• clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  storm clouds

    Gotta Love Those Clouds

    Looking northeast along Continental Road

    Horsetooth Reservoir sits on the west side of the city of Fort Collins in the foothills. It runs 6 1/2 miles north to south and is about a half mile wide. The reservoir was created by the construction of four separate large earthen dams, all completed in 1949 and all modernized with a seismic retrofit in 2000-2004. The reservoir has a capacity of 156,735 acre-feet, a total shoreline of 25 miles. Not quite the Great Lakes.

    I gave you all that information to let you know I love the clouds! They are the subject of both image! They are the reason I drove up there yesterday afternoon. I am standing along the east side of the reservoir on a road called Continental Road which travels the full 6 1/2 mile length of the reservoir. I am between two of the four dams looking out across the city after the rain moved out onto the eastern plains.

    Clouds this morning at Pineridge Natural Area

    Then I spent the early part of the morning at Pineridge Natural Area. Fog shrouded the city and eastern plains. The have been 6 pelicans hanging around the reservoir for the past couple weeks. This morning they were scattered about rather than huddled together as I normally see them. So I suspect they may be social distancing or one of ’em farted. Gotta love those clouds!

  • quotes

    Love Everyone

    “… as we learn to love ourselves for who we truly are, we cannot but love everyone else in the same manner.”

    Book of Secrets

    This mornings image is the full moon setting over Horsetooth Dam. The red/orange glow of the eastern sunrise adds to the image. The skies are clear and blue but it is still cold.

    I had a scare yesterday as my X-T3 would not see or format an SD card in slot one. I panicked thinking the camera had already failed me but it turned out to be the SD card. I then realized the cards I have are about 6 years old. Ordered four more cards this morning.

    As the quote says, my wish is that more people would learn to love themselves. Seems there would be less hatred in the world.

  • lake,  landscape,  seasons,  winter scenes

    Mental Reset

    “Keep close to nature’s heart and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean…”

    John Muir

    What a beautiful day for us. Temperatures reached the mid 40’s, blue skies and sunshine. Almost good enough to make a trip to the Dairy Queen. I watched the sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area this morning, a good start to any day. This afternoon I made a trip back to sit in the sun and journal. I took the long way home over Horsetooth Reservoir, up Rist Canyon, down Stove Prairie to the Poudre Canyon and back into town. A good mental reset! This is a view of Horsetooth Reservoir along the east side. Love the patterns of the ice.

    I also got my second COVID-19 immunization yesterday. I’m cured now.