• lake,  landscape,  sunsets

    An Afternoon Drive

    Watson Lake on a January afternoon

    As I turned onto Bingham Hill road I encountered a flock of 15 turkeys swaggering and fanning their tail feathers. I stopped, watched and listened to them. They are quite amusing. Took a dozen images but had too short of a lens for an image I would like to have had. A quarter mile down the road I came across a dozen mule deer grazing in the open field. Again I stopped to watch and listen. From there I drove to Watson Lake to sit at a favorite spot overlooking the lake. I soon heard the call of an eagle then watched it land on the ice with a fish in its talons. With binoculars I watched as the bird devoured the whole thing, leaving nothing. After the eagle flew away I sat in the quiet of the frozen lake. Behind me I could hear the sound of the Poudre River as it continued its journey eastward. So an afternoon drive became a series of spiritual experiences with nature. So glad I got out.

    Swaggering and fanning their tail feathers
  • gratitude,  Plants

    Sunday….

    Rabbitbrush

    “The simplest spiritual discipline is some degree of solitude and silence. To be with our own thoughts and feelings is probably the most courageous act most of us will ever do.”

    …and the sun has been shining most of the day. However, when I left the condo this morning for my chai latte a massive cloud bank sat along the easter horizon hiding the sun. It finally broke above the cloud bank about 8:00 am and immediately began to warm and brighten our day. People were out enjoying this beautiful day. Parking lots to the natural areas were full this afternoon. Now the long late afternoon shadows have faded into the coming darkness as the sun sets and the feeling of cold surrounds me. I’m in for the night to read and post these simple words. Hope you had a good weekend and pray you have a good week.

    Saw a bumper sticker today that I liked and it made me smile. It’s a bit different than its cousin by one word. It says, “Make America Grateful Again.” I’m not so sure either grateful or great are the best words but I would like to have our country be known as grateful rather than great.

  • landscape,  Plants,  shadows,  snow,  trees

    Shadows and Tracks

    Shadows and tracks in the snow from Thursday

    It’s been mostly gray skies today. The sun tried to make an appearance as I watched from my bedroom window but to no avail. It has been cold also and the reason I sit in my bedroom, much too cold to be on the porch. I’ve not had much energy or ambition, although I did get things done and accomplished. For those on the east coast and the Great Lakes area, stay warm on this cold Saturday!

  • street photography

    Hanging on

    Some days the best we can do is just hang on.

    We received about 5-6 inches from this storm this past Wednesday. Now we are in for several days of variable cloudy days, cold temperatures, low teens at night and not much above 32 degrees for our daily highs. The snow will stay around with those conditions. Hope you had a good week, enjoy your weekend and hang in there.

  • leaves,  Plants,  poetry,  writing/reading

    Entice the eyes…

    again amazed at nature’s flair
    as she creates her shared gifts
    the earth becomes her canvas while
    spreading a tapestry of leaves
    that entice the eyes of the heart

    mws

    A major winter storm is impacting our area. Snow began falling yesterday evening. Looks like we have 3-4 inches this morning and it’s expected to continue snowing throughout the day. Seems the worst of the snow will be farther east. I have an appointment for a CT scan this afternoon and hope the roads are in good condition by then. I took this image a couple days ago outside my condo. I was drawn by the color and pattern. Right now I’m watching it snow from the chair in my bedroom’s bay window. May you have a super Awesome day!

  • pond,  reflections,  water

    Zooming In

    A great photograph is a distillation, a reduction of the chaos of our wider experience to a visually satisfying essence where what is excluded is as important as what is included.

    David Ward

    Took my camera for a short walk around my ponds yesterday. The afternoon sun was breaking through the overcast skies and reflecting light off the soft ripples drifting across the pond. I zoomed in to focus only on the ripples and reflections and remove the chaos. When I head out of town to some place of quiet or one of the natural areas I am also reducing the chaos of life, zooming in.

    Snow is expected tonight and into tomorrow with accumulations of 6-11 inches. I have doctor appointments today, tomorrow and Thursday. Some are consultations and some are tests. Wherever you are stay dry, warm and out of trouble.

    And today is my dads 94th birthday! Happy birthday dad!!!!

  • quotes,  shadows,  street photography

    A Look at Shadows

    “The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.”

    Carl Jung

    The sun shines brightly this morning casting shadows all around me. I watch the tree’s shadows stretching across the street outside the window of the coffee shop. Shadows fall upon these pages as I journal. And, on the wall next to me I see my ever present shadow. Quite handsome I must say. And, as with many photographers, shadows are a subject of interest for me. I share many images of shadows on this blog.

    Additionally in my practice of self-examination along with prayer and meditation I’ve come to know those dark aspects of my personality as present and real, what Jung is referring to as our shadow side. Discovering the dark aspects of my shadow side reminds me of the enjoyable task of learning more about myself and eliminating or reducing those that are negative and harmful. I’m grateful for shadows as a subject to photograph but also because they remind me there is yet more to know about myself. Time to post this as the setting sun is casting long shadows across my front yard. The end of another day.