through a mirror, clearly

This last year, I have started appreciating the art of photography -- once again.


I say "once again" because photography had been a hobby of mine since I was in grade school. I even rigged up a little dark room in our attic -- to little effect.


Then I stopped. Who knows, why? I just stopped. Other interests arose. Politics. Girls. Skiing. All of which would have been good source material. But I stopped.


When I started this blog, Andee Carlsson convinced me that I needed to add photographs. So, I bought a digital camera and took up my lost love of pictures.


The photograph at the top of this post illustrates why I have come to appreciate what cameras can do.


When I framed the picture, my eye was concentrating on the foliage and fall colors. When I saw it on my monitor, I was disappointed because the bright sunlight had washed out what my eye had seen.


And then I noticed the true center of the photograph. The water. The water reflected the essence of what I had seen -- but in a different medium. Almost as if a painting of a sculpture had captured the art better than the sculpture itself.


It was a pure accident. But it will be one of my favorite reminders of this amazing fall in Oregon.


Even the dog recognized that the days need to be treasured. On Sunday, Professor Jiggs insisted on taking a longer than usual trek through some streets where we had not walked together for at least eight years. When we returned home, I realized we had been gone for three hours and had walked about two miles. Jiggs and I set no records with our walks. But he had a great time.


The price he paid? We needed to go to the veterinarian today for another steroid shot. But I have seldom seen him so content.