Again and again, I tell myself:  Finding joy, learning to live without complaint — both goals require perspective.  I sit in an unfamiliar chair.  I look at my surroundings from an unusual angle.  From time to time, I fly halfway across the country to gain an understanding of the timelessness of this world and our responsibility to care for it.

Here, I share a glimpse of two days spent in Saguaro National Park.   On the day that we drove the loop through the East side, clouds hung low in the sky.  Occasional showers appeared on the distant ranges.  On the day that we drove the loop through the West side, barely a wispy film of white marred the wide blue expanse above us.

I shoot on auto-focus because the unique combination of my spastic hands and fading eyesight does not allow much else.  I adjusted some of these for light, color, or clarity but only with the rudimentary features of the Windows photo editor.  I did not add color or alter the landscape. 

Standing in the Park, gazing over these saguaros, I truly felt connected with life.  And yet, I also came away with a sense of humility.  Before we toured Saguaro West, we watched a short film which talked about the meaning of the saguaro to the Native Americans of that area.  This film contributed to my understanding of the vastness of nature.  I haven’t captured that feeling as well as I wanted, but perhaps some glimmer of what I experienced will find its way to your heart as you scan through this gallery. 

This is my first attempt to insert a basic slide-show Gallery using a plug-in. It should automatically scroll through the panoply.  To see in larger format, click on the first image that you see and then click through the series of 37 images.  Enjoy.

I dedicate today’s entry to my sister, Joyce Elizabeth Corley, on the sixty-ninth anniversary of her most fortunate entry into the world.  Happy Birthday, J-Bear.  I love you.

It’s the sixteenth day of the sixty-fourth month of My Year Without Complaining.  Life continues.