After returning home from Zion I have been thinking of ways to return as soon as possible. I’m not sure if it was the hiking that I did while I was there but I feel rejuvenated. I know it sounds weird, but while I was there, I felt alive—I mean truly alive. My senses were heightened, my eyes scoured each scene, capturing small blocks of images everywhere. I heard nothing but quiet and I saw no one (most of the time). I can still see the red earth tones on the canyon walls and the soft color tones of the juniper. My mind replays my steps over and over again.
I didn’t need an alarm clock or watch, I woke up early, excited to start each day. I was anxious to get back into nature and feel the peaceful solitude that comes with wide open spaces. My great need for exploration was being fulfilled. The great outdoors and all that it has to offer had me under its spell.
My photo above singles out the most important part of my trip; seeking out the beauty in nature and how the very smallest of scenes can capture that beauty. The lone pine needle at the bottom right corner made me smile as I photographed it. I do realize that the image will never win any awards and probably never hang on any wall but it makes me smile with joy each time I look at it. It is a remembrance of where I have been. For those of you thinking I should have cloned out the small pine needle on the left edge of the frame-I left it there in hopes that it would alert you to look deeper into the image for more imperfections. Because nature isn’t perfect and those imperfections are what make it special…at least to me.
I am thankful to to all of the early explorers, naturalists and people that helped to preserve our national parks and natural lands. They are truly a treasure. I wish when I was a kid my parents took us to National Parks and camped but they were not into that type of holiday. My father loved the ocean and we went sailing and to the beaches instead. That turned out good because I absolutely love living near the ocean and hearing the sound of the waves and smelling the fresh salt air. But still… I can’t help but feel I missed something as a child by not seeing the grandeur that comes with some of the more famous National Parks.