The enchanting stuff is out there, that's for sure. Whether it's through our words, our photos, our creativity or any form of connection, we have a certain responsibility to enchantment. We should share it however possible because we can all use a lift now and then. The world needs more encouragement, more enchantment.
Tahoe Pines Sunrise, Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a gift to the spirit. It's easy to find inspiration here. You could be blindfolded, turned around a dozen times, released, and discover something wildly breathtaking in any direction. And sometimes the beauty finds you.
Early March "Pineapple Express" creates a pond under the Wa She Shu chairlift.
These are among my favorite photos and insights of 2023, images and ideas that lifted my spirits and enchanted me throughout the year. I hope some of the magic rubs off on you as we move into 2024.
Pier Pleasure, Tahoe City
Feed Your Journal, Feed Your Soul
In his book, The Way To Write Short Stories, Michael Baldwin talks about the need to document our thoughts and ideas any way possible.
"Anyone finding themselves swimming naked a mile offshore when the words come should scratch them immediately on a companion's back or bite them into the dorsal fin of a great white shark... nothing ever lasts in the head."
A great white (and gold) shark slithered through Olympic Valley on December 16th during Tahoe Live.
I believe Baldwin's advice applies to more than just writing short stories.
World Cup 2023 / Palisades Tahoe
Good ideas come and go like a P-51 mustang rushing through our minds. If we want to harness our ideas and remember more than the roar of the engine, then we should write our thoughts down and snap photos as soon as possible. This mustang is on the move and it's looking for someone to hop in. Why not you?
Statue of Brig. Gen. "Bud" Anderson and his P-51D Mustang “Old Crow”
The habit of documenting your insights and observations gives you possession of your own thoughts and ideas. It gives you clarity. It feeds your soul. And it puts you in a much better position to be generous with your art and your work. As the Chinese proverb goes, "The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory."
Don't just do something, sit there!
There's a time and place for the grind, for burning the midnight oil, the hustle. And there's a time and place for being idle, for reflection. Not to be confused with laziness, but that place of calm where your ideas can flow without noise or distractions.
I find these quiet moments early in the morning down by the Lake and among the Juniper trees in the mountains surrounding Olympic Valley. There's no Wi-Fi connection. Instead, I'm forced, joyfully, to connect with nature and let my mind wander. It's where I find my calm and where inspiration finds me.
There's nothing like being absorbed by the magic and mystery of Lake Tahoe.
While I may never be found a mile offshore biting words into the dorsal fins of great white sharks, it's likely I can be found somewhere with Nicola, snapping a photo, reading a book, or writing in my Journal.
Nicola earlier this year during epic Tahoe powder days.
It's fitting that as 2023 came to a close the most unique and rare meteorological phenomenon paid us a visit in Olympic Valley. It was like a Cosmic Chalice springing from the mountain outside our home. Nicola and I experienced nature at her very best, conjuring up all sorts of spiritual and devotional ideas - and we saw it all from our balcony! The photos we took (including the two below) went viral, spreading across the country, even internationally, after being featured on ABC10 and USAToday.
Do we love nature?
Yes, of course we do.
Do we believe nature loves us in return?
Yes, we do. And we're grateful.
Where is the allure? The magic?
The allure is all around us. It's in the sky, it's in the mountains, it's on the Lake, it's in the trees.
The magic is everywhere. It's in boats, and jets, and planes, and anything else that moves us, not just once in a blue moon, but on any given day.
Super Blue Moon Over Lake Tahoe / Aug 30, 2023
Two Valuable Life Lessons Learned in 2023
When we reconnect with nature we reconnect with ourself.
Nature communicates with us just as much as we communicate with her.
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I’m Michael Kennedy, Olympic Valley, CA resident, married to Nicola Kennedy (in photo above). I’m a premium ghostwriter and photographer. I just want to say thanks for your attention - I appreciate it in such a noisy world. If you enjoyed it, please share with others.
It means a lot to me and it helps others see the story.
If you're interested in owning any photos in this post, or in my gallery: click here, call or text me at 530.608.9150. Let me know what size you want, and I'll send a quote. My email: michael.kennedy999@gmail.com.