this is my happy place.

and it seems, at this time, all throughout the world, people are longing for our happy places.

“never to be taken for granted again!” we claim. but will we really never take these happy places for granted again? will we not take our friends and family for granted again? it’s human nature, i believe, to lose track of how significant these special people, places or things truly are to us. how many of us have a newfound or newly remembered reverence and respect for the grocery clerks, medical professionals, truck drivers and all those still working in large part, for us?

i’ve learned, in my struggle to obtain some level of sobriety, that gratitude is one of my first defenses against resentment and self-pity. i’ve created a long list of things i’m grateful for, and bears ears national monument is certainly on that list. as is photography. nature in general, is on that list. and throughout this difficult time, i’ve added more things to that list. and I’ve recalled that list on a number of occasions in the last couple of months to remind myself that there are far more things, and items of greater importance, on this gratitude list, than there are on any list of reasons i’m feeling sorry for myself.

the city of denver remains in a shelter-in-place order to begin the month. as promised, i will be donating the profits of any non-editioned prints to direct relief. but this print also signifies my happy place - bears ears national monument. the native american communities are struggling mightily with this virus. so half of the profits of this print will go to direct relief, and the other half will go to the bears ears coalition to help those in the area in dealing with this deadly virus. this will be the case through the month of may, and longer if the shelter-in-place order extends further.

i hope this writing and image finds you well. and i hope you take some time to remember your happy place(s) when you’re feeling down.

as is the case with the prints of the month, the presentation options may or may not be limited, and they are for this piece. this piece is being offered as a 31x22 mounted giclee pigment print on hahnemuhle baryta paper.