A restless spirit let me know it was time to find solitude in one of our local nature areas. I chose Arapaho Bend Nature Area as it’s a favorite of mine. Not a cloud to be seen last night. Hope you have to great weekend!
Cloudless Sunset
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Sunset at Arapaho Bend Nature Area -
After the Storm
Passing Storm We had dark ominous clouds move through Fort Collins this past Wednesday afternoon. I drove to the east side of town near the Environmental Learning Center to watch the clouds, the lightening strikes and thunder. Yet, not one drop of rain as the storm headed south and east for the plains. They got plenty of rain. I love the show nature puts on.
Each day of life is a gift. However, today is a bit more more special as it is my parents 69th wedding anniversary. 🙂 I love you two!
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Good Grief
Snowfall at the Arapahoe Bend Nature Area I say good grief because we are at 46 degrees with light rain. Needless to say this image was also taken a few years back. Hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl and did not overindulge in chips and dips. Have a super Awesome week !
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After the Fire
Last July there was a small fire at the Cathy Fromme Nature area and investigators determined it as caused by fireworks. I did not know anything about it until early fall when talking a walk out there. We made a revisit yesterday afternoon and found this image. It’s not a very appealing image but does show the devastation a fire can have. I will try and go back in a month or so to see what nature is dong in it’s recovery.
A positive note has been the prairie dogs. The city poisoned them about 3 years ago due to a plague. Well, yesterday I could hear them barking again which means they are moving back into the area. One of the reasons for the nature area was to provide a habitat for them, not eliminate them.
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Along the River’s Edge
Poudre River at North Shields Ponds trail. Instead of taking my walk around the block I headed to the North Shields Ponds nature area. The Poudre River runs along the nature area and this is where I stopped and sat along the rivers edge. The clear skies made for wonderful fall colors. The soft sound of the gentle flow of the river was soothing. A good way to start the day.
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Back to Nature
Clouds and blue sky 
Milkweed pods and seeds 
Afternoon starburst against a cottonwood tree Needed a reprieve from the city noise and tension it seems to generate. So, I dropped my grandson off at work on Saturday afternoon then drove to the Arapaho Bend Nature Area. Loved the blue sky against the brown trees and the soft delicate scattered clouds in this image. Lots of people out with the same idea. My intentions were to get out and walk, find a place to sit and read a book. Of course I just happen to have my camera, so when nature provides scenes I accept them. Just off to the left of this image was a photographer working on some family portraits. Hope they turn out okay.
I find milkweeds almost everywhere. They are abundant along our rivers and I found them abundant while living in Ohio. They are a source of food for many insects and an attractor for monarch butterflies. However, they are not recommended for human consumption. Better off eating that banana or trail mix. Just enjoy their beauty!
I have several images of this tree with the sun directly behind it. It seems to always be in that same location and offering me another photo opportunity but each time with different light, foliage and cloud patterns. So, they are never the same image. I enjoyed getting back to nature and letting it touch me inside.
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Blue Skies Over Poudre River
Blue Skies and Water at Arapaho Bend Nature Area Taken from their website and it’s true: To provide world-class municipal services through operational excellence and a culture of innovation.
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Experience Nature
Sunset: Cathy Fromme Prairie Nature Area “A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
Albert EinsteinWe have been blessed with both awesome sunrises and sunsets for over a week now. Morning temperatures were down into the mid-20’s and daytime highs have actually reached 60 degrees. Scattered clouds have been filling our skies which adds to the beauty of these sunrises and sunsets. The above image is from the Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area.
I feel fortunate for the natural areas supported by the city of Fort Collins. The city manages 41 sites and over 36,000 acres locally and regionally. A couple of these nature areas are within walking distance of my condo while the farthest is about 25 miles north of the city. I have not spent much time at this farthest and newest nature area which is called the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area. It is actually shared with the city of Cheyenne, Wyoming. They have just brought bison into the area. Who needs to travel long distances to experience nature?
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What’s Left Behind
Small Bass Pond “Parks and gardens are the quintessential intimate landscapes. People use them all the time, leaving their energy and memories behind. It’s what’s left behind that I like to photograph”.
Michael KennaWhile on a walk in the Arapahoe Bend Nature Area I encountered an elderly gentleman on the trail. He had a walking stick in each hand and a small Canon around his neck. As he walked in front of me he would stop every once in a while, look around, taking it all in. He would raise the camera to his eye, frame a shot and press the shutter and methodically move on. No chimping. The walking paths in this area are level and easy to walk so for us elderly folk it is a great place to touch base with nature. I caught up with and enjoyed some time walking and talking with him. We both agreed we enjoy our nature areas. Just a few days before, this scene was covered in snow.
