• Candid Portraits,  clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  People/Portraits,  photographers

    Visitors

    September 22, 2020
    Tom and Kathy Dills with breakfast smiles at the Chicken Coop
    Kathy checking out the uncomfortable rock

    No landscape images this morning. Instead I’m going to post a couple of images of Tom and Kathy Dills from the short visit we had.  Pretty impressive smiles from both of them considering the road miles they have put in. Driving from North Carolina to the northwest coast and back is not the same as a jaunt to the grocery store. And, include a pandemic and the fact most of the west coast seems to be on fire and you can understand the task they took on. This was yesterday morning at the newly opened Chicken Coop, a American Mexican restaurant nearby.

    They arrived Sunday afternoon. After connecting up we drove to the Pineridge Natural Area and then to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area where we took a short walk to the rock. This is a location I enjoy because of the quiet and solitude I can experience. At the present time it’s not as quiet because they’re using the open field south of the natural area as a staging area for the helicopters battling the Cameron Peak fire. Kathy tried sitting on the uncomfortable rock and agreed it’s purpose is not long term sitting. They left yesterday morning and expect to arrive in Charlotte on Thursday. It was a short visit but hopefully there will be more opportunities.

     

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  • Candid Portraits,  Fujifilm X-T3,  Fujifilm XF16-80mm f4.0,  lake,  landscape,  lifestyles,  natural areas,  reflections,  shadows,  sunrises

    What the heck

    August 20, 2020
    Getting ready for some morning fishing time

    On one of my walks at Dixon Reservoir I noticed this man just getting started with some fishing. The rising sun offered me a wonderful silhouette so I paused, took a deep breath, composed, took five images. Probably three too many but what the heck. For me the mood of this image tells a story about this man’s love for fishing.

    My bicycle ride to and from Mugs coffee shop takes me across the campus of Colorado State University. I was surprised this morning at the number of parents dropping off students at dorms. I’ll guess 90% were wearing masks but I imagine that will change when mom leaves. It also brought more awareness of the vast differences we have in our attitudes towards this pandemic. What the heck, maybe these freshman need to become fishermen, standing six feet a part. Yes, I know, I’m thinking out loud again.

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  • architecture,  Black and White,  Candid Portraits,  Documentary/Street

    Have a great Friday

    May 8, 2020
    Student life at Lory Student Center

    This image was taken last fall when campus was still open and students were in classrooms. Some would call it normal, but was it? I’m sitting in my bedroom looking out at overcast skies and a bright but diffused sun. The robins awoke me before dark with their gentle song. I must say it’s much better than waking to an alarm. Not much on my mind this morning, foggy thinking. Have a great Friday and upcoming weekend.

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  • Candid Portraits,  coffee shops,  lifestyles,  People/Portraits,  snow,  winter scenes

    I was glad to see them…

    March 20, 2020
    This mornings baristas
    Doesn’t look like the first day of spring

    I took the bus to campus so I could sit near the gas fireplace in the Legacy Lounge and use their internet. At the bottom of the stairs is a small coffee shop that lickily is still open. I had to laugh at myself and share with them how my mind was wondering if they would be open when I came around the corner. Their business is slow so they they seemed glad to see me. But not as I glad as I was to see them. 

    This was what the bus stop looked like this morning. Sure doesn’t look like spring. Everything is so quiet. The Lory Student Center has been so quiet the past three days I’ve come here. There is no piped music and no students. Not sure how long I will be able to come here as things progress with more reported cases, restrictions and fear.

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  • Candid Portraits,  lifestyles,  People/Portraits

    It’s different now…

    March 18, 2020
    A young lady lost in thought

    With all this free time  at home I’ve been reflecting on memories of my youth, those years from five into my mid-teens. Life seemed simple back then. As a family we always ate our evening meal at home and always together. That was because we did not have much money and second there were not that many restaurants available. It’s different now.

    Television was still in its’ younger days. Channels shutdown by midnight with the black test screen. Many of us still had black and white televisions with rabbit ears and at most, 3-5 channels. The evening news would come on at 5:00 for about an hour while a second at 10:00 pm. There was no 24/7 news from multiple sources with differing viewpoints. It’s different now.

