The Weekly Spark: Original Photography & Reflections

Sometimes the best places to clear your head are the ones tied to good memories. I took this photo at Kathryn Albertson Park in Boise. When my son was young, it was one of our favorite spots to visit—we always just called it "our park".

When I crossed into Colorado on my bike ride across America and snapped a photo in front of the “Welcome to Colorful Colorado” sign, everything changed. For some, that sign is just a spot for a quick picture. For me, it meant something deeper.

Take a moment to look at this photo taken at Eagle Island State Park in Eagle, Idaho. Read the words on the screen.
When you look at this image and the phrase "Put yourself on your to-do list," what is your first impression?

It’s easy to get caught up chasing the next big thing, but real fulfillment is often found right where you are.

​Look at the simple wisdom of this moment. Captured in the peaceful setting of Kathryn Albertson Park in Boise, this image reminds us that the bird is settled, peaceful, and completely present. That's the power of living simply.

This week's photo, taken at Birch Bay State Park, captures the shoreline meeting place of what was (driftwood), what is (the stones and water), and what's next (the horizon). It reminds us that our life’s journey is constantly unfolding, but the deepest fulfillment is rooted in the "now."

This week’s post is a little different.
I wanted to take a moment to focus on something that often gets overlooked, the incredible kindness that exists all across America, if we only slow down enough to notice it.

At Birch Bay in Washington State, there’s a simple path that leads straight from the parking lot to the beach. It’s narrow with just enough room for one person, framed by tall grass and a hint of salt in the air. You can’t see the water until the very end, but you can hear the waves calling ahead.

As Fall settles in and the days grow a little shorter, it’s the perfect time to pause and reflect on what truly drives us. We often chase success, believing that once we achieve a certain goal, land that job, or reach that milestone, happiness will follow. But what if it’s actually the other way around?

I took this photo a few years ago at Eagle Island State Park in Idaho. It was late summer, and wildfires nearby had filled the air with smoke. The haze softened everything, the light, the colors, even the sounds. The sun hung low, mirrored perfectly in the still water, and the trees stood quiet above their reflections.

On my cross-country bike ride in 2017, I came across this piece of forgotten playground equipment in Wyoming. Standing quietly in the grass, unused yet unbroken, it stirred something familiar: a reminder of simpler times.