The thesis of my book REFUGE, and the motivation for making it was to find a way to live and thrive “down in the valley” after having retired from climbing mountains. The camera was a helpful tool, compelling and allowing me to see differently, and to understand the beauty that exists in the mundane. I rarely walk without seeing, or noticing that I am not.

It was Christmas Eve and all had gone quiet as the snow accumulated. We went for a walk. Few others were out. Actually, we might not have seen anyone else, only the tire tracks or their footprints in the snow. A friend later saw this image and declared, “That’s some Edward Hopper shit right there.” I nodded like I knew who that was. Of course, when I looked him up I rediscovered “Nighthawks” and understood the art we may experience in the mundane.