• landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  sunrises

    This Morning’s Sunrise

    Wanted to share this morning’s sunrise in a cloudless sky above Dixon Reservoir with you. Meadowlarks joined with chickadees, robins and magpies in singing of this morning’s beauty. Geese and ducks made small waves across the waters surface and joining in the chorus with a quack and a honk every once in a while. There were a few more people joining me with their coffee mug in one hand and their smartphone in the other to witness the sunrise. It’s in these moments I believe in a God, a Great Spirit, a Creator, whatever name you choose to give it, who is love, compassion, creativity, inspiration, and in my books, the true artist in every sense. Hope you have a great day! Happy Easter to those who celebrate this season!

  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  Avian,  Canada Goose,  clouds,  Humor,  landscape,  natural areas

    Random Formation

    Geese flying over Rigden Reservoir

    There was a lot of chatter going up there as these Canada Geese flew over me. Had to chuckle as I imagined what they are honking up about. Do you suppose they are just like we are when we get in our cars and head somewhere? Were some complaining the goose behind them was following too close? Were some wanting to fly faster or slower? Were some being backseat flyers? Were some wanting to land here or fly on farther? Were some trying to control the formation, shouting instructions to others because the formation is not what they wanted? Do I even want to know? Not really but I had fun with my imagination. Have a great week!

  • Black and White,  grass,  natural areas,  Plants

    Time in Nature

    From a weekend walk at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area

    “Nature, too, supports our personal blossoming (if we have any quiet exposure to her) through her spontaneities, through her beauty, power, and mirroring, through her dazzling variety of species and habitats, and by way of the wind, Moon, Sun, stars, and galaxies.”

    Bill Plotkin

    It is a desire of mine to spend more time in nature. Hopefully, you already knew that. It is now obvious to me how deep these roots of solitude with and in nature have always been present. There is an awareness, also, that the more time I spend in the natural world, the more I desire to be there. My condo of bricks and sticks is not where I want to spend my life. It has provided a place of comfort but at a price. For many the house is all they need and want. Our culture stresses that. I’m not one of them. There is a desire to blossom. Have a great day and wonderful week!

  • landscape,  natural areas,  Plants,  sunrises

    Now open

    empty parking lot
    gate closed due to snow
    opening soon

    ms

    This is sunrise three days ago at Pineridge Natural Area. The area was closed until today due to snow so I pulled along the rode and took this image. It is a different perspective of a common theme I am drawn to. What you see below is is the lower parking area. I normally park in the upper parking lot as I gives me the higher view. I cannot see the horizon when in the lower parking lot. It is now open but the trails will probably take a bit longer to reopen due to mud.

  • landscape,  Mary Oliver,  mountains,  natural areas,  quotes

    Long Morning Shadows

    Poetry is one of the ancient arts, and it began as did all the fine arts, within the original wilderness of the earth.

    Mary Oliver, A Poetry Handbook

    I no longer celebrate the in coming New Year by partying and then suffering with a hangover in the morning. I am going way overboard this year and celebrating at home with some shrimp cocktail. Have a safe and enjoyable New Years Eve. If you do dance on the tables, please post a video. We can all use the laugh. 😁

  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  seasons,  sunrises,  winter scenes

    Another Sunrise

    Young lady watching the sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area on a cold December morning

    What’s broken can be mended.
    What hurts can be healed.
    And no matter how dark it gets,
    The sun is going to rise again.

    Well, back to another sunrise. Took this image yesterday but this one is a bit different. I arrived at predawn when the sky was pink and took a few images of those colors. It was 18 degrees and a slight breeze from the northwest. What is different about this image is the young lady located in the lower left corner of the image. She is sitting on a small bench at the trailhead, wrapped in a blanket and sipping on a thermos of hot coffee or maybe tea. I was there about 45 minutes and she was there when I arrived, sitting on that bench the whole time. We watched this lovely sunrise as well as seeing a couple coyotes walk across the frozen reservoir in search of food. We did not talk. Not sure the reason she needed to be there but for me nature is a place to go when I need to find healing, answers, peace, serenity, silence, a boost, even a good cry and most often the need to slow down the chatter of my thinking. It had warmed up to 19 degrees by the time she left. I departed soon after. We’re expecting light snow today so right now it is overcast and windy. Happy Friday!