A LATE SUMMER PICNIC

This session was taken last month in the Columbia River Gorge, before the fires. We were gifted the most magical evening as this family said their goodbye’s to the place they have called home for a long time. The sun was warm and the air calm….we saw elk, birds, little critters and we could all feel the magic that happens when you truly allow yourself to settle into the spirit of a place. The beauty could be felt in all directions. And then, the most incredible rainbow appeared… a dream could not have been more special. As I made my way through this gallery - looking at the smoke and haze outside my window, I was flooded with emotions. Here are some words from this beautiful mama. “I continue to sit in prayer for Oregon, California and Washington. I continue to hold a wave of hope in my heart. I continue to allow grief to move through me. Sending love to all of our friends, human and other-than-human, who are suffering, afraid, evacuated or burned. I hold a candle of fire-in-balance in my heart for the unfathomable power of Nature to regenerate, while taking in the truth that there is a huge expanse of Route 22, one of my favorite drives on earth, which will never look the same in my lifetime. A road which I will drive with my child in years to come, trying to explain to him how it looked when he was a wee one. Sitting back with some Van Morrison and looking at these images full screen got me WEEPING and smiling by turn (or at the same time!) It’s just gem after gem and not only captures our energy as a family, but the emotional truth of this challenging but hopeful time in our lives~ missing Oregon so hard, and praying for my beautiful home of so many years.”