Best Intentions...

Sometimes good ideas just don't pan out.  We're currently on vacation in Breckenridge and stopped in Frisco for some essentials.  We drove by Dillon lake and I decided I wanted to get a picture.  I loved how the mountains and the sky looked and the lake was partially frozen so I was hoping I might be able to capture something special.

We parked by the marina and my wife and daughter wisely stayed in the car while I made my way out to the "right spot" to take pictures.  There was some clutter all around the pier so I decided to venture out a bit onto what looked like snow and dirt where the waters of the lake had receded.  Wearing my trusty Gortex laced Merrills, I started out over patches of snow, ice and dirt.  Unfortunately those patches of snow were really very thin layers resting on top of about a foot or so of Rockie Mountain mud.  Ok, so perhaps this wasn't one of those "times that try men's souls" but I wasn't about to be denied a great picture because of ankle deep mud.

After hopping, skipping and jumping to a dry spot I finally got to my perfect destination.  I quickly got off some shots from a couple different angles.  I tried getting several multiple low angel shots, at different exposures so I could practice with my HDR.  I didn't want to spend too much time there because I figured the women folk would be getting antsy.  Confident I got what I wanted, I headed back to the car, scraping and dragging my feet through fresh snow in an attempt to remove all the mud.

Well, long story short (I know, too late), we got back to the room and I immediately began processing my pics.  To my dismay I failed to ensure that I had taken multiple pictures, not just at different exposures but also at different focus points.  All the low angle shots had out of focus foregrounds.  So for all that effort and perseverance, I was only able to manage the pano you see above.  I don't think it's entirely a bad picture but it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for.

So I guess we just need to make the best of a situation.  And even though we try to overcome obstacles in life, things may not always turn out as we had hoped.  Even the greatest ball players strike out from time to time.  That's no reason to quit.  There's always next time.  :-)

Southern California Sunset...

I would never presume to think I could possibly capture the magnificence of a California sunset but I hope what I've shared provides just an inkling of how beautiful those sunsets really are.  Now don't get me wrong, I love living in Colorado and feel quite at home among the majestic mountains but there's something about California sunsets that goes beyond words.  I can sit for hours just looking out over the ocean, watching the sun slowly sink below the horizon and feel completely at peace.  God has an amazing way to make you feel so small compared to the grandeur of nature and yet so much a part of it all.  What a blessing...

Taking the High Road...

I sometimes wonder at what point, when we aspire to "take the high road", does integrity become shame?  Hey folks, I don't pretend to know the answer.  That's why I'm asking.  As far back as our childhood we've been challenged with "taking the high road", to be a better person, when we feel that things are working against us.  Kinda goes back to the whole "turn the other cheek" thing.  How many times do we have to be slapped in the face until we decide to say "enough"?

I really don't know the answer.  There are times when I think I'm "taking the high road", avoiding confrontation, trying not to sink to someone else's level.  After a while I feel this imbalance inside me.  I can only attribute it to a conflict I feel between my desire to turn my back on another person's misplaced aggression and my need to maintain my personal integrity.  I know myself well enough that my knee-jerk reaction is to pop someone when they've hurt me and I've spent years trying to overcome that.  But, man, there are times, after taking so many punches to the chin that I have to say enough is enough!  Remember that classic line from "The Untouchables"?  "They pull a knife, you pull a gun.  They send one of yours to the hospital, you send one of theirs to the morgue."  LOVE it and in most cases I tend to live it.  I know, I know, I'm working on that. 

Sorry folks, no sage advice here.  I think that answer will be different for each of us.  I just know it's something I need to think about and pray about when the situations arise.  There are so many questions I have for God but to be honest, if he only answered one, I think this would be it. 

Lord, help me find that high road...

Focus...

I was originally planning a rant on the comings and goings of Kim Kardashian and similar media whores, the entertainment moguls who promote them (thank you Ryan Seacrest) and the mindless millions that deify their virtual existence.  But recent events have steered my ship of discontent towards calmer waters. 

I was incredibly fortunate this past week to meet a long lost uncle and cousin I never knew existed until about a year ago.  On the heals of that event, I had an epiphany in regards to the wonderful people in my life who have provided inspiration, strength, compassion, love and friendship.  It really got me thinking, "why the hell do I want to dwell on the life of an insignificant, misguided person when I have such gifts in the family and friendships I have?"  And for that matter, why would I care about the drama and pettiness that exists much closer to me in my day to day life?  It's amazing how easy it is to lose focus on what's important in our lives. 

Maybe I'm rehashing old ideas from previous rants but this is something that bears repeating.  I have an incredibly large and wonderful family.  I have my Colorado and Nevada family.  My Portland and California family.  My Idaho and Montana family.  There's also my 14er family, my Brat family, my Facebook family and even my Texas family.  There are so many more folks that make up my circle of influences.  When I sit and meditate on it, it's incredible to realize how vast it is.  There are folks I've known for years, those I've known for months, even those I've only met once, yet they all are treasures in my life.  For all the random crap that makes up my day, it doesn't remotely measure up to all the gifts I have in the people in my life. 

I apologize to not only you, my dear friends, but to myself, for allowing myself from time to time, to slip into this coma of down right mean-spirited pettiness and resentment.  I truly need to keep the "eye on the prize" when it comes to how I embrace each and every day.  I have so much to be thankful for and so much to rejoice over. 

Here's to all of you, my family!