My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
“Art is not simply works of art; it is the spirit that knows beauty, that has music in its soul and the color of sunsets in its handkerchief, that can dance on a flaming world and make the world dance too.”
W.E.B. Du Bois
This image is not what it looks like this morning. It rained almost all day yesterday and this morning it is overcast with prediction of rain later. It is the last day of May and yet we had snow in the mountains yesterday. I imagine a few Memorial Day camping trips and picnics are not turning out as planned. Some are probably were over early yesterday. Alternate plans today call for the grill to be fired up in the backyard under an umbrella or they’re ordering pizza. This image was taken last summer at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area before the fires ignited. Hope you have a super Awesome day!
cool breeze from the south sky filled with cotton ball clouds wise kingbird sings
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This time of year the sun rises early and I seem to follow suit. Made my chai latte and was out the door at roughly 5:06 am. The sky was filled with altocumulus clouds when I arrived at Pineridge Natural Area, where it seems nature had randomly thrown up cotton balls, bringing on a smile. I’m okay with that cuz I like to smile. Sat on the bench with my camera, binoculars, journal, my chai, a vitally needed coat and listened to all the birds singing.
In case you’re wondering, altocumulus clouds are a middle-altitude cloud genus that belongs mainly to the stratocumuliform physical category characterized by globular masses or rolls in layers or patches, the individual elements being larger and darker than those of cirrocumulus and smaller than those of stratocumulus. (Wikipedia) I think calling them cotton balls is easier and more understandable. 😁
I’ve had for 20 plus years two pairs of binoculars that I seldom pickup because they are a pain in the a$$ to use. I’ve carried one pair in the car and keep the other in my condo. Since I’m spending more time in nature, I am wanting a closer look at this world around me. So, a couple weeks ago I did some research on birding binoculars and learned why these binoculars I have are such a hassle to use.
I learned most birders prefer using 8×42 binoculars. The ones I have are 10×24, which makes them small and lightweight but difficult to use. The first number is the magnification and and the second number is the diameter of the glass. The larger magnification causes a lot of shake while the smaller glass reduced the amount of light and field of view.
The most recommended pair in my price range was the Nikon Prostaff S3 8×42. I made a visit to Jax Surplus to look at a pair, liked what I saw and made the purchase, knowing I could return them if they did not work for me. Wow, what a difference. These binoculars weigh in at 19.9 ounces, are rated at 377 ft/1,000 yd Field Of View, and are waterproof and fogproof. It is interesting to use them in tracking a bird in flight, something impossible previously. I’ve even taken them for walks without my camera because I enjoy just watching/studying the birds. Or, as I’ve read, “Studying the book of nature.” Yep, new optics! 😁
Awoke just before 4:00 am yesterday morning. Couldn’t sleep so I got up about 4:10 am and was in the parking lot at Pineridge Natural Area about 4:55 am. That’s too dang early! I decided to head out hoping to get an image of the lunar eclipse. Cloudy skies took care of any eclipse shots. I did check it out through binoculars. However, nature did provide some very nice colors in the pre dawn skies and a wonderful concert of bird sings.
This past Sunday morning nature gave us the gift of light fog. So I drive out east into Weld County to see if I would be given an image. A couple hours later at home I learned that a friend of mine died during the night after his battle with cancer. This simple scene fit my mood.
Words. So powerful. They can crush a heart, or heal it. They can shame a soul, or liberate it. They can shatter dreams, or energize them. They can obstruct connection, or invite it. They can create defenses, or melt them. We have to use words wisely.
Jeff Brown
After years of journaling I’ve come to understand the shortcomings of words to express much of what we think and experience of life. There are thousands of books written in prose and poetry in our attempt to express thoughts, ideas, concepts, feelings, or define a single word. For thousands of years man has attempted to put into words what and who God is. Some feel they have found the answer. I don’t have that same feeling. It’s a mystery!
Since my teenage years, and maybe earlier than that, I have asked those deep questions: how was I created and why? How did it all start and why and by whom? Who is God? Is there a God? If there is a God why would God create then punish what is created? All questions I believe we cannot define or comprehend. Nor can words define the fragrance of a rose. Words fall short.
My journaling is a collection of letters and prayers addressing questions to my deeper self, that essence of who I really am. For me the name, definition or comprehension of the word god is not as important as experiencing the reality of something Divine through nature, my journals, my meditation, all experiences in life.
Meister Eckhart says, “God is above all a reality to be experienced from within.” I’m well aware of the inadequacy of my words to express my experiences or fully articulate the questions. What is important is asking of questions. So, through this blog and my journaling I’m learning to use words wisely.
morning light arrives trees reflected in still waters nature’s calming gift
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Trees and their reflection along the eastern edge of Dixon Reservoir this past week. The plains were shrouded in fog and everything was blanketed in morning dew. Love the feel of this image even though the technical quality is lacking. The backlit leaves, the calm water and the reflection make it happen for me.
Update: As per suggestions from Tom I played around with this image and came up with this post processed scene. I do like it better. Let me know what you think.
Storm clouds were on the eastern horizon enticing me to head out of town to find open areas for an image or two. Before I knew it I was on a course heading north to the Soapstone Natural Area. I did get a few cloud images but I also was gifted with a few unexpected images of this beautiful landscape and a few bison images.
This natural area is the biggest one the City of Fort Collins maintains. It is 48 square miles of wide open vistas, nearly pristine grasslands, miles of trails and cultural resources. The trails are a mix for hiking, biking and horses. Thankfully they have restricted access to some areas to keep them free of man’s destructive tendencies. During excavations in the 1930s by the Smithsonian and Colorado Museum of Natural History they conclusively dated human habitation in in this area to at least 10,000 years. You can go online and find many stories about the early homesteaders, mostly ranchers and sheepherders, in this area as well as the American Indians.
In November of 2015 they introduced a herd of bison on over 1,000 acres of pasture land which is inaccessible to the public. However, the main entrance road, Rawhide Flats Road, and Cheyenne Rim Trail, follow along the edge of this pasture which gives an opportunity to observe them and even get a few photographs, if they are close enough. I find these animals so intriguing.
And of course this area is a haven for my favorite bird the meadowlark. It is also a place for many other birds, such as red-tailed hawks. The Fort Collins Audubon has a bird checklist that’s two pages long. You will find coyotes, fox, rabbits, prairie dogs, deer, antelope, and elk and of course a few snakes. I don’t go there often enough and it is always an uplifting experience for my soul when I go. It’s nice to come home with a few images but just spending time there, listening to the silence, transforms me in some wonderful way. Experiencing nature’s touch.
ominous storm clouds in the east rain, hail and wind hidden within we watch in silence, the hawk and I
“The innocence and silence of the animal world has a huge subtlety to it that is anything but dumb, but rather notices everything and is present in everything. Animals carry a huge ministry of witness to the silence of time and to the depth of nature. They are like the landscape in a sense: they live too in a mode of silence.”
John O’Donohue
I believe this to be a Western Kingbird. I am not that familiar with them but they are a beautiful bird. I encountered this one along Weld County Road 15 in an open prairie area. This is a major crop and looks fairly decent.
