• coffee life,  street photography,  sunrises

    Morning Starburst

    October 14, 2024

    It was 37 degrees when I left the condo this morning. Cold mornings like today make for chilly rides. In spite of the cold I do enjoy the short ride. And, the Earl Gray tea at Mugs hits the spot. This image is taken outside the front door of the coffee shop just after the sun has risen. The older buildings are a part of CSU campus. 

    Morning Starburst

    I’m getting accustomed to using the bicycle as my primary mode of transportation now. I used the bicycle to meet my oldest daughter for lunch today, about a ten mile round trip. Again, I took the bike trail so I’m not dealing with traffic. They have built tunnels under the major north south bound roads so I needed to only cross one busy road, which has a crosswalk light. These trails also keep me connected with nature, where I get to experience the beauty of our fall season.

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  • bicycle rides,  bicycling,  natural areas

    It was on the way…

    September 2, 2024

    It’s been a quiet Labor Day for me and hope you have enjoyed your day. I began the day with an Old Town Mocha and wonderful conversation with Jeff at Mugs. About mid morning I took a nice ride along Spring Creek Trail and Poudre Trail. I rode 23.4 miles and returned with tender buttocks. The trails were busy as people were out enjoying the weather before the cooler fall temperatures move in over the next few weeks. This image is one of 5 small ponds along the Spring Creek Trail on the east side of town and part of the Cattail Chorus Natural Area. Just behind these trees is the Poudre River and the 12.3 miles of hard-surface trail which follows the Poudre River from North Overland Trail to East Drake Road and connects to CSU Environmental Learning Center. About a half mile from this location I connect up with the Poudre Trail. After the ride I treated myself with a Turtle Pecan Cluster Blizzard at Dairy Queen. After all, it was on the way.

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  • Canada Goose,  gratitude,  Humor,  winter scenes

    Sleeping-in

    January 15, 2024

    At 6:37 am my weather app said it was 0°, wind was out of the north at 11 mph, humidity was at 83%, wind chill at −17° and light snow was falling. Later at 7:13 am I was enjoying a mocha latte at Mugs and had to snicker at the insane individuals who would be out in this weather, unless they were my barista or the city snowplow driver. Told my baristas, Emma and Jess, that I needed to have a conversation with McCabe and Marlie (the owners) about paying them double-time for working on days like this. They thought it was a great idea! When I got home I noticed the geese were sleeping in late so I quietly took three images. They looked so comfortable I didn’t want to wake them. Now at my computer, slippers on, furnace running, sipping on a hot chai tea and have a grateful heart! ❤️ Going to be a day for reading and writing. Looks like most of the country is cold today so stay warm!!!

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  • leaves,  quotes,  snow,  trees,  winter scenes

    Journey to Wholeness

    November 25, 2023

    Sacred wisdom is deep in our nature. The journey to wholeness is about awakening to this wisdom deep within and seeking it everywhere, in every culture and every religion.

    John Philip Newell

    The snow finally let up about 11:00 this morning. My guess is 6-8 inches of snow with a fine layer of ice beneath the powdery snow. Restless by noon I took the Number 2 bus to campus then walked over to Mugs. This snowfall has been beautiful, a winter wonderland that excited this photographer’s shutter finger. I like how snow can hide something or highlight it. I pretty much had the coffee shop to myself as many students are still on break and the snow kept many people home. Therefore my baristas, Emma and James, spoiled me. I had my Old Town Mocha and one of their November Specials, a bowl of butternut squash soup. It hit the spot.

    I really like Newell’s quote above. He touches on four things that have become important in my journey of life. They are sacred, wisdom, nature and awakening. I say that because I’m awakening to some knowing deep within me that every human being, creature, plant, all of creation is sacred. I am also wakening to the idea that maybe we are all made from the same speck of stardust of our creator. Anyway, here are a few images from this afternoon’s journey to wholeness and some damn good butternut squash soup on this rather frigid Saturday.

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  • landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  quotes,  sunrises

    While the city still sleeps…

    July 23, 2023

    The God of creation goes on creating us.

    Joan Chittister

    I awoke early this morning, way too early. Unable to go back to sleep I made a pour over then headed to Pineridge Natural Area. I would spend the next hour and a half in this sacred place while the city still sleeps. A couple of baby cottontails dashed across the road when I pulled into the parking area. After parking the car I could see the silhouette of bats darting in the dim light feasting on insects. A croaking frog belted out from the shallows of the reservoir. The meadowlarks now share their songs of joy. I had maybe an hour before sunrise so I moved to the north end of Dixon Reservoir because nature was gathering a few clouds in the northern sky. After taking a few predawn images I moved to a spot along Dixon Canyon Road and set up my camera looking out over the reservoir where I wanted to watch and photograph the sunrise. As I left this sanctuary an hour later the clouds had filled the sky and the beauty of the new day’s sunrise was more than I expected. This is one of the predawn images and I will post one of the sunrise images later. Next I had a wonderful conversation with Dan and an Old Town mocha latte at Mugs coffee shop. It has been a lovely morning but I do believe there will be a power nap later today. May you have a fabulous day!

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  • Black and White,  coffee life,  coffee shops,  quotes,  sunrises

    the true miracle…

    March 26, 2023
    Morning sunshine at Mugs and a dirty lens

    “… the very fact that anything exists is supernatural—literally beyond the rules of the natural world… the true miracle is existence itself.”

    A cold Sunday morning. The numbers on my car dashboard said it was 14 degrees at about 6:47 am. I’m back home after getting my chai latte fix and my beautiful barista fix. This day is starting out good. Now to clean my lens.

    I do not consider myself a philosopher. However, I do have a tendency to lean towards asking a philosophical question once in a while. For example, there have been those moments in my life when I am overwhelmed with the of beauty and existence of the world around me, all of it, and questions arise. Why am I here? Why are we all here? How can that bird sing like that? Why can’t I see the wind and not just the effects of the wind? Why do I breathe without even knowing why or thinking about it? Maybe that philosopher within me is what enjoys finding and asking the questions but not necessarily wanting an answer. Or, maybe the deepest and more important question is to ask myself to look for all the miracles around me, notice them, stand in awe of them, find gratitude in them. They do exist! Anyway, it is a miracle that we are all here, that we exist! If you got something from my confusing ramblings, great. If not then forget what you just read and have a wonderful Sunday!

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  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  Food

    Avocado Toast

    August 16, 2022


    A half order of avocado toast is now on the menu at Mugs. Yippers. Of course this is just another reason to go to the coffee shop in the morning, as if I needed one. What onions?

    And today my youngest daughter turns 48. Happy Birthday, Monica!

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