• consumer,  grass,  landscape,  natural areas,  Plants,  shadows,  trees

    Isolation

    Grove of trees in Red Fox Meadows

    Sure dealing with too much isolation over the past few days. Last week when I paid for my mocha at the Human Bean drive through, I actually touched the hands with the barista. Surprised me because it was probably my first physical touch with another human in 5 weeks. Things are not right.

    Way to much consumer shopping on the internet in an attempt  to fix me, and we know that doesn’t work.

    Snacking too much and looking for someone to blame for buying the snacks. Haven’t found him.

    Been walking everyday which helps me stay out of my head, which is a dangerous neighborhood at times. 

    Looking at upgrading my camera since Fujifilm has some sales going on. That won’t make me a better photographer, either.

  • Documentary/Street,  grass,  landscape,  shadows,  trees

    …that’s a good thing.

    The twisted shadows on campus from yesterday

    Well the damage to my car is costing me $380 and the raccoon got away. Called my insurance and my deductible is $500. I had some anger as I thought through this thing, both the insrance company and the raccoon. This is the first time I’ve filed a claim in my 54 years of paying insurance premiums. So, my insurance has yet to pay anything, they’ve only taken my money. Of course this also means I’ve never been in a place to need it and that’s a good thing.

  • grass,  John O'Donohue,  landscape,  natural areas,  prairie,  quotes,  trees,  writing/reading

    Longing to Wander

    Nature trail at Arapaho Bend Nature Area

    “The wanderer is one who gives priority to the duties of longing over belonging. No abode is fixed. No one place is allowed finally to corner or claim the wanderer. A new horizon always calls. The wanderer is committed to the adventure of seeing new places and discovering new things.”

    John O’Donohue

    I just read the above quote from O’Donohue’s book Eternal Echoes two days ago. It so rings true for me. Yes, call me a romantic but as I approach my 70th birthday in a couple months, I still have those inner urges, the desires of the wanderer. I’ve been in my condo for 20 years now, it is my abode, it is a sanctuary for quiet, a place to meditate, read and write, a place to rest my head and keeps me warm and dry, and it is a physical place. The wanderer does not have that abode but journeys toward those new undiscovered horizons. I believe those new horizons are a sanctuary, a place of quiet for us to discover. We can just be, wherever we are, even wandering. So, today I’m dreaming or longing of wandering.

  • grass,  landscape,  snow

    I’m set now…

    Tall grass at the Red Fox Meadows nature area this morning

    I played a bit with this image, trying out the texture and dehaze sliders. Kinda funky looking. And, it’s still snowing.

    Anyway, when I cleaned off the car this morning I had at least 3 inches of snow on my car. I ran out of the maple syrup that I add to my Irish oats in the morning so things  were going to get tense if I didn’t restock before tomorrow morning. So, my first stop was Red Fox Meadows, filled up the car, which I hadn’t done in over three weeks, and picked up the essential syrup. I’m set now. Oh, and I picked up one of my prescriptions.

    For anyone interested here is a link to a ten minute podcast by David DuChemin on making art that touches the heart. I enjoyed it, hope you may also.

  • grass,  landscape,  natural areas,  quotes

    Praying for peace and forgiveness…

    Smooth waters on the Poudre River

    It takes courage to forgive someone who has wronged us. Because we are often so caught up in our egos that forgiving seems like losing an egoistic battle. But sometimes we have to take the high road with forgiveness, both for the other person and for our own wellbeing. Sure wish more egos were right sized and forgiveness more acceptable.

  • Black and White,  clouds,  grass,  lake,  landscape,  Plants,  prairie,  quotes,  trees

    Beautiful Questions

    Cottonwood trees reflecting in a pond at Rocky Mountain Arsenal from 2011

    “The ability to ask beautiful questions, often in very unbeautiful moments, is one of the great disciplines of a human life. And a beautiful question starts to shape your identity as much by asking it as it does by having it answered.”

    David Whyte

    A few years ago I became less interested in answers and more interested in the questions. We already have too many people who have the answers. I’m grateful for the inquisitive minds in our world today, always looking for another question. Those questioning minds belong to the creatives, the prophets, researchers, the explorers, the seekers.