With winter snow being a bit of a bust this year, I decided to put my skis and snowshoes back into storage for another year. Two weeks later, a freaking blizzard hits the cascade mountains. Snow fluttered past my second story windows and I began working through my schedule to see when I could practice gliding with planks on my feet before the temps rise again. My ski trip to White Pass with my friend Melissa in January proved I need all the practice I can get. Downhill still is scary and uncontrolled and we won’t even begin to talk about the counterintuitive way one needs to shift weight to turn. Watching the like of Lyndsey Vonn on the slopes in Milan make me feel like a toddler and in a way I am. Olympic skiers are grace and confidence on the slopes after years of practice and hundreds of runs down snow-filled courses. It’s dedication to a skill that they chose to pursue. Just like any skill, for a majority of us, it takes practice to gain a semblance of excellence. We, as observers, often only see the result of practice. Each medal, each trophy are backed by practice and failures that have become the platform for proficiency to be built upon. The Greats, with any talent that we strive for, weren’t born perfect - they may have the build for a certain sport, or the mindset for a certain creative outlet, and then they worked at it even when confronted with another’s disbelief.
I recently watched the Disney film Ratatouille. It’s one of my favorites. A rat named Remy has dreams of rising above his normal rat life and becoming a great chef. He’s inspired by a great human chef named Gusteau who believes that anyone can cook. While not everyone will become a great chef, with practice and desire, anyone can cook and be proficient. Talent can come from the unexpected and that the joy of pursuing proficiency is worth the journey. While I may never become a great skier, I can learn to ski and with practice will gain control over my turns. The skills I have overwhelmingly dedicated my time to improving are mostly in the creative realm such as photography. And after years of practice and more failures than I’d like to admit, I’m fairly proficient at the art form. Am I an Olympian in photography? No. But the joy of pursuit keeps moving me forward. Creating connections with you keep me inspired. And looking beyond the next failure is a motivation to learn something new. What motivates you to keep practicing?
The most exciting news from the last few months is that Peter’s book is ready for pre-sale. I obviously squealed with joy when Peter sent me the link. This is really happening. I love the cover - of course I do - it features 3 of my photos. I am so grateful for Peter’s belief in me. Even through the failure of my external hard-drive (something I’m still trying to fix), I was able to send Mountaineers Books about 250 images of Seattle that help capture the soul of the city and Peter’s remarkable walking guide.
I’ve kind of laid low the last few months trying to organize my photos that were recovered from the failed hard drive. I bought a back-up drive and within 3 weeks, that one failed too. WD EasyStore drives are hit and miss. The two with catastrophic failures were that type. But I have another one that is working fine (knock on wood). While reorganizing the recovered files, I realized I could make corrections on my file categories which is making the whole process take longer. What else do I have to do other than videos from last year, planning adventures for this year, updating my website, writing on my memoir and articles, and editing photos I want to see online? Hmmm, lots to do.
At the end of February, I joined several of my co-workers and peers in Daytona Beach for our annual trade conference. I added a few extra days after the conference was over to spend it with my friend Barb as she showed me the wild diversity of the central Florida wildlife and landscape. The whole trip was a fabulous feast for inspiration. Daytona Beach sparkled in the sun - the sand felt foreign under my feet. The sand beaches I’m used to closer to home are loose and drift in the wind. I love digging my toes deep in the cool embrace. There was no digging my toes into the dense sands of Daytona Beach yet I still revelled in the walk at the Atlantic Ocean’s edge, with the waves gently caressing my feet inviting me to wander further into the deep. After the conference I spent a few days near Merritt Island. The density of birds (and alligators) made me jealous that I don’t always see the numbers of species in our wildlife refuges near home - 5 different types of herons alone: Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Tricolor Heron, Green Heron, and Black-Crowned Night Heron. Damn! Barb and I also found an historical site: Fort Christmas. It’s one of those places pulled right from a movie - bleached out cabins set among moss draped trees. Not the northwest type of lush green moss, but the flowing soft green mosses of the south.
I loved being able to point my camera every which way to create photos. My folder is filled (550+ images) with life-list birds and bucket-list locations I never knew I wanted to photograph. How did I prepare for this trip and come home satisfied? Well, from the 1st couple of paragraphs you might surmise that this is a note about the value of practice. I have spent years, decades, practicing my craft. I was in high school when I decided to make a career creating images with a camera - that was a very long time ago. In the intervening years, I learned what camera settings work best with what time of story I wish to tell about my subject. I’ve learned to watch the light and how to use light to help create the mood. When I travel, I take the knowledge I’ve gathered with me. The places with sparkling newness are approached with the same knowledge and vision as I approach the familiar forests and locations at home.
In the coming months I will continue to practice while I explore trails near home. Of course, I’ll be out cleaning the Washington coast beaches for Earth Day as I have for the past 25 years. I’ll be spending the 1st weekend of May in NE Oregon exploring the Wallowas. Not all my trips are planned yet, but I will be sure to share them with you as they come along. To keep up on the latest, follow me on YouTube, Substack, and Instagram. If you want to support the adventure, you can buy me a cup of coffee.