My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
bicycled to coffee shop, indulged in a hot tea
mws
wonderful start to Sunday or any day
now mid morning and sitting on my porch
circled by an almost cloudless blue sky
the seasons leaves of gold and yellow and red
reflected in the azure blue sky of the pond
yes, a wonderful start to Sunday or any day
Each day offers moments enticing me to keep my eyes
mws
open and aware of the world around me.
No matter how familiar the world may appear to my senses
may these brief moments surprise me as never before.
Oh, to see the sacredness, simplicity, and beauty
of shadows spreading across on my bedroom wall.
I leave the chaos to enter the sanctuary of nature,
mws
aware this spiritual life is about our experiences.
I listen as the meadowlark sings from their heart,
the wind carrying their notes to all who will listen.
I learn, after the last note fades into the past,
to stay present, just as the meadowlark,
listening to the gift of silence.
I saw two extraordinary events yesterday afternoon at Pineridge Natural Area. While scanning the area with my binoculars I watched a large raptor, which I believe was a Golden Eagle, flying straight at me with a prairie dog in their talons. Golden Eagles are common in the area but this was my first sighting of one. Later, while journaling on the bench about the eagle there was an increase of chatter among the magpies just below me. I looked up from writing and see a bobcat. This was the first one I’ve seen in this area even though there are several in the area. I took no photos, just memories that remain in the present! Enjoy your weekend!
“I close my eyes and listen to the voices of the rain.”
Robin Wall Kimmerer
The wind blows in my face. Mesmerized, I watch, listen and accept the day’s gift from nature. I am privileged and grateful to have this front row seat. I watch the sun’s rays break through clouds, reaching down and touching the earth. I watch rain fall from the dark ominous clouds releasing their gift that nourishes the land. I watch the wind constantly reshaping the clouds, carrying them along the mountains. I watch the grass dancing excitedly in the wind in front of me. I am too far away to hear the voices of the rain but I do close my eyes and listen to the voice of the wind, urging me to dance with the grass. How can I not be filled with awe and wonder, holding them tightly on this Earth Day 2024.
A Prayer on Earth Day 2024
We give thanks for Your gifts of awe, wonder and beauty.
For Your voice heard in the winds of each season,
the meadowlark’s song, the rumble of thunderstorms,
the undulations of the ocean’s waves,
the silence heard in a spring snowstorm,
and especially for the fruits of Your bounty
that sustains all of life.
May we always be aware there are no political solutions
to our spiritual problem of indifference and the abuse we cause.
But may we know we are chosen stewards,
whose task it is to live in harmony with all of creation.
May we live every day in celebration and gratitude of life!
May we allow You to transform us in the very ground of our being.
And, may the Great Mystery of all life fill us with love.
mws
Everything you see has its roots
Rumi
In the unseen world.
The forms may change
Yet the essence remains the same.
Every wondrous site will vanish,
Every sweet word will fade,
But do not be disheartened,
The Source they come from is Eternal,
Growing, branching out,
Giving new life and new joy.
Why do you weep?
That source is within you
And this whole world
Is springing up from it.
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
Mary Oliver
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
This past weekend I shot some senior portraits in Red Feather Lakes. While I was there I made another trip on Elf Lane. As I got out and walked among all the elfs and assorted other characters I suddenly, but not unexpectedly, experienced joy. Thought this little frog and princess needed to have their photo taken.
What is it about
mws
a cloudless sky that
holds my attention?
Maybe it’s the blue
that melts from dark
to baby blue.
Maybe it’s the mystery
surrounding me,
holding me present.
Maybe it’s the sacredness
of nature unfolding
its beauty before me.
Another morning and I wake with thirst
Mary Oliver
for the goodness I do not have. I walk
out to the pond and all the way God has
given us such beautiful lessons. Oh Lord,
I was never a quick scholar but sulked
and hunched over my books past the hour
and the bell; grant me, in your mercy,
a little more time. Love for the earth
and love for you are having such a long
conversation in my heart. Who knows what
will finally happen or where I will be sent,
yet already I have given a great many things
away, expecting to be told to pack nothing,
except the prayers which, with this thirst,
I am slowly learning.
The great Way is easy,
Tao Te Ching – Verse 53
yet people prefer the side paths.
Be aware when things are out of balance.
Stay centered within the Tao.
When rich speculators prosper
While farmers lose their land;
when government officials spend money
on weapons instead of cures;
when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible
while the poor have nowhere to turn-
all this is robbery and chaos.
It is not in keeping with the Tao.
I believe poetry is very old.
Mary Oliver
It’s very sacred.
It wishes for a community.
It’s a community ritual, certainly.
And that’s why, when you write a poem,
you write it for anybody and everybody…
It’s a gift to yourself,
but it’s a gift to anybody who has a hunger for it.