I frequent the on-line galleries and forums of the Nature Photographers Network, and one of the things I most enjoy is the ability to see images from places I know I may never go. Because time, courage, money, skill, etc. limit what I am able to experience and photograph, I am also grateful for the beauty close around me. I am thankful for the simple views that are easy for me to visit, and that allow me to express the emotions I feel in nature.

Takhlakh Lake is one of those locations. My daughters and I originally camped here in 2005, and it is one of my favorite areas in Washington's Cascade Mountains. I again camped at Takhlakh Lake in the fall of 2011 for two nights. I photographed this composition four separate times, two at sunset and two at sunrise. This was my favorite of the four, taken during at sunrise on the day I left to head to Mt. Rainier.