• bicycling,  quotes,  trees

    Cluelessness

    When it comes to learning something new, cluelessness turns out to be the perfect and only place to start.

    Margaret D. McGee

    One of the gifts with bicycling along the hard surface trails in Fort Collins has been the connection to nature. The trails separate me from the city noise but within the city. Unless I told you there were homes a short distance from this scene you wouldn’t know it, you’d be clueless! A brisk 31 degrees this morning but clear blue skies and sunshine now. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

  • Plants,  quotes,  trees

    Stillness and Quiet

    Time and again, we miss out on the great treasures in our lives because we are so restless. In our minds we are always elsewhere. We are seldom in a place where we stand and in the time that is now.

    John O’Donohue

    We can discover in the latter years of our life that moments of stillness and quiet can be great friends. If we embrace these friends we can experience less restlessness and spend less time caught up in our heads, a sometimes formidable neighborhood. The less time in our heads the less likely we are to miss out on some part of the journey through life. When I can stand in the now, I can receive the great treasure of a starburst.

  • natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  trees,  winter scenes

    Where’s Spring

    Good morning from Colorful Colorado. Well, this morning it looks more like a black and white world. What a difference twelve hours can make. Yesterday we had rain showers moving through the area in the afternoon, giving us a feeling of spring. So waking up this morning to see snow was a surprise. I had about an inch on my car this morning. My weather app predicts a 70% chance of snow but I know damn good and well that’s snow, not rain. The above image is another photograph of the cottonwood on Stewart Street. I have a series of this tree taken during all different seasons and time of day. And the weather app says we have two more days of this.

    This is a view of Dixon Reservoir. One trait of the spring snows is the ability to cling to leaves and branches. You can see in both images how the snow clings to the trees. I must admit that these wet spring snows can be absolutely beautiful! I learned a long time ago to not put my winter coat away until at least July. The snow did not stop the joggers and runners out there on the trails. In the top image you can see someone walking their dog. Brave souls!

  • clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  trees

    The Gift of Words

    One of my favoritest cottonwood trees

    I just finished reading a second book by George N. Wallace. I mentioned his other book here, which was a collection of poems and essays. This book I just finished is all poetry, Enjoying the Work. I have found his writing humorous, while at times causing tears to well up in my eyes, and he does not use metaphors that cause me to wander off in stray thoughts as I try to figure out what he is saying. In his introduction he writes how poetry is therapeutic, helping him to see the beauty of an approaching thunderhead, it also mercifully dilutes the bile arising as one witnesses injustices, or ecological wounding, and hopefully permitting wisdom, love and clear-eyed resistance to prevail. I found it an easy read for me. He inspires me to write. I am thankful for his gift in words. I’ll buy his next book when it comes out.

  • clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  trees

    Turning to Another Door

    At the beginning of the twenty-first century, to feel alone or want to be alone is deeply unfashionable: to admit to feeling alone is to reject and betray others, as if they are not good company, and do not have entertaining, interesting lives of their own to distract us, and to actually seek to be alone is a radical act; to want to be alone is to refuse a certain kind of conversational hospitality and to turn to another door, and another kind of welcome, not necessarily defined by human vocabulary.

    David Whyte

    I like solitude. Yet, I also need contact with people, which is one of the primary reasons why I include coffee life with my mornings. Yesterday was a funky day inside my head. Felt frustrated, restless, irritable, even lost. I wanted to be left alone. So, through habit or need, I chose to find a place in nature. So, I spent time with the meadowlarks, the silent clouds, the whisper of the wind, and my good friend, this solitary tree I visit on a regular basis. The setting sun casts a warm glow over the grass. My funk faded and a calm settled within me, but sure it will return at another opportune time. I’m glad I’m unfashionable and turned to another door! Hope everyone stays warm and dry. I awoke during the night with a sore throat and now have a niche little head cold. It will be a day for rest and soup.

  • quotes,  trees,  winter scenes

    Winter Wonderland

    You were born to occupy a particular place within the community that ecophilosopher David Abram calls the more-than-human world. You have a unique ecological role, the way you are meant to serve and nurture the web of life, directly or through your role in society. At the level of soul, you have a specific way of belonging to the biosphere, as unique as any maple, moose, or mountain.

    Bill Plotkin

    I awoke to a beautiful winter wonderland this morning. More snow than I expected. I would guess 7-9 inches at my place but I know the mountains and down south received much more. After cleaning the car I headed to a coffee shop for a latte with some journaling time. I took the long way home so I could search out this winter wonderland, finding photo opportunities almost everywhere I turned. I felt that giddy feeling inside my soul! Scenes in nature do that to me. This scene is a row of trees along Overland Trail. I did not see that many tree branches damaged as it is a very wet and heavy snowfall. Weather app says we’ll see sun this afternoon so this will melt quickly and soak into the parched soil. It’s about 10:30 am and I think I have done well occupying my particular places this morning. Enjoy your Friday!!