Abundant and fertile, my hometown of Oakdale, California is a small town gem rooted in timeless traditions and close social connections. When the rest of the world speeds up and becomes overwhelmingly chaotic, Oakdale, remains constant in its rhythm of peace and natural flow, nurturing its residents and breathing life into both the wild and free and every man, woman and child. Home to dozens of species of flora and fauna, livestock, rolling hills of lush farmland and the nurturing waters of the Stanislaus River, Oakdale is the gateway to some of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world, including the most beloved National Park - Yosemite. Its history is expansive and its beauty is endless. Every time I capture a photo from my hometown, I am thankful this is the place that raised me. It is my hope that I honor this wondrous land and convey its true essence every time I snap a photo.

Not far from my own backyard, Yosemite attracts millions of travelers every year. Seekers of adventure, nature lovers and photographers alike, know the iconic, glacier-carved, Mountains of Yosemite. The breathtaking sights are amongst some of the most recognizable natural formations in the world.

Formed more than 100 million years ago and standing at heights of 3500 feet above the valley floor, the granite formations show an ancient past still alive and thriving in modern times. The sense of timelessness is awe inspiring. The valley floor measures approximately 7 miles in overall length and was once a watery filled basin, known as Ancient Lake Yosemite. Slowly, over the millions of years, the waters receded, leaving sedimentation behind to create the flatten foundation of the valley floor we see today.

Situated at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, are the Golden Sierra Foothills. golden not only for the color of the grasses in summer and fall, but also for being the home of the California Gold Rush.

To gaze upon the flora of our magnificent planet is one of my greatest pleasures, not to mention they are also one of my favorite photo subjects. I am always in awe of the creational force that flows through all things, but flowers in particular, with their array of colors, textures and pleasing fragrance are a small but powerful reminder, God, is here, all the time. We need only to walk in nature or sit within a garden to know this truth. A few moments with nature is transformational.

To best convey this I share an excerpt from the book; A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, By Eckhart Tolle:

“The Flowering of Human Consciousness Evocation

Earth, 114 million years ago, one morning just after sunrise: The first flower ever to appear on the planet opens up to receive the rays of the sun. Prior to this momentous event that heralds an evolutionary transformation in the life of plants, the planet had already been covered in vegetation for millions of years. The first flower probably did not survive for long, and flowers must have remained a rare and isolated phenomena, since conditions were most likely not yet favorable for a widespread flowering to occur. One day, however, a critical threshold was reached, and suddenly there would have been an explosion of color and scent all over the planet—if a perceiving consciousness had been there to witness it.

Much later those delicate and fragrant beings we call flowers would come to play an essential part in the evolution of consciousness of another species. Humans would increasingly be drawn to and fascinated by them. As the consciousness of human beings developed, flowers were most likely the first thing they came to value that had no utilitarian purpose for them, that is to say, was not linked in some way to survival. They provided inspiration to countless artists, poets, and mystics. Jesus tells us to contemplate the flowers and learn from them how to live. The Buddha is said to have given a “silent sermon” once during which he held up a flower and gazed at it. After a while, one of those present, a monk called Mahakasyapa, began to smile. He is said to have been the only one who had understood the sermon.

According to legend, that smile (that is to say, realization) was handed down by twenty-eight successive masters and much later became the origin of Zen.

Seeing beauty in a flower could awaken humans, however briefly, to the beauty that is an essential part of their own innermost being, their true nature. The first recognition of beauty was one of the most significant events in the evolution of human consciousness. The feelings of joy and love are intrinsically connected to that recognition. Without our fully realizing it, flowers would become for us an expression in form of that which is most high, most sacred, and ultimately formless, more ethereal, and more delicate than the plants out of which they emerged, would become like messengers from another realm, like a bridge between the world of physical forms and the formless. They not only had a scent that was delicate and pleasing to humans, but also brought a fragrance from the realm of spirit. Using the word “enlightenment” in the wider sense than the conventionally accepted one, we could look upon flowers as the enlightenment of plants. “

Life has brought me many blessings, to which I give thanks.

At the top of that long list of gratitude, are two names - Dad and Mom. Parents who love the great outdoors and all there is to explore within it. Teachers, who showed me how to see beauty in all of creation.

Each showing me in their own unique way, a connection with God. Through their love and careful nurturing I witnessed magic.

I observed how they worked the land of the Earth, giving it care and creating beauty with nothing more than their attention and a few tools. I was amazed how the Earth gave back with abundance, as if to give nod of gratitude to my parents who so lovingly cared for their giving planet. As a child, I felt a profound peace in this world knowing that magic. I believed it was more than just within the Earth’s soil, I envisioned it swirling around me endlessly, as if holding me in a warm, eternal hug. As I grew I learned that feeling of magic and its wondrous connection within me wasn’t just some small dismissible feeling but truly, God’s Love and presence in all things. As an adult I learned Earth, had many names - Tara, Gaia, Mother Earth, and Pachamama.

This collection of photos is a homage to Pachamama and two amazing parents who showed me how to see magic, in Mama’s Magic Garden.