Today I climbed a mountain.

How exactly does a camera aperture mechanically work? Today I transformed that wonder into knowledge. I have always relished taking things apart, discovering how they work, and this old SLR lens did not disappoint. It was like a puzzle box with no visible opening, the minuscule screws made my ordinarily nimble fingers feel like wood stumps; even my smallest screwdriver had to be ground and sharpened so it would fit in the slots. Each layer provided its’ own individual challenges and surprises. Finally tweezers trembling, I lifted the last cover revealing a delicate flower that is the aperture. Now I have to climb back down the mountain and put it all back together.