• landscape,  mountains,  quotes,  Smoky Mountains National Park

    We called it home…

    September 17, 2026

    We did not regard the mountains and forests as wilderness; we called it home.

    Luther Standing Bear
    Sunrise on the Foothills Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains Park

    I found this quote and realized how truly distant we are from nature. It would be interesting to know how many people in the world never step foot into nature or even consider calling it home. Anyway, I roamed around in my archives to find images of mountains and forests to go along with the quote. I found the pickings rather slim because I am attached more to the open landscapes of the prairie rather than mountains even though I live in Colorado. Go figure! I found this image taken on the Foothills Parkway in the Great Smoky Mountains back in October of 2003 with my trusty Nikon D100. It has been cool and cloudy here today but no rain. I put on a crockpot of chicken tortilla soup this morning since it was going to be a cooler day. I got my Covid and RSV shots about 4 hours ago and no side effects so far. I hope you are enjoying your day!

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  • bicycling,  clouds,  landscape,  quotes,  sunrises

    Be Yourself

    September 11, 2026

    “One of the most sacred duties of one’s destiny is the duty to be yourself. When you come to accept yourself and like yourself, you learn not to be afraid of your own nature.”

    John O’Donohue, Anam Cara

    The eastern sky was a lovely shade of pink this morning during my quiet time. A beautiful gift from Mother Nature. It was about 51 degrees when I mounted the red steed for my ride to the coffee shop. The brisk ride always makes the mocha latte seem better. I stopped to take this image as the sun broke through the trees along Spring Creek Trail. If you notice the trail splits. I usually take the left turn which goes to the underpass on Prospect Rd. and onto campus. And of course I love clouds. You may see more images from this area. It has been cool and cloudy most of the day and I am quite happy with that. The ride to the coffee shop is 3.2 miles. When I take this route I have only two blocks of traffic to deal with. The rest of it is trail and campus paths with only pedestrians and cyclists. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  • Gemini,  horizons,  landscape,  prairie,  quotes,  sunrises

    Non-violence

    September 6, 2026

    Non-violence is a power which can be wielded equally by all—children, young men and women, the elders, provided they have a living faith in the Source of Love and have therefore equal love for all humankind. When non-violence is accepted as the law of life it must pervade the whole being and not be simply applied to isolated acts.

    Mohandas Gandhi
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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  natural areas,  quotes

    Quiet Times

    September 3, 2026

    It is in the quiet times that we build our strengths and know we have something to rely on. Solitude is not withdrawal into a place where no one and no sound can penetrate. It is a sweet moment of peace with or without other people that lets us re-center and reset the rhythm of the mind, body and spirit. It is wisdom to stay close to the solitude of nature to keep us young and pliable.

    from A CHEROKEE FEAST OF DAYS by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

    It was a brisk ride to the coffee shop this morning but it took very little time to warm up. About mid morning I made a trip to Arapaho Bend Natural Area for some journaling time, finding quiet and hoping to find a photo of clouds. I found all three. I hope you are having a wonderful day and doing your best to keep cool.

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  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  quotes,  sunrises

    Saturday Morning

    August 29, 2026

    “Certain things in life simply have to be experienced -and never explained.”

    Paulo Coelho, Maktub

    I drove up to Pineridge Natural Area this morning to watch and photograph the predawn colors and the sunrise. It was a good experience and a good way to start my Saturday or any day for that matter. I then headed to Windsor and met Eric for coffee. I hope you have had a good Saturday!

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  • bicycle rides,  bicycling,  nature,  quotes

    Ability to Love

    August 27, 2026

    What makes us human
    is not our mind, but our heart,
    not our ability to think
    but ability to love.

    Henri Nouwen

    There was a wonderful feeling of fall this morning on my ride to the coffee shop. A light fog settled over the grass at Rolland Moore park and this tree was showing signs of the color changes. But the most telling was the coolness in the air. It felt and smelled like fall. It will not be long and I will be wearing heavier clothing on my ride. I hope you’re having a good day!

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  • nature,  Plants,  quotes

    Significant Gifts

    August 26, 2026

    “The most significant gifts are the ones most easily overlooked. Small, everyday blessings: woods, health, music, laughter, memories, books, family, friends, second chances, warm fireplaces, and all the footprints scattered throughout our days.”

    Sue Monk Kidd

    … even salsify.

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  • grass,  Plants,  quotes

    “We” rather than “I”

    August 24, 2026

    “In a gift economy, wealth is understood as having enough to share, and the practice for dealing with abundance is to give it away. In fact, status is determined not by how much one accumulates, but by how much one gives away. The currency in a gift economy is relationship, which is expressed as gratitude, as interdependence and the ongoing cycles of reciprocity. A gift economy nurtures the community bonds that enhance mutual well-being; the economic unit is “we” rather than “I” as all flourishing is mutual.”

    Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
    Backlit Foxtail Barley (Hordeum jubatum)

    It looks to me like the Foxtail Barley has a better grasp of the meaning of “We” than we do.

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