A Night in Joshua Tree

I love the way my camera has enabled me to be an observer. Nikon in hand, I watch how other people see the world, when they find themselves in awe, what excites them, and the things they find beautiful. If I’m lucky, I click the shutter at just the right moment.

A few days ago, Grace, Luke, Christian, and I raced up to Keys View in Joshua Tree National Park to see the sunset. With a rainbow of colors on the horizon in back of us, and a fading sun in front, I watched as Grace simply stood and took it all in.

And in that brief, quiet moment, I took this picture.

Also, if you don’t already have one, get yourself a friend like Grace Dahlman. Someone who greets you with a hug each time she sees you, makes you laugh and giggle and chuckle and snort, pushes you to do things you’ve never done before (while still making sure you’re okay with sleeping on the ground in the desert), and knows that you don’t have to talk every single day to be the best of friends.