krnaturalphoto's Blog 
It is getting closer and closer to racing season for me. I have some big goals for this year. And I have been training hard to try and achieve them.
Goals
My goals for 2025 are in service of a larger longer range goal for when I turn 50. In 2028 I will turn 50. And after a couple of years of frustration with injuries and beginning to think maybe my days of taking on these big challenges were going to be over I have been reinvigorated and inspired by my fellow running community.
Age is just a number. And running has no age limits. If we want to take on big challenges and are willing to work hard for them then that number means nothing. We can achieve what we work for. And more importantly we can grow as a result of the journey we take to try and get there.
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If there is any time of year that is my favorite it is probably when we have the changing colors of fall. That burst of color livens up the environment like no other. It enhances every aspect of being outdoors and I love it for my creativity and photography.
The biggest challenge is that that time of year most closely associated with the fall season does not last the entire season. It is only a fraction of that time. And it feels like it becomes increasingly fleeting year after year.
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If you are a dog lover or have had multiple other cherished family pets in your life It may be hard to say who is your favorite. It might even feel wrong to single one out as favorite. We love them all so much. And they give us their whole lives. To think of having a preference for one over the other might feel like doing the others a disservice.
But, I also think it is foolhardy to refuse to consciously acknowledge this fact. Sometimes we just have a special kind of relationship with those we share our lives with. And that does nothing to diminish the relationships we have with others in our lives. This goes for our animals as well as the humans in our lives.
We have shared our home with over a dozen dogs. Each of them have made a unique place in our lives. Some were more work than others. There are dogs that are aloof and there are dogs that are literally like a shadow, or named Shadow. Sometimes dogs love to go out and adventure in the public spaces with you and other dogs are not fit for public consumption. Other dogs are your adventure companions that love hiking and camping. Some dogs just like to be at home.
I love dogs. The dogs we have shared our lives with have come to be with us in a variety of ways.
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What is there to say about the mejestiic breed of dog that is the Bernese Mountain Dog?
My wife and I first learned that Bernese Mountain Dogs existed when we attended our first dog show back in 2008.
Ever since we first laid eyes on them we have been fascinated by the breed. When we bought our first and current home over 15 years ago we wanted to get a Bernese Mountain Dog. We got two. A pair of siblings, brother and sister.
Little did we know where this was going.
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I live in a beautiful region of the United States. We are blessed with so many natural wonders. There is never a shortage of place to go and enjoy some time outside.
One thing we do lack where I live is anything that most people would probably consider a true mountain. There are no particularly high areas of elevation. There isn’t really anyplace where you can hike to the top and get an extended view of the area for miles and miles.
That is why one of my favorite things to do is to take trips to places where I can hike up a mountain.
One of the best places to go hiking in the mountains for me is the Adirondacks in New York. At this point I have been to the Adirondacks several times. And I always try to get in at least a few mountain hikes while I am there.
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There is no understating how powerful a great scenic overlook can be. Great places to experience landscapes. Looking out over the countryside for miles and miles.
Some scenic views require more work than others. For views at some locations you have to climb a mountain. Maybe you just have to walk down a short path. Others you can just pull right up in your car.
Some locations offer one simple and beautiful view. Other locations offer a couple of options for seeing the scenery. Occasionally you find a location like one of my favorite parks, Letchworth State Park where there are several different locations to stop and look out over the landscape.
Then there is Shenandoah National Park.
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I often talk about how fortunate I am to live where I do. And it is so true. One of the reasons that I love where I live is because it sets me up to be able to visit so many beautiful places. Most people probably live relatively close to one or two beautiful natural lands.
I on the other hand am lucky enough to live in a location that sets me up to visit more than just one beautiful natural location. I am in position to visit beautiful natural areas in two completely different states. Not a luxury most people have. Especially in large states like New York, where I live and our neighbor Pennsylvania.
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I am fortunate to live in an area where I can hop in my car and drive to any number of state parks in around an hour to an hour and a half. Many of those state parks are in New York. And while I don’t have a state park that is right in my own back yard I have so many within a decent drive that it is a huge reason I love where I live. If I moved closer to many one location I would likely lose touch with several other places I love. I am centrally located to be within arms reach of so many great places.
What makes a park great for me is that it has multiple aspects that fits into the kinds of things that I enjoy doing. For me Robert Treman State Park checks so many boxes. There are just so many reasons to love this place.
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I am fortunate to live in an area that features an abundance of waterfalls. And I have become increasingly drawn too photographing waterfalls over the years. It is hard to think about what would be my favorite waterfall. Every waterfall is so unique. And every waterfall changes so much depending on when you visit.
But the presentation and environment surrounding the waterfall contributes to how it makes me feel.
Watkins Glen State Park is a well known state park in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. In the busy season tourists flock to the park to see all of the beautiful waterfalls this park features. The main feature of the park is a spectacular stream carved gorge. And the stream meanders through a variety for terrain from flat and with to narrow and steep. And the water pours over the edges and cliffs at varying heights to create spectacular falls.
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I love trees. They are amazing pars of nature. The science of trees is truly fascinating the more we learn about them. And I love trees as an artist and photographer.
But, you might think, can someone really have a favorite tree? After all there are limitless trees to look at. Trees are almost literally everywhere. Especially where I live.
But while trees may seem to be omnipresent they don’t exist forever. All trees grow and die and disappear from the earth. But they often do so at a seemingly slower and longer time line than does a human life. And I count it as a special personal tragedy when I see beautiful trees cut down by human hands.
