Last Full Day In The Desert

Today was one that was tremendously productive but also one that made me wish that there was another twelve hours to get a few more things done. I should have known that it was going to be one of those days when I couldn’t get out of bed despite my alarm going off a dozen times. But, as most days, you have to push through the desire for sleep and get out of bed and begin your day.

I was loaded down pretty heavy as I headed out the door with my computer bag bulging with my camera in the front pocket. While I didn’t take nearly as many pictures throughout the day I still managed to get a few shots of the scenery as the sun began to approach the horizon in the early morning hours.

Just a few steps out my cottage door the sun began to peek above the mountains and offer a glow to the desert greenery all around.

Turning the corner and walking slowly up the path it was absent of the morning bustle that I have become accustom to living so close to a city.

Around the corner I now had my back to the slow illumination and a coolness still enveloped the buildings in front of me and the extinguished lights seemed ready for the day to dominate.

The lobby has been part of my temporary routine from walking up to the front door…

…to saying hello to the front desk as I made my way through and into the dining room at the far end.

For the entire morning on through the early part of the afternoon was a series of transitions from table to table and from meeting to meeting. For hours it was a constant stream of information, perspectives, and experiences that filled my mind both with challenges and possibilities. Nearing a time of information overload I managed to step away for a few fleeting minutes both to address the pressing priority of talking with my wife for the day but also to see if there were a few shots that could be stolen in the middle of the day.

This time around there wasn’t anything that caught my attention and called for my focus so my day continued with a couple more brief meetings and some long overdue daily time in the classroom to try and cram in just a little bit more information into the bloated brain cells which by that time had begun whining for a little mercy. It couldn’t have been a better time as the information was a perfect complement to what I had learned the day before and so did more to organize the gray matter rather than beat it into submission. Time continues to rush past as it had this entire trip and soon I found myself walking back up to the main building looking around for a few last minute shots as the last rays of light began to dim and the lamps reasserted their presence.  

But the light faded too fast to capture much more so a simply turned around in one solitary spot on the asphalt trying to record the images of the landmarks I had passed countless times in a matter of a couple days. Looking up the only life in the dwindling light was the passing of a jet high in the sky…

…and looking back toward the direction of my temporary residence was the representative symbol of all present at this event and why we keep pushing forward. All that we have and are able to experience is because of what flies above us and all that we are able to do is because of those who have defended it. It is a single frame that closed this last full day in a perfect way.