I count my blessings every day. Blessings like my health, the stability in my life, my loved ones, my friends, my work. I try not to take life for granted. I’m observant of the world about me and cognizant of the God who gave me life, and the capacity to enjoy the plants and animals, forests and seas, and mountains and deserts that make this world such a beautiful place. I’m reserved by nature, ruled by emotion, and moved by simple things. I love the laughter of small children, the way a flower bends to sunlight, the pounding of surf on the shore, the flutter of a hummingbird hovering just over my head. Few things give me a greater sense of awe than the splash of stars across the sky; I love to lie on my back on a pitch black night and gaze into eternity.

My annual trip to Moosehead Lake in Maine with my dog, Yoshi, is a week-long commune with nature in all her splendor. Canoeing Spencer Pond, hiking Little Spencer Mountain and the Appalachian Trail, walking along the shores of Moosehead Lake and Mount Kineo, taking photos left and right – digital memories to last a lifetime – walking around Greenville, and my sentimental walks in Bath and Brunswick all bring me great pleasure. I smile at the world that surrounds me, and may occasionally shed a tear, a tear of joy in my life.