An online journal sharing my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, spirituality and asking deep questions.
Nothing of the inherent beauty of life will be found in the grasping for life’s gadgets.
Joan Chittister
One of the reasons I come here is because there isn’t much traffic, no sirens. I’m standing in the middle of Weld County Road 90 about a quarter of a mile from the Weld County and Larimer County lines. With no traffic there is no city noise pollution. Instead there are plenty of birds to sing for me and the breeze feels wonderful. Have a wonderful day!
Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings while the dawn is still dark.
Rabindranath Tagore
There is a marsh along Weld County Rd. 13 that I like to visit for bird photos. I park the car in a pull off area then walk along the edges of the marsh with my tripod and camera looking for Red-winged blackbirds and Yellow breasted blackbirds. I watch and listen. Bird photography requires a lot of patience, something I need more of, in all areas of my life. So it’s a good practice for me. The agility of birds fascinates me, especially the smaller ones. They are quick and mobile so getting an image in focus is a task all by itself. Thus the need for patience. Once this female red-winged blackbird landed on the cattail and graciously pose for me, I needed to wait for a few seconds to let the cattail stop bouncing. Had to have some faith that would happen.
Have a great day!
“To live a spiritual life requires that we choose the values that will ground our hearts, stretch our vision, and give new energy to our hopes.”
Joan Chittister
I enjoyed a quiet predawn at Arapaho Bend Natural Area this morning. I was the only one there other than the geese, some Great Blue Herons along the far shore and a couple of pelicans. None of us was very talkative.
We had more rain and thunderstorms yesterday, in fact the weather was severe on the eastern plains. However the weather brought winds helping to clear out the smoke and haze. Quite the contrast this morning. Nature seemed to take a deep breath, relax and gives us the gifts of a clear predawn sky, a sunrise and the promise of a new day.
After spending time in these sanctuaries I feel the inadequacy of offering any words expressing the feelings I experience, yet I try. If there is one word to express my feelings it’s gratitude. Pretty simple. Such a beautiful world we live in when we take the time to experience it. Now going to meet a friend for a late lunch. Have a great day!!
Storm clouds are a reminder of how small we are in this world. They remind us that we’re not in charge. They also remind us that we can witness their gift by standing in awe of its power and beauty. But first we have to stop and look.
Sitting on this rock, watching the sunrise with awe and wonder. The grass around me is wet from the mornings dew and also from the rain we had yesterday. The temperature is perfect. There is almost no wind. I take sips of my chai latte, listening to a meadowlark perched atop the fence singing its morning praise. The sun rises behind the clouds, offering hints of pink and letting me know the new day is here. I’m grateful for this moment, this place, this experience, this life, all the green that surrounds me, the clouds, the new day, even the cold hard rock I’m sitting on. This is one of my favorite times of the day… one of my favorite places…
Western Meadowlarks seek the wide open spaces of native grasslands and agricultural fields for spring and summer breeding and winter foraging. I find them along the weedy sides of roads, marsh edges, and mountain meadows on the eastern plains and along the foothills. They seem to share the marshes with the red-winged and yellow breasted blackbirds. Which make sense as they are in the blackbird family. Since their diet consists mostly of insects and seeds they really are almost everywhere. As you can tell in this image this one has dinner already. They were perched on fence post as I drove along Weld County Rd. 15. Their song is my favorite of the song birds. It just resonates with me. I was surprised to hear it sing even with the worm in it’s bill. Again, have a super day!