Eye of the Beholder

By Beth Carpenter

Photo from Pixabay

There’s only one smartest dog in the world, and every boy has it.   

I laughed when I saw that quote, but there's some truth in it. Some things we can measure, like who can run the fastest 100 meter race, but most things we can't. And why should we? Which is smarter, the dog who knows and obeys two dozen commands, or the one who has figured out how to open the "dog-proof" container?

The dog in picture below with my son is Miss Bunny. Despite Labrador genes, she was kind of a washout in the retriever department. Her attitude was “I already brought the ball back twice. If you throw it again, you can fetch it yourself.” But in her primary role as love sponge, Bunny was a star.

Gambel's Quail, photo from Pixabay

As some of you know, my husband and I split time between Alaska and Arizona. I confess, before my daughter went to college in Flagstaff, I thought of Arizona as all saguaro cactus and desert vistas. The saguaros are awesome, but the state also has ponderosa pine forests, and pronghorns grazing on the prairie, and adorable quail with feathers on the front of their heads that look like a hat one might wear to a royal wedding. And sunshine. Lots of sunshine.

Ponderosa Pines at Lynx Lake Campground

Saguaros off I-17

Antelope Canyon

Thumb Butte, Prescott

Black bear

Moose

Alaska is the land of the midnight sun, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be clouds over it. In fact, the peak of Denali is only visible about 30% of the time. But the long days, clouds, and rain make everything grow, and the forests and green spaces mean we have wildlife like moose and bears right there in the city of Anchorage. I love being in the middle of it.

Windsong Park, Anchorage

Chugach Mountains, Anchorage

Town Square, Anchorage

Now the place I grew up in Texas had neither mountains nor forests. Lubbock County is one of the flattest places on earth. But the sweeping cotton fields have their own beauty, and it’s hard to beat a West Texas sunset.

Photo from Pixabay

Photo from Pixabay

So which place is most beautiful? Who can say? Here’s what I think:

There’s only one most beautiful place in the world, and you live there.

Do you agree? What’s your favorite thing about your home?

*****

And speaking of beautiful places, what do you think of my newest cover? Didn't the art department do a fabulous job? SWEET HOME ALASKA comes out in July. You can preorder now.
Some sparks last forever.  

But once burned…
World traveler Dr. Scott Willingham is known for being calm and levelheaded—except where Volta Morgan is concerned. In the ten years since they parted, Scott still can’t forget her. Now he’s come to Alaska to find Volta and finally let her go, only to find their attraction is stronger than ever. Can Scott leave her behind one last time…or has he truly found a place to call home?

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