• landscape,  natural areas,  seasons,  shadows,  snow,  winter scenes

    Bad Hair Day

    January 14, 2021

    Had my two year check up with my cardiologist this morning and the heart is doing well. I had a cute nurse taking my blood pressure so my heart rate was up for a short period. Doc thinks that’s a good thing! Blood pressure is good. I did put on some weight since my physical in June but he did not mention that. That’s my fault and I know what to do about that. He asked me to get on the list for the vaccine. So, I plan on getting my name on the list.

    The wind howled all night. Heard a few things blowing down the street last night as patio chairs, trash cans and other stuff were headed to Kansas. They had a few semis overturned yesterday from the high wind gusts which is typical along the front range. It’s still blowing this morning so we’ll consider it a bad hair day. Stay warm and safe!

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  • Avian,  landscape,  seasons,  sunrises,  winter scenes

    I didn’t question it…

    December 30, 2020
    Sunrise over Lee Lake

    Cold morning. Another one of those nights, awake at 3:00 am. It said 5 degrees at 5:30 am. Saw the moon and drove to Reservoir Ridge for some full moonset photos. I was given this image on the way home and liked it better. It gives you more of a feeling of what kind of morning it was. Someone has been energetic enough to clear the snow off the ice and created a nice skating rink in the foreground of this image. The Canada Geese were along the open water and in the water enjoying the weather. Not me. When I got back in the car the dashboard said it was 1 degree. I didn’t question it.

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  • Avian,  Canada Goose,  haiku,  landscape,  sunrises,  writing/reading

    words rising

    December 3, 2020

    inhale deep breaths
    journal and pen in hand
    words rising within

    mws

    It was 17 degrees at 7:33 am when I took this image. I was bundled up while the geese, well, they seemed to be singing a song of joy while drifting in frigid water or sleeping on thin ice. Pure insanity to us humans! After taking this image, I headed to Pineridge Natural area to bask in the sun’s bright warmth and journal. Picked up a mocha on the way so it took me about 25 minutes to arrive at the natural area parking lot. It had already warmed up to 18 degrees. Not toasty yet but an increase nonetheless. Some will think I’m insane for starting my day this way but both the geese and I say to heck with them. I enjoy these gifts of silence, the clear blue skies and the warm sun shining on me. To make it complete, when I got home I enjoyed a rather dry day old donut. 😁Do I know how to live or what?

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  • Fujifilm X-T3,  Fujifilm XF16-80mm f4.0,  lake,  landscape,  mountains,  natural areas,  quotes

    Cloudless Sky

    September 3, 2020
    Evening light on Dixon Reservoir yesterday

    “Let the truth be in your hearts, as it will be if you practise meditation, and you will see clearly what love we are bound to have for our neighbors.” Teresa of Ávila, The Way of Perfection

    I needed to get another 3,500 steps in yesterday afternoon so I drove to Dixon Reservoir and walked around the reservoir to get them in. The sun had dropped below the mountains making it much cooler as it was a hot day. It was different today as we had almost no clouds for the whole day. Rather unusual for us.

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  • Avian,  Canada Goose,  quotes

    Cosmic Dance

    June 22, 2020
    Canada Geese at sunset

    When we are alone on a starlit night; when by chance we see the migrating birds in autumn descending on a grove of junipers to rest and eat; when we see children in a moment when they are really children; when we know love in our hearts; or when, like the Japanese poet Bashõ we hear an old frog land in a quiet pond with a solitary splash – at such times the awakening, the turning inside out of all values, the “newness,” the emptiness and the purity of vision that make themselves evident, provide a glimpse of cosmic dance.  

    Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation
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  • Humor,  lake,  landscape,  musings,  natural areas,  rants,  trees

    Twitching my nose

    June 13, 2020
    The old barn at Kingfisher Natural Area

    I spent time at one of the natural areas this morning. Peaceful, serene and for me a great way to start my day. Driving home a young man in a large black CJ7 Jeep come up beside me rather fast, speakers blasting. When he pulled up beside me at the stoplight my car began to vibrate and my bones began to vibrate due to the volume. It was at that moment all serenity and peace evaporated. I quickly began to fantasize for a twitching nose like Samantha from the Bewitched television show and twitch my nose to blow those speakers. I’d show him! Yes, I go there once in a while. Have a great weekend! 😠 

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  • landscape,  snow,  trees,  winter scenes

    Colorado Springtime

    April 16, 2020
    The bicycle rack that gives some reference to the snow depth.
    The trees are straining under the weight of the ice and snow. The view in front of my bedroom window.
    Looking down on the pond from the midway point on the stairs.

    First they said 3-8 inches of snow, then they said 2-6 inches and then they said 8-12 inches. When I looked out the window this morning I could see that we have at least 6 inches and it’s still snowing. It’s not too cold which is a good thing for me. I ventured out and got a couple of images to share the beauty of the Colorado spring.

    I’m looking down on the pond from the midway point of the stairs leading to the condos above me. Along this edge of the pond are large rocks where the Canada Geese and Mallards like to nest.They have been bickering for the past three weeks over nesting sites. Now they’re all hunkered down on the nests, keeping the eggs or young ones warm. But more importantly they are quiet.

    It is a wet snow so there will be plenty of moisture from this storm. I have not looked at other areas of Colorado. I did read that the brunt of the storm would be farther north in Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, and even Michigan. Sharing some with you, Mark.

    In my last post I talked about wanting spring to enjoy the rains, thunderstorms, flowers, weeds and sunny walks. This is not what I was talking about.

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  • Black and White,  clouds,  grass,  lake,  landscape,  Plants,  prairie,  quotes,  trees

    Beautiful Questions

    December 14, 2019
    Cottonwood trees reflecting in a pond at Rocky Mountain Arsenal from 2011

    “The ability to ask beautiful questions, often in very unbeautiful moments, is one of the great disciplines of a human life. And a beautiful question starts to shape your identity as much by asking it as it does by having it answered.”

    David Whyte

    A few years ago I became less interested in answers and more interested in the questions. We already have too many people who have the answers. I’m grateful for the inquisitive minds in our world today, always looking for another question. Those questioning minds belong to the creatives, the prophets, researchers, the explorers, the seekers.

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  • lake,  landscape,  sunsets

    Enjoying the Sunset

    August 8, 2019

    This was taken in 2005 at a local pond with my friends while having a picnic, plenty of food and games. It is scenes like this that I wish I could know what people were thinking about. I wonder if my friend was having an awareness of her part in the universe, or was she remembering a choice made in the past she would like to change or was she dreaming of a future moment yet to come.

    “I could have. What does this phrase mean? At any given moment in our lives, there are certain things that could have happened but, didn’t. The magic moments go unrecognized, and then suddenly, the hand of destiny changes everything.” Paulo Coelho.

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