Mary Oliver wrote in her poem My Work is Loving the World, that she considers her real work to “keep my mind on what matters, loving the world…which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.” So this afternoon I ventured to Arapaho Bend Natural Area to be astonished with the last sunset of January 2026. We had almost no clouds all day long and we reached a nice 58 degrees, which is unusual for us. I hear those of you on the east coast are seeing record breaking snowfall. I hope you have had the opportunity to enjoy it but are staying safe and warm.
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How we see life…
I made a drive out to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area this afternoon to journal while looking for the possibility of a photo of the setting sun. It was quiet out there even though it has been a beautiful day. I saw two pairs of dogs walking their owners and that was it. It has also been a day for seeing raptures. As I left my condo for coffee shop this morning there were two bald eagles soaring above me and sending out their shrill and high pitched calls. Their size, beautiful flights and calls always stop me in my tracks. I saw two more again about mid day on the other side of my pond. Then this afternoon I watched a falcon hunting while at Reservoir Ridge.
“Helping, fixing, and serving represent three different ways of seeing life.
Rachel Naomi Remen
When you help, you see life as weak.
When you fix, you see life as broken.
When you serve, you see life as whole.
Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego,
and service the work of the soul.”I would like to remove the words “may be” in Remen’s quote and replace them so that line reads, “Fixing and helping is the work of the ego.” For those of you in North Carolina, North Berwick and Sterling Heights stay warm and safe this weekend.
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In silence…
In silence,we discover ourselves, our actual presence
Gunilla Norris
to the life in us and around us. When we are present,
deeply attentive, we cannot be busy controlling.
Instead we become beholders – giving ourselves up
to the mystery of things. We become more willing
to let things be. And as a consequence
we can also let ourselves be. -
Grateful
Look closely and you will find that people are happy because they are grateful.
David Steindl-Rast
The opposite of gratefulness is just taking everything for granted.It has been a productive day. I accomplished a few things that had been put on the back burner because of my surgery. So, I’m feeling grateful this evening. As I walked through my bedroom late this afternoon I saw the soft yellow light and shadows from the evenings setting sun. I grabbed my camera and now want to share this simple image with you. I hope you have had a wonderful day, stayed warm and dry and found time to be grateful!
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Landscape of Timelessness
For us, there is not just this world,
Joy Harjo
there’s also a layering of others.
Time is not divided by minutes and hours,
and everything has presence and meaning
within this landscape of timelessness.One of the gifts I’ve found from visiting National Parks is the mystery of the time it has taken nature to develop the landscapes we photographers enjoy photographing. I also have always come back changed in some way with the silence and learning to be present with nature. She has much to share with us! And look at those layers of time she is showing. I hope everyone is staying warm, safe and dry!!
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Writing is a voyage…
Journal writing is a voyage to the interior.
Christina BaldwinLike most of the nation it is cold here. It was 1 degree at about 5:43 am this morning. It was too cold for me to get out and meet Eric for coffee so we chatted over the phone. I was curled up in my chair and wrapped in a blanket. But we have had blue skies and sunshine all day. It has been a good day to journal. I hope you are safe and warm!
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Winter is back…
And I am talking about Winter, one of our baristas at Mugs on Laurel. She has been gone for three months to England through an exchange program at Colorado State University. This is the first Old Town mocha she made for me since her return. She still makes a good Old Town mocha and her latte art is pretty dang good too. Welcome back Winter!
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Silhouettes
We have had clear skies most of the day with sunshine but on the cold side. Sure looks like most of the nation is on the cold side and it’s going to get worse in many places. Single digits for lows at night calls for two blankets. My day has been quiet. I was able to drive my car for the first time in three weeks so I went to the coffee shop then the grocery store. All went well and nobody got hurt. Actually it was a good experience to see what life would be like if I did not have a car, which I’ve wondered about. I am still being cautious in what I do and discovered today that I may have overdone the walking as I am a bit sore. This sunset image of two hawks silhouetted in the trees was taken in December of 2020 along Weld County Road 15, one of my favorite locations for sunsets. The image is simple, nothing fancy, but the location is a place of quiet and solitude. And, I believe Mr. James is spot on. Stay warm!!!!
If you can change your mind, you can change your life.
William James -
Being in love…
“The most important aspect of love is not in giving or the receiving: it’s in the being. When I need love from others, or need to give love to others, I’m caught in an unstable situation. Being in love, rather than giving or taking love, is the only thing that provides stability. Being in love means seeing the Beloved all around me.”
Ram Dass -
Branches
We need silences to be free from the words that come between us and reality. We need silence to still our chattering minds and focus on the new creation to which we are constantly giving birth. There is a music to silence and a dance within stillness which is lacking in our lives and communities.
Toni BenderWe had a dusting of snow overnight then blue skies and sunshine the rest of the day. I would say we had nearly an inch but most is gone by now. It is still cold but our Colorado sunshine will quickly melt snow. Stay warm and dry and hope you had a good Monday!









