Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

I'm tired.

It's been about 10 days since I returned from my trek through Colorado, and I've scarcely had a moment to think. I've been volunteering all of my weekends at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival for the past six weeks. (No, not as the village idiot. I asked; they said I wasn't smart enough.) That, combined with regular work, has robbed me of nearly all of my time. Only in the last couple of days have I been able to begin the gargantuan -- and, let's face it, dull -- task of reviewing and editing all the photographs from the trip.

But, what a trip it was! In addition to my usual pursuit of landscape and wildlife photos and all that entails (getting up before sunrise, long hikes through the wilderness, long drives, etc.), I also shot my first wedding. I'll write more about my wedding experience next time. For now, I have one photo from the trip to show you.

This picture does a pretty good job of illustrating what I'm going through right now. It's a long, arduous trek to the top of Great Sand Dunes National Park, let me tell you. The wind was whipping, the weather stormy. But, despite the exertion involved, we carried on because it's all worth it in the end. So it is with me. I know that, despite the long hours that I will soon face behind the computer, once the photos from the trip are done, it will be worth it.

I call this one The Climb. Enjoy. I'll be back soon with a teaser from the wedding.

The Climb (large version HERE)