Gratitude

Some things I am grateful for (in no particular order):

1. Books; real paper books, not the electronic things that are some popular of late. There is nothing like breaking open an old friend and losing yourself in the familiar words.

2. A job. Yes, I do not like mine much (especially after a week like this last one), but I have one and for that I am very grateful.

3. Wild places, especially those I go to when I need to rejuvenate; places like Arches, Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone National Parks, as well as the wild lands that are all around us.

4. My camera. It's my main creative outlet and I very much enjoy taking photos.

5. Music. I don't listen to music as much as I used to, but it is still very important to me. The radio is always on in the car. It might make work easier to deal with, but I'm not allowed to have it playing in the background.

6. Seasons. Autumn tends to be my favourite because of the colours on the trees. I especially enjoy those warm autumn days followed by crisp nights. Besides, it's the time I always go to Arches. Still, I am glad for the change as the year progresses.

7. My wife and my kids. Life would be so much poorer without them.

8. Sleep. Nothing quite like it after a long, hard day.

9. A sense of wonder. I have know too many people who have become so jaded that they cannot feel wonder at the world around them. I can be jaded with the best of them, but the sight of a bird circling in the thermals can still make me stop and stare.

10. My parents. The most wonderful people I know.

11. Imagination. Close kin to a sense of wonder and something I have let lie dormant for way too long.

12. Weekends. Need I say more?

That will do for now, I think. Let the weekend begin!