• leaves,  Plants,  quotes,  shadows

    The simplest…

    September 24, 2022

    The simplest spiritual discipline is some degree of solitude and silence. To be with our own thoughts and feelings is probably the most courageous act most of us will ever do.

    Richard Rohr

    Coffee at Mugs earlier this morning then had a wonderful phone call with a friend. Hopefully a quiet Saturday from here on as there is little on my to-do list. Tomorrow morning my youngest granddaughter, Abbie, gets married. We will be formally welcoming our newest member, Patton, to the family. Blessings to them both!!

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  • leaves,  Plants,  quotes

    Endless Chatter

    August 10, 2022

    “What deadens us most to God’s presence within us, I think, is the inner dialogue that we are continuously engaged in with ourselves, the endless chatter of human thought. I suspect that there is nothing more crucial to true spiritual comfort . . . than being able from time to time to stop that chatter . . . ”

    Frederick Buechner

    While waiting for a friend at the park I wandered around a tree and took a dozen photos of assorted leaves. I realized how accurate Paulo Coelho is when he states, “In a forest of a hundred thousand trees, no two leaves are alike. And no two journeys along the same path are alike.” In the past I may have wandered around in my head waiting for my friend rather than noticing the leaves. I find it enjoyable at this stage in my life to have tools to let go of the chatter, allowing me to stay more present to the world around me. And when that happens I’m more engaged in spiritual comfort.

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  • leaves,  Plants,  quotes

    Good advice for us all…

    August 1, 2022
    After the rain at Inniswood Gardens

    If there is meaning in the past and in the imagined future, it is captured in the moment. When you have all the time in the world, you can spend it, not on going somewhere, but on being where you are. So I stretch out, close my eyes, and listen to the rain.

    Robin Wall Kimmerer
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  • leaves,  Plants

    So Refreshing

    July 28, 2022

    Rainfall is an interesting natural phenomenon. Measuring how much rainfall we get is another phenomenon. I visit a website put out by the City of Fort Collins to see what has been measured in rainfall accumulation across the city. The city adds a disclaimer on the accuracy of the measurements but it does give some indication of how much rain we received. It rained yesterday afternoon and then began again early this morning. Plenty of lightning and thunder to go along with it. So, refreshing.

    Ever notice how green is always greener after a rain? And, yes, I’m still asking questions. 😁

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  • frost,  landscape,  leaves,  Plants,  quotes

    Unlock the Artist

    December 11, 2021

    At the heart of all photography is an urge to express our deepest personal feelings – to reveal our inner, hidden selves, to unlock the artist. Those of us who become photographers are never satisfied with just looking at someone else’s expression of something that is dear to us. We must produce our own images, instead of buying postcards and photo books. We seek to make our own statements of individuality.

    Galen Rowell
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  • fall season,  leaves,  Plants,  seasons

    Ya had to shoot fast

    October 29, 2021

    I find leaves are amazing but especially in the fall. Seems nature makes wonderful art with them. For this image I found the wind blowing so I had to compose and shoot fast before my composition changed. Every fall when I see the leaves fall I feel a bit of frustration and sadness that they are not able to continue their life cycle, as man has other ideas for their lives. I may have whined about this before. 😁 Anyway, I’m drawn to the details, shape, lines, texture and color of leaves in the fall. I know some people who see “leaf creatures” in images like this. I’ve searched but don’t see any here or lack the openness of a child’s mind to see them. However, our good friend and fellow photographer, Mark, does here, here, here and here.

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  • fall season,  leaves,  Plants,  seasons,  trees

    Song of Autumn

    October 23, 2021
    Couple images taking on my walk yesterday afternoon
    …and a poem by Mary Oliver called Song of Autumn

    In the deep fall
    don’t you imagine the leaves think how
    comfortable it will be to touch
    the earth instead of the
    nothingness of air and the endless
    freshets of wind? And don’t you think
    the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
    warm caves, begin to think

    of the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep
    inside their bodies? And don’t you hear
    the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
    the everlasting being crowned with the first
    tuffets of snow? The pond
    vanishes, and the white field over which
    the fox runs so quickly brings out
    its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its
    bellows. And at evening especially,
    the piled firewood shifts a little,
    longing to be on its way.

    Mary Oliver
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