Home Is Where The Heart Is

I know my title is a warn out bromide but I have found there is so much truth in these old, hackneyed sayings. I have just returned from five months on the road with my best friend, Koty Bear. We drove our motorhome Clementine and pulled along our little Shadow as I photographed the Pacific Coast from Cape Disappointment to Morro Bay.

It was a fantastic trip. We made many new friends and beheld many of Mother Nature's splendors, splendor of a sort one does not experience in Montana. The ocean is such a powerful and awe inspiring beast particularly in winter when storms have roused Her from a deep sleep and Her mood is clearly dark. It is truly breathtaking and a privilege to try and capture.

But, as great a time as we had, being back at the ranch is, well, being home. From the moment we crossed the border in Idaho, between Bonner’s Ferry and Libby I could feel a change come over me. It’s rather hard to explain. The feeling was like releasing a deep sigh of contentment.

The photograph above I named “Montana in My Dreams”. I called it that because it depicts the essence of why I call Montana my home. As a child growing up on a ranch in California (in case you missed it you may wish to read My California) I dreamed of one day living in Montana. Living here is quite literally a dream come true. Why the mountains call to me I cannot say. The mountains in the background are the Canadian Rockies, some of the most majestic mountains in the world. This was a particularly good year in terms of snow so they are at their very best.

I see this view every time I leave my place. The first time I left the ranch, after returning from the trip, I wept for the heartbreaking beauty of it. And, with those tears and that tightness in my chest I knew I was home again living my dream.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

Keep Me Close

This photograph I call "Keep Me Close". It was taken in Jasper National Park, Alberta Canada.

When I spied this mother and child, high up on a cliff, they brought tears to my eyes. The sight of them flooded me with memories of my own mother who I lost five and a half years ago to Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's is a nasty business. Watching someone you love just fade away right before your eyes is heart wrenching to say the least. I cared for my mother for seven long years and I have tremendous empathy for those who are doing the same.

For those of you who are fortunate enough to still have your mother cherish every moment. After all this time I still have my "Mama Moments" when I am overwhelmed by her loss. I used to say to her "You are my mother and I shall know no other." And how true those words were. I wish she could know how much I miss her. I think she would want to know that.

I still talk to my mother. Especially when I am out in the mountains searching for subjects to photograph. I speak often to both my mothers. Mama, my earth mother, and Mother Nature my spiritual mother. I feel so close to them when I am in the wild. I always ask of them "Keep Me Close".

© Kinsey Barnard