• clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  quotes,  Reservoir Ridge Natural Area,  sunsets

    Peace Within

    September 16, 2021

    “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

    Ralph Waldo Emerson

    This is the time of the year when mornings begin to get cooler and afternoons stay hot. We call it fall. Met with a friend this morning at Pineridge Natural Area to watch the sunrise and sip on our chai lattes. We wore jackets. Made a crockpot of vegetable soup this morning before I left the condo and shared that with another friend at noon. When it reached 92 I decide it was time to visit Reservoir Ridge Natural Area. Without a jacket. As I took it all in, nature provided a nice wind to bring relief from the heat and provided some soothing sounds and sights for me to enjoy. A blue jay squawks from the cottonwoods behind me. A starburst shoots through the trees. I’m noticing leaves beginning to change colors. A hawk circles above. Clouds lazily drift overhead. Soon the sun dropped behind the mountains and I felt the coolness of the air. As this busy day comes to a close I reflect on both the good choices and poor choices I made today. And, I smile because there is a peace within. ❤️

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  • frost,  haiku,  leaves,  Plants,  writing/reading

    Winter Draws Near

    November 11, 2020

    falls morning stroll
    leaves wearing coat of frost
    winter draws near

    ms

    We are on the second day of a five day cold stretch. Nighttime temperatures are to be around 20 degrees. The bright side is we’re expecting to have mostly sunny days. The last two days I’ve awoken to the beauty of a frost covered world. A reminder that winter is quickly approaching.

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  • Albert Einstein,  fall season,  leaves,  Plants,  quotes

    I’m impressed…

    November 10, 2019

    This time the artist, Nature, used the tools of leaves and freezing rain to create these two images. I’m impressed. I can’t do that! However, I can take a digital copy of it.

    “A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” 

    Albert Einstein
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  • flowers,  Plants

    Autumn

    September 19, 2019

    A couple of the last summer flowers of the season from a morning walk

    I awoke to look out my window and see a heavy dew on everything. Yes, the mornings are getting cooler. The present temperature of 50 degrees is letting me know fall is quickly approaching. My weather app tells me we may see night time lows in the 40’s this weekend, the first of the fall season. We call this season Autumn and it marks the transition from summer to winter for the northern hemisphere, traditionally set  to begin on September 21. Autumn brings on the chill of winter, skies turn grey, the amount of usable daylight drops rapidly, leaves change colors and begin their journey of decent leaving trees to look naked and bare. My bicycle rides to coffee will become brisk and invigorating, heavier clothing and gloves will be the new normal. Throughout the day the skies are filling with sounds of Canada Geese as they fly by looking for that perfect spot to spend the winter, nature’s version of the snowbird. Time to welcome Autumn, one of my favorite seasons. 

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  • fall season,  leaves,  Plants,  seasons

    Hanging On

    November 30, 2017

    Hanging On

    Well, it’s about 3 weeks till Winter Solstice. Thankfully, we’ve only had a couple of light snowfalls this fall. Most of our trees are barren of their leaves, allowing the birds and squirrels nests to be are easily seen. The few leaves we do see on branches are those who refuse to give it up and hang on, or they are the ones caught among branches on their decent to the ground. I noticed this group of three leaves from a tree above, tangled in the branches of a bush. They were easily seen as I walked by since they were at eye level. So nature offered this simple image, who many would not see, and I accepted the image.

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