Twisty, Curvy Roads

One of the things that I like most about traveling off the grid is that I notice things that would normally be lost in the noise of city living. This photo is an example. It appeals to me because it is a juxtaposition of the temporarily modern technology and the agelessness of the earth. I was camped in a beautiful spot a mile or two from the nearest paved road. During the night, there had been a fresh snowfall and Max and I were out enjoying the freshness of the scenery. I happened to look up and notice the jet contrail approaching the still visible moon. I snapped several frames and got lucky with this one. To me this photo is filled with symbols. The snow covered evergreen tree has long been a symbol of rebirth.  The moon in it's fourth quarter is said to represent reflection and re-evaluation. Of course the jet contrails do not have a full history of symbolic meaning, but the juxtaposition of the modern day phenomena of jet contrails over the ageless symbolism of the ever...

Max found me late one evening. I was driving home and in my headlights there was suddenly this tiny dog.  I stopped the car and opened the door. Without hesitation, the dog jumped into my car. Rather than leave him to the danger of traffic (and the pound), I took him with me for the night. He had no collar so the next day, we visited several local pet stores, and veterinarians to try to locate his family. We posted "found dog" notices and watched for "lost dog" notices, but could not locate his family. We made several trips to the county humane shelter to see if anyone was looking for a small fluffy dog. The workers at the shelter asked if I wanted to leave him, but I did not want to put him through that. After a couple of weeks, I decided that it was time to figure out the name of my temporary visitor. It is not a matter of "giving" a name to an animal. Animals already have their names, and if you pay attention, they will tell you their name. I alwa...