My online journal sharing interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
Looks like James, my barista, had a long night but is still smiling this morning. And, coming home from coffee shop I saw a six foot tall fluorescent green bunny rabbit walking along West Prospect. Suspect they were headed towards campus. Could be an interesting place to visit today.
I stand in the midst of creation’s wheel
Steven Charleston
And watch in wonder the quiet majesty of its turning.
We are in the care of a love without limit or definition
Under the protection of a love that never looks away.
It is Monday morning and we have fresh snow on the ground, clear blue skies and sunshine. I am grateful to be a witness to this beautiful winter wonderland. Today I am missing my mother who would have been 92 today. I also can say I miss her with a love that is without limits. Not sure I would have said that as a teenager which makes me grateful for my growing maturity. I’m also grateful for the belief that there is a caring love (and I speak of love as an action word, not a noun) that never looks away. I have experienced such love in family, friends and nature. So, I pray today for the gift of sharing with a love I’ve experienced which is without limits and never looks away.
“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.”
Eeyore
Well, I promised a snow report, so here it is. I cleaned about 5-7 inches of snow from my car this morning. My car dashboard said 22 degrees but we could see single digits tonight. After about 36 hours of snowfall nature is offering warm sunshine and blue skies. In this image from Reservoir Ridge Natural Area you are seeing the transition. I had coffee and conversation with Dan early this morning then made a drive to the foothills for photo opportunities as the sun and blue skies appeared before returning home. I lovingly accept the gift of this day. Enjoy your Sunday and may we all make a positive difference today.
Every moment is a gift. … Whatever life gives to you, you can respond with joy. Joy is the happiness that does not depend on what happens. It is the grateful response to the opportunity that life offers you at this moment.
Brother David Steindl-Rast
A light wet snow began falling about 6:14 am, our first snowfall for the 2023 winter. I was planning on meeting Eric in Windsor for coffee and conversation this morning but as I headed out of town I had second thoughts and returned home. We talked on the phone instead, which was still a good conversation.
Weather app says 2-7 inches possible by tomorrow noon and some much colder temperatures. Those temperatures will make roads nasty. During a lull, just after noon, I stepped outside and took this image. As you can see the trees still have a few leaves and with the snow being wet I’m afraid branches will be coming down. It’s Nature’s way of pruning.
My saga with the raccoons continues providing another opportunity for either anger or joy, my choice. I noticed they’d done more damage on Friday afternoon, tearing down another 1/3 of the insulation. So, I sprayed the remaining insulation and the firewall with a mix of water and peppermint oil last night. This afternoon when I started the car and began cleaning it off, a heck of a racket came from my engine compartment as two raccoons scrambled for their lives. Once they hit the ground they ran like crazy for the culvert. At first I felt angry to know they were back and fearful they had caused even more damage. It’s frustrating because I do not want them to cause electrical damage but also laugh at the situation. At some period of my past I may have waged war on them but I’ve come to understand waging war is not a solution. I want them to leave my car alone and they want to survive. It’s Nature’s way of survival. Anyway, I sprayed peppermint again and have decided to park my car in a different location, away from the culvert. And if that doesn’t solve it, I’m getting rid of the damn car because the car’s the problem!!! 😂
In reference to David Steindl-Rast’s quote I must agree that every moment is a gift. It was a gift when I felt the anger then let it go. It was a gift to laugh as I watched them run like hell. It’s a gift when I can share this comical/serious situation with you. And, it’s a gift for you to hopefully laugh at my situation while being grateful it ain’t you. Think I’m gonna soak in a hot tub of water tonight before bed and look at it as a gift.
“Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.”
Vincent Van Gogh
Every fall, the leaves of deciduous trees undergo a dramatic color change before forfeiting their newfound hues, fading to brown and dying. It’s a process all of nature takes on. Needles and leaves that fall decompose and restock the soil with nutrients and make up part of the spongy humus layer of the forest floor that absorbs and holds rainfall. Fallen leaves also become food for numerous soil organisms vital to the forest ecosystem. That is some of the science of why leaves fall but as a photographer I am drawn to the shapes and colors of fallen leaves. They offer a promise for more life. What a gift of love these leaves offer.
It is our coldest morning this fall at 24 degrees. It is still dark and with the cold I have that thought of going back to bed. Yet there is day ahead with possible adventures. What will it bring? I’ll start by seeing what I can find at a coffee shop.
I find myself referring to this site as a blog rather more often than a website, whether in conversations or writing. I began to wonder what the difference was. Seems the only real difference between a blog and a website is that blogs are updated on a regular basis with new content, which is displayed in reverse chronological order. While typical websites are static in nature where content is organized in pages, and they are not updated frequently. I place myself in the blog category. Some people have blogs that are just a part of a larger website. Some photographers I know have blogs within their website. And some have a separate website and a separate blog.
A bit of research on Dr. Google shows that blogs evolved primarily from personal online diaries and journals in the mid-90s. Then someone built a couple of blogging platforms, Blogger.com and later WordPress.com. Now there are a multitude of platforms that can be used to create both a website and a blog.
I knew almost nothing about a blog until a friend suggested I start one when I began working as a flight attendant. I laughed him off. Then something happened in October 2008 and now look at me some 15 years later! I can easily spend an hour or two a day writing and reading blogs. Much more over the past few weeks while “remodeling” this site. Anyway, I am quite comfortable referring to this website as a blog. 😂
Got my COVID vaccination yesterday and feel achy and tired this morning. No morning sunrise or visit to a coffee shop. Slept in late. Today will be a rest and recovery day.
I enjoy the special touch the Bean Cycle offers with my mocha. After adding the mocha and espresso in the cup they begin pouring the steamed milk. When the cup is about a quarter full with steamed milk, they stop and sprinkle a dash of chocolate powder on top of the already poured milk. Next they fill the rest of the cup with more foamed milk adding those two or three hearts, showing their craft. To me the chocolate powder adds a tough to the looks and I love how the powder mixed with the foam sticks to my mustache. ❤️ So, sometimes I start my morning with this gift. Seems to make the day run smoother. I hope I was able to fully espresso how they make this special touch.