• clouds,  landscape,  quotes,  sunsets,  trees,  winter scenes

    Silhouettes

    January 21, 2026

    We have had clear skies most of the day with sunshine but on the cold side. Sure looks like most of the nation is on the cold side and it’s going to get worse in many places. Single digits for lows at night calls for two blankets. My day has been quiet. I was able to drive my car for the first time in three weeks so I went to the coffee shop then the grocery store. All went well and nobody got hurt. Actually it was a good experience to see what life would be like if I did not have a car, which I’ve wondered about. I am still being cautious in what I do and discovered today that I may have overdone the walking as I am a bit sore. This sunset image of two hawks silhouetted in the trees was taken in December of 2020 along Weld County Road 15, one of my favorite locations for sunsets. The image is simple, nothing fancy, but the location is a place of quiet and solitude. And, I believe Mr. James is spot on. Stay warm!!!!

    If you can change your mind, you can change your life.

    William James
    Read More
  • lake,  landscape,  sunrises

    Being in love…

    January 20, 2026
    Predawn colors at Hebgen Lake on a road trip in August 2022

    “The most important aspect of love is not in giving or the receiving: it’s in the being. When I need love from others, or need to give love to others, I’m caught in an unstable situation. Being in love, rather than giving or taking love, is the only thing that provides stability. Being in love means seeing the Beloved all around me.”

    Ram Dass
    Read More
  • Plants,  quotes,  trees

    Branches

    January 19, 2026
    The chaos of branches in one of the trees outside of Mugs on Laurel

    We need silences to be free from the words that come between us and reality. We need silence to still our chattering minds and focus on the new creation to which we are constantly giving birth. There is a music to silence and a dance within stillness which is lacking in our lives and communities.

    Toni Bender

    We had a dusting of snow overnight then blue skies and sunshine the rest of the day. I would say we had nearly an inch but most is gone by now. It is still cold but our Colorado sunshine will quickly melt snow. Stay warm and dry and hope you had a good Monday!

    Read More
  • blogging,  coffee life,  health

    Morning Coffee

    January 18, 2026

    My friend Jeff came by and picked me up for coffee at Mugs this morning, which became two hours of good conversation. He is moving to senior low-cost housing in Windsor and needed to talk about it. It’s something both of us have talked about for over a year. So this morning we talked about facing the reality that many of us do qualify for senior housing and for low-cost housing. Yet, our minds do not always follow our age. I qualify for both. In fact, I have my name on the waiting list for 2 of those facilities.

    I was trying to figure out what to say in a blog post for this evening because it’s been a couple days and I don’t want my millions of readers worrying. I also have comments I’d like to respond to. As far as my health I am still not driving and I’m not lifting over ten pounds. I will see the surgeon this coming Friday and hopefully have the staples removed and be given the okay to to drive again. I am still taking it cautiously when I move, making sure I take care of my incision. Thanks to all of you who checked on me. It means a lot. They say we could see snow overnight here and I see some of you have already had snow or rain today. I hope you had a good weekend and stay dry and warm!

    Read More
  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  landscape,  quotes,  sunrises,  winter scenes

    Our work…

    January 14, 2026

    “Our work, rather, is to help reawaken the sense of the sacred that is already deep in the human soul,
    our primordial relationship with nature, our ancient mother love of the earth.
    We can be part of its rising again.”

    John Philip Newell

    My recovery is moving along, slowly but surely. I am sleeping in later but I am sleeping restless. They have me sleeping with an oxygen concentrator at night which could be the culprit. I also do take naps throughout the day but I will rest when my body lets me know. I am going to venture out to the coffee shop in the morning. Since I can’t drive yet Jeff will pick me up and we will make a frontal attack on Mugs on Laurel. We are not giving them any warnings, either. We have had intermittent clouds and sunshine today and reached 60 degrees. The sun has set and I am enjoying an Earl Gray Tea. I hope you had a good day!

    Read More
  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  quotes,  sunrises

    …while it is here

    January 13, 2026

    “Nature reminds us to be present with the moment,
    to pause and take it all in while it is here.”

    Mary Kennedy

    This is a quote from a message my friend Mary sent this morning, wonderfully expressing what she experienced as she stayed present to the sunrise today. I think she did a wonderful job expressing it and for sure it works for her and me! We all need to pause and take it all in while it is here. I slept late and have been every since I returned home from the hospital so I missed the sunrise. But here is one from October of 2022.

    Read More
  • clouds,  landscape,  quotes,  silence,  sunsets

    Silence

    January 11, 2026

    Nothing in all of creation is so like God as silence.

    Meister Eckhart

    Scenes like this do not require a drumroll or symphony to speak to the soul, we hear it in the silence of our hearts.

    Update: Progress is being made, but at its pace not mine. I’m seeing where patience is one of the many lessons of our older years. I am being as active as possible but not cause any harm to the incision. When I removed the NPWT patch the incision was much larger than I expected. It must be 5-6 inches long and have well over 20 staples. I’d post a photo but…. you can take my word for it. I hope you have had a good weekend and enjoy the coming week!

    Read More
  • leaves,  Plants,  snow

    Update

    January 8, 2026

    I returned home Tuesday evening and slept in my own bed, without a machine beeping at me, without a nurse taking my vitals every 4 hours or a phlebotomist drawing blood. Bliss, I tell you! I had a physical therapist visit me Wednesday morning to give me instructions on taking care of myself and recover quicker She thinks I doing very good and doesn’t think I need her assistance but will check on me next week. I have done laundry and made myself both breakfast and lunch for two days now. It’s a slow shift back to normal. Today’s achievements have been emptying my bladder and a healthy bowel movement. That is exciting at my age and just after surgery. I am still sore at the incision but expecting that for now. We have had a light dusting of snow today just enough to cover the ground so I am not up to venturing out. This image is from 2015. Again, thank all of you for checking on me through your comments on this blog, the text messages, and your emails. They are all part of my recovery. I hope you have a wonderful day!

    Read More
  • health

    Surgery

    January 4, 2026

    I discovered on Friday morning that I had a very large lump on my right groin that was pulsating with blood. Luckily I already had an appointment to see my nurse practitioner at 11am. She immediately wanted me to go to the hospital for an ultrasound on that location. After the ultrasound, they admitted me into the ER for a short stay, which lasted overnight. They did a simple procedure to try and reduce the size or eliminate the femoral pseudoaneurysm, but that failed. So they sent me to MCR, where the experts are, and will be here for two or three days as they get me prepped for surgery. They started me on heparin IV drip and took me off the Eliquis. Surgery is scheduled tomorrow morning at 10:30am to repair the aneurysm.

    Read More