Merced River, Yosemite National Park.

trail to Court of Patriarchs, Zion National Park

Judah, Tahoe National Forest

When I feel too phsically and mentally exhausted from the usual demands of parenting and family life, I transport myself to that sweet sunny afternoon at Utah’s Zion NP. Suddenly all my concerns seem so trivial and distant.

Perched on top of a rock I chose to rest my throbbing feet, it was serene all around me. So quiet I swear I could hear my own heart beat.

Angel’s Landing, 2 1/2 miles to the summit, elevation gain of almost 1500 feet most of which you pick up at the last 1/2 mile to the peak. Fairly easy, right? The bigger challenge for me was to do it when I was 7 months pregnant. My son Thor did cartwheels in my belly when we reached the top. I think he approved of the view.

With this second pregnancy, I plan to do something similar. Crossing my fingers E’s hectic work schedule permits us to take a trip in spring  

A welcome break gave me the chance to finally catch up and retool. With that, I revisited these shots I took at Utah for a CS4 mini-workshop. I hope you all are having a great week!

While reviewing the shots I took this year for my 2010 calendars, I stumbled upon these images I took at Utah back in May. Usually, it is sunny, dry and warm that time of the year. What was expected to be bright and blue turned out to be brooding and grey. No matter, I’m already used to getting curve balls – after all, it won’t be a true Soderberg sojourn if there weren’t surprises . So how do you hit a curve ball? You wait … long enough to see that curve

Surprises can be beautiful. I hope you’re having a lovely Tuesday!

“Days may be cloudy or sunny … I’m with you always, I’m with you rain or shine”
I hope you all had a great weekend!

.. can’t get enough of these … I hope you all are having a good Tuesday!

I almost passed up on Bryce when I was planning our last travel before I had to give birth to our son Lukas (back in 2007). I was told it was ‘overrated’,,, ‘the trails are not as challenging as those of other nearby National Parks’, ‘It draws a lot of tourists’ and is arguably ‘one of the most photographed area in Utah’. I wondered, ‘who cares?’. Why does beauty have to equate to difficult to get to? Why do I need to be the only person (or one of the ‘lucky few’) there taking in the scenery for it to be a meaningful experience?

The way I see it, nature IS generous that way. Without much effort, there are places that one can get to and enjoy. There are many incredible destinations that doesn’t involve a brutal journey. At 7 months pregnant, I found this quite appealing.