• coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  journal,  writing/reading

    Something New

    I ventured into a new coffee shop, well it’s one I’ve never been to before. From the outside it had the look of being expensive and it is. I paid almost a dollar more for the same coffee fix than at my other java shops. However, I must say the mocha latte was excellent. The decor and ambiance were wonderful and music did not blast me out. So I will return but probably not as a regular.

    What I wanted to share with you was the coffee mugs they used. They market them as a designer reusable coffee cup made for cafes, home users & on-the-go coffee drinkers. The website says they are made from a unique eco-composite polymer and features coffee bean husks, which is a thin layer that surrounds the coffee seed or bean. The primary polymer they use is a plastic called Polypropylene. I was impressed with how it looks, feels in my hand and it’s as light as feather. They are called HuskeeCup. Not going to buy one but…

  • landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  sunrises

    Early Mornings

    I pulled into the parking area right at 5:00 am. Sun would not rise for another 20-30 minutes. No one else there but the song birds, a couple pelicans, and a few ducks. A warm light breeze blew from the southwest. Nary a cloud in the sky. I felt the presence of creation around and within me. These early mornings excite my spirit! I feel alive. Have a great day!

  • clouds,  haiku,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  quotes,  reflections,  sunrises,  sunsets,  writing/reading

    Each Moment

    Pineridge Natural Area at 5:15 am

    These two images were taken about 12 hours apart and at nearly the same location on the same day. This is how my day started and ended and was full of wonderful moments in between. So much beauty in this world when we live each moment, one moment at a time. Happy Sunday!

    Pineridge Natural Area at 5:52 pm
  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  Plants,  sunrises

    Early Start

    Awoke early so I headed to Pineridge Natural Area, a favorite place to start the day. Music all around me from the chorus of my favorite birds. A cool breeze penetrating my fleece was helping wake me up. I would be ready for my latte later. A couple mule deer greeted me with a quizzical look as I arrived earlier than usual. I have an open calendar today. No hot dates, dang it. Probably a good thing because tomorrow will be a full day. So, I’ve had an early start for this day. Happy Friday to you and have a wonderful weekend.

  • Avian

    Life Worth Living

    Eastern Kingbird

    “It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”

    David Attenborough

    I am a believer that my time in the natural world makes life worth living! There are those times when I find myself in a dark place. Lots of triggers to take me there. Thankfully I have found, and now regularly take, trips to a natural area or just a walk around the neighborhood listening to birds sing that will lift me out of those dark places. When I move my focus on nature, changes always happen within my soul.

    This Eastern Kingbird, at least that’s what I think it is, is not all that common in this area as we are at the edge of their migration patterns. We have many more of the Western Kingbirds. They are similar in shape but very different colors.

  • clouds,  John O'Donohue,  landscape,  quotes

    A New Beginning

    When love awakens in your life, in the night of your heart, it is like the dawn breaking within you. Where before there was anonymity, now there is intimacy; where before there was fear, now there is courage; where before in your life there was awkwardness, now there is a rhythm of grace and gracefulness; where before you used to be jagged, now you are elegant and in rhythm with your self. When love awakens in your life, it is like a rebirth, a new beginning.

    John O’Donohue

    I love clouds! Some cloud formations will stop me in my tracks and I gawk at them. It’s a wonder I’ve not had a car accident. I took the above image while heading north out of town. Once I saw them I had to pull over and grab my camera. Did I mention I love clouds?

  • clouds,  John O'Donohue,  landscape,  Plants,  quotes,  trees

    Landscape

    When you cease to fear your solitude, a new creativity awakens in you. Your forgotten or neglected inner wealth begins to reveal itself. You come home to yourself and learn to rest within. Thoughts are our inner senses. Infused with silence and solitude, they bring out the mystery of the inner landscape.

    John O’Donohue

    I consider myself a landscape photographer because I enjoy moments of solitude whether I’m in nature or not. That inner landscape has been an interest for many years now. I enjoy spending time in nature or the inner landscape and what I’m discovering in those two landscapes.