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

    Gifts of the World

    Setting sun at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area

    “When I close my eyes and wait for my heartbeat to match the drum, I envision people recognizing, for perhaps the first time, dazzling gifts of the world, seeing them with new eyes, just as they teeter on the cusp of undoing. Maybe just in time. Or maybe too late.”

    Robin Wall Kimmerer, from the Epilogue

    I’ve finished Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book called Braiding Sweetgrass. It’s been a while since a book has captivated me, educated me, moved me to tears, laughter and anger but left me with a desire to start rereading as soon as I finished. I found much enlightenment about nature that I was never taught in school or don’t remember or my focus was on the ballgame after school.

    Kimmerer said she wrote the book because, “I wanted readers to understand that Indigenous knowledge and Western science are both powerful ways of knowing, and that by using them together we can imagine a more just and joyful relationship with the Earth.” She explains how Indigenous people know a nature different than we do, most of that gained from reading the book of nature. That has stirred me to want to read more of this book of nature which means spending more time with her. Highly recommend the book.

  • clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  quotes

    I believe he’s right

    “The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people, but it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it.”

    David Orr

    At the very core of who I am I believe he’s right. I was talking with a friend who teaches at our local college. Our discussion was along this line. He does want his students to be able to think and reason with ethical and moral values when they finish his class rather than successfully pass the test from memorization.

    Side note: I began having body aches, headache, chills and runny nose Friday morning. Tested at Uchealth in the afternoon. Woke Saturday feeling good but fuzzy thinking. Test results were: not detected. Feeling good today.

  • clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  mountains

    A Memorable Day for Clouds

    Pineridge Natural Area about 5:00 pm

    Nature was creating beautiful art with the clouds and the dark blue sky on Memorial Day. As any restless photographer would do upon seeing these clouds from home, I headed to Pineridge Natural Area to take in all the beauty, journal and listen to the birds sing. With nothing on my schedule for the rest of day and with all the cloud activity, I decided to drive east so I could get closer to those clouds. 😂

    Looking at the eastern horizon about 7:30 pm on Memorial Day

    Along Weld County Road 15 I spotted this scene. What a mix of dark, almost tornadic looking formation on the left side of the image and those bright white cumulonimbus clouds on the right just at the horizon. Not sure how far away they were but I imagine 40-70 miles. With all the wind blowing the smog along the Front Range out over Kansas somewhere, we have had rather beautiful dark blue skies the past few days.

    Running Deer Natural Area about 8:00 pm on Memorial Day

    Driving back into town I stopped at the Running Deer Natural Area for a bathroom break and was given this third image. I love how nature does that, just freely and unexpectedly offers gifts. Just to the left of center you can see clouds shrouding around Longs Peak (one of Colorado’s 53 14ers). This view is looking out over a marshy area so I am surrounded by Red-winged and Yellow-headed blackbirds all in chorus, and of course, millions of bugs.

    As I write this I am reminded of the homemade ice cream my parents would traditionally make on Memorial Day when I was younger. And today would have been my parents 73rd wedding anniversary and the first without mom. I will give my dad a call. And, maybe talk about the homemade ice cream. ❤️

  • clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  Plants,  sunsets,  trees

    Almost Perfect

    Along Weld County Road 13

    “People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”

    Winnie-the-Pooh

    We all have certain subjects we gravitate towards. I find my archives to have primarily images of wide open horizons with clouds, trees, fields of grass, open meadows, sunshine and the shadows it spreads around. This was taken last week on an afternoon drive outside the city. This morning I sit on my porch typing this post. Clear skies, sunshine and around 50 degrees. The birds are singing their songs of joy. Almost perfect.

    Or maybe they are singing because it’s Ruth’s birthday. Happy Birthday Ruth!

  • clouds,  horizons,  John O'Donohue,  landscape,  quotes,  writing/reading

    A Prayer

    “May I have the courage today
    To live the life that I would love,
    To postpone my dream no longer
    But do at last what I came here for
    And waste my heart on fear no more.”

    John O’Donohue

    This image was taken back in May. There is something about this tree that keeps me coming back to visit. Wonder if it’s the solitude this tree lives plus the courage to live the life it’s called to live. I also wonder how many of us have failed to live the life we would love.

  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  sunrises

    Let’s call it an attitude

    Headed out the door too late this morning, just missing one the best red horizons I’d seen in awhile. The sun is rising earlier but I haven’t been rising earlier. Makes for missed opportunities. I did run out the Pineridge for an image of the cloud formations as they were beautiful to see but they had already lost the red and pink colors. I believe these are called mountain wave clouds.

    I then ran back into town for coffee at the Bean Cycle, hadn’t been there in awhile. I would normally sit in the upstairs area where it is much quieter but they have that closed off. I quickly discovered I was not in a good emotional or spiritual state to be there. Let’s call it an attitude. Finding fault with it being too noisy and did not like the music they were playing. I did not stay long, wishing I’d stayed at the natural area. I find the natural areas are a much better place for me to start my day. Need to keep in mind the John Muir quote from my last post. 😊