Final Project - Wanda Williams

The purpose of this project is twofold. Firstly, it is to expose the viewer to how truly unique our central Utah environment is. Secondly, it is to encourage the viewer to take the time to simply stop, even for just a few minutes, every day to examine your surroundings with child-like wonder.

Central Utah is composed of various landscapes, curious weather patterns, interesting history, and a rich natural environment. You can easily go from big-sky, wide open places to narrow rocky canyons to swampy wetlands to peaceful mountain valleys all within a few hours. You can visit ghost towns, or discover rock art, or happen upon an odd doorway in the mountain side. In one week the weather can go from blizzard-like conditions to springtime temperatures. It is not uncommon to see hoarfrost or watch diamond dust floating in the air during winter months. Once in a while you may even experience wondrous thunder snow. The cool colors of early morning sunrises and the spectacular sunsets can literally stop you in your tracks. You can frequently spot sundogs or even ice halos around the moon. One moment it can be sunny, and the next moment a dark thunder storm is rolling in over the mountains – with you as an observer right in between. These are just a few of many examples of how unique central Utah is.

You don’t have to go far; there is no need to travel anywhere. All you have to do is open your front door.

Everyday we are so busy trying to make ends meet, or trying to beat a deadline, or trying to accomplish some great feat that I think we forget that we too are a part of this earth. I challenge you to make it one of your daily goals to really experience the planet you live on. It doesn’t take much. Just stop. Stop dead in your tracks a couple of times a day for two or three minutes and see what catches your eye. Allow the experience to really soak in and affect you. Stop on your trek between your car and the office building and notice how the sunlight plays upon the clouds. On the way to your next class pay attention to how artfully the snow settles upon the trees. Experience how the diminishing sun changes the colors of a sunset. Take the time to watch a full moonrise – it’s truly magical. And then remember that you are a part of all this. Contemplate with child-like wonder, new discoveries every day. Many of these photos are of things that caught my attention on the drive to and from home, or on the way to class, or as I was stepping out my front door. These grand experiences remind me that I am a part of this earth, even in some small and insignificant way.