After my morning mocha I drove along S County Road 23 which runs along side of Horsetooth Reservoir. I was hoping to see clouds sitting atop the foothills overlooking the reservoir but that was not the case. However this open field of cut grass with the solitary and motionless irrigation system near Bellevue caught my attention so I pulled over and faced into the cold north wind. Even though the field was what caught my attention, it was the blue sky that is the real star in the image. The temperature this morning at 6:31 am was 23 degrees. With wind and humidity it felt like low teens. I noticed a dusting of powdery snow still hanging around places where the sun’s rays do not reach. I hope you have a great day in whatever you do.
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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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The Treasure of Silence
It takes time to rediscover the treasure of silence.
Gunilla Norris -
Contemplatives
The shape of a landscape is an ancient and silent form of consciousness. Mountains are huge contemplatives. Rivers and streams offer voice; they are the tears of the earth’s joy and despair. The earth is full of soul.
John O’Donohue -
One Kind Word…
We cannot control the way people interpret our ideas or thoughts, but we can control the words and tones we choose to convey them. Peace is built on understanding, and wars are built on misunderstandings. Never underestimate the power of a single word, and never recklessly throw around words. One wrong word, or misinterpreted word, can change the meaning of an entire sentence and start a war. And one right word, or one kind word, can grant you the heavens and open doors.
Suzy KassemLate afternoon scene along Weld County Rd 90.
I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and you have put out at least one kind word today! -
Transformed
The spirit of the wilderness is solitude. We go alone to meet the divinity within us. The wisdom of the wilderness comes from God interacting through creation to touch our very soul. We emerge from our journey with a new identity grounded in God. Transformed, we discover we have been given back to ourselves.
Debra Donnelly-BartonI have mentioned before on this blog how I go to places where I can touch and be touched by nature; physically, emotionally and spiritually. There is always a shift in my thinking, words and actions when I am able to spend time in the local natural areas, the early mornings of a local park, riding my bicycle on a nature trail, or the solitude of wilderness. When I do, I find a renewed connection to the Creator of this beautiful world we all are a part of and a greater awareness that I’m a part of nature. Her use of the word transformed in the quote is spot on for me. I just ain’t the same when I return home.
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Last Night’s Sunset
After about 36 hours of overcast skies that brought much needed moisture, the storm moved to the east late yesterday afternoon. Blue skies once again appeared and the late afternoon sunshine spread its golden glow upon us. We did experience some heavy rain early afternoon and even hail. It seemed like the color green popped out in the blink of an eye. I took this image yesterday evening about 8:00 pm after leaving the movie premiere I attended at CSU. Then, this afternoon I took a bicycle ride to Spring Creek Park where there was still remnants of flooding along low lying areas of the trail and the underpasses. I hope you had a wonderful Thursday!
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Waiting for my attention…
Once we discover that the ‘book of nature’ is an ancient idea—that this really was God’s first way of reaching out to us—then it’s like we’re stepping into this giant prayer book when we step out into the natural world. This makes it impossible for me to be anywhere in creation, now, and not be aware of this God who is crouching down low, just waiting for my attention.
Barbara Mahany -
Enjoying this season of my life…
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things,
Wu-Men, translated from Chinese by Stephen Mitchell
this is the best season of your life.The list of unnecessary things my mind can grab onto seems almost infinite. My imagination, dreams, and creativity are gifts when I work to make them reality. However, learning to let go of those that are unnecessary allows me to more fully enjoy this season of my life.
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The Substance of Silence
But there is greater comfort in the substance of silence than in the answer to a question.
Thomas MertonWhen I was younger my friends and I would ride our bicycles to Lake Loveland and fish. Our quest was for crappie and perch that gathered along the trunks of the trees in the water. If memory serves me we would use simple little jigs and it was pretty easy pickings. I have very good memories of those days. And amazingly we did not have smartphones to document it. Nor did mom send us a text message telling us dinner was ready. There seemed to be more silence back then. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!









