I have been silent here on the blog.  My last post was from January, what now seems like years ago.   Travel?   Hanging out with friends?  Walking a new city?  Eating out?  This past 5 or so weeks at home makes that trip feel like a distant memory.

Times sure are different now.  This “Shut In” is something few ever would have imagined! It’s drawn out highs and lows.  It’s exposed some terrible underpinnings of our society.   It’s exposed the delicate balance of our economy and our world.  It’s defined how small the world is and that despite any differences that cultures and races might have, we are one in the eyes of this virus & global pandemic.

I’ve tried to come up with words.  But frankly I don’t have them.  I am finding things out about myself and my family that I did not know or have taken for granted.  I am finding how much my kids, my wife and my friends mean to me.  I will only speak for myself, but it has had made me realize what is important.   I, for one, have taken family, kids, friends, employment, health care and travel for granted.  My thinking on these things has shifted from privilege to gift.   We each have our own view and coping mechanism, truth be told I am still trying to figure mine out at this crazy time. Thankfully I have a hobby and passion that documents my life.

Photography continues both inspire and calm me.  It is a joy in my life and at times like these, I sure love to look back at these incredible memories.   Here are just a few memories since my Seattle trip.   Hope you are safe.  I hope you and your loved ones are healthy.   We’ll get through this and I can’t wait to savor the things I have taken for granted for too long.   Love you all.  Hope you enjoy the pics.  Click on any of the images to go to slideshow mode. 

And with that, here is my final shot.  It is quite possibly one of my favorite shots ever.   It was earlier this year when my wife and I went to see our kids play music at the University of MN.   We had a free, Saturday afternoon and we were in Minneapolis.  We hit up the Walker Art Museum Free First Saturday and had a cocktail at Esker Grove.   While this photo might looked staged, it was not.  We had just walked out of the exhibit past these numbers and I saw this young man walk by me. I told my wife I had to follow him.  I was imagining the shot of him walking by these numbers but instead he sat down for about 15-20 seconds.  I snapped two photos and walked on.   It just makes me smile.  Hope it makes you smile too.  I think the world needs this right now.