My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
We had a wonderful rain on Friday evening. So yesterday morning I began the day by greeting the sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area. Song birds were happy campers and singing merrily. Everything was wet, covered in heavy dew. I stopped at Red Fox Meadows on the way home because there was a bit of fog along the low lying meadow. Everything is refreshed after the rain we had. Being in a drought makes it even more enjoyable. It was a wonderful way to start the new day.
in the silence of a foggy morning
ms
I listen to my heart as it cries for
the brokenness of our world and
offer a prayer as tears flow from my soul
may we awake to the nurturing embrace of love
may we awake to the healing touch of compassion
may we awake to the needs of the oppressed
may we awake to the gift of forgiveness
It is a cold morning here in Colorado. A heavy ice storm yesterday morning followed by a light snow all day and cold temperatures has made it poor traveling. I received a notification yesterday that the city of Fort Collins was on an accident alert and the bus system was on a delayed and shortened schedule. Expecting some sunshine this afternoon and will clean off the snow and 1/10th of an inch of ice from my car. I have not been outside my condo for over 48 hours. Feels strange.
low lying clouds
ms
sea of suspended water
silent waves of fog
Had a short night of sleep but slept sound for most of it and feel rested. Headed out early and discovered a bit of fog on the eastern plains. A world of clouds and haze until the sun burns it off. Very humid and cool morning with 96% humidity and 57 degrees. It is fascinating to watch fog as it changes and moves like a wave ever so silently and quickly. Fog does not hang around for too long. It is a cloud at the earth’s surface. A wave moving over bales of hay.
A touch of pink in this image as the sun is about to rise behind the low clouds in the east. We are seeing fields of both the ripening wheat and three foot tall stalks of corn. Farmers are irrigating the fields of corn so lots of surface moisture to generate the fog. Where I’m standing is a ditch full of gurgling water, almost like having my own little stream. Have a great day!
“In one of the Upanishads it says, when the glow of a sunset holds you and you say ‘Aha,’ that is the recognition of the divinity. And when you say ‘Aha’ to an art object, that is a recognition of divinity. And what divinity is it? It is your divinity, which is the only divinity there is. We are all phenomenal manifestations of a divine will to live, and that will and the consciousness of life is one in all of us, and that is what artwork expresses.”
Joseph Campbell, The Mythic Dimension: Selected Essays 1959-87
With the very warm days the green is fading quickly. This image was taken back in May near Reservoir Ridge Natural Area. In reference to the above quote, I’d like to think of this image as my recognition of the divine. An “Aha” moment!
This past Sunday morning nature gave us the gift of light fog. So I drive out east into Weld County to see if I would be given an image. A couple hours later at home I learned that a friend of mine died during the night after his battle with cancer. This simple scene fit my mood.
Found these two Canada Goose sleeping-in late on the pond. A half dozen more are off to my right curled in the same position. Four days ago the pond was all open water. Two nights below freezing changed that. Fog is unusual for us along the foothills. We will find more of it as we move east onto the plains, especially along rivers and open water. So, the fog was a treat for me this morning. It is also cold, in the high teens, frost covers everything and only expecting to be in the mid 30’s today and a bit of sunshine.
I chased some early morning fog then headed out to one of the natural areas to write and get in a morning walk. It’s about a 5 mile drive to Reservoir Ridge and then found the sun shining brightly there and eerily quiet. I watched the sun burn off the fog along the foothills to the south, nature at work. Everything was wet from the humidity and dew; the split rail fence, the grass, and a spiderweb. The sun and wind will quickly dry things out. Thus begins a morning in the meadow. Makes me smile somewhere inside of me as I experience it.
The birds now begin to sing as if they were waiting for me. They dart so quickly in the aire and must in order to catch all the quick and nimble flying insects. I watch as the wind slowly moves the fog to my east in a southerly direction. While small clouds along the foothills are moved south by the same wind. I watch a blue-jay perched on the fence hop to the ground in hot pursuit of some insect. He misses on the first couple tries then finds success. Such a beautiful bird dressed in blue, a work of art.
Now a bit of information about common chicory from Wikipedia. I see these all over the place and finally looked them up. The bees love them. The plant was adopted as a coffee substitute by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War, and become common in the United States. It was also used in the United Kingdom during the Second World War, where Camp Coffee, a coffee and chicory essence, has been on sale since 1885.
My restlessness this morning took me to Pineridge Nature Area to joined up with the meadowlarks, Canada Geese, barking prairie dogs, a perched hawk, again. I pretty much had the area to myself. I’m not sure restless is the word or not but that’s what I’m going with. Seems I have been a restless person for many years. Why? I ask myself that simple question a lot. I remember the awareness I had the first time I grabbed my backpack, headed out the door and realized I had no particular place in mind. I was just wanting to go. I journaled about this almost nomadic impulse this morning. I feel much of my seven years working as a flight attendant was rooted in a form of nomadic life, as almost each night was a different city.
For many years my daydreams have revolved around traveling in a small RV, solo. My parents spent a few years living as snowbirds as did sister and brother-in-law. They all enjoyed it. Yet, what I’m speaking about is living nomadically, no home to return to after a couple months on the road. It would be home. However, I am not in a good financial position to live the nomadic life in a class B van. It would require selling my condo, purchasing a used RV and investing the balance of my home equity. Am I willing to take such a risk? Just throwing some thoughts out there.
After quiet time, prayer and meditation,
mws
I made a french press of coffee, Heaven’s Blend
by name, then moved outside to sit in the sun.
In the warmth I read from Rilke’s Book of Hours,
and journaled thoughts. I focused on listening to
the sounds of nature, birds, wind, as their words
seem to soothe, heal and nurture me with a balm
rather than the pain brought on by the world’s news.
I think Gratitude is the word for this day.
My sister and I are flying to Phoenix next Tuesday to spend Thanksgiving with my parents. Mom just turned 88 and dad will be 91 in January. They still live alone but we do see the decline in activity. We have been doing this for the past 5-6 years. We are enjoying as much time with them as we can.