March 3, 2008 – There is, in fact, beauty in small things, as my photography is teaching me. I got an e-mail last year from a famous photographer who was kind enough to contact me about my photos, and he offered me this advice: “You can take a good picture of anything. It’s not about what the camera sees, it’s about what you see. If you open your eyes to the world, the pictures will take care of themselves. I believe in God,” he wrote me,” and “God is everywhere. That’s how I approach my pictures.”
  It isn’t easy to take a good photo, or to do anything good, really, I suspect. This afternoon I was weary, discouraged by something that happened to someone I care about, and to me, and I grabbed the dogs and the camera and headed out into the woods, just as the sun was setting through the trees. I saw the sun pouring through some brave leaves, still hanging out on the limbs, having survived this tough winter, snow, ice, rain, wind, and about to be done in by other new and young leaves, and there was no question in my mind that I was getting a message. Lenore plumped down by my feet, Izzy turned around to watch on the path, and Rose took off after a squirrel or rabbit.
  The message, I think, was this: open your eyes. Fulfill yourself. Send a signal to the world.

March 3, 2008 – Sunny, nice. The goats have broadened their challenge to Annie’s authority by going after other trees in the back. Goats have a genius for getting into mischief. More chicken wire, I suspect. I am heading out to do some sunset-chasing.