My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
Took a walk this past Sunday along the Red Fox Meadows nature trail. Mostly cloudy day but so enjoyable and much needed time in nature to clear the thinking. It also provides the exercise my body and spirit need. I find it fascinating when scenes appear that catch my attention and become an image for me. I feel like a child discovering something new. Processed this image with one of the presets in Silver EFEX Pro. Made a tone curve adjustment then posted it.
“Nobody can discover the world for somebody else. Only when we discover it for ourselves does it become common ground and a common bond…” Wendell Barry
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.
I have been absent from the internet for over a week as I finish working on some health issues. I’ve struggled with BPH for 20 years and things are now coming to a head. Spent an evening in ER last weekend and am now walking around with a catheter until RALSP surgery which I will have in two weeks from today. Hopefully this will improve the quality of my life.
Same feathers the next morning
Life is always changing and I think these two images present nature creating new art each second. It never ends!
There are times I wish I could sit at the base of a tree and listen to the stories it has to tell. What changes has it seen in it’s life? How many bird songs has it heard in its life? Does it feel ignored when so many people walk by and really never looked at it? I touch it and feel it toughness. Solid and firm. I see it’s scars, the twisted and broken branches that its sustained through the years. How many eagles and hawks have perched themselves on it’s branches awaiting the unsuspecting field mouse. Yes, I would read a book of stories written by a tree.
“A tree says: My strength is trust. I know nothing about my fathers, I know nothing about the thousand children that every year spring out of me. I live out the secret of my seed to the very end, and I care for nothing else. I trust that God is in me. I trust that my labor is holy. Out of this trust I live.”
What a beautiful day we had yesterday. Actually the whole weekend was all about Spring. I took a walk out at the Arapahoe Bend Nature Area. People were out walking the dog, riding bicycles and fisherman all along the banks of ponds. I talked one fisherman and he was a grinning and bragging about the bass and perch they were catching.
Some days it seems like there are moments when things are not in focus and life is moving way too fast. These past two days have had those moments. I attribute some of it to restlessness, unnecessary worry, imaginary fears, apprehension, that relentless voice of self-doubt. Those moments can sneak up on me when I do not take time for quiet, meditation, exercise, good eating habits, good rest, time in nature and community, all of which have become essential in my life. When I include these practices in my day I am better prepared for the days unexpected moments.
A good example of this is the above image. I did not plan this shot because as a photographer I just was not prepared. Happy Leap Day!
This image was taken in 2004 just after the massive fires in Glacier National Park.
Back in 2004 I made a road trip on my motorcycle to the west coast. During the 3 week trip I road 4200 miles. I drove down the northwest coast of Washington into Oregon, ate seafood in Seattle and tried to cover as many National Parks as I could fit into the schedule. I camped along the road except for 4 four nights, setting up camp primarily in National Parks.
I only scheduled one afternoon and night in Glacier National Park which is not near enough time to really see the park. I setup camp in one of the campgrounds near Lake McDonald but for the life of me can’t remember which one. The previous year was one of the worst seasons of fire in Glacier National Park. A 136,00 acres were burned that year. One of the largest fires was the Roberts Fire, which burned 57,570 acres, that is near the lake. I could see the barren and naked landscape across the lake. There was a fire burning nearby, causing a haze to settle into the lower valleys of the park.
It’s cold outside this evening so I’m going through my archives and found this image that caused me to remember the trip. I wrote about this trip before and have a color image or the lake, if you care to check it out. I converted this image to black and white with Silver Efex Pro using one of the presets then making a few simple adjustments in Lightroom 4.
A final thought : I have in the past wished we had more respect for nature but I think I would rather we understood that “we are nature.”
“What’s really important is to simplify. The work of most photographers would be improved immensely if they could do one thing: get rid of the extraneous. If you strive for simplicity, you are more likely to reach the viewer.”William Albert Allard
I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed coming year!
Happy Leap Day!
