Stick painting on the beach. It’s amazing what an open, creative heart and a piece of tree can do together. Click to enlarge.

Something I’ve learned about life, which has been only reinforced by travel, is that you never know where you’re going to find magic.

It can be in a shared experience with a stranger, kind words, or seeing a treasured sight for the first time.

Or, as in this photo, it can be on a windy beach in Sonoma County in June, when my father picked up a piece of driftwood to create some sand art.