I’m really not sure if this post is about family or photography; perhaps it’s about both.

You see, about once every year or so I get to spend brief but precious time with my cousin; a cousin who is much like a sister. She lives in Texas and I, of course, in Tennessee. While I have visited her in Texas and she has visited me in Tennessee, we typically have our meet-ups in Illinois – the home of our youth.

Illinois prairie with the bluffs of the ‘Mighty Mississippi’ in the background.

Recently we had one of those special times together while we both were visiting in Illinois. I’ll spare you the stories about how we never skip a beat even if it’s been many, many, many months since we’ve last seen each other. We always seem to pick right up where we left off; usually our time together is accompanied with giggles, laughter, deep discussions, and occasionally a couple of tears. I’m sure you understand – or can imagine – what I’m talking about!

One night during our most recent visit we took off for a drive after dinner to explore the countryside and back roads of the very rural county of our youth. I thought I ‘knew’ Hancock County – the Illinois county in which we both grew up. But Leanne ended up showing me places I had never seen before!

Of course I had my camera!

Around the square of a small rural town in Hancock County, Illinois

She was a patient driver who willingly stopped at interesting old buildings and structures, pulled off the road when I got excited about what I was seeing, and in a few instances simply slowed down while I took a picture from inside the car.

Is there a moral to this post?

I think there are two!

As photographers we shouldn’t overlook those hidden treasures just outside our very own back-doors…or in this case, our home town’s back door! We don’t need to always travel to far-away places to find interesting subjects.

And, sometimes we need to slow down and enjoy family and friends. We need to savor our many blessings. It’s nice to pause, reflect, capture memories and, yes, smile “when we come to the end of a perfect day.”

Thank you, Leanne!