• Documentary/Street,  landscape,  quotes,  sunrises

    Wise words….

    January 13, 2022
    Arapaho Bend Natural Area

    “You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim or diminish your light. Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates. […] Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don’t be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is finally at peace with itself.”

    John Lewis
    Read More
  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  natural areas,  quotes

    A Lover of Nature

    December 18, 2021

    The Native Americans, whose wisdom Thoreau admired, regarded the Earth itself as a sacred source of energy. To stretch out on it brought repose, to sit on the ground ensured greater wisdom in councils, to walk in contact with its gravity gave strength and endurance. The Earth was an inexhaustible well of strength: because it was the original Mother, the feeder, but also because it enclosed in its bosom all the dead ancestors. It was the element in which transmission took place. Thus, instead of stretching their hands skyward to implore the mercy of celestial divinities, American Indians preferred to walk barefoot on the Earth: The Lakota was a true Naturist – a lover of Nature. 

    Frédéric Gros

    As winter approaches and the temperatures become colder, I spend less time in nature. It seems now that on dark predawn mornings warm blankets are a womb I reluctantly want to leave. Maybe it’s old age. Maybe it’s poor circulation. Maybe it’s attitude. Sometimes I tell myself it’s time for someone else to brave a cold morning with camera and tripod in nature. But, I know that my spiritual life includes time in nature so I will still brave those cold mornings and evenings for those divine moments with Mother Earth. I will walk in contact with her and walk in prayer!

    Read More
  • natural areas,  Reservoir Ridge Natural Area

    Topsy-turvy

    August 31, 2021

    My time in Phoenix with my mother and then the 8 hour drive to Texas and back, was far more sedentary than I realized. I did not get in the steps like I needed so need to get back into a routine again. I’m sure more walking will increase also with the coming of cooler fall temperatures.

    After a burst of lightning in Colorado over the past 48 hours aircraft from Colorado Fire Prevention and Control have spotted 37 small fires. We only have a couple that are of concern but the smoke is having a negative impact on our air quality. We will be dry and warm today with moisture arriving on Wednesday.

    I received word yesterday afternoon that my dad and brother-in-law have tested positive for COVID-19. Both are tired and have little energy. My sister Marcee tested negative and my sister Sheree will test today. I’m scheduled for testing Thursday morning. Life is topsy-turvy right now. 😍

    Read More
  • natural areas,  Plants,  quotes

    Spiritual Journey

    July 9, 2021
    Environmental Learning Center

    And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our own feet, and learn to be at home.

    Wendell Berry
    Read More
  • landscape,  natural areas,  poems,  sunsets

    Sometimes

    August 21, 2020
    An late afternoon walk at Arapaho Bend Natural Area in 2017

    SOMETIMES
    by David Whyte

    Sometimes
    if you move carefully
    through the forest,
    breathing
    like the ones
    in the old stories,
    who could cross
    a shimmering bed of leaves
    without a sound,
    you come to a place
    whose only task
    is to trouble you
    with tiny
    but frightening requests,
    conceived out of nowhere
    but in this place
    beginning to lead everywhere.
    Requests to stop what
    you are doing right now,
    and
    to stop what you
    are becoming
    while you do it,
    questions
    that can make
    or unmake
    a life,
    questions
    that have patiently
    waited for you,
    questions
    that have no right
    to go away.

    Read More
  • clouds,  grass,  landscape,  natural areas,  Plants,  quotes,  trees

    Walking the Path

    May 17, 2019

    “Perhaps for the first time we have a limited sense of what it means to be silence, instead of actively seeking or longing for the silence we think we lack and trying to make space for silence in our lives, as if this silence were not already silence but some sort of object to be sought and found.”

    Martin Laird

    This is from yesterday afternoon on a walk at the Environmental Learning Center along the Poudre River. I go there for the quiet, probably not often enough. I found three young people who had strung hammocks among a grove of trees, were playing music and staring at their phones. We were not using the ELC I read earlier in the day that we do not seek silence as much as we are to be silence. I like that idea and will need to ponder that for awhile, in silence. You”ll find the reading below.

