Another Door Opens

2012 has been an important year for me. This was the first year that I've spent in the mountains that that I've chosen to live in, and the first that I've been able to concentrate on building a body of work that I can be proud of.

I feel privileged to have been able to study the wilderness through the seasons. With every experience, I've learned a little more about the rich world that lies in the forests and mountains.  Each season brings new sights and smells to familiar trails, and sometimes the changes are so dramatic that the views are barely recognizable. The change from autumn to winter is particularly abrupt.

"Why do you flee so soon, sir, to the theaters, lecture-rooms, and museums of the city? If you will stay here awhile I will promise you strange sights. You shall walk on water; all these brooks and rivers and ponds shall be your highway. You shall see the whole earth covered a foot or more deep with purest white crystals . . . and all the trees and stubble glittering in icy armor."

The end of a year is traditionally a time for new beginnings, and possibly reflection on the time that has passed. I hope to be able to share From The High Country images with many more people in 2013, and I'm grateful to clients and supporters who have followed me through 2012.

If you'd like to help by providing some feedback, you can do so via my new questionnaire.

I'm excited to see what 2013 will bring, and I hope you'll join me. Have a Happy New Year!

On Self Reliance

“Every path but your own is the path of fate. Keep on your own track, then.”  Thoreau

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.”  Emerson

'Self reliance' is a term that means different things to different people. To some it might mean chopping firewood, while to others it might mean financial independence. In rural areas especially, self-reliance has come to mean the ability to grow and store your own food, or perhaps advanced wilderness skills.

All of the aforementioned really are forms of self-reliance. The learning of new skills result in an increased level of independence. During these stressful modern times, this skill set provides security. However, the most important form of self-reliance is not a physical skill.

Critical thinking and the ability to hold on to your unique thoughts in the face of opposition are skills that are essential to to the self-reliant mind, which is in turn essential to a truly self-reliant person. Think of Henry Thoreau and John Muir. Both lived alone in the wilderness according to their own philosophies, and both had many other options. They often serve as inspiration in my own life.

Mental self-reliance  is an incredibly broad subject, so I won't attempt to cover it all here. Simply taking responsibility for your actions and your well-being is an important start.

I highly recommend the works of Muir, Thoreau and Emerson if you'd like to learn more, especially during this time of new beginnings.

“Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.”  John Muir


To view From The High Country images, click here.