Panoramalamabangbang

In honor of the end of the Olympics (and wrapping up three years at one job, or maybe that’s a stretch?), I’m going to be patriotic and bring us back to the US for this week’s Mystery Snapshot.

First, how dramatic were the Olympics this year, eh? The heartbreaks, the dreams coming true, the surprises, the relief… I think most things happened as they should have in the end. MOST things. Canada won hockey but we Americans were allowed that moment in the last 25 seconds of the game before overtime that reminded us “miracles” can happen (again). For about 15 minutes, we had won something. We felt everything we needed to feel. While one more goal would determine the gold medalist,  we had gotten something very American out of the game:  hope — that belief in the dream, that reminder that incredible things are always possible, even when improbable. Meanwhile, Russia’s president has asked all of its coaches to resign (offering to “help them” if necessary) after the country’s disappointing medal haul leading up to their big moment as hosts of the 2014 Olympics. Two heartbreaking deaths — the Georgian luger and mother of the Canadian figure skater — created a scene of palpable emotion, making these Olympic games, once again, about much more than winning gold.

Part of the reason we watch the Olympics is because we know, with each event, anything can happen. We know that four years –an entire lifetime– of training can all come down to as little as 30-seconds on the ice, and what happens during that 30+ seconds is a beautiful range of disappointment and happiness. It’s life, condensed into a sporting event. We watch, because each person’s story becomes a moment of glory or tragedy. The stakes are SO high, but those moments are what define us. One announcer, describing the ice dancers, said that to be an ice dancer or a figure skater, you have to be prepared to fall. You have to be ready to land hard on that ice, over and over again. If you’re not willing to fall, you’ll never fly. I think, in many ways, I’m an ice dancer right now. No matter how hard that landing might be, I want to encourage others to be ice dancers as well.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE THE OLYMPICS? OK, back to our Mystery Snapshot!

Today’s image comes to us from contributor Tom H, and it is our very first panoramic photo. Whoohoo! Aren’t panoramic photographs awesome? A slightly wider image immediately creates a powerful effect, a slightly stronger sense of BEING there in the hills, not just looking at them…

Tell me where in the US this is. You know the rules: specifics if you can, general if you can’t. What does it look like? Have you been somewhere similar?

Tom H. Hilly Panorama

Just to explain the title of this blog entry, “Panoramalamabangbang”, I want to share a video. Every time I say or write the word “panorama,” I think of this song I love by Roisin Murphy called “Ramalama Bang Bang.” I noticed that there is a pretty cool and creepy performance from the show (which I do not watch, although I LOVE DANCE) called “So You Think You Can Dance.” I’m posting this purely for the song and for the song’s connection to the word panorama, but some of you might enjoy the dance performance as well.