A lesson I learned early on from one of my photography professors at the University of Missouri is that you can’t go wrong with photos of cute kids and animals.

I must admit I have fallen back on that lesson many times through the years. It can be an easy go-to move when I am searching for weather art or a photograph for this column. With all due respect and thanks to The Oak Ridge Boys, they had it right with their 1982 song “Thank God for Kids.”

I was parked in a shady spot along the lake at Wylie Park early last week to put some ideas into my phone when I happened to see Gradyn Rowen, 7, pictured above. He was walking around the lake ahead of his mother Heather as she pushed his sister Harper in a stroller. It seems Gradyn was on a mission to find and catch a turtle.

This young boy with a giant net on his shoulder was reminiscent of the opening to “The Andy Griffith Show.” A simple moment from a simpler time. Being a grandfather now, my greatest joy in life comes from watching the hope and optimism that is there when you look at the world through the eyes of a child.

As I hung around in the shade to make my notes, I could see Graydn walk back and forth along the shore in the distance, still with an empty net. Let me wish him better luck next time. But watching the whole experience was the kind of pick-me-up I needed to get through the day.