Athabasca Falls Stairway Between Rocks

.

Athabasca Falls Staircase.  Jasper, AB   Canada

Stairway

Bear with me please, as I digress a bit, before explaining my choice for today’s ‘Word of the Day’ blog.

When I first met my husband, what drew me to him in part was the fact that he had a personal interest in photography.  Right then and there, to me, it said that there was more to him than meets the eye…a depth, perhaps, that I was indeed looking for in a mate.  Shortly into our relationship, he was kind enough to share a link to his Flick’r account, wherein my suspicions were confirmed.  I loved his work and his talent for seeing something that maybe the rest of us couldn’t see–well, not me anyway.  Needless to say, I was intrigued and I was in awe of his ability to capture things in a whole new light, as many of you do.  I am a writer, or shall I say that I love to write, I am NOT a photographer, although I am very much interested in it (thanks to him) and with his guidance, I have even attempted a few of my own pictures while learning about the rule of thirds, the importance of light, the texture needed in the foreground, etc.

Clearly landscape photography is my husband’s forte and one of the things that drew him to relocate from Manitoba to here in Alberta, was in fact the Rocky Mountains, where the above picture is based.  In fact, our infamous mountain range is a draw for many, who travel from afar just to take in a glimpse of its majestic qualities.  It really is worth the trip, if you have not been.  My husband, Darren, had visited here with a friend a few years back, and was so inspired by the surroundings that he decided to pick up from his comfortable, predictable life and begin a new adventure–another quality that I admired in him, as I wasn’t so sure that I could do the same if faced with the proposition of doing so.  Since relocating seven years ago, he has visited the mountains countless times on his own, and with others, as part of various photography retreats.  Each year, we make it a point to do a summer trip to our favourite Hot Springs and mountainside campground Redstreak Campground, Radium Hot Springs, B.C, which we would highly recommend for those who enjoy all things in nature.  A lovely place where the smell of fresh pine, the serene chirps of birds, the scurrying feet of squirrels and of course, the sights of rocks millions of years old are, without a doubt, spellbinding.

One of the prints that immediately spoke to me from my husband’s site, was the shot that he had taken of Athabasca Falls in Jasper.  The picture seemed destined for ‘us’ as it reflected the new journey that he and I were on together, as our relationship ensued; our mounting affection for each other, and while cliché, I couldn’t help but think of it as a representation of ‘Our Stairway to Heaven’ together.  Because it was symbolic in so many ways, I quickly picked out a wood-inspired frame to pick up on the beautiful colours and placed it carefully on one of my walls which I passed by regularly, knowing full well that it would garnish attention from not only myself, but others who saw it.  And sure enough, shortly thereafter, my mom came over for a visit and paused thoughtfully in the hall, as she stared at the obviously captivating picture.  Upon seeing it and without hesitation, she commented, “What is that?  The Stairway to Heaven.”  I smiled inside and out.  While she didn’t realize it at the time, she had reiterated exactly what drew me to the picture to start with and it was further confirmation that it, he belonged in my world.

A year later, he took me to the exact place where he had photographed the rock-inspired stairway.  I walked it.  I felt it.  I took a deep breath.  I stayed in the moment.  I observed the inviting outlet of the Falls.  It was like a dream realized and most importantly, he, the love of my life, was there with me to experience it all over again, in a new and exciting way.  While many others were around us exploring the Falls that day, it did not take away from how surreal it all seemed and seems to this day, still.  The picture.  His decision to move.  Our journey together moving forward and upward in time, as depicted in, ‘OUR (VERY OWN) STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN’.

My hope would be that the ‘Falls’ staircase might inspire you, the way it did me, to have the courage to move onward and upward in your life, as we all look to embark on our own paths; sometimes crossing each other’s, sometimes not.  In this instance, I would like to thank you for allowing my path to intersect yours in this small moment in time.

 

 

 

Advertisement