Each soul must meet the morning sun, the new sweet earth,
Ohiyesa
and the Great Silence alone.
The Great Silence
-
Sunrise over Dixon Reservoir – July 2022 -
To Love Life…
Predawn at Pineridge Natural Area Life is everything. Life is God. Everything changes and moves and that movement is God. And while there is life there is a joy in consciousness of the divine. To love life is to love God. Harder and more blessed than all else is to love this life in one’s suffering, in innocent suffering.
Leo Tolstoy, War and PeaceAfter my quiet time and a bowl of Irish Oats I made a trip to Pineridge Natural Area to enjoy the predawn and sunrise on this Friday the 13th. It has been a while since I’ve ventured up there for sunrise. Instead, I’ve been spending more time riding the bicycle and at the coffee shops. I made a good choice as the clouds to the south were glowing pink and red. And, it was quiet and calm which quiets and calms my soul. I realized how much I missed these moments with nature. Who knows, maybe nature missed my presence also. Our cold days have left most of Dixon Reservoir with a layer of ice. I then met Jeff for coffee and conversation and will meet Don and Elizabeth for lunch later today. Yes, to love life while we still have time!
-
A beautiful start to this day
The day began with quiet time at home then a visit to Pineridge Natural Area to receive the gift we are offered. The sky was filled with ever changing clouds and colors. A gentle wind created small ripples across the waters surface. A quiet stillness surrounded me. These sacred moments are vital to my spiritual journey and a beautiful start to this day. I’m now at a coffee shop, surrounded with rather loud conversations and all the noise that comes with this lifestyle. I consider myself an introvert if we define it as someone who enjoys spending time with just one or two people, rather than large groups or crowds. Too much external stimulation can cause me to feel uncomfortable. I will meet Mark later for coffee and conversation then back home to the quiet. Anyway, what a beautiful start to this day. I’m looking forward to the forecast for rain later this afternoon. 😊 May you have a wonderful day!!
- Arapaho Bend Natural Area, clouds, landscape, natural areas, Pineridge Natural Area, reflections, sunrises
The morning begins…
Predawn at Pineridge Natural Area … as I unintentionally wake at 3:54 am. Wide awake I decide to get up. I made a trip to the bathroom and then settled into my prayer and meditation time. Ate a quick bowl of cereal, made a chai latte and headed out the door in anticipation of this day’s offering. The sun was not up yet but soon would be. I wanted to be at Pineridge Natural Area for pre-dawn light and sunrise.
Sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area Nature has so much to offer us this time of the day with its creative beauty, the silence, the solitude and witnessing the miracle of a new day. When we allow it, it touches the soul. Clouds presented warm pink and orange colors to entice the eyes. Meadowlarks and robins greeted me with beautiful songs of love. One meadowlark who seemed very excited, sang to me the whole time. I watched a Great Blue Heron wading along the shore who was soon joined by four more. I assume all were in anticipation of breakfast.
Sunrise and light fog at Rolland Moore Park From there I headed east towards Arapaho Bend Natural Area in search of possible images of fog and morning light. This is an area that sits along the low lying land of the Poudre River, usually rich with fog. But, as I drove by Rolland Moore Park I could see the sun bursting through trees, casting light across the wet grass and its rays lighting up the fog. Distracted now, I quickly pulled into the parking lot and grabbed my camera and tripod. Again, I was given a lovely gift of golden light, shadows, and the sparkling wet grass. Grateful I was there!
Sunrise and reflection at Arapaho Bend Natural Area By the time I arrived at Arapaho Bend Natural Area the sun had burned off most of the fog. Since the wind blew yesterday the skies this morning were clear and bright. A group of pelicans and Canada Geese were kind enough to share this sanctuary with me. I stood along the shores of the pond, which are reclaimed gravel pits, and let everything soak in, taking in deep breaths. What I experience in these early mornings may seem strange to some but it is my life. I am filled with gratitude! I then moved on with my day in anticipation of the possible gifts yet to come. And one of those gifts is the coffee shop for a mocha latte.1And when I got there (Starry Night) they had just made their chocolate chip/chai scones. They do not make them very often so I had to have one. Hope you enjoyed a peek at my morning images. Have an Awesome day!
-
Pre-dawn Pallette
Predawn colors at Pineridge Natural Area taken back in January predawn palette…
ms
awaiting the new day
cloudless skyI awoke early, had quiet time, made a chai latte then headed to the nature area. Robins were singing their spring love songs. Magpies chatting atop a barren tree with buds just beginning to appear. A half dozen mule deer grazed along the Viewpoint Spur trail, ears always perked and alert. A couple cottontails chasing one another and making me laugh. It was rather quiet, one of my favorite sounds. It is overcast as a weather system moves our way bringing much needed moisture in the form of rain and snow over the next three days. Have a great day!
-
We’re Too Impatient
Monday morning. Martin Luther King Day. So some will sleep in late. Not me. Have this habit of rising early and watching the sun crest the eastern horizon, even on a cold January morning. I don’t seem to tire of that. Predawn offered red and pink in a small area along the horizon. The wind was blowing as I watched the clouds being continually reshaped by that wind.
I read yesterday where Henry David Thoreau was known to stand for long periods of time while observing a female mallard as she prepared her newly hatched ducklings for their first adventure on the water. At other times he would stand all afternoon watching a frog along the banks of a pond. He spent time in the field studying nature rather than reading or hearing about it. Not something our culture does much anymore. We’re too impatient. Because I stayed this morning I was able to witness the sun rising above the clouds sitting along the eastern horizon. I’m learning patience.
-
Moments like this…
Wanted to share this mornings pre-dawn colors. I took this near the south dam on Horsetooth Reservoir, a scene that looks out over the sleeping city of Fort Collins. We are expecting high winds today and I could already notice them picking up. I love how nature creates anew each day with the clouds, the patterns and color palette that all stir up deep feelings within me. When I got home I asked myself the question, “Would I come here if I was not a photographer?” I’m aware I do have the incentive to take images, hoping to come home with a keeper or two. However, at this stage in my life, it’s more about being there, letting it all touch me in some way. It’s moments like this which draw me closer to creation and a conscious contact with its creator. I call them spiritual experiences.
