DL Davidson

writer, photographer

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Sand in my shoes

Well, we may be through with COVID but it is not through with us. I think I made it back from Kenya in the nick of time. Omicron raised its ugly head (or should I say mutated spike protein) resulting in a global travel ban from South Africa and other African countries into the United States, the UK, and Germany. Although Kenya was not one of the African countries in the ban, reverberations through the air travel industry would have surely caused complications in my travel from the continent. How lucky I was to have made it home—jet-laggy as hell— but home before the travel bans.

And now, I’m at my happy place!

My boys and I have the beach pretty much to ourselves. We take long, long walks—I listen to audio books and they chase sea gulls.

I don’t mind the solitude. In fact, I relish it. Puts me in mind of one of my favorite poems, Sea Fever, by John Masefield.

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

Venus is low in the southwestern sky, right after sunset. And it is so bright, it leaves a light trail in the ocean, just like the moon!

And for those that might prefer music, the song of the week is Sand in My Shoes, by Robyn Sherwell:

Robyn Sherwell - Sand In My Shoes (Official Video)
Watch this video on YouTube.

Good light to everyone!

Thanksgiving


This week, families gathered together to celebrate Thanksgiving. It was a particularly celebratory occasion because the pandemic last year kept many families apart. It’s been a tough year, no doubt about it. And all of us were in the mood to celebrate our slow emergence from the COVID tunnel.


I had just gotten back from the Maasai Mara in Kenya a few days before Thanksgiving. The gathering of family and friends this week reminded me that one of the dominant impressions I had in the Mara was the importance of family. I spent hours photographing the Topi pack cubs and the lionesses in charge of the group.

The interactions between the group were amazing–full of love and attention. The lionesses had incredible patience as their cubs rolled over them and tugged on them.

I was particularly struck by the cooperative and attentive behavior of the members of the Topi pride. It was such a contrast to my human tribe, which is fractured and deeply divided.

As much as I enjoyed observing the Topi pride, one moment with a group of chimpanzees and their babies was particularly memorable. A chimpanzee mother was holding her infant close to her chest. I had stopped to photograph her and another chimpanzee came running over to stand next to the mother. I guess when it was obvious that I was not going to be a danger the chimpanzee, who had run protectively to the mother, reached over and touched the infant on the head, as though saying, ‘Yes, this is a beautiful baby.’

There were, of course, other family groups. I was very lucky to photograph a leopard family, Luluka and her cub–Jilime–on a tree branch. It was such a special opportunity, watching them interact.

I was also fortunate to observe a cheetah mother and her three cubs on several occasions. On two separate days, I watched her hunt (unsuccessfully). Watching a cheetah in full run is an incredible experience but both times, her prey was able to escape. I actually started worrying about her because she looked very, very thin and she had a large family to feed. Most of the time, when I observed a predator/prey interaction, my sympathy was generally with the prey. But, in this mother’s case, I was hoping that she would be successful soon at feeding herself and her family.

I loved watching all of the mother-baby interactions in the Mara!

Not all those who wander are lost

“All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost.”

Gandalf in his letter to Froda, Book 1, Chapter 10, “The Riddle of Strider” in The Fellowship of the Ring. J.R.R.Tolkien
Aurora, Emerald Lake, Alberta, Canada

 I arrived safely home from my first international trip since the beginning of the pandemic. It’s been such a long time that I almost felt like a travel newbie again! Add the complications of frequent airline changes and COVID documentation and I felt that I had to stay constantly alert for plan adjustments. As I told a friend, international travel these days is like brain exercises. And that’s a good thing because I need it—pandemic solitude has put me in a stupor most days this past year or two.

Icefields Parkway, Alberta, Canada

The trip started with thunderstorms that I was afraid would create another flight delay but not to worry. We flew through the storm clouds. I was really glad I had my monochrome camera with me. I just kept clicking and clicking and luckily, caught one of the thunderbolts that kept illuminating my plane window. I’ve always said I would rather be lucky than good, it’s more reliable. And this photo was definitely one of luck.

Plane window, Atlanta to Calgary

Banff was staggeringly beautiful, of course. The last time I was in Banff was with my two wonderful kiwi friends, Anne and Roger, so this revisit prompted many fond memories. And on this trip, I was with a small group of very kind, talented photographers whose company was very enjoyable and added to the adventure.

Vermilion Lake, Alberta, Canada

What I did NOT anticipate were the physical problems I had to cope with. As I have also told friends, physicians make the worst patients. I’ve had a moderate iron deficiency anemia for the last two years that will require an in-hospital stay for iron transfusion. I’ve been putting the intervention off because, well, it’s been a pandemic. And it hasn’t really caused me many problems at home (other than possibly being a co-factor in the stupor previously mentioned ? ). 

Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada in the middle of a blizzard

However, it was a big problem at altitude. My resting saturations were less than 92% most of the time which meant that my heart rate was pretty consistently in the 80-100 range. My normals at rest and at home are saturations greater than 95% and a heart rate in the 50s. So, it was a big change and I felt myself huffing and puffing on all our hikes. Grrrrrrrr! Getting old is no fun! Being unfit is no fun! I guess I’ll have to address the anemia issue sooner rather than later. Particularly if I travel again to altitude and cold.

