Idaho Falls: Coffee, stroll & art you can sit on

Idaho Falls: Coffee, stroll & art you can sit on

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Left Yellowstone at sunset, sacrificing any scenery to darkness along the 110 mile drive . The first thing you see as you get near city range, glowing  a bit too bright in the distance, is the Mormon Temple. No dark sky preservation here.  It was a bit of a shock to my system to be entering a more congested area (1.6 M pop) after the bliss of the natural parks, historic towns and small resort villages.

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If you dream it, live it.

If you dream it, live it.

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Senior year of high school, we got to design our own yearbook page. On mine, my motto was “If you dream it, live it.” An audacious declaration for an 18-year-old, eh?

highschool-yearbook-pic

And now, too many decades later, I’m finally walking my talk. Sure, I’ve had a more adventurous, traveled, ( and privileged) life than many, but have I lived as boldly and true to my nature as that youthful proclamation? No, not even close. It’s taken me this long to stare mortality in the eye and defiantly extend my middle finger, flipping off self-imposed  barriers, which have always loomed far larger than those external, practical ones.

I have no idea who A. Kern is, but I like the way she thinks. Found the quote on the wall of an old ski touring hut while hiking the Pioneer Range near Sun Valley.

Why, is it that the best life for us to live is so often the hardest for us to actualize? What’s really keeping you from living the life of your dreams?  Let’s give each other the inspiration and the courage to face our internal obstacles and live the dream.

Lake McDonald, West entrance Glacier National Park teaser

Lake McDonald, West entrance Glacier National Park teaser

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You know it’s off-season at Glacier National Park when there’s no one manning the front gate. Drive in just 10 miles and stop by the Lake McDonald Lodge and take in lake. Inhale the last vestiges of the damp, crisp, leave-scented air and enjoy the solitude. It’s clear, we’re on the cusp of winter. It would be great to cuddle up by the fire at the lodge with a hot toddy and your hottie, watching as the rain skips and scatters across the lake. But you can’t because it closes at the end of September. (Rats, or ravens for that mater – saw the one below the size of a duck.)

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I’ve seen lots of GNP pictures, but had no idea there was a lake of this size here, or that were so many lakes here  – 765 to be exact. Lake McDonald pictured at the top of the page is the largest lake in the park, covering an area of ~10 miles.

Believe it or not: all pics are from my Samsung Galaxy S6 Android

Believe it or not: all pics are from my Samsung Galaxy S6 Android

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(The picture above is not a petroglyph or an alien, it’s my creepy shadow taking a pic with my Samsung.)

Many people have been asking and are surprised to learn that I take all my pics & videos on my Samsung  Galaxy S6 Android. No, not the one that blows up, but the one that shoots pictures, you’ll want to blow up. I’m not a photographer and have never taken any classes. I love photography, but thought it would be too technical a skill for me to learn. (I’m better at just doing vs following instructions.) With my camera phone,  I get to shoot awesome pictures without carrying heavy camera gear. I love it because it makes a total amateur like me look pretty darn good. I also take advantage of the google photo editing tools and confess to having an affinity for the “pop” button. Is that cheating? Probably by classic photography standards it is, but don’t they have all kinds of magical lenses and tricks up their sleeves too?

So, what kind of camera do you use? And do you think it’s cheating to “pop” the pics?