Don’t we all have memories that warm us up when they flash into our consciousness? This image of a Mt. Hermon Iris just did that for me. It brought back memories of a certain moment on a streetcorner in Manhattan (New York, NY), one morning on  campus in college, a stand of native Columbine I once had, and sooo much more. Oh, and then there were the magical minutes when as a college-poor messenger, I was given a package to deliver to a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall and instead of taking it from me, the Rockettes’ staff said, “Yeah, take it in there to her” and into the Rockettes’ dressing room I went. ‘Nuf said. Right?

This was such an experience. On a trail in northernmost Golan, Israel, near the security fence insuring that Israel and Lebanon stay safely apart, we turned a corner of the trail, and there they were: Iris hermona. Knockouts! Knockouts they were. We stopped. I admired and I shot them from here and there, there and here. Film, hand-held. Here’s the product. I cannot explain why, but this still gives me a rush.

Don’t bother searching the corners of the image for butterflies. It was butterflies that I came thousands of miles to find and shoot. This gem was unexpected, just as they said, “Yeah, take it.” to the 19-year old me just off the corner of Avenue of the Americas and 51st (?) street.

Jeff