• bicycle rides,  clouds,  coffee life

    The Morning Ride

    May 12, 2026
    Altocumulus Clouds in the west from this morning’s ride to the coffee shop

    When I opened my blinds this morning, I could see the crescent moon in the southern sky and it brought a smile to my face. After some quiet time and cereal I enjoyed an absolutely lovely bicycle ride to and from the coffee shop as can be seen in this image. Meg was my barista which brought another smile to my face. And the conversation at the coffee shop was as stimulating as the coffee. We even stayed longer than normal. I had my monthly luncheon with a few of my classmates later at a park in Loveland. And, again good conversations were shared! After I post this I plan on working on my dad’s photo book, getting in some journaling time and maybe a walk. I loved these altocumulus clouds on my ride this morning. These clouds were along both the east and west horizons and stopping for a photograph seemed mandatory. 

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  • bicycle rides,  nature,  Spring Creek Trail

    A Saturday Ride

    May 2, 2026

    We have a beautiful day here in Colorado. I mounted the red steed and took a bicycle ride along Spring Creek Trail out to Spring Canyon Park and back, about 7.6 mile round trip. Lots of people were out enjoying the weather so the trail was busy. And the park was busy with little kids’ soccer, and the pickle ball courts and tennis courts were full. I spotted a couple of young girls sunbathing in bikinis and almost rode off the trail. I’m gonna call it wildlife. No image but I did stop for this image on the way back because I like the idea that we can feel like we’re in a natural wooded area outside of the city while still in the city. I hope you are enjoying your Saturday!

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  • bicycle rides,  bicycling,  landscape,  moon,  natural areas,  nature,  quotes

    To See Another View

    April 8, 2026

    “The humble person is open to being corrected, whereas the arrogant is clearly closed to it. Proud people are supremely confident in their own opinions and insights. No one can admonish them successfully… Filled as they are with their own views, the arrogant lack the capacity to see another view.”

    Fr. Thomas Dubay

    It was an amazingly warm morning at 57 degrees when I headed for the coffee shop. I decided to take the Fisher Nature Area then connect to the Spring Creek Trail and was greeted with the moon sitting in the southern sky. So glad I took a different route as it offered me another view. It will be a day for reading and writing, a short meeting with friends at noon then meet a friend at 4 pm. May you enjoy this day and the view it offers!

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  • bicycle rides,  bicycling

    Getting some exercise

    February 27, 2026

    Well, I have now riden the past five consecutive days and love being back on the bicycle. A couple of those days I had to deal with north/northwest wind gusts up to 20 mph so I got in some good exercise. I took this image of the red steed at Spring Canyon Park which is where I turn around and head back. It’s an easy 10 mile round trip. The sun has set so time to push publish. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

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  • bicycle rides,  bicycling,  landscape,  Spring Creek Trail

    Taking a short trip…

    November 18, 2025

    This is an image taken along the Spring Creek Trail. I have wanted to stop on several occasions and take this image for quite some time but I seem to always tell myself tomorrow. The morning’s ride became that tomorrow. I plan to stop more often in an effort to catch the light at different times. I have seen the water glisten with sunlight around mid-morning and I would like to capture that. Anyway this is the scene with overcast skies.

    My sister and I fly out tomorrow for Phoenix to spend Thanksgiving a week early with my dad, sister and brother-in-law. It will be a short trip, coming back on Saturday. That should give me enough time to enjoy my family and overeat. I will not be posting much so I will catch up when I get back.

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  • bicycling,  landscape,  moon,  quotes,  reflections,  Spring Creek Trail

    Living in the moment…

    November 9, 2025
    The moons footprint in the sky

    To live in the moment… is the onlyfootprint one must follow..

    Oglala Lakota- Hinhan Wakangl

    After coffee and conversation with my friends Terri and Jeff I rode home via Spring Creek Trail. The moon set its footprint in a clear blue sky over the mountains in the west. It seemed to be happy! Because it was happy I couldn’t let the opportunity pass for a photo. Now, I was happy! I hope you have a great day and I see snow is falling up north now.

