{Row Your Boat ... Life is but a Dream}

Do you ever do something, and then afterwards, you

notice you can breath a little easier? It was so clearly

the right thing -- what you needed at that moment --

and it leaves you feeling an instant sense of peace?

That was my experience after snapping these photos

at Tempe Town Lake on Saturday morning. I arrived

at 6:50am, about twenty minutes before the family

I was there to photograph. The light was gorgeous,

the water serene.

There was a lot of activity around the area, but it was

all being done quietly and with a kind of calm intention.

People were walking, running, fishing, doing yoga, or

setting off for a small kayaking competition. Just doing

their thing, content to enjoy Mother Nature's gifts of

sunrise and reprieve from the heat.

It gave me a chance to play with my camera for a minutes, and it felt amazing to snap a

few that were just for me -- just for fun. I didn't realize how long it had been since I

casually stumbled on something beautiful and attempted to capture it with my lens.

Way too long. Those few minutes were among the happiest of my entire weekend.

And it was actually a fantastic weekend, but those moments felt energizing, calming,

and satisfying in a way that went unmatched over the next 48 hours.

It was a reminder for me that I need to take time to observe nature, practice my hobby

and get out and enjoy my community. Those are things that leave me feeling a sense of

balance and connectedness that I don't get during the hustle and bustle of every day.

And I need to do those things -- not just within the context of work -- but for myself,

on my own.