A walk amongst nature, whether by the sea, river, hill, valley, meadow or wood, works wonders for the human spirit – Anonymous
Taken while on a walk at the Environmental Learning Center.
Poudre River
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Poudre River -
I Like What I See
Shadows in the Snow It’s nice to see the weather finally starting to warm up. But this is Colorado so we could have 6 inches of snow and be back in the teens in four weeks. This past weekend was nice for us out here in Colorado. I took a walk at the Environmental Learning Center on Saturday and the Arapahoe Bend Nature Area on Sunday. Both areas were pretty muddy and that means things will be greening up before we know it.
During my walk I realized how I have taken my vision for granted. By vision I’m referring to the ability to see. A blind person must see with other senses. I also see in color that others do not. The older I get the more aware I am of those things around me, being present to the moment. At this time in my life my mind is not tied up with family worries or a project schedules at work. So, there is gratitude in just seeing. And, I like what I see.
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Blue Skies
Blue Skies It was 29 degrees yesterday at 11:00 when I took a walk at the Environmental Learning Center. Beautiful clear blue sky and lots of sunshine. The sunshine was making the trail muddy in places but I also found it quite icy in others. It was good for me physically to experience the cold and get in the exercise. But, more importantly it was good for the much needed reset for my head. I noticed a hawk perched on the top of a tree and waited until I was on his east side to get a photo. When I came to the clearing where I wanted to get a photo I also encountered two does at the base of the tree. They were probably bedded down there and I hated to be the one to disturb them. I grabbed a family photo and headed for the car. It was well worth the effort and time despite the sniffling nose and muddy shoes.
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Put it on the list
Whitetail Buck If you look closely you will see a nice whitetail buck staring directly at you. I came upon him while he was bedded down in the trees just to the left. All I had with me was my Fujifilm X-E1 and the 18-55mm lens. It’s not the lens for reaching out to capture wildlife images. Off to the right side was his harem of 4 does. There was a time when I thought a harem was what I needed but once reality set in, those fantasies are long gone. 🙂
Even though I’m quite happy with this camera and lens, this image reignited a wish to have more focal length than the 55mm. What I want is an image stabilized 12-400mm zoom with a variable aperture of f1.2 to f2.8 and only weight 12 ounces. I’d even settle for a cheaper, and lighter, version at a fixed f4.0. So, I’m putting it on my Christmas list, right below the new underwear. Always need new underwear. So, I guess I still have fantasies, they’ve just shifted a bit.
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Too Much to Miss
Variegated Fritillary The Variegated Fritillary are found in open sunny areas such as prairies, fields, pastures, road edges, landfills. They feed on the nectar from several plant species including butterfly weed, common milkweed, dogbane, peppermint, red clover, swamp milkweed, and tickseed sunflower. The Environmental Learning Center provides both those needs. I’m no longer one to go for a walk in the nature areas as I tend to meander through them. Way too much to miss if I just walk.
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Down to Earth
Dandelion On a walk at the Environmental Learning Center I encounter two mothers and three little ones exploring nature. They were smiling and running all over the place. A good time was being had by all. I was surprised by the answer I received when I asked the kids if they had seen any bears or mountain lions. Their answer: a bug. I couldn’t make out what bug they had seen but it sure left an impression.
As I walked on my way I thought about how they were seeing this nature area compared to how an adult was seeing it. Since they were somewhere around 4 or 5 the world they were seeing was from my waist down. So, it was a whole different perspective for them and me. As I walked on a phrase kept coming to mind: “down to earth.”
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Frigid Morning
The Trail I glanced at the clock, it said 5:30 am. The darkness of my room let me know it was cold outside, making the bed feel warm and inviting. The sun would be rising in an hour. I had plenty of time to dress and drive out to County Road 15 in search of a morning sunrise. I pulled the covers up, snuggled under the comforter and closed my eyes.
