My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
eerie sunrises the past few days as
ms
we continue to experience the smoke
from the Canadian forest fires
weather app said clear skies
but what that really meant
was we had no clouds
from a nearby fence post
a meadowlark sings benediction
greeting the dawn of this new day
from a place of prayer, hope
and a heart of gratitude
I accept the gifts offered
Happy Birthday Sheree!!!
… as I unintentionally wake at 3:54 am. Wide awake I decide to get up. I made a trip to the bathroom and then settled into my prayer and meditation time. Ate a quick bowl of cereal, made a chai latte and headed out the door in anticipation of this day’s offering. The sun was not up yet but soon would be. I wanted to be at Pineridge Natural Area for pre-dawn light and sunrise.
Nature has so much to offer us this time of the day with its creative beauty, the silence, the solitude and witnessing the miracle of a new day. When we allow it, it touches the soul. Clouds presented warm pink and orange colors to entice the eyes. Meadowlarks and robins greeted me with beautiful songs of love. One meadowlark who seemed very excited, sang to me the whole time. I watched a Great Blue Heron wading along the shore who was soon joined by four more. I assume all were in anticipation of breakfast.
From there I headed east towards Arapaho Bend Natural Area in search of possible images of fog and morning light. This is an area that sits along the low lying land of the Poudre River, usually rich with fog. But, as I drove by Rolland Moore Park I could see the sun bursting through trees, casting light across the wet grass and its rays lighting up the fog. Distracted now, I quickly pulled into the parking lot and grabbed my camera and tripod. Again, I was given a lovely gift of golden light, shadows, and the sparkling wet grass. Grateful I was there!
By the time I arrived at Arapaho Bend Natural Area the sun had burned off most of the fog. Since the wind blew yesterday the skies this morning were clear and bright. A group of pelicans and Canada Geese were kind enough to share this sanctuary with me. I stood along the shores of the pond, which are reclaimed gravel pits, and let everything soak in, taking in deep breaths. What I experience in these early mornings may seem strange to some but it is my life. I am filled with gratitude! I then moved on with my day in anticipation of the possible gifts yet to come. And one of those gifts is the coffee shop for a mocha latte.1And when I got there (Starry Night) they had just made their chocolate chip/chai scones. They do not make them very often so I had to have one. Hope you enjoyed a peek at my morning images. Have an Awesome day!
“Everything is a gift. The degree to which we are awake to this truth is a measure of our gratefullness, and gratefullness is a measure of our aliveness.”
Brother David Steindl-Rast
It is cold this morning, requiring me to scrape frost off the windshield. But blue skies and sunshine. Enjoy the gift of this wonderful day!
“One of the most beautiful gifts in the world is the gift of encouragement. When someone encourages you, that person helps you over a threshold you might otherwise never have crossed on your own.”
John O’Donohue
I was up early this morning, way before sunrise. Made a chai latte after quiet time then drove to Pineridge Natural Area for pre dawn light. It found it unusual to see frost on the grass but almost none on the cars. When I arrived at this spot, I was met with the silence of nature, very little wind, clear skies and cold. Its gift to me is peace, serenity, hearing an unspoken prayer and offering healing of my body and soul. It also holds the promise that today is going to be a good day. Weather app says we could see 50 degrees today. Let’s hope so as there is a feel of spring here.
I am limited to lifting no more than 10 pounds for the next 2 weeks. My backpack with camera and lens weighs about 5 pounds and pretty sure my journal, fountain pens and kindle paperwhite, keep me under the limit. It will be another day to relax, rest and heal. Strange to think this is my 5th day since surgery. Praying you have a wonderful day!
sunshine and warmer temperatures at mid afternoon
mws
inspired me to wander outside with my camera
shadows stretching as fingers across the open snow
an invitation to compose and press the shutter button
gift accepted
Made a trip to the coffee shop this morning for
mws
a much needed dose of medicine in my recovery
I was greeted with the beautiful smiles
of Logan and Nate, over two weeks without them
Nate brings me this cortado with his special touch,
a cute pigs face made of frothy milk, now I smile
Soft music lets the din of people’s conversations to dominate
comforting me with voices and smiles from people I do not know
I watch as a woman, pregnant with child, sits at a nearby table,
reading her book with a cup of coffee, its steam rising in the sunlight
I journal from my favorite chair where the sun warms me,
these sacred moments somehow bring comfort and serenity
So this morning I accepted the gift of a smile from my baristas
holding their smile within me and offering the gift of my own smile
Yes, the gift of a smile…
PS: Sorry for the poor depth of field in the image.
reading in the quiet of predawn
ms
leads to reflection and contemplation
…the gift of this day
our soul needs these rituals
as we offer our limitations and gifts
…the gift of this day
in these sacred moments we discover
in the ground of our very being we are love
…the gift of this day
“That is not the way it should be. Good leaders wait to be called and they give up their power when they are no longer needed. Selfish men and fools put themselves first and keep their power until someone throws them out. It is no good to have a way where selfish men and fools fight with each other to be leaders, while the good ones watch.”
Kent Nerburn
Drove to Windsor early this morning to meet Eric for coffee and conversation. Had to stop and take a few images of the predawn sky. Love the gifts of creation. Early this afternoon I sat at Mugs in the warm sunlight. Leaves fall and dance all around me. It is a beautiful fall day. Nature is all around us when we look. Meeting a friend at 4:30 pm then an evening of reading. Hope you are having a good weekend!
I voted for the good ones today.