My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
We have at least 3 inches of snow here in town while, the mountains got much more. Heavy, wet, slushy, with icy and slick roads this morning.
It seems this savings times thingy really works. The saying goes: spring forward and fall back. Well we seem to have jumped all the way to Christmas of 2021. Sheesh!😁
Even though I don’t like the cold anymore, it’s 28 degrees, the beauty of fresh snowfall is breathtaking. Have a great day and stay warm!
This past weekend we set record high temperatures for both Saturday and Sunday. I wore sandals both days and short sleeve shirts. 😁 People were outdoors and some even got sunburned. I spent time Sunday afternoon at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area. I took this image to show you we still have snow in the foothills from the almost two foot snow storm we had three and a half weeks ago. Sunny this morning but expecting it to cool off this afternoon and enjoy refreshing rain showers. And, you can see the grass greening up. I’m good with that.
Heard my first meadowlark’s song yesterday afternoon at Pineridge Natural Area. Later in the afternoon I drove up north along County Roads 17 and 19 looking for trees against the setting sun. Found one I liked so I’m sharing it. But what I really found was the meadowlarks. They were everywhere I went, singing their hearts out, letting me know they were back. Gave me joy to hear their song again. Happy Friday! 😍
“True solitude is found in the wild places, where one is without human obligation. One’s inner voices become audible… In consequence, one responds more clearly to other lives.”
Wendell Berry
This solitudinal place is just north of Cowdrey in Roosevelt National Forest and taken back in 2005. Friends I was visiting with at Cowdrey took me to this lovely place where we enjoyed the scenery and grilled steaks on an open fire. This meadow is a series of beaver ponds where anglers love to spend time in solitude. I unfortunately do not remember the creek these ponds were along. Hoping you have a great week.
“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.
While driving along Weld County Road 13 this evening I encountered hundreds of Canada Geese in this massive cut corn field. As I crested this small hill many of them took to the air. I stopped and got off four shots before it was all over. I missed the best part. When you enlarge the image you can see hundreds more of the geese still on the ground. There are also three goose blinds made of bales of hay. So, I figure the farmer is making a few dollars from the hunters. It was also quite noisy when they lifted off.
Today was a lovely day, blue skies and sunshine. The wind began to blow this afternoon and you can see the clouds building up over the mountains. Always a good indication that something is in the air; snow tomorrow night. Have a great weekend!
It was in the mid 30’s when I took this image of the rider at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area this afternoon. As you can tell a little snow and cold does not stop the avid bicyclist in Colorado. They gear up just as you would for skiing or snowmobiling. This guy was on one of those fat tire bikes, with those massive tires for snow. Shortly after taking this image the sun poked its head out, gave me shadows in the snow and made me smile.
palette of colors
ms
paint brush strokes of clouds
a calming sunset
brings serenity to souls
heals troubled spirits
Awoke to a light snowfall again this morning and it’s cold. It’s a good morning to journal and read. Later today a friend is coming over for lunch. The above is my first attempt at a tanka. Have a great day!
Think I’m gonna send Adobe a suggestion for them to add an automatic Remove Contrails button in Lightroom.
And a side note: Amanda Gorman rocks!
“Beauty is the illumination of your soul.”
John O’Donohue
It’s been a cold day. It started out with 9 degrees at 7:00 this morning. We may have reached 34 degrees. Even though it was cold I went to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area to journal and watch the sunset. Cloudless sky. Quiet. I needed it.