Me on the trail to Peyto Lake. Photo by Albert Loo.

But the unique glacial blue mountain lakes around Banff glimmered in the sun and reflected gorgeous colors at sunrise. Elk and Bighorn sheep frolicked along the roads we traveled. And despite the fact that I was slow and languished behind my travel compatriots, I got to see and enjoy it all.

Elk, on the road to Banff

Peyto Lake is one of the phenomenally impressive glacial lakes right outside Banff. Unfortunately, the road to Peyto Lake has been closed for two years because of construction in the park but we were fortunate to be in Banff when it opened this year. The first day we tried to visit, we had to turn away because of severe weather conditions negatively impacting the access road. No problem! Plan B involved photographing luminous cypress trees alongside the road.

my favorite image of the whole trip!
Trees in snow

But by the next day, conditions had improved and we revisited Peyto Lake. We hiked through a winter wonderland of snow-covered trees to get to the elevated view. And then…there it was!  The ‘wolf head’ that is Peyto Lakes identity. Someone said only children are able to see the wolf head naturally. That the only reason adults see it is because they’ve been told to look for it. Regardless, it was beautiful.

Peyto Lake

And we were so fortunate on our last night to have the opportunity to photograph the aurora over Emerald Lake. Stunning visuals and one of those memories that you file away to be savored in the future, over and over again.

Aurora, Emerald Lake, Alberta, Canada

All in all, a memorable start to, once again, begin my ‘wanderings’. Next stop? Kenya!

Good light and safe travels to all!

A New Adventure Begins!

winter hiking boots

So, it’s been a few weeks since last I posted. I’ve been in a bit of a slump, I’m afraid. September 11 always puts me in a deep, meditative inner soliloquy. I know I’m not alone in that response. For many Americans, it is a sentinel event in our lives. The anniversary and subsequent personal effects generally result in my taking a sharp turn in my life path. The year after 9/11, I climbed Kilimanjaro. A few years later, I ran a marathon. I’ve made major life changes, generally as a consequence of the meditative process that 9/11 precipitates. So, there’s that.

Aurora lit mountain

And I continue to have deep fears about the state of my beloved country. COVID continues its ruthless rampage. The leaders of our country are divided and bitter and seem absolutely unable to manage the country. And maybe it’s me—but my home state seems to always make the national news as a negative example. On a recent Frontline investigative documentary about the medical benefits of cannabis, the Alabama penal system was shown to be a racist and unjust system with huge numbers of individuals incarcerated for lengthy periods for cannabis use. And this at a time when many states have legalized its use. That investigative report was followed a few days later by the governor of our state allocating federal COVID-19 relief funds to build more prisons!

Photoshop User magazine, October 2021

The other slump inducer recently was the Photoshop World Guru awards. Of the three final images in the Wildlife category, two of them were mine! How exciting! But, unfortunately I was not the winner. I’m afraid the lyrical refrain to Meatloaf’s song ran through my head, over and over again.

 'Cause two out of three ain't bad
Now don't be sad
'Cause two out of three ain't bad
You'll never find your gold on a sandy beach
You'll never drill for oil on a city street
I know you're looking for a ruby in a mountain of rocks
But there ain't no Coup de Ville hiding at the bottom
of a Cracker Jack box

But I’m a lucky person, I know that. Whenever I hit the slumps, I rebound pretty quickly. Because I know that I’m blessed, I know that my life is a good one. 

And there is always a light at the end of a dark tunnel. 

Tunnel light

I’m leaving next week for the Canadian Rockies and I know how beautiful it is. And I’m going with good people whose company I will enjoy. I’m about to engage in a new adventure in a land of ice and snow and I KNOW that it will be a wonderful time.

AND (and this is the big news!) I’VE BOUGHT MY DREAM CAMPER VAN! It will be next spring before it is delivered but I pulled the trigger on something that I have been thinking about for several years.

2022 Airstream Atlas
2022 Airstream Atlas

HOORAY! LIFE IS SO GOOD!

Life is a circle!

Dying in the Air

SEVENTH IN A SERIES OF ELEVEN– A person falls from the north tower of New York’s World Trade Center Tuesday Sept. 11, 2001after terrorists crashed two hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center and brought down the twin 110-story towers. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Dying in the Air

Dropping, 

jumping,

diving, 

falling…

bisecting————-

The shaded North Tower,       The sunlit South Tower,
Oh God, save their souls!      Maybe they’re just birds, honey.
They were blown out, forced out.      But no jumpers! No one jumped.
All homicides.      Not a single suicide.

Desperate, 

graceful, 

despair, 

freedom.

We saw you die,      when thousands died private.

Does every death deserve a witness?

Falling through space,      falling through time,
Falling through memory,      falling through history,
Falling into the arms of angels,      falling to God.

What did you see? Blue sky? Rising ground?

Did you close your eyes? Did you watch your life?

Leaping, 

lunging, 

hurtling, 

soaring…

An exclamation point!

Simple physics trajectory,      at terminal acceleration—
150 miles per hour.      Left leg akimbo,
arms by your side,      upside down.
PLIGHT sized up?      Decision,
a torso, an arm,      a head, a heart.

It must have felt like flying,

while you were dying in the air.

Diana Davidson, 2020