Zion National Park, Utah. Part IV

"The towering trees are my cathedral wherein the shimmering streams of sunlight dance through the branches and leaves with an effect akin to stain glass in motion.  I sit on a pew of  stone or clay or grass and listen to a choir of birds sing with the sound of running water and the soft gentle breeze as it moves through the landscape.  And I hear the sermon of  God in nature."
-Andrew Kliss

 I don't remember writing the above quote quite so eloquently to a friend of mine that went on a Mormon missionary journey to England shortly after we graduated from high school. I wasn't a practicing Christian at the time - if I could have even been counted as a nonpracticing one back then.

In a recent correspondence, Roger sent me that snippet from a  letter I wrote him while he was still in England. Upon reading it now, it has even more meaning, and with it a deeper appreciation of nature today than when I wrote it 40+ years ago.

Why did God create such beauty and majesty? In order to point us in His direction, for who can ignore a majestic, or tranquil, or breathtaking, or heart palpitating view and not wonder who is the Artist behind the creation?

This is the last post for photos I've taken over the past seven years since earnestly going digital in 2006.

There are so many other places that beckon, especially the southwest. When I retire soon, the possibilities and opportunities of visiting and capturing on "film" these wonderful, majestic, iconic, and inspiring venues will certainly afford me avenues with which to fulfill this wanderlust that burns a hole in my heart. Hopefully, finances won't char too deep a burn in my pocket! I've kind of put it aside for now due to shoulder surgery some months back, and the subsequent slow process of recovery afterwards, plus a lot of time has been spent these past months in scanning and archiving family photos.

I was thinking of posting some of these family photos that go waaaaaay back until the present, but I love and respect you all too much to put you through such agony and misery. As I start getting back out into the world of photography, several things are on the subjects plate:

• Getting more involved in street photography, especially with black and white in mind.

• Local wildlife photography. There are many opportunities in and around easy driving distance from where I live in San Marcos, California. Insects, birds, sea animals, to name a few. Not only those, but there are the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Parks (formally known as Wild Animal Park) where photos ops abound for the more exotic species.

• Seascapes. Haven't done much at all in that realm. There's a plethora of camera candy all the way from San Diego to Laguna Beach and beyond.

 If there is a tremendous groundswell of demand for family photos, I will oblige, but seriously, it's rather doubtful such a thing will happen.

I thank God for making creation so beautiful and magnificent! Without His speaking it as such into existence, life would be so dull and drab.

HDR photo of Lower Emerald Pool grotto. The Emerald Pools Trail takes one to Lower, Middle, and Upper Pools. The trail to the lower pool is relatively easy to access. There are some elevation gains and drops, but it is paved with asphalt. The rest of the pool photos are of Lower Emerald.

Shot with a 10.5mm fisheye lens. Quite a different perspective of the same grotto.

The Watchman standing guard over the Virgin River. The sun has just set behind the canyon walls and buttes, casting a blush upon the cheeks of The Watchman.

Thank you all for your kind words and support throughout all of my digital photography endeavors, and for family and friends freely offering their manifest love, support, and friendships.

I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. This is a photo taken of the family in 1990 on a camping trip up at White Rock Lake, north of Lake Tahoe.

Front row: my oldest daughter Sarah and Son Eric.
Second row: daughter Anna, my wife at the time Laurie, and myself holding Daniel, a good friend of mine's son.

Ciao for now!

Sincerely,
-Andrew (Andy) Kliss