Merry Christmas from Route 66

This was from two years ago. The picture remains one of my all-time favorites. The difference between a common life and an extraordinary one is the space of stepping out of your comfort zone. Dreams stay dreams until there is action. And the funny thing is, it doesn’t take big action. Daily constant small steps will get you farther than anything.

Reality is My health won't let me do big things anymore. But I can do somethings. I wrote after taking this photo... “The morning light came slow and lazy with temperatures that just let the snow stick. The gray sky and slick ground made staying by the fireplace and drinking coffee and reading a book seem like heaven unless of course, you are a landscape photographer.

Phyllis Witt Nickum allowed me the honor of photographing Cowgirls and Cowboys in the Southwest which is one of the finest places in the Panhandle of Texas. I love the white on white of the day but it makes for tricky photography. Exposure becomes more of an art, especially with stiff hands.

Knowing and doing are two different things. I know well the settings I need. Rotating that little knob actually hurts. I hate how the cold makes every broken bone ache, I hate how the cold wind stings my fingers and nose. But I love the photographs I get with snow. I don't know of any significant accomplishment in life that isn't accomplished without getting uncomfortable. This photo may not be a prize winner but it makes me smile and I am so glad I didn't stay by the fire and got out and saw what life was doing.

Life begins to get interesting and rich just outside your comfort zone...”