• Barry López,  landscape,  Plants,  Poudre River,  seasons,  trees,  winter scenes

    Nature’s Teaching

    “Over the years, one comes to measure a place, too, not just for the beauty it may give, the balminess of its breezes, the insouciance and relaxation it encourages, the sublime pleasures it offers, but for what it teaches. The way in which it alters our perception of the human. It is not so much that you want to return to indifferent or difficult places, but that you want to not forget.”

    Barry Lopez, About This Life

    This an image of the Poudre River taken north of town near Watson Lake State Wildlife Area. I’ve lived in the Fort Collins area for about 25 years now and yesterday was my first trip to this beautiful area. I was impressed with it and will look for other photo opportunities to share with you. I agree with Barry Lopez that time in nature alters our perception in a positive way. Conversely our lack of time in nature and indifference with nature also alters our perception in a negative way. I firmly believe it is the biggest reason our world is in the mess it is in. We need Nature’s teaching!

    Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day and today is overcast and snow began falling about 7:00 am. If you look closely you will see a group of 6 deer just to the right of the bridge. Have a great day!

  • landscape,  natural areas,  Plants,  poetry,  sunsets,  writing/reading

    The Journey

    Above the mountains
    the geese turn into
    the light again

    Painting their
    black silhouettes
    on an open sky.

    Sometimes everything
    has to be
    inscribed across
    the heavens

    so you can find
    the one line
    already written
    inside you.

    Sometimes it takes
    a great sky
    to find that

    first, bright
    and indescribable
    wedge of freedom
    in your own heart.

    Sometimes with
    the bones of the black
    sticks left when the fire
    has gone out

    someone has written
    something new
    in the ashes of your life.

    You are not leaving.
    Even as the light fades quickly now,
    you are arriving.

    David Whyte

    As David Whyte’s poem suggests I arrived in time for the sunset offered by Nature.

  • landscape,  natural areas,  Plants,  sunsets,  trees

    Sunset on the Poudre River

    This is sunset on the Poudre River at a new natural area called McMurry Natural Area. It has a short 1.5 mile dirt trail that winds around two fishing ponds and the Poudre River. I found it to be quiet, serene and with few people. I will need to go back. They say the ponds have orange spotted sunfish, smallmouth and largemouth bass, bluegills, black crappie or yellow perch and sharks. Just kidding on the sharks. 😁Today would have been mother’s 90th birthday. Probably will have thoughts of her crossing my mind throughout the day.

  • landscape,  natural areas,  quotes,  snow,  trees,  winter scenes

    Finding the quiet

    A nice light fresh snowfall along the Poudre River and cold

    “Don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.”

    Rumi

    Maybe 2 inches of snow fell yesterday. I made a drive north of town on Larimer County Road 19 and stopped at the North Shields Natural Ponds where I took this image of the Poudre River. I continued north and one more of the trees. It is snowing in the mountains and the reason you cannot see them in either image. It was clear blue skies a couple miles north of this image. As I returned to town so did the cloudy skies and snow. One reason I headed north was to find the quiet. And I did.

    A small group of trees along the Foothills
  • grass,  landscape,  natural areas,  quotes

    Praying for peace and forgiveness…

    Smooth waters on the Poudre River

    It takes courage to forgive someone who has wronged us. Because we are often so caught up in our egos that forgiving seems like losing an egoistic battle. But sometimes we have to take the high road with forgiveness, both for the other person and for our own wellbeing. Sure wish more egos were right sized and forgiveness more acceptable.

  • clouds,  fog,  landscape,  quotes,  sunrises

    Simply being alive…

    Morning sunrise and fog along the Poudre River

    “What we have named as anger on the surface is the violent outer response to our own inner powerlessness, a powerlessness connected to such a profound sense of rawness and care that it can find no proper outer body or identity or voice, or way of life to hold it. What we call anger is often simply the unwillingness to live the full measure of our fears or of our not knowing, in the face of our love for a wife, in the depth of our caring for a son, in our wanting the best, in the face of simply being alive and loving those with whom we live.”  David Whyte, Consolations

    Had a friend share how they enjoyed the writings of David Whyte, an English poet. So I bought and read his book Consolations and have enjoyed it. At this time of my life much of what he writes in this book has touched something within me. I read more now but not everything I read resonates with me and I no longer expect that from an author. What I like is when the author makes me think. I can read something and hear an “Aaahh” come out of my mouth then a need to read it again. It may be how they say something rather than what they say. Or, they use a word that sets their thought or idea apart. His writings have done that for me. At this stage/age of my life reading is one of the keys helping me to awaken to simply being alive.