The final photo that was voted your favorite in the "Color on Black and White" category, "Still Water," does have a special place in my heart. This photograph opitimizes the experience my husband and I had while on this trip, so I think it is necessary to tell the story of the trip rather than how I came upon this specific photograph.One Friday, before my husband and I were married, on his birthday, I called his boss to make sure I could pick him up at work early to take him on a surprise trip. He was obviously dumbstruck when I picked him up and though he asked a lot of questions, all I would tell him was that we were going back to his apartment to pack a suitcase.
After packing, we were on the road south on the I-10 towards Tucson. He was driving, but I was controlling the vehicle - I was taking him to a place that I had been more than 10 years prior as a child, had loved, but hadn't been pack to in awhile. We took some strange side roads after passing through Tucson and it was obvious that we weren't going to some lavish resort or big city hotel and I could tell his interrest and excitement was growing...as was mine.
When we got there, he still had no idea where "there" was. It was a one-story ranch house in the middle of nowhere sitting atop a hill in Benson, Arizona. And then he saw it: the rickety sign near the house that read, "The Astronomer's Inn."
The Astronomer's Inn is a little bed and breakfast that fits 2-3 couples or families and besides having some very relaxing peace and quiet away from the city, you can opt for a private night session with a local astronomer who uses their observatory room to show you all kinds of wonderous visions in the night sky. I had talked about this place before and my husband-to-be knew exactly what was in store. He was elated, and again, so was I.
The entire weekend was one giant moment, as if time had stood still in the world, and yet we were still experiencing life. The first day we were there, we walked a bit off the property, found this deserted gazebo on a beautiful small lake and just spent time being peaceful together. This photo was born from that moment. Oh, and by the way, the astronomy session was incredible!
Now you know the story behind the photo.
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