That Ansel Adams’ Moment

Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready

to have somebody click the shutter.
—A. Adams

How nice for Mr. Adams! I can just picture God coming up with an awe-inspiring combination of rocks, mountains, clouds and sky, a combination that would look just great, you know, from a certain viewpoint, but holding Himself back . . . just . . . a . . . minute, waiting for Ansel Adams to arrive in his station wagon, the one with the rooftop platform.

Alas, I have not been quite so fortunate. Not only do I not have a station wagon with a rooftop platform, I don’t have any cozy arrangement with God. The rocks, mountains, clouds and sky are always off in the distance, or too hazy, or, what’s worse, they’re not even there.

But every now and then, fate (uh, God) does conspire to give you one of those Ansel Adams’ Moments.

And so it was when Hali, Barbara and I went for a naturalist hike near Mount Burdell in Novato (northern Marin County.) The hike started much later than I would have liked; evening was quickly approaching. But there were the clouds. They were the remnants of monsoonal moisture sweeping up from the Gulf of California that had passed through Marin County earlier in the day.

The naturalist (sorry, don’t have his name) talked about: California Buckeyes, Sudden Oak Death, mountain lions, invasive species, and . . . other things. But of course, all I concentrated on were the clouds, and the evening light.

Well, here’s one of the photos I took. Haven’t tried to print it yet . . . we’ll see how it turns out. Of course, I’m a great admirer of Ansel Adams . . . I’ve even been in the presence of his piano.

Photo: Evening Sky—Marin County, 2008