Comings&Goings
Upon further review
Having returned home over a month ago from our adventure in Southeast Asia, Amy and I have found that our many conversations oddly drift back to different moments, activities, and people which helped define our over-arching experience. We were reminded time and again about the fun we had awakening each morning and venturing into a wholly different and novel world. On reflection, I have a sense that the wanderlust that had burned brightly when we were younger, now is rekindled and burns brightly again. I also recall witnessing this same desire to see the world emerge in each of our children when they went overseas for a semester abroad and recognized a more global landscape. While I am sure that there was at least some book learning going on during their respective experiences, my greatest takeaway was that wanderlust had found and inspired each of them. And obviously with the advent of technology, they enjoyed a greater ease than we did many years ago navigating new, exciting paths.
More Southeast Asia photos by “popular” demand
Over the last couple of weeks I have not done a lot with photography, but I did have an opportunity to look back at the many pictures I shot during our trip and haven’t yet shared. The below photos reflect some of the fun I had looking closely at different works of art found along the way. In most cases I focused on enhancing different objects with various types of available light.
Mountain sublime: The Green Mountains, the Wasatch Range and the Sierra Nevada’s
Feeling the need to justify the purchase last April of an Ikon Pass, a multi ski resort ticket, I took to the ski road during both February and March while Amy returned “gladly” to the work front. I had an opportunity to seek out magnificent mountains in Vermont, Utah, and California and to follow several storms that yielded plenty of fresh snow and untracked powder. Along the way I was able to join up with friends and family to share in these mountain pursuits. On more than a few mornings out west, on the backside of significant storms, the cold, crisp morning air was often punctuated by concussive blasts of the ski patrol preparing the mountain, minimizing avalanche danger, and keeping skiers out of harm’s way. At Squaw Valley in California, the amount of snow fall is hard to fathom as February witnessed over 350 inches, and total snow pack on the mountain for the “season” is over 50 feet. The roofs of homes are now bearing significant snow weight, and the roads in many places are narrow corridors with white, looming walls on both sides. For me, there is a sublime beauty in observing both the force of winter storms and the immense snow left in nature’s wake. And, of course, untouched powder is about as close to skiing nirvana as one can find.
Worth the Read, Listen, View
I am just about finished with Phil Knight’s memoir, Shoe Dog, which recounts the origins of his company Nike and the many challenges he faced over many years. Among many observations, I enjoyed reading about Phil’s “hands off” leadership style, a reminder that if one hires the right people and offers clear direction and vision, good people can figure out how to get there. The Nike marketing story, or lack thereof, about the company’s name and the inimitable Swoosh are particularly amusing. An easy, good read with a few pearls of wisdom as well.
Below, I have included a link for an Apple computer advertisement, that you might have seen, filled with some powerful and interesting photographs. I also enjoyed listening to the below podcast on the Opioid Crisis, and I am looking forward to seeing Apollo 11, a movie that has received strong reviews in all respects.
Behind the Mac Make Something Wonderful
Podcast: The Family That Profited From the Opioid Crisis
Articles of Interest
Angling for a Whopper in the Fly-Fishing Paradise of Patagonia
Young Adulthood in America: Children Are Grown, but Parenting Doesn’t Stop
Your Dog Feels as Guilty as She Looks
Work Songs of the Cowboy Poets
The True Story Behind the Iconic War Photo Was Nearly Erased — Until Now
There Are No Five Stages of Grief
And Finally
Although I have always loved winter, I am now less enthusiastic about shorter days and early darkness. With the recent advent of daylight savings and the welcome shift to more early evening light, I feel as if the rites of winter may be receding into the past as we all soon embrace April, the “cruelest of months,” and we shift our seasonal compasses with excitement and anticipation for all things spring.
