My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
The Indians knew that life was equated with the earth and its resources, that America was a paradise, and they could not comprehend why the intruders from the East were determined to destroy all that was Indian as well as America itself.
— Dee Brown
“We rush through our days in such stress and intensity, as if we were here to stay and the serious project of the world depended on us. We worry and grow anxious; we magnify trivia until they become important enough to control our lives. Yet all the time, we have forgotten that we are but temporary sojourners on the surface of a strange planet spinning slowly in the infinite night of the cosmos.”
John O’Donohue
I broke the stay-at-home orders and headed out of town. Don’t tell anyone. I know how much quieter it is in town with half the traffic but it is even quieter on a dirt road in eastern Larimer County. Meadowlarks were singing their hearts out which made my heart sing. Not sure I have ever photographed these trees before. So, expect more of them.
I am reading a second book by John O’Donohue called Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections on Our Yearning to Belong. It is as good as his first one and that’s where this quote comes from. Good night. I’m off to bed.
“In this world of onrushing events the act of meditation – even just a “one-breath” meditation – straightening the back, clearing the mind for a moment – is a refreshing island in the stream.” Gary Snyder
“I want to sing like the birds sing
Not worrying about who hears
Or what they think.”
Rumi
I wonder what went through the minds of our ancestors who were physically, mentally and spiritually closer to nature then we are? I ask because I come to these nature areas to find distance from the noise of the city but find my mind is consistently distracted. Were they capable of being more present than I seem to be? I’m aware the more time I spend out here the more present I can be. After a period of settling in, adjusting to this place, I hear, then see, the osprey soaring in the wind drafts, being pursued by a pesky crow. Next I notice a goldfinch that just perched on a bush nearby, singing it’s soft and delicate “swee-eet” song. I watch and am amazed at how quickly the birds can fly from here to there, silently. If you do not know what I write about then spend a morning in a nature area, listen, watch, be present, bring a journal and use it, and please leave your phone at home. Just some questions.
“We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and winding streams with tangled growth as wild. Earth was beautiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery.” Luther Standing Bear, Oglala Lakota
It’s Tuesday, close to noon. Awoke to overcast skies and a light mist. The weather along with the worldwide changes going on added a gloomy feel to the day. After quiet time I headed to Cups coffee to use the internet and enjoy a mocha but that didn’t happen. They fall under the statewide ban on the closing of restaurants and bars that went into affect yesterday. Because they are being impacted financially with our situation I bought a mocha and headed home. I will read a new book I received yesterday, journal a little, have more prayer and mediation time, listen to the silence and write this post. It’s a strange time.
The world looks strange to me this morning, almost unrecognizable and it is. However, I’m aware there is something different within me. I am seeing and feeling the world differently. I have been a solitary individual for many years now, choosing to spend a lot of time alone. However, knowing I can’t just go to a coffee shop and sit to read/journal/converse with the baristas, friends and a stranger is now not my choice. My feathers are ruffled. I don’t always deal well with the unexpected bump in the road or a pothole that wasn’t there yesterday. Daily changes in life require acceptance of the present moment and a shift in thinking and living. My task in life is to let go of what I think I think I need life to look like and live more solidly in the present moment. It’s a strange time.
Seems, I have been getting out of town with my camera and tripod more often. That’s a good thing for my mental health and not because of any virus. We had plenty of clouds to attract my intention so I headed east then north and west making a nice loop. As I left town my first thought was this is a waste of time and fuel but that other voice inside suggested I continue and see what we could find. After an hour out of town and closer to nature I could see the possibility of long shadows and sunlight because of these clouds. I knew that if I drove west towards the mountains the long shadows would predominate. And, this is the image what I was given.