My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
To live a truly creative life, we always need to cast the critical look at where we presently are, attempting always to discern where we have become stagnant and where new beginning might be a ripening. There can be no growth if we do not remain open and vulnerable to what is new and different. I have never seen anyone take a risk for growth that was not rewarded a thousand times over.
John O’Donohue
Western salsify was introduced into North America where it has become widespread, being reported from all the continental United States except for a few in the far south-east, and all provinces of Canada except Newfoundland and the northern territories. Like most salsifies, the western salsify grows as an annual or occasionally biennial forb. The inflorescence opens early in the morning and often closes up by late afternoon. Later the plant forms a seed head resembling that of the dandelions but is distinctly larger. Alternative names include western goat’s beard, wild oysterplant, yellow salsify, yellow goat’s beard, meadow goat’s beard, goat’s beard, goatsbeard, common salsify, or salsify. The basal leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Native Americans ate the roots, which are best cooked, and are said to taste like oysters. I took this image while at the natural area this morning. Happy Sunday!
petals shyly open
mws
in the suns early light
nature’s love gift
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
Clouds began rolling in just before noon. Forecast is for snow later tonight and into tomorrow and bitter cold, with a wind chill warning of 40 below. The cold is expected to hang around over the next 3 days. I did make it to a coffee shop this morning. And, believe it or not there were a few brave bicyclists out on this blustery day. I’m not that brave or maybe I’m wiser. I took this image of a backlit leaf a week ago. I assume the leaf is most likely in Kansas or beyond by now. Stay warm and hang on to your hat.
The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Driving to Red Feather Lakes to shoot senior portraits for a friend today. Haven’t been up in that area for quite some time. Have a wonderful Sunday!
I’m telling on myself. Thursday morning I took a few images at Pineridge Natural Area of the predawn light. I did not shoot many images, making 7 compositions, placing the horizon in the various locations in the frame. When I loaded them on the computer at home they were all underexposed. I then discovered I had set the camera in manual mode yesterday and never checked the exposure. I made a critical assumption the camera would take care of everything, all I had to do was make the composition. Wrong. Way too much dependance on the camera and not checking my settings!
A lot of seasonal changes are taking place here in Colorado. As the nights get longer and there’s less sunlight, leaves stop making chlorophyll, losing their green colors, some change to yellow, orange, red, brown and gray. These leaves will freeze in winter, so the trees are letting go, allowing them to decompose and restock the soil with nutrients for next spring. I love this time of the year and this process of dying to renew life.
I attended my 55th class reunion dinner last night and enjoyed catching up with them. One facet of reunions is finding out more have died than I knew about. Just the same we get to reminisce about our youth. I’m leaving a few minutes to attend today’s picnic. I am finding it interesting how little I really knew about my classmates and the erroneous assumptions I had about them in high school. And that is also true of how they perceived me. Many thought they didn’t fit in. Just like me! Fascinating to me.
Most of the things that we notice, we notice in passing, on our way to something else; then, every so often, something gives us reason to pause. Something catches our eye or draws our attention, and we’re drawn for a moment to ponder or to reflect on that which awakened us in this way.
James Finley
It’s a cool morning, a feeling of fall. The leaves are changing colors and the trees are releasing these leaves to move onto their next stage of life. You can’t help but notice and pause as the changes take place. As a dude with a camera I’m not sure I always pause to ponder and reflect but gravitate to checking out the light and composition. 😊 However, I like to think that’s changing.