• bicycling,  fall season,  leaves

    Sunday Turkey Trot

    Fallen leaves at the CSU Oval

    My ride to coffee this morning was an enjoyable 10.1 mile round trip. It was 38 degrees by the time I headed out the door, at 6:40 am. I’m enjoying riding enough that the cold has not deterred me from getting out there. Bundling up along with the exercise are a couple of good things for my health. Colors are still vivid in many places which brings on a smile. As leaves were falling like gold and yellow snowflakes it reminded me that it won’t be long and white snowflakes will replace them.

    Mallards on Spring Creek

    I stopped to spend some time at the small concrete dam and gate area along Spring Creek. The water was smooth, blues skies reflected in the water and I had the time to stop. Three mallards felt the need to get in the image so I let them.

    Sunday Turkey Trot on Spring Creek Trail

    Most Sunday mornings I will encounter walkers, their dogs and bicyclists, all using these wonderful hard surface trails. This morning I needed to stop because a bunch of turkeys were taking their time as they trotted cross the bike trail. They seemed to think it was all theirs. So I let all 13 in the group have the right of way. About 1:00 pm they wandered across my front yard, which is about 2 miles from where I took this image. I’ve never seen them this far in town. Do you suppose they are looking for a place to hide? Hope you had a good Sunday!

  • clouds,  landscape,  musings,  sunrises

    Just a touch of pink…

    I enjoyed my ride this morning to the coffee shop. It was cool and crisp at about 47 degrees but not cold. I find these rides to be invigorating, actually beginning to look forward to them. No traffic to deal with and parking is a breeze. I enjoyed my coffee conversations this morning with Jeff, Curtis, Shawn, Terry and Adrianna, which always seems to make the coffee taste better.

    A touch of pink over CSU campus this morning

    I journaled this morning about how short life is, aware mine gets shorter each day, each breath. I do not know when my heart will beat its last beat, but I am at a place of acceptance when that moment comes. And that acceptance includes finding myself waking each morning with gratitude, looking forward to the possibilities of the day. What photo will be given? Who will I share a conversation with? What lesson(s) can I learn today? What words will I find on the pages of my journal? Will I be present to experience feelings of gratitude, love, fear, serenity, anger, sadness, and other emotions that make me human? These remind me of Mary Oliver’s question asking us how we will live this one wild and precious life given to us? I will not have an answer until I reflect back on my day when I lay my head on my pillow tonight. But, I must say my day has been rich and fulfilling already and it’s not finished.

  • bicycle rides,  clouds,  Pedaling on,  quotes,  sunrises

    Moments like this

    Sunrise over CSU campus this morning

    We can express them (beauty and love) with words but cannot define them — we can only say that this and this are included but that is not, and wordlessly we all recognise the truth of it. Speech is limited, no matter what the language…. For in our hearts we understand more than we can possibly talk about.

    N.J. Berrill

    I stopped for this image on my ride to the coffee shop this morning. Makes me wonder if my coffee life is enriched because of moments of beauty like this. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

  • clouds,  landscape,  quotes,  Reservoir Ridge Natural Area

    Learning to Become Human

    Morning walk at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area

    All nature is waiting for us to become conscious because there’s a particular quality of consciousness that only humans can provide. Nature needs that consciousness; cries out for it. And the process of deciphering Nature’s need, then discovering how to respond to it, is what’s called learning to become human.

    Peter Kingsley

    After quiet time I moved on to my morning mocha made by Hannah at Starry Night. It was an unusual 68 degrees so I began to question why I was sitting inside. Then the busyness and noise of the shop nudged me to drive to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area and get in some journaling and a walk. It was a wise choice! The clouds were amazing. The meadowlarks sang from their hearts and were accompanied by a group of crickets in the tall grass. These are some of my favorite musicians. Not sure how much nature is conscious of my presence but I know I was conscious of my presence within nature. I’m learning to become more human.

  • street photography,  sunrises

    … my day

    “I’m starting to think this world is just a place for us to learn that we need each other more than we want to admit.”

    Richelle E. Goodrich

    As I walked up to the door at Mugs this morning the sun was just cresting the buildings on campus, offering me a much needed good morning wink, which made my day! A half hour earlier the sky was ablaze with a red sunrise, which brightened my day! After quiet time and some journaling I made my way to meet a friend for coffee and conversation, which enriched my day! I felt such gratitude when I returned home. First, because I have a large and supportive group of friends in my life. And, second because I’m at a place in life where I need that support. And, I’m aware that allowing others to help is helping them in return. Snow predicted for tomorrow afternoon. Hoping you have a wonderful day!

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  haiku,  journal,  writing/reading

    Coffeehouse Writing

    Morning sunlight, journal, fountain pen and new ink

    half blank pages
    find new words in brown ink
    coffeehouse writing

    ms

    Had a friend give me a new bottle of ink yesterday appropriately named, Coffee Break. 😃 It is a soft subtle brown that shades well, one of my favorite traits in inks, and works well with my cream colored journal pages. Using it in my white Pelikan M205 fountain pen. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

  • Annie Dillard,  Candid Portraits,  coffee shops,  People/Portraits,  quotes

    Morning coffee…

    A young lady with morning coffee and her shadow

    “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour and with that one, is what we are doing.” 

    Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

    Met this young lady at the coffee shop the other morning. Loved the light on her so I asked if I could take a photo and one is all I took. Many of you know I’m one who spends time at local coffee shops with my books, journal, fountain pens, camera and openness to who I will encounter. It is always an adventure.