• landscape,  natural areas,  sunrises

    Venus and Jupiter

    August 13, 2025
    Predawn light at Pineridge Natural Area

    Since I was awake early, I decided to get up and jump into my day. Well, not exactly jump but you know what I mean. I drove up to Pineridge Natural Area to experience the awe and wonder of the predawn light and silence found in nature. I was the only car in the parking lot and no traffic hum in the distance. I had the place to myself. Venus and Jupiter were the two bright stars in the eastern predawn sky. I took this image at about 5:20:12 am with a 30 second exposure. Sunrise was another 45 minutes later.

    Back home, I had my quiet time, made a smoothie, and enjoyed my readings. I mounted the red steed and rode to coffee, taking a loop to Spring Creek park on the way home. A nice 11.5 mile round trip. My schedule today is rather quiet except for having a late lunch with Duane. So I will do some reading and writing today. The backordered brake cable for my e-bike has come in so I am scheduled to take it in next Wednesday. They will need to keep it overnight as they have to run the cable through the frame of the bike. I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy your day’s adventure.

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  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  poems,  reflections,  sunrises

    The quiet of early morning…

    August 7, 2025

    the quiet of early morning … the perfect end to the night,

    a splash of pink nestled in the clouds
    along the eastern horizon,

    while the same delicate clouds
    are mirrored in the calm waters,

    mallards feed along the water’s edge
    making their little sounds of joy,

    a great blue heron stands motionless
    eyes fixed below the surface,

    a red tail hawk flies overhead
    with its morning prey locked in talons,

    the quiet of early morning … the perfect start to the day.

    mws

    Our air quality this morning is much better than the past two days. So I made a trip to catch the sunrise, the colors, and the clouds at Pineridge Natural Area. We are expecting it to be in the high 90s today. Have a wonderful Thursday!

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  • bicycling,  landscape,  quotes,  sunrises

    Love…the energy of world

    August 1, 2025

    The conclusion is always the same:
    love is the most powerful
    and still the most unknown
    energy of the world.

    Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

    It felt more like September 1st than it did August 1st this morning. My weather app said it was 55 degrees with 100% humidity when I left the condo. So my ride to coffee was invigorating. Elisha was my barista and an Old Town mocha was my drink of choice this morning. They just hired two new baristas, so we irregular regulars will be busy training them over the next few weeks. My ride to coffee was via Spring Creek Trail. This was the scene along the creek. You can see the effect of the smoke from the fires in Arizona and southwestern Colorado.

    My blood draw numbers were not what I wanted. Platelets are still low at 57, down 6 counts from May. PSA numbers up to 4.72 from 2.86 in February. I will meet with the hematologist on Monday morning and my PCP later in the month. We’ll see what they say about the numbers. And, I didn’t hydrate myself enough, or my body is tired of having needles pointed in its direction, so it took four stabs to get my blood. Each left a bruise. However, when I had coffee later there were no leaks at any of those stabs sites.

    What gifts we will receive and give today is always a really good question. The answer to that question is more about reflecting back on the day than having some instantaneous answer through a text message, an email or a bolt of lightning. So on that note, may you have a wonderful August 1st!

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  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  sunrises

    filled with mystery…

    July 30, 2025

    I no longer feel that life is ordinary. Everyday life is filled with mystery. The things we know are only a small part of the things we cannot know but can only glimpse. Yet even the smallest of glimpses can sustain us. Mystery seems to have the power to comfort, to offer hope, and to lend meaning in times of loss and pain. In surprising ways it is the mysterious that strengthens us at such times…

    Rachel Naomi Remen

    I changed up my morning routine. I got up early, made my necessary trip to the bathroom, made the bed, made a chai latte then headed up to Pineridge Natural Area for sunrise. As I pulled into the parking lot, I was greeted by two coyotes. I told them I was here to witness and photograph the sunrise and share the quiet of this sacred place with them and they could go ahead and continue their hunting. They turned and scampered up the ridge. After a few minutes of quiet time in my car I moved out to a location where I have another uncomfortable rock to sit on and where I like to take photographs. It was almost the perfect temperature and I loved the refreshing breeze. I enjoyed the singing of the meadowlarks and robins and the clouds were stunning. All of this reminded me of the blessing it is to live where I do and the gift of life. When I returned home, I had my meditation time, then mounted the red steed and rode to Mugs. Adriana made me my Old Town mocha and I enjoyed conversations with Jeff, Curtis, Terri, and Joan. I do not consider my life ordinary in the least but feel it is filled with mystery.

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  • landscape,  quotes,  sunrises

    Grand Mysteries

    July 29, 2025
    Sunrise along Weld County Rd 13 – 2021

    We no longer coordinate our human celebrations with the great liturgies of the heavens… We have silenced too many of those wonderful voices of the universe that spoke to us of the grand mysteries of existence.

    Thomas Berry

    We are now moving into longer nights and shorter days which means I will be getting out to celebrate the morning sunrise more often. In all honesty I have missed participating and photographing these morning liturgies, listening to voices of the universe and the grand mysteries of existence. So this is a warning that you may see more sunrise photos in the coming weeks.

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  • clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  quotes

    Contact With Nature

    July 4, 2025

    The lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world are not reserved for scientists but are available to anyone who will place themselves under the influence of earth, sea, and sky and their amazing life.

    Rachel Carson

    A rainstorm passed through during the night. With my eyes closed I listened to the thunder rumbling in the distance while the rain beat against my bedroom window. I crawled out of bed about a half hour earlier than normal and made my way to Pineridge Natural Area, just to enjoy the pleasures of this Sanctuary. I listened to the birds singing in the stillness. A couple pelicans drifted on the reservoir. The grass at my feet dancing in the light breeze. The sky was magical and the coolness was refreshing. All my senses were fully alive. The sacredness of this place touches my amazing life. May you enjoy the burgers and brats!

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  • landscape,  natural areas,  quotes,  sunrises

    Most mornings…

    May 25, 2025
    Predawn light from the parking lot at Pineridge Natural Area – June of 2021

    Most mornings I’m up to see the sun, and that rising of the light moves me very much, and I’m used to thinking and feeling in words, so it sort of just happens. I think one thing is that prayer has become more useful, interesting, fruitful, and … almost involuntary in my life. And when I talk about prayer, I mean really … what Rumi says in that wonderful line, “there are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”

    Mary Oliver

    This scene is the predawn light at Pineridge Natural Area from four years ago. It is not the same scene this morning as we have overcast skies and a steady mist. Everything is soaked and we may see 2-3 more days of this. I like this quote by Mary Oliver as it resonates with my life experience of prayer. The wrote prayer of my childhood has been “let go” which in turn has allowed prayer to become what it is in my life. And, like her it has become involuntary in my life. I find prayer of gratitude rising within me throughout my day. And when I am present to a morning sunrise it is almost always a prayer of gratitude. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

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