My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
“There are some places so beautiful they can make a grown man break down and weep.”
Edward Abbey
It has been a rather cool day, a pleasant change from the past three weeks. I had blood draw last Friday and met with my hematologist this morning to go over those numbers. She was pleased with my numbers because they are stable. So all is good. They are working on the parking lot so we have had constant noise now for two days. The email said they will be done tomorrow. Seems man sure does enjoy their noise machines.
Stopping is an essential part of the spiritual life. If we cannot stop, we cannot see our True Nature. When we stop, we begin to see clearly, and we can appreciate the wonders of life. We can see that there is no separation between ourselves and the world, and we can marvel at the oneness of all things. To be fully present in the moment, we need to stop letting our mind race ahead to the future or dwell in the past. We need to let go of our distractions, our worries, and our busyness.
Thich Nhat Hanh
One thing about bicycling is the tendency to be more present to the now and not as much time in my head. So this cloud scene required me to stop this morning and take in the beauty and wonder of nature. And, I wasn’t late to the coffee shop.
The moment when, after many years of hard work and a long voyage you stand in the centre of your room, house, half-acre, square mile, island, country, knowing at last how you got there, and say, I own this,
is the same moment when the trees unloose their soft arms from around you, the birds take back their language, the cliffs fissure and collapse, the air moves back from you like a wave and you can’t breathe.
No, they whisper. You own nothing. You were a visitor, time after time climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming. We never belonged to you. You never found us. It was always the other way round.
Margaret Atwood, The Moment
Like so many of my images, something called me to stop and press the shutter button. I pulled into the Running Deer Natural Area parking lot and took the image from there. I did not create any of the beauty in this scene, nature did and lovingly shares it with us. Our task is to accept the gift of its presence and beauty with grateful hearts! May we come to realize we belong in this world not as conquerors but as integral parts of it.
“Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow its path.”
John O’Donohue
We awoke to a light mist that hung around until about 8:30 am. From then on the clouds slowly gave way to blue sky and sunshine, making it a beautiful day. I drove to Pineridge Natural Area about 4:32 pm to journal and listen to the Magpies chatter. The opening blue sky and scattered clouds filled my gratitude bucket. I always seem to feel respect for nature and move into a place of silent prayer. Before I left, a meadowlark sang a simple song for me. I believe it knew I needed one. My day was made complete. I hope you had a good weekend and enjoy your coming week!
No writing on the solitary, meditative dimensions of life can say anything that has not already been said better by the wind in the pine trees…or the silence and peace that is “heard” when the rain wanders freely among the hills and forests. But what can the wind say where there is no hearer?
Thomas Merton, THOUGHTS ON SOLITUDE
So maybe our task is to be present and listen or what Merton refers to as the hearer.
When you decide to walk the path of the mystic, the mundane shows up as miraculous, the boring becomes fascinating, and your own shortcomings turn out to be your greatest gifts.
On my way to the library today I turned too soon and found myself in the Dairy Queen parking lot. Being the wise old geezer I am, and not wasting the opportunity, I bought and ate a mini Butterfinger Blizzard, my mom’s flavorite. After the deed was done I did find my way out of the parking lot, made it to the library and got in some journaling time. As I left the library a large thunderhead, a towering cumulonimbus cloud, was sitting out over the eastern plains in all it beauty. These clouds were providing some much needed moisture around the Pawnee Grasslands. So I grabbed a shot of the thunderhead cloud as I was pulling out of the parking lot. May you have a wonderful weekend and be safe!
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.
Silence is one of the best ways to immediately reduce stress, while increasing your self-awareness and gaining the clarity that will allow you to maintain your focus on your goals, priorities, and what’s important for your life, each and every day.
“…the greatest reward for a creative life is not in what you create, but in how you live. It is in how you train yourself to view and respond to the world and internalize the many experiences and meanings and mysteries that come your way. It is about finding peace and satisfaction in a world rife with cynicism, violence, competition and greed.”
Guy Tal
I posted the above quote back on June 11, 2012, about 14 years ago. It spoke to me then and it speaks to me now in my photography, blogging and how I try to live my life. Pursuing a creative path is helping me find peace and satisfaction in a world that is rife with cynicism, violence, competition and greed. One of the things I do to live my life and find peace is spend time in nature. So, I spent some time this afternoon at Pineridge Natural Area. They made some changes on me by removing the bench up near the parking lot and putting in another one right next to the rocks I enjoy sitting on. It’s probably only three feet away from those rocks. It is a big, solid bench and just as hard as the rocks. But it has a back on it. It actually is a much more scenic view than where the previous bench was. That’s one of the reasons I liked sitting on those rocks. I approve of the change. You don’t suppose they put in that bench just for me???
Anway my sister, Sheree, and I are flying down to Phoenix in the morning to spend a couple days with my sister Marcee and brother-in-law, John. Then we will rent a car and drive back with some of mom and dad’s artwork. So I probably won’t be posting much the rest of the month. Hold down the Fort while I’m gone! I better finish packing.
