Change comes to all of us. It is inevitable. Although, usually change does not come to all of us all at once. But that is what happened about five years ago when a global pandemic altered everything for everyone in a matter of weeks. For me, a big change was losing my job when everything shut down. That change, that loss, directly led me to immerse myself in nature photography and, in the end, back to writing. A journey I never expected in April of 2020 when I was laid off—how could I see that inevitably, through my lens, I would find my pen?

This story begins on the banks of the Connecticut River, along a stretch that, to my eye, forms the profile of a face on the map. It was on the river's edge that my photographic journey truly began. Capturing reflections taught me about light, weather, and composition, pushing me to experiment and learn from both successes and failures. But more than anything, it gave me experiences that remain with me—the elation of capturing the river's beauty at dawn, the cold air, the shifting light.

Manittóo: Finding the Sacred in the Ordinary

In my latest blog post, I explore the profound connection between place and spirit, delving into the concept of manitou, the Algonquin lifeforce that permeates all of nature. It's a journey into the heart of how specific landscapes can resonate with us on a deeply personal level, offering solace and a sense of belonging that can be transcendent.

The Bardwells, Enoch, Sr., and his son, Enoch, Jr., could have scarcely imagined that their land, located in, Shelburne, would end up, centuries later, subject to the protections of tax laws that parallel Colonial practices in the region.  Nor could I have imagined, when traipsing the corn fields of Massachusetts’ South Shore over thirty years ago potsherding (pot-sherding), that is hunting for indigenous peoples’ relics in freshly plowed corn fields with my friend Darrell, that I would again find myself scouring farmland—Foxbard Farm, Bardwell Farm and others—for something not lost, but not yet found.

Over 20 years ago, I gave up my pursuit of creative writing to pursue a career.  I had no idea that a Sony mirrorless camera and a Zeiss 16-35 lens bought for a trip, would not only become the seeds of an obsession that infects me to this day, would culminate in a return to expressive writing.