Sunshine seems so bright

 

 

This girl is my adopted little sister. We met in the summer of 2010, after I had just graduated from high school and she was at the halfway point. We shared a bunk bed in an alcove for two weeks, holding conversations deep into the night. Our hearts are tugged by identical strands.

She came up to Pennsylvania to work for three weeks. Since I am here for the entire summer, we plotted this photoshoot to occur sometime before her departure. Today we donned bug spray and sunhats to brave the humidity-laced forest. What we found was friendship and beauty.

Christy, you're a gem. As you enter the world of college this fall, know that my best wishes go with you. (Also, will you consider becoming my full-time model? Thanks.)

Sunrise on the ridge

A couple of days ago, my coworker Cristina and I hiked one of the trails belonging to the conference center where we are working for the summer. At 5 AM, it was so dark that neither of us could see very well, and our skin was raised in the lingering chill of the night.  Although short, the trail was steep, so by the time we reached the ridge at the top we were breathing hard, creating wispy clouds of mist that we could now see in the pale morning light.

We sat on a log and watched the sun rise over the wild blueberry bushes. The insects had not yet begun their vigil for human blood, so we were undisturbed in the wild.  It was a moment of peace and beauty that I wish I could experience every day.