new way of living.
But to be honest, I had not the slightest idea what to do with that kind of cash. I hired an accountant to handle it. I bought the latest and best photography equipment and a brand spanking new, and very dear, MacBook Pro…and that was it. I didn’t have a home, didn’t have a family. Everything I needed was packed in my suitcase.
So I decided to give back with my money. I set aside a certain percentage every month to donate to various charities. I was damn lucky in that I was able to make a living on my art. Donating was my way of giving back.
“Yeah,” I said, leaning back against the kitchen counter, mug of coffee in hand. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, Rocky Mountain is always looking for new partners to help raise awareness about the foundation. Providing free medical care is not cheap.”
I nodded. “Sounds right up my alley.”
A warm smile formed on Finn’s face. “I knew I could count on you, brother.” He popped the last bit of his sandwich into his mouth, then checked the face of his Rolex. “Shite – need to get back to it. I’ll send you all the info when I’ve got it, yeah?”
“Perfect.”
He quickly cleaned up, putting his plate and glass in the sink and giving me a shoulder squeeze on the way out. “Dinner at home later?” he asked as he headed down the hall.
“Ah, actually I’m going to see about an eye doc tonight. I’ll keep you posted.”
He laughed. “Good luck.”
The front door opened and closed in the distance, and I decided it was time to get to work. Coffee in hand, I grabbed a banana from the bowl on the counter and headed to the guest house. Once there, I set down my quick lunch and set an alarm on my phone.
After finishing the banana in a couple of quick bites, I plopped in front of my MacBook and got to work.
I started with the rest of the shots from my excursion in the woods the previous day, finally winnowing down the hundreds of photos I’d taken to about thirty that I deemed worthy of editing work. It was mostly a for-fun project, but I’d still shop around with the finished photos and see if I couldn’t sell them to a nature publication or two. Maybe National Geographic would be interested; I’d managed to sell more than a few shots to them in the past.
Before I started the editing, I opened the folder that contained information about the project I was really excited about.
Aside from a chance to see my brother and his amazing, gorgeous family, the other thing that had brought me to Colorado was the chance to start on my next big project – a photo book documenting places all around the States with dark secrets and eerie histories. I was planning on making a trip across the country, finding locations that had been the sites of gruesome murders or were rumored to be haunted. I’d always had a guilty-pleasure interest in the paranormal, so just the thought of getting started on my book was enough to send a thrill up my spine.
My first stop would be the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park – a place most people knew as the giant, isolated hotel from The Shining. Stanley Kubrick had picked the location for more than its look – it was rumored to be haunted by all kinds of spirits. It was only a few hours away from Finn and Kenna’s place, and I couldn’t wait to get over there and photo document the creepy place.
I clicked around in the folder, reading the same info about the hotel that I’d already read a million times. When I’d had my fill, I clicked out and opened Photoshop, a little instrumental hip-hop on Spotify for some background music.
I totally lost myself in the editing process, making all the adjustments to the photos that it’d take to make them winners. One of the shots of the kit fox was perfect, a close-up of the little critter in the process of drinking from the pool of melted snow. I put the shot in shallow focus, the forest around the fox a gorgeous blur of white and green and brown. The fox was in total focus, the viewer’s eye drawn right to the incredible animal.
A few more clicks to zoom in and—
My phone alarm went off. I snatched it up and realized the entire afternoon had flown