Zoo time, hiking and the simple things in life...

Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.
Confucius

The first couple of pictures are from our hiking yesterday near Oregon, Illinois. When I started this blog, I did it because I thought I was a pretty good photographer. I have learned so very much since then! Some people learn by going to school, others by reading texts, others still by listening to others who have tried other ways of learning only to pass it on to someone else because it did not work for them. Thankfully, I have done a little bit of all of them in my quest for knowledge of photography except the schooling, which, as I said in a previous post will be coming soon.

Like I said in a previous post, probably the most important aspect of photography, for me anyway, is just getting out there and taking pictures. Getting out and having fun with my camera. Will every picture be a great one, of course not, if they were all great, I would have a million followers on this blog. The pictures I am posting today, were taken either today or yesterday while hiking yesterday or at Brookfield Zoo in the western suburbs of Chicago today.

Now, the best part of going to Brookfield Zoo, other than the obvious of spending quality time with my daughter, is the sites of all of the animals, even those which you can see at home, like the bird at the feeder, and this next couple of the squirrel...

Watching this little squirrel, it reminded me of how really nice it would be if everyone could just remember how truly short life is, and how, it is the simple things in life that are really important. Obviously I don't always remember it myself, but, looking at my daughter, watching her watch the squirrel, and then looking back at me, smiling and looking back at the squirrel after she realizes I am still watching it, and then looking over to see her smiling...it means the world. It means the world to me, because she gets it, and days like these past two days don't come around often enough! The first couple of pictures are from our hiking yesterday near Oregon, Illinois.