The Old Man of the Lake (and Chris)

At 22 years old, Chris had finished college, found a steady, respectable job, and … felt stuck. There was too much of the world left unseen, so he, as he put it, rebelled. He quit his job, hopped in his car and drove west. (We high-fived when we realized we were both East Coasters making it big on the West Coast.)

When we met Chris he was sitting by Crater Lake playing his ukulele. His goal was to find the famed “Old Man of the Lake,” a floating tree with, according to legend, the ability to control the weather. (Seriously, google it!)

Chris planned to rent a boat, find the Old Man and trade a bouquet of flowered for a tiny bit of weather control. Unfortunately, due to the snow and the ice, boats haven’t started running in the lake yet, so his plans for the day were a bit dashed.

Still, Chris wasn’t deterred - he was making the most of the West Coast and all that the area had to offer. We chatted about making happiness where we found it, and he serenaded us with a few songs in exchange for a portrait.

(Chris offered to pay for a photo, but we couldn’t take him up on the offer - the music was enough! That being said, if anyone else wants to pay for a portrait of Chris, you can always back us on Patreon or donate via PayPal!)

Crater Lake, Oregon. June 2018.