Watching the last light slowly paint the sandstone cliffs of Monument Valley put a glow in my heart. That night after Navajo guide Ray Begay cooked us dinner over the campfire, my friends and I slept outside on top of the mesa.

Laying on our backs we looked up at the Milky Way directly overhead, and you could almost touch it, it was that close. And with a million stars all around, well, that brought Heaven back to Earth where it’s always belonged.

Thank you Ray for a safe 4×4 trip to the top of Hunts Mesa, yet again.

Data: Canon 5D Mk III, 24-105mm lens at 24mm, f/22, 30 sec. exposure, 100 ISO, sunset 7:55pm, capture time 7:59pm