My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
My barista had trouble this morning when making my lotus flower latte art. So we agreed to just call it abstract latte art this morning. The real test was how it tasted. Passed.
Before going to the coffee shop I spent some time at Pineridge Natural Area. If you use a magnifying glass you’ll see the four coyotes making tracks over the snow covered ice on Dixon Reservoir. They were having a good time.
The resistance to the unpleasant situation is the root of sufferings.
Ram Dass
Here’s Alyssa’s latte art. Not bad at all and tasted delicious. I have switched to ordering their smaller latte, going from a 12 oz. cup to a 6.5 oz. cup. Same amount of espresso so it provides more coffee flavor and reduces the amount of chocolate and milk. I find it a more pleasant coffee experience, so no suffering as I enjoy Alyssa’s latte art. Expecting a warm trend but still 13 degrees this morning. Have a great Sunday!
With our our country’s political strife, the pandemic and world violence it is vital for us to keep our inner peace and sanity. So, I wanted to share a question with you that I came across yesterday. I am going to use it as a seed in my meditations and to journal about over the next few days. How are you keeping peace alive in your heart and mind?
Here are some of my ways: quiet time, prayer and meditation, time with nature, journaling, reading, photography, poetry, early mornings at coffee shops, healthy conversations with friends, daily walks and more… which is pretty much what I do every day. I must admit I’m concerned what impact our worlds insanity has on everyone especially those immediately impacted. It’s demonstrated to me how far reaching our actions have on others. Therefore, whatever simple actions I can do to keep peace within my heart and mind matters. And, I have no idea how my actions or words or prayers can reach out into the universe and positively affect others. Maybe just taking a “one-breath” meditation throughout the day will clear the mind, keeping peace alive in our hearts and minds and the world.
We may get above 32 degrees today for the first time in 4 days. As my sister would say, I’m esscited!!!!
saddened by the thinking
mws
of so many that violence is
a solution for peace
or a solution to anything
nor is violence a show of
masculinity or strength
it only breeds its own poison
the innocent pay the price
may we not be just the
indifferent and silent….
yesterday I sought solace
within my journal pages
seeking words for comfort
to calm my inner turmoil
then I remembered the words of
one of our peacemakers
Thich Nhat Hanh believed
that there is no way to peace…
peace is the way
haven’t we proved violence
is not a solution
maybe Thầy’s right
just maybe…
sun illuminates
ms
floating ice crystals
storm has passed
Minus 1 degree this morning and overcast skies at 7:00 am. By 8:30 the clouds gave way to blue sky and sunshine. I drove out to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area to capture the beauty of nature’s wintery scenes. Just before reaching the natural area there is a farm, always with a dozen or so horses. I’ve posted images from this area before. This morning they were being fed fresh hay while two hawks were perched high in the tree tops, also hungry on this cold morning.
I so loved the blue sky this morning and how it contrasted with the white snow.
There were almost no tracks in the parking lot of the natural area which means I can find snow scenes without any signs of mans intrusion. It has been almost too cold for anyone to be out and about in it. Having said that I saw a hard core bicyclist riding his fat tire bike this morning on my way home. I plan on staying inside the rest of the day since we are only going to reach a high of 15.
“A fundamental difference between our culture and Eskimo culture, which can be felt even today in certain situations, is that we have irrevocably separated ourselves from the world that animals occupy. We have turned all animals and elements of the natural world into objects. We manipulate them to serve the complicated ends of our destiny. Eskimos do not grasp this separation easily, and have difficulty imagining themselves entirely removed from the world of animals. For many of them, to make this separation is analogous to cutting oneself off from light or water. It is hard to imagine how to do it.”
Barry López
I would even suggest that man has turned humans into objects! Many do not see the connectedness we have with one another. As William James says “We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep” but many do not see it.
It was -3 degrees at 7:30 this morning and we’ve had light to heavy snow throughout the day. Not expecting to get above 10 degrees today. Probably not going on that picnic today, either.
It was 0 (zero) degrees this morning when I left the condo at 6:33 am. As I dusted off the powdery snow from the car I wonder how many neighbors were questioning my sanity. Then I thought about how connected we really are to nature and the part I play in it, how I am bundled up and prepared for the weather, how beautiful this wintery seen is, and most importantly, how good my mocha latte will taste. Yes, there is a bit of insanity in my life. However, there is much less insanity than a few years ago. 😁
About this image. It was taken by a lovely young lady at Mugs at CSU coffee shop. Unfortunately I failed to get her name so I could give her credit. The overcast sky and light reflecting off the snow gave this a nice light. She did a great job! I want to use it in an ongoing series of images that include myself, the journal, the fountain pen in the act of journaling. I already have images of the journals and pens taken over the years and will continue to add more. But I have very few of them that include me in the act of writing. Some images I can do it with a tripod and timer but this image required another person pressing the shutter button. The purpose is to share why I have been journaling almost daily for over 30 years. Now, if it was just a wee bit warmer, say 70 degrees warmer!!!! Oh, and my toes are cold.
While the city slept I made a trip to Pineridge Natural Area hoping for colors on the eastern sunrise. I was not disappointed.
Quite often I see a lady walking her two dogs at this natural area. Not sure if she lives nearby or not but they are regulars. This morning both dogs wore these reflective dog harnesses or some sort of battery operated harnesses. The dogs always get a good workout with her as she does set them on a pretty good pace. Looks like her and the dogs stay fit.
Just before sunrise a man arrived and stood next to me using his phone to take images while both of us oohed and awed the gift we were witnessing. We shared in small chit-chat then each headed for coffee after the sun had risen.
This second image was taken 26 minutes after the first image at roughly the same point. Gives an idea of the ever changing light and how nature continuously creates something new. And, I want to believe it’s just for our enjoyment. We are expecting a warm day today before snow and cold return tomorrow.
on the horizon
ms
the sun offers a new day
ever changing light
My theme for this post is blue. What a beautiful day it was yesterday after the light snow. Even though we had clear skies and sunshine it stayed cold, never getting above freezing. Just loved that blue sky. Both of these images are from an hour at Pineridge Natural Area in the afternoon. It was cold enough I had it pretty much to myself and quiet.
The one drawback in the bottom image is the smog along the horizon, which is the I-25 corridor. This image reminded me of how clear the skies were in early 2020 when the pandemic shut so much down. Deep inside me is the wish we could have everything shut down again. Say a couple centuries to clear up the air. Just a thought or wish. The quality time I spent in the local natural areas was so sweet… And, I want to believe nature enjoyed it also. Sigh!
Back on December 31 I wrote about changes I was having done on my condo. Thought I would post an image of what it is starting to look like now. I put up four new prints on the north wall of my living room last week. Nothing big, very simple and went with a tree theme since I like trees. You also get a look at the new vinyl plank flooring I had put in.
In this second image I have turned to my left so you can now see the office, a second bookcase and the bicycle garage. What is new, besides the flooring, is the desk, bookcases and the two chairs. Pretty simple, quick and easy to clean.
We received about 4 inches of snow here yesterday and into the night. Awoke to a brisk 9 degrees, clear skies and bright sunshine. The Cream of Chicken soup turned out awesome and was perfect for the snowy day. Will enjoy leftovers today.