• Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  natural areas,  sunrises

    Learning Patience

    August 20, 2023

    one way to learn patience
    is to become a photographer, here’s how

    first…
    arrive early at a favorite location
    set up your camera and tripod
    and don’t forget to bring along
    a hot cup of your favorite coffee or tea
    then enjoy the calm waters, the cool breeze
    receive all the gifts nature is offering

    next…
    awaken to the miracles she offers, such as
    small wavelets drifting on the open waters
    the great blue heron who stalks the shoreline
    a glimpse of a hungry fish rising to the surface
    clouds constantly reshaping themselves
    with the pink then red then orange colors

    then…
    be sure to pay attention to the whispers
    rising within you, they are very important
    some call it prayer, some call it meditation
    why not call it both

    now…
    say thank you and listen as your words
    of gratitude drift to the far shore,
    so, there’s no need to pray for patience
    just become a photographer
    and let nature teach you patience

    mws
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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  poems,  poetry,  sunrises

    The great Way

    August 13, 2023
    Predawn red sky at Arapaho Bend Natural Area

    The great Way is easy,
    yet people prefer the side paths.

    Be aware when things are out of balance.
    Stay centered within the Tao.

    When rich speculators prosper
    While farmers lose their land;

    when government officials spend money
    on weapons instead of cures;

    when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible
    while the poor have nowhere to turn-

    all this is robbery and chaos.
    It is not in keeping with the Tao.

    Tao Te Ching – Verse 53
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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  landscape,  natural areas,  reflections,  sunrises

    I Come Here for the Silence

    August 5, 2023
    Arapaho Bend Natural Area taken on 5/31/2023

    I come for the silence heard in the ground of my being
    which brings awareness of the gift of life.

    As this gift unfolds,
    the sun rises over a cloudless horizon,
    a fish quietly rises to the water’s surface
    and a quiet prayer is heard in my soul.

    This Book of Nature has opened its pages of this new day,
    may we silently read each word.

    I come here for the silence.

    mws
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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  landscape,  natural areas,  poems,  poetry,  quotes,  sunrises,  writing/reading

    Whoever that may be

    July 29, 2023

    In the late summer season of life, I found
    authors, guides, and teachers who have made me
    aware of the gift of my wandering soul and spirit
    within my own inner landscape.

    With no knowledge of an inner landscape
    I went seeking in the enticing outer landscape
    yet this wandering soul and spirit of mine
    was never satisfied, never fulfilled, always lost

    Now in my winter season of life
    my soul and spirit wander my inner landscape
    seeking the Unknowable,
    that source of life,
    Whatever and
    Whoever that may be.

    mws

    I’ll end this with a thought from C.G. Jung, suggesting that our wandering has and is the thirst of our being for wholeness, expressed in medieval language: the union with God.

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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  poems,  poetry,  reflections,  sunrises,  writing/reading

    The Power of Practice

    July 25, 2023

    To live a life grounded in God
    you don’t need information;
    you need to be informed by
    the spark of divine presence
    you always carry within you.
    But you’ll have to practice
    this, with concentration,
    like you would if you were
    learning a skill or art.

    Meister Eckhart’s Book of Darkness & Light

    To grow in this craft of photography requires practice. At the present moment I have over 90,000 images in my archives. A rough guess would be that less than 5% of them are good images. I’ll define good as images I’d want to print, frame or sell. And, I post many images on this blog that I would not define as good but want to share them anyway. There is something about them I like. Which means I have a large number of keepers that are lessons and teachers. The lessons they teach may not be something I understand while looking at the image on my computer. Some lessons may be unconscious and only known or understood until I’m in the field and something intuitive, that spark within me, tells me to change my composition or some technical aspect of my equipment. And, that is the lesson practice offers!

    This morning’s clouds, predawn colors and reflections at Arapaho Bend Natural Area were a good way for me to start this day. My only hiccup was making an 8 ounce pour-over rather than a 12 ounce pour-over. 😂 I hope you also have a good day in whatever you do!

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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  reflections,  sunrises

    Flyover at Predawn

    July 17, 2023

    I awoke early again. A trip to the bathroom, prayer and meditation time, a bowl of cereal, made a chai latte then headed for Arapaho Bend Natural Area. Yes, as some of you know I do have my routines. I am also blessed to have all these natural areas close to me. Arapaho Bend is about the farthest away at 8.5 miles. Takes about 16 minutes to drive there. This morning I discovered this slightly different perspective so you may see more images from this location. As I stood there soaking it all in a flock of about 21 geese flew over me from the west (I counted them). So, I waited until they were in the viewfinder before taking several images. Interesting how they noisily honked to let me know they were coming in over me. To me they add to the scene. Expecting another warm day here in Colorado. Hoping you have a great day!

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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  quotes,  storm clouds

    A New Soul

    June 23, 2023
    Watching storm clouds in the northwest from Riverbend Ponds

    We go to prayer to be transfigured ourselves, to come to see the world as God sees the world, to practice the presence of God, to put on a heart of justice, of love, and of compassion for others. We go to become new of soul.

    Joan Chittister

    Several years ago when life was lifey my ex-wife and I went back to church. We joined this small home group where we met for seven weeks and went through some workbook. I shared in the first meeting that I had not prayed for over 20 years. One elderly woman asked if I had ever said, Oh God! In her mind’s eye that was a prayer. Thus I began to question my understanding of prayer. I’ve been searching ever since.

    My concept of prayer when this happened was from my youth. I’ve since become aware of the need to uncover, discover and discard some of the teaching of my youth that no longer serve their purpose. And, that includes many areas of my life besides prayer. Prayer is such a personal journey for each of us and no two are the same. Seems the searching has altered my soul that I am unable to explain or comprehend.

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