Tag: quiet places

The Art Of Getting Lost

Color Photography, West Virginia

Feature image take on the shore of the Gauley River in Fayette County West Virginia.

I grew up watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island. In reality being shipwrecked would be a horrible experience no matter how pretty Ginger and Maryann are.

But the idea of being in a place where the outside world can’t find you can be appealing at times. The mountains of Appalachia are full of little trails with plenty of hidden spots where one can build a fort and find peace and quiet. I had two spots in the woods where I grew up. One on a cliff overhang and another in the valley below. A small wet weather stream was in the lower spot. Surrounded by small trees with a large rock on the edge. An opening in the canopy of trees would allow just the right amount sunlight to warm up the rock. It was perfect for a young boy to climb onto and stretch out like a lizard in the Sun. As the water ran by the rock we would make little boats out of leaves and race them downstream. In those days there was no cellphones to break the silence and end the adventure. You could have the whole world to yourself for just a little while.

Nobody wants to be lost in a forest unable to see the way home.

Image was taken in Kanawha County West Virginia on private land.

However, occasionally being able to remain “unfound” for a day can be nice.

Image above taken in Beartown State Park

The Unknown Destiny

Back and White Photography, Color Photography, Thoughts and Musing

We make plans for our lives based on our desires. When I was a young man I wanted to be fighter jet pilot. I read every book I could find on aircraft and when I was 12 I went to a summer camp at Patuxent River Naval Air test station where I got to eat lunch with the Blue Angels. I was allowed to set in the cockpit of an F-18 a full three days before the press got to see it. I knew that I was going to be the next Chuck Yeager. But I was wrong. I didn’t realize which set of tracks I was on. God had other plans for my life.

I didn’t choose the image above at random. You see, there are three sets of tracks.

One set is my plans for myself.

Another set for my plans others made for my life.

And another set for God’s plans for my life.

All three sets look as though they go to same destination but along the way there will be slight deviations that change the destiny.

Now, some will say that God robbed me of my desire to fly fighter jets. But remember, we don’t know exactly where that set of tracks ends. About the time that I would have achieved my goal America went to war. My vision for myself was to do high speed stunts for the air shows but for all I know I could have been shot down behind enemy lines. Or, I could have had stunt go wrong and crashed into a crowd.

I guess my point is that just because things don’t work out the way we imagined doesn’t mean our destiny was lost. I’ve been told that Albert Einstein said “God does not play dice with the universe.”. I agree. I believe that we have free choice but God knows what our choices will be and plans according to our choices to bring us to the place he wants us to be. I believe that along the way there will be multiple opportunities to switch tracks if we recognize them. And who knows? 50 ain’t so old. I still have a few adventures left in me. And, there’s miles of tracks ahead.

Hawk’s Nest State Overlook in Early Spring

Back and White Photography, West Virginia

The Hawk’s Nest State Park overlook is one of my favorite places. When I was a small child I lived next door in Lovers Leap,West Virginia. The cut stone and general architecture reminds me of an old world castle wall. In contrast, I still think the coin operated binoculars look like a robot from a 1950s science fiction film. The old gnarled tree in early Spring provides an interesting focal point. In the valley below is the New River. The New River is one of only three rivers in the world that flows from South to North. I love to stop and walk out onto the overlook and feel the wind blowing up from the gorge below. This is what it feels like to be on top of the world.

Summer On The Lake

Color Photography, Summersville Lake, Summerville

Remember that trip to the lake?

Remember the innocence of our summer vacations? We spent warm days playing in the cool water. Remember the coins? They were not real money. They were aluminum disks leftover from a project but to us they were real pirate silver lost in a storm and found by two boys. We take turns tossing them in the water and then diving into the deep. I remember how the water got cooler as we dove deeply into murky depths. The real treasure we found was the adventures and the memories of Summer on the lake.

This image was taken at the Salmon Run portion of Summersville Lake in Nicholas County West Virginia.

Saturday Morning Sunrise

Color Photography, West Virginia

There are few pleasures of life that are better than greeting the sunrise. The crisp mountain air fills my lungs as the golden light washes over me. It makes me feel energized. The rest of the world fades into the background. My whole world at this moment consists of nothing but the three rivers which join at this point, the mountains in distance and the morning sun. I will hold this moment in my spirit for the rest of the day. The Shawnee say that it’s bad luck to make camp where three rivers join but I respectfully disagree. This place is blessed by God. Today will be a good day. I take one last deep breath and climb back into my truck. I only have a moment to enjoy the view but the moment will be all I need.

Image taken in Gauley Bridge West Virginia on February 3rd 2018 on my way to my day job.