• clouds,  landscape,  mountains,  sunsets,  trees

    Visiting Four Friends

    March 15, 2015
    One of my four friends
    One of my four friends

    I drove out to County Road 15 to visit my four tree friends I hadn’t seen in several months and I was hoping to watch a sunset with them. My ulterior motive was because I needed to get out of town and listen to some quiet. With very little wind made for even more quiet to take in. Some friends or the trees, Meadowlarks, were putting on a beautiful concert for us and filled me with some of that joyful stuff and giving me goose bumps. My four friends sit along the road in an unplowed field. One is right along the road and the others sit off a short distance. Along with them are a couple of large clumps of bushes. I need to find out what kind they are.

    I’m not sure who told them I was out there but I was blessed with more visitors than just the trees and Meadowlarks. Two large formations of honking Canada Geese flew over and added to the concert. A Red-tailed Hawk stopped by, perched its self on a telephone pole and kept an eye on me. Using my binoculars I watched a great Horned owl fly from one of the trees to a telephone pole before taking off to the north. It must have been dinner time for those guys (gals). A white-tailed deer stopped as she crossed the road to check me out then bounded over the fence. I assume she went to tell someone about the strange dude. Fifteen minutes after the sun set behind the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains the sky began to take on slightly orange glow then pink and then turned bright red. We had our colorful Colorado sunset.

    Front Range Sunset
    Front Range Sunset

    It was a good evening. I enjoyed seeing my four friends. I enjoyed the concert. I enjoyed the sunset and felt it was all well worth my time and money. I’m glad I left when I did because as I drove away the fragrance of skunk began to drift in my window. Those were visitors I did not want to encounter. 🙂

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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  natural areas

    I Like What I See

    March 14, 2015
    Shadows in the Snow
    Shadows in the Snow

    It’s nice to see the weather finally starting to warm up. But this is Colorado so we could have 6 inches of snow and be back in the teens in four weeks. This past weekend was nice for us out here in Colorado. I took a walk at the Environmental Learning Center on Saturday and the Arapahoe Bend Nature Area on Sunday. Both areas were pretty muddy and that means things will be greening up before we know it.

    During my walk I realized how I have taken my vision for granted. By vision I’m referring to the ability to see. A blind person must see with other senses. I also see in color that others do not. The older I get the more aware I am of those things around me, being present to the moment. At this time in my life my mind is not tied up with family worries or a project schedules at work. So, there is gratitude in just seeing. And, I like what I see.

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  • architecture,  quotes

    Creation of Love

    March 12, 2015

    Blue Sky
    Blue Sky

    But before all else a work of art is the creation of love. Love for the subject first and for the medium second. Love is the fundamental necessity underlying the need to create, underlying the emotion that gives it form, and from which grows the unfinished product that is presented to the world. Love is the general criterion by which the rare photograph is judged. It must contain it to be not less than the best of which the photographer is capable. – Eliot Porter

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  • Candid Portraits

    Limo

    March 5, 2015

    Chaps Girls
    Chaps Girls

    Back in 2006 I was asked to shoot promotional images for a new lounge starting up in Loveland named Chaps. I was to shoot group and individual images of the girls in their chaps in and around a black limousine and against the brick wall. I had fun doing it. The girls were great and I learned a lot through the experience. They were remodeling the building directly behind them that had been a restaurant in the area for years. The owners had finally decided to move on so these guys were trying to start up this lounge. Not sure what happened, if the they had financial troubles or legal troubles. Anyway the place never did open and I’ve never seen any of the girls since. I sure hope it wasn’t because of my photography. If you didn’t notice they are all wearing chaps. 🙂

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  • Avian

    Getting Older

    March 4, 2015

    Frost Covered Feather
    Frost Covered Feather

    Well, my Medicare card arrived in the mail along with a very confusing booklet to read. Man, do my parents feel old now!

    A couple of weeks ago I stepped on a crowded bus headed for the transit center on the campus of CSU so I could spend time at Morgan Library. Standing room only so I grabbed the overhead rail to hang on for the ride. A nice young man stood up and said, “Sir, would you like to sit down?” Without knowing or intending to, he made a d deep cut as I immediately felt old. I declined his offer. As I looked at these college students I realized I am 40 years older than almost everyone on the bus except the driver. And I’m still 20 years older than they were. The reality is that to them I am old and at their age I felt the same. When I look in the mirror I don’t see that. Perspective. And, that’s a good thing.

    I’ve had a few days to reflect on my reaction and how I might react differently if faced with that again. If the passenger next to him is a hot 20 year old college girl, heck yes I’m going to take the offer. 🙂 When you think about it there are more perks for getting older besides senior bus passes or food discounts at IHOP.

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  • Avian,  Metro Parks

    Can You Find Them?

    March 1, 2015
    A Few Birds
    A Few Birds

    I know it’s a busy image but wait. I took his image a few years ago at the Blendon Woods Metro Park in Gahanna, Ohio. They have nature center for children (that’s us) with a viewing area for birds where they have placed feeders. I would sit along the windows, elbows on the shelf  and just watch. There are a total of 6 cardinals and one sparrow in the image. Can you find them?

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