The Walk I Didn’t Know I Needed

with Poppy, Heidi, and a little bit of stillness—and joy

I didn’t go out chasing a photo. I just needed a walk.

Me, Heidi, and Poppy, no agenda, no pressure. Just air. Just space. Just movement. I brought my camera because it’s second nature now, but I wasn’t even thinking about using it. I just needed quiet. I needed to breathe. And man… I didn’t realize how badly I needed that until I felt it.

That walk gave me some of the best photos I’ve ever taken.

One of them, Poppy, calm, soft-eyed, watching the world from behind a wooden frame. That photo isn’t just a portrait. It’s a mirror of that moment. A reminder that peace exists when you slow down enough to find it.

And then there’s the other side.
The splash. The joy. The life.

Poppy again, but this time in full motion, water flying, ears flared, and that look of total focus and freedom only a dog can wear. That’s joy. That’s presence. That’s nature reminding us we’re allowed to feel light, too.

I told Heidi afterI need more of this.
More walks. More nature. More of the kind of silence that fills instead of empties.
Photography has always been my therapy. But days like this?
They’re the reset. They bring me back to myself. They remind me I’m still here. Still human. Still able to feel.

And sometimes, they give me images like these—moments that don’t just look good…
They mean something.