The picture above is a print. The original photo was taken over 15 years ago. A friend of mine and I set out for a long weekend hike in the Smokies. We started late in the afternoon one Friday near Clingman’s Dome and we were going to spend the next two days hiking down the Fontana Dam. We stopped at one of the first shelters and it was unusually cold for a fall night. A group had gathered by dark and we all told stories around the campfire until we retreated to our bags. I tossed and turned as the night got colder. We packed our bags and started hiking before daylight. As the sun peaked above the horizon, the orange and red colors lit a fire in my soul. The picture doesn’t begin to do it justice. As I think about the year ahead, I feel the warmth of a rising sun wash over me.