    We had one phone for the entire family to use and it hung on the wall. It was a party line so we needed to pickup the phone and make sure no one was using it before dialing. It had a rotary dial. It’s different now.

    Thanks for listening. 

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  • Candid Portraits,  coffee shops,  Documentary/Street,  John O'Donohue,  lifestyles,  People/Portraits,  quotes

    The Warmth of the Coffee Shop

    February 20, 2020
    It’s cold outside but nice and warm inside the coffee shop

    A Blessing of Solitude
    “May you recognize in your life the presence, power, and light of your soul. May you realize that you are never alone, that your soul in its brightness and belonging connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe. May you have respect for your own individuality and difference. May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique, that you have a special destiny here, that behind the facade of your life there is something beautiful, good, and eternal happening. May you learn to see yourself with the same delight, pride, and expectation with which God sees you in every moment.” 

    John O’Donohue, Anam Cara
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  • Candid Portraits,  Documentary/Street,  lifestyles,  People/Portraits,  poems,  quotes,  snow

    Happy Valentines Day

    February 14, 2020
    Light snow is falling while students wait for bus on a cold February morning

    “When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
    I was a bride married to amazement.
    I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

    When it is over, I don’t want to wonder
    if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
    I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened,
    or full of argument.

    I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.”
    Mary Oliver

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  • Candid Portraits,  Documentary/Street,  Humor,  lifestyles,  People/Portraits

    So, I took advantage of it!

    February 7, 2020
    Student on their way to class on the Transfort bus system
    Campus on my way home

    I’ve been using the bus system in Fort Collins for about 5 years now. Like most things it took a while to get use to it and learn how it all works. I’m happy with it and use it it at least 4 days a week. As a senior it only costs me $25 a year.

    I’m pleased to see the bus almost always has passengers which means it will continue to run. I say almost because last week I jumped on Bus 2 at 6:50 am and I was the only person on it. Just before we arrived the transit center I began to giggle because my crazy and sometimes insane mind had the thought that now would be good time to fart on the bus. So, I took advantage of it! After all no one would know. 🙂

    Snow is expected today 3-6 inches and as you can see is beginning to stick. Have a super Awesome day!

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  • bicycles,  Candid Portraits,  coffee shops,  Documentary/Street,  lifestyles,  Transportation,  winter scenes

    It’s cold this morning here….

    February 5, 2020

    … but the good news is we’re suppose to reach a high of 23 degrees to day. After seeing this on my phone app, I bundled up and headed for the bus. There was no desire to scrape ice and snow off the windshield of my car and deal with traffic or parking. This storm brought us 4 inches of snow, making everything have that beautiful winter scene. But, dang the cold! Anyway….

    Tis a bit cold this morning
    Bicyclist on campus this morning when it was -3 degrees.
    A must to any morning, no matter the temperature

    I find it interesting how people handle our weather in different ways. Now the “younger” fellow in the above image must be able to handle the cold better than me. I actually counted four bicyclists, all younger, on my walk over here. A quick thought/question ran through my mind, did one of their parents drop them on their heads when they were “younger?”

    I realize these bicyclists ride a bicycle to work or class for health reasons, to save fossil fuel, avoid traffic and parking and maybe because of the image, while I google homes for sale in Phoenix from the warmth of a favorite coffee shop. And, with cold hands download images, try and type this post, eat a chocolate croissant and sip on my mocha latte. Yep, we handle the cold differently! Have an awesome day!

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  • Black and White,  Candid Portraits,  Documentary/Street,  lifestyles,  People/Portraits

    Busy Campus

    January 28, 2020
    Student leaving the Lory Student Center

    I find the Lory Student Center to be a quiet place to read and journal. It is also a place to find decent mocha lattes at a reasonable price. However, when classes are in session from about 8:00 am to 5:00 pm there is a hustle and bustle about every hour when students move from classroom to classroom. This image is taken at a very active intersection. It is a primary doorway between the courtyard and the food court so from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm it is busy. It is also near to one of the four small coffee shops on campus.

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