My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
My weather app said -8 degrees and my car said -1. Take your pick, they’re both too cold. Expecting a high of 28 degrees, that’s a positive but it will be cold again tonight. Just dropped my car off to have the oil changed and walked over to a favorite coffee shop. This is an image from 2009 and also has that cold feel. Stay warm or dry wherever you are.
I love clouds. They are art. They are alive, a part of nature. They hold within them great power. They bring us moisture. They can bring us devastation. They are ever changing. I love clouds.
Reflecting back over my life I see a pattern where I’ve lived much of my life seeking to fill some void. I’m now aware this void is more of a spiritual hunger. It’s not a religious hunger, although I looked there. Maybe this assumed void has really been some subconscious spiritual part of me calling from within. It’s a new way of thinking and living in my life and sharing a bit of that with you.
Someone seems to have lost interest in their sand pail. Just thought it might be be due to lack of sand here in Colorado. 
Found along Fisher Nature Trail.
I took this image somewhere between Cowdrey and Walden, Colorado. I had ridden my motorcycle, a BMW1150RT, over Cameron Pass to visit some friends who lived in Cowdrey. On my way home I noticed this view and needed to stop, take it in and get my camera out. Sometimes I really miss that motorcycle.
“The solution of the problem of life is life itself. Life is not attained by reasoning and analysis, but first of all by living. For until we have begun to live our prudence has no material to work on. And until we have begun to fail we have no way of working out our success.”
Thomas Merton
Well, I guess that means I need to take a few more bad images. I posted this image previously in color. For this image I converted it to black and white with Silver Efex Pro.
I have several images of this farm at sunrise. It is a place I enjoy going to and is not that far from home. Here is a link to one of my favorite images of it.
I decided last night to drive out there in the morning and prepared everything before going to bed. I woke before the alarm to the sound of blowing wind. Discovered later those winds were gusting up to 30 mph. I made a mocha latte, put it in my mug and headed out.
Needless to say, way too many images were not usable as it was difficult to keep the camera and tripod steady. For the image of fence below I parked the car on the west side of me as a wind block and then placed my tripod low to the ground to reduce as much shake as possible. I’m down low in the snow, in a bar ditch where most landscape photographers hang out.
Even with nylon wind pants, the wind found ways to penetrate and, as usual, it did not take long for my hands to get cold. I shot everything prior to sunrise and then headed home to warm up, shower and download images. These are the two images I think best represented the morning.
I also seem to have a rather large dust spot on my Fujifilm 18-55mm lens. It’s not a drastic spot and is almost impossible to see it. Only noticeable on light open skies and when you look for it. It has shown up that last few times I’ve used it and gone through the process of cleaning it. This morning I spent more time trying to make sure I have it cleaned. If not I may have to take it in. Stay warm and hang on to your hat.
We had a nice snowfall on Christmas Day, maybe 2 inches but along with that came some very cold air. It was down to almost zero last night. We have cold temperatures today but beautiful sunshine. Forecast is to not be above 32 degrees and night time temperatures in the single digits until Friday. I think I ate more sugar the past 3 days than the last 6 months. The holidays and family gatherings seem to do that. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Stay warm!