• journal,  writing/reading

    Use Words Wisely

    Words. So powerful. They can crush a heart, or heal it. They can shame a soul, or liberate it. They can shatter dreams, or energize them. They can obstruct connection, or invite it. They can create defenses, or melt them. We have to use words wisely.

    Jeff Brown

    After years of journaling I’ve come to understand the shortcomings of words to express much of what we think and experience of life. There are thousands of books written in prose and poetry in our attempt to express thoughts, ideas, concepts, feelings, or define a single word. For thousands of years man has attempted to put into words what and who God is. Some feel they have found the answer. I don’t have that same feeling. It’s a mystery!

    Since my teenage years, and maybe earlier than that, I have asked those deep questions: how was I created and why? How did it all start and why and by whom? Who is God? Is there a God? If there is a God why would God create then punish what is created? All questions I believe we cannot define or comprehend. Nor can words define the fragrance of a rose. Words fall short.

    My journaling is a collection of letters and prayers addressing questions to my deeper self, that essence of who I really am. For me the name, definition or comprehension of the word god is not as important as experiencing the reality of something Divine through nature, my journals, my meditation, all experiences in life.

    Meister Eckhart says, “God is above all a reality to be experienced from within.” I’m well aware of the inadequacy of my words to express my experiences or fully articulate the questions. What is important is asking of questions. So, through this blog and my journaling I’m learning to use words wisely.

  • animals,  Avian,  clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  poetry,  Soapstone Prairie Natural Area,  writing/reading

    Experiencing Nature’s Touch

    Storm clouds were on the eastern horizon enticing me to head out of town to find open areas for an image or two. Before I knew it I was on a course heading north to the Soapstone Natural Area. I did get a few cloud images but I also was gifted with a few unexpected images of this beautiful landscape and a few bison images.

    This natural area is the biggest one the City of Fort Collins maintains. It is 48 square miles of wide open vistas, nearly pristine grasslands, miles of trails and cultural resources. The trails are a mix for hiking, biking and horses. Thankfully they have restricted access to some areas to keep them free of man’s destructive tendencies. During excavations in the 1930s by the Smithsonian and Colorado Museum of Natural History they conclusively dated human habitation in in this area to at least 10,000 years. You can go online and find many stories about the early homesteaders, mostly ranchers and sheepherders, in this area as well as the American Indians.

    In November of 2015 they introduced a herd of bison on over 1,000 acres of pasture land which is inaccessible to the public. However, the main entrance road, Rawhide Flats Road, and Cheyenne Rim Trail, follow along the edge of this pasture which gives an opportunity to observe them and even get a few photographs, if they are close enough. I find these animals so intriguing.

    And of course this area is a haven for my favorite bird the meadowlark. It is also a place for many other birds, such as red-tailed hawks. The Fort Collins Audubon has a bird checklist that’s two pages long. You will find coyotes, fox, rabbits, prairie dogs, deer, antelope, and elk and of course a few snakes. I don’t go there often enough and it is always an uplifting experience for my soul when I go. It’s nice to come home with a few images but just spending time there, listening to the silence, transforms me in some wonderful way. Experiencing nature’s touch.

    ominous storm clouds in the east
    rain, hail and wind hidden within
    we watch in silence, the hawk and I

    ms
  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  sunrises

    A Unified Whole

    This morning’s sunrise

    “We must also take active steps to live in harmony with the rest of creation. This means that we cannot adopt attitudes or beliefs that place us above the natural world. We cannot see ourselves as having dominion over the land, the water, or the animals. We can’t even see ourselves as being stewards of the Earth. We are only keepers of a way of life that is in harmony with the Earth. Every day, we must act in ways that acknowledge that we are part of one living system, a unified whole.”

    Sherri Mitchell

    In case you do not know Sherri Mitchell is an Indigenous Rights attorney and the executive director of the Land Peace Foundation, an organization dedicated to the protection of Indigenous land and water rights and the Indigenous way of life. Mitchell has been actively involved with Indigenous rights in the U.S., Canada and abroad for more than 25 years. I had not heard of her before until I read this quote.

    This image is an envisioned scene I’ve had for a couple of weeks. This morning nature pulled together the elements so I could have this scene. I tried something similar back on April 19th but clouds did not allow it to happen. Happy Friday!

  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  seasons,  snow,  winter scenes

    I Have a Headache

    Snow squall at Pineridge Natural Area at sunrise.

    This morning we awoke to overcast skies, light snow again and cold. Yet, I could just see a bit of glow in the east so drove to Pineridge Natural Area. I could see the snow squall moving to the northeast, the city shrouded in the aquall. It was quiet and peaceful up there. Saw three mule deer passing along the trail just below me and saw a fox.

    Mule deer keeping an eye on me because I could be danger

    I listened to a podcast between two professional landscape photographers talking about SEO (Search Engine Optimization). I’ve never really thought much about SEO because I never thought of myself as a professional photographer so why bother. But after some reflection I admitted the real reason was sloth. So I did some reading on it to try and understand it better. Now I have a headache!

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

    Sunday Sunrise

    Another quiet morning sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area

    “There is a communion with God and a communion with earth, and a communion with God through earth.”  

    Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

    It was a quiet morning at Pineridge Natural Area. A touch of pink in the clouds in the predawn light changing to an orange glow with the rising sun. A bit of communion with all of creation was a good start to this day. Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!

  • animals,  haiku,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  writing/reading

    Morning Visitor

    morning visitor
    give one another distance
    keeping eye contact

    ms

    A cloudy and cold morning at Pineridge Natural Area. No wind, no bird songs, all was quiet. I was the only one there this morning. Seemed everyone else stayed in bed or had a second cup of coffee. There were several cottontails checking me out: Are you friend or foe? They have that alertness, always present to where they and you are. Where we seem to wander in thought, seldom staying present. I stayed more present this morning as I let them teach me.

  • Avian,  Canada Goose,  clouds,  gratitude,  landscape,  natural areas,  Plants,  reflections,  sunrises,  trees

    Listening to Nature

    I have friends vacationing in Hawaii with kids and grandkids. I’m a bit envious of them sitting on the beach working on a tan. All the photos they’ve sent include big smiles. Yet, this morning while visiting the Top Minnow Natural Area, I was reminded by the red-winged blackbirds and the meadowlarks of just how beautiful it is right here. They were reminding through their joyful songs to be grateful for where I’m at and what I have. These two Canada Goose told me the same thing. I’m learning to listen to the wisdom of nature more often.