    Storm clouds filled the sky to the south and west but no rain. Teh clouds and a cool breeze made it almost a perfect temperature. Loved the musty smell of the woods and all the birds singing. The Poudre River was full and running hard from the spring runoff. I was glad to see few mosquitos or flies.

    Read More
  • architecture,  Cityscapes/Urban,  Documentary/Street,  musings,  quotes,  writing/reading

    Give’em a Smile

    October 24, 2015

    The path on campus
    The path on campus

    “In order to move forward, you will have to stumble along the way, but every falter in your stride just makes your next step even stronger.” ― Lindsay Chamberlin

    I stumbled on one of my walks this past week. Of ocurse the first thing I did was check to see who saw me. Luckily, there were no witnesses. I then looked down to see what I’d tripped over but there was nothing. I literally stumbled over nothing. I just failed to properly place one foot in front of the other as I walked. And, no, I was not looking at my phone but my mind had fluttered off somewhere. I had moved away from being mindful and present to my walk. Nor, can I tell you where it fluttered. Happens more often than I want to admit.

    Stumbling can unexpectedly bring us new discoveries, excitement, joys and lessons. And, sometimes stumbling can unexpectedly bring pain, sadness, regret and lessons. But, when we stumble and fall, it’s vital to get back up and dust off the pants, check for witnesses, take note of the reason we stumbled and hopefully learn from any lessons. Stumbling and falling are lessons.

    Anyway, if the next time you stumble and there is a witness, give’em a smile and tell them you intended to do that. 🙂

     

    Read More
  • landscape,  Plants

    Can’t See Where I’m Going

    September 21, 2014

    Boardwalk and Cattails
    Boardwalk and Cattails

    There is a popular saying that the “destination is the journey.” However, most of us have some pre-visualization of a destination and not much of the journey. We’re focused on the dream home, the career, the perfect family, a life of travel, status, money, whatever it is. Then, after all the planning and starting out on the journey we find we are unable to see the destination. All we’re experiencing is the journey. We thought we know where we’re going, but this is not what we had in mind.

    Well, we started out on the dirt path and before long we found a fork in the road. Where did this come from? It was not in our plans. We decide to go left. Before long we find ourselves on a rickety boardwalk surrounded by cattails rising above our heads. We begin to question our decision to go left. There is no destination be seen. We’re not sure about this boardwalk or where it’s leading us? Will we run out of boardwalk? Should we turn back?

    But, you know what, we made the choice to make this journey so let’s see where it leads. We just might enjoy the journey more than we expected. After walking a short distance we begin to realize the cattails are providing shelter from the heat of the day. We notice the dragonflies zipping in an out of the cattails and a sunflower plant rising above the cattails. Even though we can’t see him, we hear a Red-winged blackbird singing somewhere among those cattails. He is soon joined by a chorus of croaking frogs. And, we imagine they are encouraging us to move onward. A spider scurries to get out of our way. We realize we are not alone on this journey. Before long the boardwalk makes a curve and we enter into an opening. A bench awaits us and the clouds join the setting sun to makes today a beautiful journey. As much as we plan, the journey may not be exactly as we planned or expected but we feel inside we’re on the right boardwalk. Wonder where the rest of the boardwalk goes? It does go right.

    photocrati gallery

    Read More
  • Cityscapes/Urban,  Fujifilm X-E1,  quotes

    It’s Good News

    March 19, 2014
    Afternoon Walk
    Afternoon Walk

    “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

    C. S. Lewis

    On March 10th I gave my two week notice at work. I’m hanging up my wings. Moving more into my retirement years. Going to avoid airports and airplanes while keeping my feet on the ground as I take my time driving, anywhere. I may never wear another tie for the rest of my life. I found my uniform pants kept shrinking due to decompression cycles or the altitude. No more checking for unbuckled seat belts, telling people to turn off their cellular service. No more telling them the cannot have that purse between their feet and properly stow their bags. I do not have to hear a passenger ask if I’ll call and see if the airlines will hold their plane for them because we’re late. No more crying babies during descent. It’s all good news.

    But, just like any job loss there will be things I’ll miss. The unique life style of visiting cities, finding those mom-and-pop coffee shops and restaurants. Conversations with total strangers. A paycheck. And, last but not least, cleavage in 17C. On to new adventures.

    Read More