Although it’s been quiet here on the blog this week, it’s been an extremely busy and emotional week in the DB&DT household.  Monday morning we lost my grandmother Mema, just a little more than a year after my grandfather, Pappa Vince passed away.  It was also the day after the anniversary of my Aunt Diane’s passing.

The loss of so many loved ones in such a short time has been extremely difficult for our family, but life doesn’t pause for us to grieve.  I had photography client sessions and meetings and the hubs had an overnight work trip out of town that still had to happen.  As we made peace with the loss it made me realize just how fortunate we had been to enjoy some ordinary moments of life the weekend prior.

A walk with my photography group allowed me to see a fearless meadow vole who even let me pet him and meet a beautiful boreal owl who was missing a wing.

Photographing a wedding that afternoon brought a sighting of a young black bear.

That evening the hubs and I enjoyed a walk in this amazing field of wildflowers, a true treat during Alaska’s short summer season.

And I was blessed to capture this sweet shot of the dogs as they romped through the blooms.

I picked a little bouquet to take home as we wandered along the trail laughing at the dogs’ hijinks.

Despite a mile-long list of things to do around the house we drove to the Kenai peninsula the next day to visit some of the hub’s extended family who came up from Arizona to fish.  Along the way we stopped at another filed of wildflowers surrounded by stunning mountains.

And spotted glaciers right from the road.

Down at the river we enjoyed watching the hub’s uncles and cousin fish along the riverbank.  It’s a beloved tradition for them to come here each summer and spend quality time together creating memories.

It warmed my heart to watch them chat and share smiles as they cast their lines.

Then the memories started biting- one after another and they worked as a team to reel them in.

With each catch the smiles grew and I knew these were the moments they will look back on and smile in the years to come, especially when they return home and share the results with other family members as they recount tales from the river.

 

It wasn’t a hugely productive weekend, but it was filled with memories in the making and plenty of time well wasted as one of my favorite country songs describes.  My little bouquet in the window is a lovely reminder of my love for those now gone and the importance of making the most of the time we are given because you never know when it might be your last opportunity to do so.  Time well wasted is a precious gift – one I continue to give freely and I hope you all do the same.