My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Late Monday afternoon the 30% chance of rain turned into great big beautiful snowflakes, dumping about 2 inches in Fort Collins. So much for weather forecast accuracy. It continued throughout the night then showed us blue skies by noon. In my eyes those big wet snowflakes make it a gorgeous snowfall. By 9:00 am I was excitedly heading to the Environmental Learning Center. I wanted to walk the trails and see the beauty nature was presenting. A wet snow like this one must be felt and experienced up close.
Wet Snow on Branches
With no wind during the night the wet snow piled up on the tree branches and those few solitary leaves still hanging on the branches. First one snowflake falls on a branch quickly followed by another, clinging tightly to each other. Each unique snowflake when combined with each other is natures work of art. I love it.
The snow had begun in the gloaming, And busily all the night Had been heaping field and highway With a silence deep and white. Every pine and fir and hemlock Wore ermine too dear for an earl, And the poorest twig on the elm-tree Was ridged inch deep with pearl.
James Russel Lowell
The Sun is Breaking Through
Quiet. The crunching of snow under my boots would break the silence. The winding trail leads me through one meadow and then takes me through the overhanging branches of trees and on to the next meadow and more trees. My eyes are searching this almost all black and white scene. I’m looking, open for anything. A prayer resonates deep within me. I feel a peace. Gentle breezes blow snow off the branches creating a quiet snowfall and blanketing me in white. Now I smile. Love it.
Poudre River
“The snowfall is so silent, so slow, bit by bit, with delicacy it settles down on the earth and covers over the fields. The silent snow comes down white and weightless; snowfall makes no noise, falls as forgetting falls, flake after flake. It covers the fields gently while frost attacks them with its sudden flashes of white; covers everything with its pure and silent covering; not one thing on the ground anywhere escapes it. And wherever it falls it stays, content and gay, for snow does not slip off as rain does, but it stays and sinks in. The flakes are skyflowers, pale lilies from the clouds, that wither on earth. They come down blossoming but then so quickly they are gone; they bloom only on the peak, above the mountains, and make the earth feel heavier when they die inside. Snow, delicate snow, that falls with such lightness on the head, on the feelings, come and cover over the sadness that lies always in my reason.”
I shall be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
What an awesome day we had this past Sunday. After rain on Friday and Saturday everyone in town headed out to a park or trail. My choice was the Environmental Learning Center that follows along the Cache la Poudre River. The river actually spits in this area and creates a rather large island that supports native plants and plenty of wildlife. I sauntered along the Wilcox trail enjoying the warmth and quiet. As I had signed up for the photo-walk on Saturday but did not make it, I made Sunday my own photo-walk, sorta like Paul did. I had a good time.
