I saw a photo of a bee-house on the internet a couple of weeks back and knew instantly that it would make for a good shot if the conditions were right. (This version is not quite perfect but I will be back when there is better snow cover.)

In the shot I recognised the mountain range in the background so had a good idea of roughly where it was. When I went to look for the bee-house I met a woman who was walking her horse. I asked her if she knew where the bee-house was. She said that she did and would show me the trail leading to it.

The woman said that she lived nearby and that she was walking, rather than riding her horse because it was still too young to be ridden.

After a few minutes she showed me where the bee-house was and said that she was going in a different direction. I wanted to ask her to join me but felt that it was probably inappropriate.

In the famed book The Alchemist, author Paulo Coelho writes “If you talk to someone long enough they will help you to find your destiny”. Maybe the woman was there to help me find my destiny or maybe I would have helped her find hers.

It is in these 5 minutes of chance meetings that can shape and change your life entirely.

Every now and then the universe will “conspire” for you to meet someone and hold time still for a few moments. It doesn’t happen often but when it does it reminds you of how amazing and short your life is.