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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Comments

  1. Thanks--love your photos of where you live in all their varied beauty. Sometimes I think dogs have had conventions we don't know about and have decided that they can forget all that herding and retrieving--so yesterday--and instead focus on spreading their special kind of love. Seems their human charges need that most.

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    1. Absolutely. For most dogs, love is their biggest gift.

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  2. Fab photos. And love your new book cover. I also had one daughter who went to college in Flagstaff. She went up there from Phoenix in 7th grade for a band exhibition and came home saying it was where she intended to go to college, and never changed her mind. Also Thumb Butte used to be one of our favorite hikes. Both my girls said it was like standing on top of the world. I've loved everywhere we ever lived, so have to agree that home is where the heart is.

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    1. My daughter loved NAU. She's in Durango, Colorado now, but wouldn't change her years in Flagstaff for the world. It's a lovely campus.

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  3. I love your pictures, and absolutely agree about home being the most beautiful place. That being said, I'd love to see all those others at least once. Can't wait for your book!

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    1. Aw, thanks, Liz. Yes, it's wonderful to see new places, like beaches in Hawaii or the Space Needle in Seattle, but home is home.

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  4. I think all the beautiful places in the world are made even more lovely when you see them with the people you love most in the world......that's true if you live in them or just go for a visit. Thanks for sharing the beauty around you. Alaska is on my list of places yet to go.

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    1. Well said. What's that quote about halving your burdens and doubling your joy? You should absolutely get to Alaska if you get the chance. It's amazing.

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  5. The new cover is lovely! What a sweet post. I do think my home is beautiful, and I am lucky to live somewhere that other people visit for vacation. But I've traveled to places that have taken my breath away so I'm not sure where I live is most beautiful. But I do appreciate it!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoy your home. From some of the pictures you've posted, I think it's beautiful!

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  6. Oh, I love that! :) I agree--when you love a place, you see beauty that others might not. And beauty is also in the eyes of one determined to see it. When you want to see the beauty, you will! I love your post.

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    1. Oh, thank you! Yes, "when you want to see beauty, you will." That's so true.

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  7. What a smart doggie!! LOL. I want to visit Alaska. I would appreciate the extra long days I think. The cover of your book is just beautiful!! My favorite thing about living in NC is the bright, beautiful sky and the array of flowers, trees and shrubs that grow here. Also, the beautiful smoky mountains that I can’t get enough of.

    After endless months of not being able to comment on the blogger format with my iPhone, I finally learned how from an online post of someone who was having the same issue. I had to download a different browser. I’m so happy to be back here!! And now I can use my phone to comment once again. ( :

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    1. Yay, Laurie! So glad you're back and that you got that tech issue workaround. They can be maddening. Thanks. I've heard so many good things about North Carolina. I will definitely be visiting someday. Maybe in the fall, so I can see the pretty trees change color.

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  8. Beth, I love all your photos. And yes, I agree. The most beautiful place is where you live. For me, I want to be where my family is. I'd move nearly anywhere as long as my favorite people are sitting around the dinner table with me. I do love your book cover!

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    1. Thank you! Yes, dinner with the people you love is one of the most beautiful things of all.

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