MoonShot

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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 evergreen and moon make it impossible not to assign a symbolic meaning. For me, the contrails symbolize Man's ever-questing  spirit to explore and innovate.

To sum it up, for me, this photo symbolizes Man's relationship to nature, the relationship of the future to the past, and the indomitable spirit of Mankind. Of course the photograph, in and of itself, has no meaning, it is only a photograph that I find interesting. I sometimes enjoy flights of fancy and assigning meaning and significance where they are not needed. That is part of the fun, of having the leisure to construct, or to not construct as I wish, a meaning and significance that is uniquely my own.

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