dk photographic

Arizona - part 4...  

On Monday, we squeezed in a little hike....  Um....  Okay...  not so little.  You can't tell from this angle but this baby was pretty good sized.  It has rocky paths leading to the top.  As I looked up, I thought "Oh boy.  What did I get myself into?"  I am an out of shape chick for FLAT Ohio, how am I going to tackle this?  But I did...  one step at a time.  

Cristy and I talked as we huffed & puffed up the mountain.  We talked about her challenges.  We talked about mine.  We talked about how tough things can be and we couldn't help but notice that the mountain we were climbing was a metaphor for the challenges we were facing.

With that in mind, there wasn't a chance I was going to stop.  I vowed to make it to the top and more importantly...  to the other side.  The truth is...  the idea of giving up never occurred to me.  I couldn't give up.  I hat to get to that "better place".  Of course, I had to stop along the way to catch my breath & refresh myself with a little water.  I'd take those moments to look around.  The view was getting better.  I knew if I went ahead, it would be worth it.  I kept on climbing with camera gear in tow and when I got to the top, I was greeted by a spectacular view.

Yup...  It was worth the climb.  I felt refreshed.  I felt recharged.  And I felt very proud of myself for making a tough climb---for facing my challenges head on instead of hiding way or giving up.

Truly this trip was a transformation for me.  I was devastated by my friends' decisions.  But instead of falling into a teary lump & wallowing, I went out of my comfort zone.  I am still amazed at how that change of scenery, honestly changed me.  I'll always be grateful for it and the person that brought me there.

Good stuff....


I spent the rest of Monday shopping for trinkets to bring home to the family.  Cristy had a meeting to go to so I had dinner with her husband, Aaron.  He grilled an amazing meal !

I also spent my last night in Arizona lovin' on the critters.  They posed one last time for Aunty DK then the pups & I curled up in bed for one more snuggle.  We had a little chat about them being good dogs and not doing "Bad Dog Stuff" anymore.  They assured me they'd try really hard to behave.  :)

Tuesday morning, I woke up at my usual crack of dawn and started packing.  I don't think Scooter was too happy about it.  

When I was finally able to get to my suitcase to pack it, I hugged my amazing hosts good-bye and piled in the rental.  One last photo of the desert before I go....

I made it to the airport with only minor traffic challenges to contend with.  I realized I forgot to buy myself a souvenir so I stopped in this shop to grab a t-shirt.  This coyote was 'sleeping' on this chair.  I wasn't supposed to take a picture of it but...  when no one was looking (except the kind clerk who apparently also has a rebellious side ) I snapped this for my kids.  We occasionally see coyotes roaming the fields near our house so I thought the kiddos would enjoy it.

I went through the lovely lines to the metal detectors, scanners, etc...  I was proud of myself.  No liquids.  No unacceptable items.  I had everything ready.  I did my best to avoid the pat down.  Well....  apparently my people-watching made me look shifty because I got pulled from my line to go through the "naked photo line". TSA now has a lovely nude of me.  I hope they make it black and white.  I hope they retouch my flaws and if they sell it to Playboy, I better get a cut!  

Have a great day everyone!  Lots more blogging to come from me.