• clouds,  John O'Donohue,  landscape,  natural areas,  quotes,  sunrises

    That is a Gift

    December 14, 2020

    “Only the blindness of habit convinces us that we continue to live in the same place, that we see the same landscape.”

    John O’Donohue

    Had an early meeting at Pineridge Natural Area with God, a few magpies, low clouds on the eastern horizon, silence and a cup of coffee to keep my hands warm. I watched nature put on a beautiful show of colors that helped keep me warm in the 15 degree cold. As O’Donohue suggests as long as I do not stay in a place of the blindness of my habits the landscape will provide something new for me to experience, and that is a gift. I stayed until the sun rose above the clouds and my hands and feet were cold. Have a great day and stay warm.

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  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  haiku,  journal,  writing/reading

    Coffeehouse Writing

    October 11, 2020
    Morning sunlight, journal, fountain pen and new ink

    half blank pages
    find new words in brown ink
    coffeehouse writing

    ms

    Had a friend give me a new bottle of ink yesterday appropriately named, Coffee Break. 😃 It is a soft subtle brown that shades well, one of my favorite traits in inks, and works well with my cream colored journal pages. Using it in my white Pelikan M205 fountain pen. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

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  • Fujifilm X-T3,  Fujifilm XF35mm f2.0,  Plants

    Sunday Morning

    September 20, 2020

    Mushrooms are alive and well

    Happy Sunday morning to you. Will have a busy day starting with laundry, lunch with my friend Dan and then meet up with Tom and Kathy Dills. Could be one of those days I eat too much. No hot dates scheduled, yet. 😊 

    Very pleased to see a lot of blue sky this morning. The Cameron Peak fire is still burning but winds are sending the smoke north of us. Yesterday, a storm system brought gusty wind conditions from 15-30 mph which promoted fire activity. Today, firefighters will add depth and expand fire lines around the 237 mile perimeter. Windy conditions and possible thunderstorms today will serve as a test of existing firelines. That’s from the Inciweb report this morning.

    Found these mushrooms outside Mugs at the Oval this morning. Knelt down for a couple shots, then felt my age as I stood back up. I sure ain’t as limber as I was last week. But, I’m confident there are enough young college kids around who would help an old man up. 

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  • coffee shops,  haiku

    An Attempt

    September 11, 2020

    Mocha latte from the Bean Cycle this morning

    The cool morning and overcast skies convinced me to have my latte at the Bean Cycle and sit upstairs where there are fewer customers. Seems everyone else thought the same thing as it quickly got crowded. Anyway, I enjoyed my mocha while I could. Here is an attempt at a haiku.

    green willow branches
    robed in winters white vestment 
    now genuflects

    ms

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  • Black and White,  coffee life,  lifestyles

    Light Snow Falling

    September 8, 2020

    French Press brewing and waiting for Irish Oats to finish cooking

    It’s a cool 33 degrees with light snow falling. I most likely will not be sitting on my porch this morning to journal and read. Sitting in the recliner wrapped in a blanket sounds more enticing. The latest report shows the high winds yesterday helped the Cameron Peak fire to grow to over 100k acres with more mandatory evacuations. Made a French Press and ate a bowl of Irish Oats, now off to the recliner. 😊 

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  • fall season,  fog,  frost,  journal,  landscape,  poetic journal,  prairie,  sunrises,  writing/reading

    Graitude

    April 11, 2020

    Cold, foggy, and frosty October morning sunrise from 2012

    After quiet time, prayer and meditation,
    I made a french press of coffee, Heaven’s Blend
    by name, then moved outside to sit in the sun.
    In the warmth I read from Rilke’s Book of Hours,
    and journaled thoughts. I focused on listening to
    the sounds of nature, birds, wind, as their words
    seem to soothe, heal and nurture me with a balm
    rather than the pain brought on by the world’s news.
    I think Gratitude is the word for this day.

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  • coffee shops,  lifestyles,  window

    The Morning’s Mood

    April 2, 2020

    Empty French Press on an overcast and misting morning

    Good morning. It is misting and at 25 degrees a fine layer of ice is covering everything. As I took in the view from my bedroom window, I thought this would make a decent image that expressed the mood of this morning.

    Awe and Wonder…

    With eyes fixed on the horizon
    I realize how small, insignificant
    I am in this vast universe.

    Yet, within me there’s a sense I am
    a part of all this, of being connected,
    even though a small part.

    I cannot define, comprehend or
    name this sense within me but at this
    moment I feel this huge mysterious love.

    May we be the gift we were meant to be,
    created to be. May we never lose the
    awe and wonder of living this life!

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