Merry Christmas!

I remember thinking as I sorted through all of my grandfather's old slides that for someone who loved photography, he wasn't often photographed. That's especially true of his slides, which chronicle the life of our family from the 60s through the 80s. Vacations, birthdays, graduations, school events, reunions. Family, distant cousins, neighbors, strangers, wildlife, historical markers, homes and cars. It's not that we don't have photos of him, it's just that compared to the rest of us, he only makes occasional appearances. Some of the ones we do have are from when he'd hand the camera to grandma and she'd do her best to hold the camera level and still while managing to push the button. She did well just to get him in the frame! But he was happiest behind the camera. I'm following in his footsteps, I guess. I'm never too eager to step into the frame. I've been at this blog for almost two years now, and this is the first photo I've posted of myself. So here's Duke and I. Thanks for regularly visiting my little blog, for sharing it with your friends, and for all the kind comments and encouraging emails. If you see us out hiking, I hope you'll stop and say hello. :)

Best wishes to you for a joyous Christmas and a Happy New Year!