.

They may get hidden....but they're still there.

Some say "out with the old~in with the new"...

but more often than not, "the old" was better than the new.

~The grass usually isn't greener on the other side, 

but humanly we usually think it's so.~

Don't we?

after the holidays...

All my kiddos go back to their regular schedules tomorrow.

The tree is down.

Furniture righted.

Gift boxes packed away or recycled.

All signs of festivity have pretty much disappeared.
~~~~

But I don't feel all that bad....
Not like some others I've seen:

I'm actually quite happy to get back to "normal"...whatever that is.
I like my regular, "scheduled programs" and days.
Makes me feel like I know where I'm going...and that's always a good thing.
I think.
~~~

{Now I'm just hoping the above subject gets around to conquering the after-holiday Let Down.

I think once he's over his eggnog high,  he'll feel righted once again:)}