7 Super Shots

My friend Erin Kirkland of AK On the Go, invited me to participate in this fun photo tour. The assignment is find your best shots in 7 different categories. The challenge is picking just 7! Check out  Hostel Bookers to learn about the folks who started it all… And check out the rules if you want to participate as well.

1. Take my breath away. This shot literally took my breath away. We had just hiked up Bird Ridge (3,500 feet in 2.5 miles) and were pausing to enjoy the view in this pic. The picture reminds me of the awesome beauty we are so unbelievably fortunate to be surrounded by in Alaska. It also makes me appreciate how grateful I am to still be physcially able to (almost) keep up with my teenage daughter.

2. Makes me smile. The simple joy of blowing bubbles on a sunny afternoon is something that should make everyone smile. If fact, blowing bubbles is probably something everyone should do from time to time. Imagine a world with more bubble blowing…

3. Makes me dream. This shot is of my teenage son on the White Mountain Summit Trail in Fairbanks. I love the way the sun is shining through the clouds and the way you can tell he is dreaming about something even though you can’t see his face.

4. Makes me think. This is out in Prince William Sound–Blackstone Bay. Makes me think of so many things. What are these bugs? Why the big one get to be on top? Do they appreciate the view of the glacier in the background as much as I do? What do they do in the winter? Do they experience fear? Romance? Never stop asking questions.

5. Makes my mouth water. Truth be told, nothing makes my mouth water like maple sugar santas. I know–disgusting. But I just love them. This shot is close second though. Grilled asparagus, sangrias, steak, artichoke, fresh garlic bread and more. Friends just don’t let friends eat freeze dried meals while kayaking. Don’t forget it.

6. Tells a story. I had to pick 2 shots for this one. The first one is of an amazing woman I met in Nicaragua. She is 103 years old and lives in a home with black plastic siding on 2 sides, crumbling bricks on the other 2 and a dirt floor. She has no running water or electricity. She toilets in the fields behind her home. She cooks the same meal every day over an open fire. Beans. When she held my hand, I could feel a woman stronger than any other I’ve known. Her face is a carving from a lifetime of stories.

The second shot is also from Nicaragua. This little fellow grabbed my attention during the health clinic we were holding in his village. Unlike the elder, his face is smoothe, his eyes bright and full of anticpation. His story is just beginning.

7. Nat Geo shot. I really don’t have any Nat Geo worthy pictures. And I certainly don’t have a Nat Geo worthy camera. But I do really like this picture. My friend Rachael took it with my camera. We went out on a winter hike in Artic Valley and ended up going farther than we had planned. The sun was setting and we were getting cold when we came up on top of one more ridge to this awesome view of the Alaska Range and Anchorage. I had this pic on my desktop at work and a coworker thought it was a soldier in Afganistan with his radio antenae. I laughed. It’s just me and my dog with my trekking poles in my pack.