spelunking in the Florida keys; your legs tangled with your lover’s; helping someone up the ladder.

lying in the tall bracken and gazing at the stars; locavores; Charles Dickens.

sitting in a Greek amphitheatre; completing the assignment; peace in the valley.

giraffes being born on the African plains; lying in the shade of a mesa; a stranger on a plane.

laying out the cards in a Celtic cross; engrossed in a conversation; a red cardinal in a snowy tree.

crimson and vermilion swirling in the sky; honor; swinging on the gate.

lighting candles in early morning; determination; starfish swimming.

wild horses galloping across the plain; intense camaraderie; pear trees in bloom and partridges nesting.

aprés ski; the moment just before the kiss; drinking hot apple cider while standing around in the snow.

stalking badgers on a summer’s eve; the shovel striking a buried safe in the yard; the heart of the message.

moonlight on the snow; a letter overflowing with news and love; massaging her feet.

frolicking with a monk seal on the beach; equanimity; glass slippers.

exploring the caves inside a glacier; compassion; freshly-made, homemade pies.

meeting the eyes of a tiger through the mangrove tree; a good laugh; playing mini-golf late at night.

skating on a frozen pond, holding hands; cashmere socks; closing your eyes to go to sleep.

climbing the steps to the top story; clairaudience; being graciously received by the king and queen.

driving the ribbon of highway; the Sacred Island of the Moon: Loch Maree; not drowning but waving.

footsteps crunching through the sunlit frost; kissing with noses; cyclamen on the dining table.

spinning the antique globe; looking out over the desert from the top of a dune; grateful acceptance even for something hard.

a spark of imagination; weighing anchor; that time you whispered something I didn’t know.

discovering a secret door; being offered a Moroccan glass of rose-scented tea; the sound of oars on the loch.

a caravan filled with silk and spices; kissing the top of a baby’s head; Ponte Vecchio in the sun.