The winter draws to a close, the rains begin to fall, and the haze begins to rise promising a lush spring blossom to come. The skies overhead fill with hazy clouds, the mists on the mountains lingers a bit longer as the temperatures rise. The mountains, they beckon you, teasing you with the thrum of life, sharing glimpses of the world to come. Once grey and dead looking branches beginning to form red tips, urging you to have patience, the smokies shall bloom again, just as the sun shall rise on the morning, and the clouds hang low over the misty mountains.

Winter, for me at least, draws to a close at last. The squirrels play, the hummingbirds return. The icy cold grasp of old man winter recedes for another year. Not yet gone, but its hold less dreadful. While the mountains may ask for patience, this winter has drained me of much of mine. Regardless, I am excited to see the trees blossom, the leaves rustle in the wind, and my grand vistas returned for another season.

This image is a reminder to me, and as a result a lesson for those who are interested in learning. This composition is not one I had interest in at first, this isn’t even a secondary pick, this is the result of being on the scene and looking away from my grand visions long enough to realize, there was more to be had. I focused most of my attention on the scene I came for, but in the end, it was dull, it lacked a visual interest, the light simply wasn’t kicking off. Without even realizing it, this little experimental shot salvaged my first outing in months. The lesson is simple, focus on the image you want, but don’t focus so much on that one thing that you cannot see what else is all around you, and even more so, don’t turn down a gift when it’s right there for you.

Until Next Time!

Smokey Mountain Patience

Skoll’s Journey

Warrior Falls