We spent a glorious summer evening at a friend’s farm in Canby, Oregon. We picked blueberries on his parents’ farm, just one driveway up the road. We ate corn on the cob and hamburgers, hung out with their young children, and got a tour of the best tree house we’ve ever seen. It was as perfect a summer evening as one could hope for.

And then, as we were leaving, we noticed something we had somehow missed in all of the joyful perfection. Mount Hood stood majestically in the background. Only now, it was framed by green fields, a red barn, and the near-perfect reflection of sunset color across the sky. Simply gorgeous.

It had been there the whole time, just waiting for us to slow down enough to see it. And in this moment, I almost wished I had brought my “good camera.” I had decided not to bring it because I didn’t want it to become a focus of our time together. Looking back on the summer evening and how we engaged with it, not bringing the camera was the right call.

Jeff Turner

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