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First:
DSLR
paid photography job
time to really snow-ski
snorkel
catch a shark!
eat lobster (please tell me there is more in the future!)
sleep on a boat on the ocean (I don’t get sea-sick!!!)
see a fall color change ( I still love you TX!)
see a bear/elk/whale/seal/eagle in the wild
fly in a sea plane and prop plane
to fly first class ( I can’t believe people pay that much more for that!)
file taxes!
concussion (wake-boarding)
meet and cook for two governors (TX & Georgia)
time to Florida, Bahamas, Alaska, Las Vegas (ok if that was the first and last!)
own my own gun

2009 seems to be starting off in the same way:
already, “first”:
time to be a hunting guide
gut a deer ( I know I was spoiled, Dad never made me do it growing up)
miss a deer I shot at

and in the plans:
helicopter ride
sky-diving (not from the helicopter!)
buy a car

along with some other things I am hoping and praying for but not counting on.

A beautiful piece of God's creation. Pictures just don't do justice to the sheer size of everything. My pictures certainly don't do justice to the beauty. I wish I could have taken more just to improve my chances of a great shot.

The only thing that was truly disappointing in this trip was that the weather was generally foggy and rainy, with the mountain peaks only visible enough to tempt me with their majesty. It had that feeling of being in a dreamworld.


It made me think of how God has a beautiful piece of art for each  our lives. Beautiful colors that reflect His beauty. But many times He allows the fog to hide it. Only He knows why. We get stuck thinking that all there is is fog. That there is nothing beyond that. That it is a solid wall. A dead end. Or that we must be doing something wrong if we can't see Him at all times.




But there is God, on the other side of that veil, not only knowing all and seeing all but orchestrating all. He knows that right behind that cloud is a beautiful mountain top.
That is a place where we are in the presence of the Savior. That place where we know we are walking in the will of God, heading up the trail He has set us upon. That place where there is no wall of separation between our souls and our God.


It is a wonderful and glorious when He allows to be on those mountain tops. It is so encouraging when He even allows glimpses of those mountain tops through the fog. I think He does that just to lift us from our weary wandering so that we can continue on the trail. Even though the path is not always straight:



To change to a totally different ( and shallower) subject:
Tell you what: there is nothing like fresh seafood, straight from the water to the pot. Crabs until we were stuffed. Shrimp bigger than your hand. Halibut fried in olive oil and butter.Fresh Salmon Berry pie. The bad about being on a boat is that you don't have anywhere to burn it all off though!

 



This one was taken with a borrowed camera!


Travelling around the world has brought many an interesting menu:


A little sunshine on our last day (taken from the hotel room):  

I loved all the wildlife I saw:








As close to the bear as I could get with my 85mm:







The scenery was amazing:























There were so many different colors and textures:







This one is called "Acceptance with Joy." (from Hinds Feet on High Places)









And just for kicks:















And our faithful first mate: Riley