High Shoals Falls is the jewel of South Mountains State Park here in North Carolina… like many beauties in this life, seeing it comes at a price, in this case, a bit of a climb that many cannot do or are afraid to do. This beauty isn’t one you want to stand close to. It drops 80 feet to this level, roars down to a jumble of huge rocks, then comes together to a quiet creek way down below… hard to believe how something so ferocious can become so tame with a little resistance along its journey.

There are other beauties in life, however, who are on a journey no one would envy… Flickr friend Evelyn McCullough from Northern Ireland is one such beauty who shines by making most of the life she has with terminal cancer. Obviously, cancer is not something anyone would choose… with that in mind, how many of you have heard stated “brave cancer patient”? Yet, I’ve been witness to jerks with cancer… what makes a difference is the character through which people choose to live life, even in the face of imminent death. Evelyn is definitely the epitome of the brave cancer patient, as she endeavors to make this world a better place while she can. That is true inspiration to me, even as I try to define the beauty of this world while peering through a lens.

For those of you who understand the power of prayer, please remember her. www.flickr.com/photos/herringpond/