• Documentary/Street,  rants,  street photography,  writing/reading

    My Reality of Life

    December 15, 2022
    Mural in Old Town Fort Collins – 2019

    This morning I noticed a young man in his early thirties strutting into the coffee shop1I am aware that I was immediately judgmental of him but this brought up some wonderful questions to ask myself and journal about it.  His entrance was noticeable because of his tough guy walk. The demeanor offered a feeling of toughness, don’t mess with me attitude. Nor was I the only one who turned and noticed. As he ordered his drink it was then that I noticed he was packing a gun on his right side. So, the next time I see a police officer walk into a coffee shop wearing their weapons I’ll check to see if they have the same strut.

    Anyway, this gave me some fodder for my journaling and also stirred this posting. What or who is he afraid of? Was his reality of life that foundationally scary and insecure? Did he feel the half dozen customers were possible enemies and that he needed to protect himself at any cost? I personally have never in my 20 some years of coffee shop life encountered a wild beast in a coffee shop. I have seen a dog or two. About the only life they could point a weapon at is another person.

    My reality of life presents something different. Seems I have more fear, and am at a greater risk, from the driver who is trying to text message and drive at the same time than I do of being shot in a coffee shop. And, I also have more fear of politicians, corporate executives, and the wealthy who will do anything to attain more money, power and control due to the fear they will lose what they have or not attain what they want. And, in all honesty, I have a fear of the person packing the gun and how they will use the weapon under a stressful situation, will they use it with reactionary fear.

    To end this post I must say we have no idea of the life experiences, the physical, sexual, verbal, emotional abuse and violence, others have had in life that presents their reality of life as threatening. So in my journaling and writing of this post I find gratitude for the life I have lived, the safety and security my family and community gave me and continue to give me and the innate goodness I see in this world. Reaffirms my belief that packing a gun will not prevent violence or put an end to violence and damn sure it will not bring peace.

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  • fountain pens,  haiku,  journal,  writing/reading

    My Friends Today

    December 14, 2022

    pen teeming with words
    brings forth this simple haiku
    my friends for today

    mws

    It is another cold and overcast day. The wind has picked up which adds to the cold. I have no desire to be outside but want to stay curled up in my chair, wrapped in my blanket, reading and journaling with my companions. My FPOTD1 Fountain Pen of the Day is a Brown-marbled Pelikan M200 filled with Pelikan Smoky Quartz ink (and words). Life is good! Stay warm!

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  • fountain pens,  journal,  journaling,  quotes,  writing/reading

    The wind and cold

    December 13, 2022

    “We don’t change as we get older – we just get to be more of what we’ve always been.”

    Joan D. Chittister

    The 2-4 inches of snow I expected to wake up to did not materialize. Nary a snowflake. But, we do have the wind and cold. I understand that they do have blizzard conditions on the eastern plains. I am inside listening to the wind and feeling the deep cold. I met some high school classmates for lunch today. Sadly I find two more classmates have died in the past month. Have slippers on and I’m in for the night. Hope you are staying warm and dry.

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  • clouds,  desert,  landscape,  sunrises,  writing/reading

    What are the gifts of new days for?

    December 10, 2022
    Predawn light along Peralta Trail, Arizona – 2016

    The gift of a new day (I touched on that in Thursday’s post) always offers the opportunity for something new to experience that will only happen or begin on this day. I’m so much more aware of that than in my youth. So here is a list of some opportunities that pop into my mind as I write this post, which could be totally different next week. It’s short because I’m expecting each of us to add our own.

    So, new days are for writing our first poem, begin or finish our autobiography, face the blank canvas of our first painting, bake our first pie and be brave enough to eat it, write our first song or maybe just the chorus, take dance lessons or dance in the rain, find the courage to ask her out for dinner, give our granddaughter her first driving lesson, develop our fist black and white print, watching our first sunrise in the desert in a state of awe, running our first marathon or accepting the fact it ain’t gonna happen at this age, begin a new adventure as we are never too old, plant a vegetable garden, learn to ride a horse or a unicycle or snowboard, and the list goes on and on….

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  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  rants,  Reservoir Ridge Natural Area,  sunrises,  sunsets

    Predawn Light and Blue Hour

    December 7, 2022
    Predawn at Pineridge Natural Area

    The clouds looked inviting early this morning so I made my way to Pineridge in hopes of some colors in those clouds. But the colors I was hoping for did not materialize which happens when I set my expectations too high. Anyway it was wonderful to be there. I did return with cold hands and toes which always seems to make my mocha latte, made by Nate this morning, even better.

    Blue Hour at Claymore Lake

    I found myself in a funk while writing yesterday afternoon. So, with the sun still shining and about an hour left before sunset, I headed to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area to sit with all of creation and, also, to watch the sunset. I found what I needed. I am aware that when I leave I always need to carry home with me what I find there.

    Some time after the sun has set, we enter the period of twilight called the nautical stage where everything around seems to turn blue. They call it blue hour because the sunlight’s blue wavelengths dominate due to the Chappuis absorption caused by ozone (you can check it out). I love this blue color and one of the many reason I gravitate to the twilight hours.

    On a sad note, today is the 81st anniversary for the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It is a day to remember the lives lost on that day (both sides, military and civilian), the families of those who lost loved ones, and the millions of lives needlessly lost over the next four years of war. President Roosevelt in his speech the following day called it a day which will live in infamy. My prayer is that day of infamy be a time for the world to wake up to the fact that we have never found peace through war.

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