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  • animals,  bicycling,  Spring Creek Trail,  sunrises

    My ride to coffee…

    November 2, 2025

    With the time change my morning ride to the coffee shops will be safer since there is more light. It was a much warmer morning than yesterday, even though there was frost, so I rode the Spring Creek trail to coffee and back. That is also a safer ride, primarily free of all traffic. My traffic this morning was this buck. I stopped and tried to start a conversation but he would have none of it. However, he didn’t seem to mind sharing the trail. I hope you have a great Sunday!

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  • bicycle rides,  bicycling,  campus,  clouds,  fall season,  gratitude,  leaves,  sunrises

    Filled with gratitude…

    October 26, 2025

    We are having wonderful fall weather here in Colorado. However, next week we will see colder weather. Late yesterday morning I stood on my porch enjoying a glazed donut and glass of milk, soaking up the sun’s warming rays and watching the constant falling of leaves, twisting and spinning on their short journey. It’s a mesmerizing experience to be aware of my breath while being a witness to nature changing, creating. I felt filled with gratitude. And this morning is just as lovely of a fall morning. As soon as I stepped out the door into the darkness I was met with a captivating quiet and stillness. I then accepted the gift of the sunrise colors over the CSU campus as I rode to Mugs for a wonderful Old Town mocha made by my barista Ethan, then conversation and laughter with Jeff.

    Sunrise colors over campus
    Fall colors at the CSU Oval

    On the way home I rode through the CSU Oval listening to the sound of my tires rolling through the fallen leaves. Again, I felt filled with gratitude. Yet, I am aware that not all of the world has this state of silence, peace, and serenity. Nor are are all my days this way. Chaos, death, fear and suffering fills their days instead. My heart cries for them and I grapple with my feelings of helplessness. So even though I do not understand prayer or the prayer as I was taught in my youth, I do as Joyce Wilson-Sanford says, “I pray anyway.” Somehow, someway the prayer is given. May you enjoy this Sunday!

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  • bicycling,  fall season,  landscape,  moon,  reflections,  Spring Creek Trail

    A Beautiful October Day

    October 9, 2025
    Moon reflected in Spring Creek

    It is a beautiful October day here in Colorado. It was a much warmer morning on my bicycle ride to coffee than yesterday. I was grateful to see the waning gibbous moon watching over me on my ride to coffee. When I saw its reflection in Spring Creek on my ride home I had to stop, take some breaths and receive the gift. Yes, it’s a beautiful fall day in Colorado! And, it has been a nice slow day that has included getting my hair cut and then stopping at the Bread Chic bakery on the way home and buying a loaf of their sourdough bread for toast in the mornings. It is still early in the day so I just may get in another bicycle ride before this day ends.

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  • bicycle rides,  fog,  landscape,  nature,  quotes,  Spring Creek Trail,  sunrises

    Unsuspected Goodness

    September 25, 2025

    The healing of our present woundedness may lie in recognizing and reclaiming the capacity we all have to heal each other, the enormous power in the simplest of human relationships: the strength of a touch, a blessing of forgiveness, the grace of someone else taking you just as you are and finding in you an unsuspected goodness.

    Rachel Naomi Remen, Kitchen Table Wisdom

    This morning’s 45 degrees and 93% humidity made for a rather invigorating bicycle ride to Mugs. I was then greeted by Emily and Meg and one of their Old Town mochas. Our greetings with one another always raises the awareness of our unsuspected goodness in one another. I live a blessed life!!

    Spring Creek is a 12.7-mile-long tributary of the Cache La Poudre River. The Spring Creek Trail follows Spring Creek through several parks in mid Fort Collins. It is one of my favorite paths to get around this town. I take this route since I do not have to deal with any traffic. The trail passes under Prospect Road built for pedestrians and bicycles, so I only ride in traffic for 3 blocks of the 2.4 mile ride to coffee. No stoplights and only two stop signs They have constructed gates along Spring Creek to control water flow from flooding and in the past for irrigating crops. This is one of the places where they have gates that provide larger open water areas providing beauty and an environment for the water life. This morning I needed to stop and accept this image on my way to Mugs. I like to believe the geese were shouting joy for this beautiful morning and wanting my attention to stop and take it all in. And so I did! It was a beautiful morning and ride.

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