• clouds,  landscape,  quotes,  sunsets,  trees,  winter scenes

    Silhouettes

    January 21, 2026

    We have had clear skies most of the day with sunshine but on the cold side. Sure looks like most of the nation is on the cold side and it’s going to get worse in many places. Single digits for lows at night calls for two blankets. My day has been quiet. I was able to drive my car for the first time in three weeks so I went to the coffee shop then the grocery store. All went well and nobody got hurt. Actually it was a good experience to see what life would be like if I did not have a car, which I’ve wondered about. I am still being cautious in what I do and discovered today that I may have overdone the walking as I am a bit sore. This sunset image of two hawks silhouetted in the trees was taken in December of 2020 along Weld County Road 15, one of my favorite locations for sunsets. The image is simple, nothing fancy, but the location is a place of quiet and solitude. And, I believe Mr. James is spot on. Stay warm!!!!

    If you can change your mind, you can change your life.

    William James
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  • Plants,  quotes,  trees

    Branches

    January 19, 2026
    The chaos of branches in one of the trees outside of Mugs on Laurel

    We need silences to be free from the words that come between us and reality. We need silence to still our chattering minds and focus on the new creation to which we are constantly giving birth. There is a music to silence and a dance within stillness which is lacking in our lives and communities.

    Toni Bender

    We had a dusting of snow overnight then blue skies and sunshine the rest of the day. I would say we had nearly an inch but most is gone by now. It is still cold but our Colorado sunshine will quickly melt snow. Stay warm and dry and hope you had a good Monday!

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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  landscape,  quotes,  sunrises,  winter scenes

    Our work…

    January 14, 2026

    “Our work, rather, is to help reawaken the sense of the sacred that is already deep in the human soul,
    our primordial relationship with nature, our ancient mother love of the earth.
    We can be part of its rising again.”

    John Philip Newell

    My recovery is moving along, slowly but surely. I am sleeping in later but I am sleeping restless. They have me sleeping with an oxygen concentrator at night which could be the culprit. I also do take naps throughout the day but I will rest when my body lets me know. I am going to venture out to the coffee shop in the morning. Since I can’t drive yet Jeff will pick me up and we will make a frontal attack on Mugs on Laurel. We are not giving them any warnings, either. We have had intermittent clouds and sunshine today and reached 60 degrees. The sun has set and I am enjoying an Earl Gray Tea. I hope you had a good day!

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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  natural areas,  sunsets

    Happy New Year

    January 1, 2026
    My last sunset photo of 2025

    Since I’m no longer a party guy, I celebrated New Year’s Eve by spending time at Arapaho Bend Natural Area to soak into my memory the gift of the sunset. I was back home and in bed by 8pm, reading. My post today is an image of that sunset along with a wish and pray that the coming year be a wonderful adventure, full of awe and wonder, filled with lessons learned, moments of creativity, more time in nature, quality time with family, good health, and the discovery of your true and authentic self. I am grateful for the gift you are. Happy New Year and hope you enjoyed your day!

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  • Metro Parks,  trees,  winter scenes

    Winter Solstice

    December 21, 2025
    Blendon Woods Metro Park, Westerville, Ohio – 2011

    The Winter Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere in 2025 occured today at approximately 10:03 a.m. EST, marking the shortest day and longest night as the Earth’s tilt is furthest from the Sun. So today we officially begin the winter season and signal the gradual return of longer days. And, we celebrate this day because it is also my youngest granddaughters birthday. Happy birthday Madie! And, we have had overcast skies with a mix of rain and snow making it look and feel like winter here in Colorado.

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  • bicycling,  landscape,  moon,  quotes,  reflections,  Spring Creek Trail

    Living in the moment…

    November 9, 2025
    The moons footprint in the sky

    To live in the moment… is the onlyfootprint one must follow..

    Oglala Lakota- Hinhan Wakangl

    After coffee and conversation with my friends Terri and Jeff I rode home via Spring Creek Trail. The moon set its footprint in a clear blue sky over the mountains in the west. It seemed to be happy! Because it was happy I couldn’t let the opportunity pass for a photo. Now, I was happy! I hope you have a great day and I see snow is falling up north now.

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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  clouds,  fall season,  landscape,  quotes,  reflections,  trees

    Respect

    November 6, 2025

    Respect for the environment, and respect for what was naturally occurring in nature:
    that was the bedrock of all original peoples. Harmony, coexistence, not conquest and conquer.

    L.A. Banks

    The wind has been blowing since early this morning bringing a snowfall of yellow and gold leaves. It is a bad hair day and not suited for bicycling or photography. I met my friend Nancy for coffee and an enjoyable conversation. I’ve been inside the rest of the day doing things such as laundry, a shower and cleaning. Therefore this image was taken in November of 2017 at Arapaho Bend Natural Area. I have had several people compliment me on the gift of the natural areas near me. I must say I am lucky to have these areas and support them with my money and vote which I hope keeps the conquest and conquering fans at bay. May we respect natures ways and enjoy time with her!

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  • bicycling,  campus,  fall season,  sunrises

    makes them stop and look…

    October 28, 2025
    CSU Oval

    The poet Mary Oliver suggests in one of her poems (A Lesson From James Wright) that when you sit very quietly in some lovely wild place and listen to silence, that is a poem. I really like that idea. So carrying that further and thinking of our life as a poem, a prayer, a blessing for ourselves and others, maybe adds some aromatic fragrance to who we are and can touch another life. For me this includes creatives such as poets, artists, mystics, photographers, authors, family, friends and others who have done that in my life. I like that idea, also.

    I took this image at the CSU Oval on my ride home this morning. In these later years of my life I am seeing and experiencing this beautiful world in a new way. Something inside me does not want to miss the chance of being a part of it, whether that is being an observer, a poem, a prayer, a blessing, a better loving human, or a silly photographer on a bicycle who stops for photos at the oddest times and makes people stop and look.

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  • quotes

    Stillness and Quiet

    October 27, 2025

    In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen,
    We can hear the whisper of the heart
    giving strength to weakness,
    courage to fear,
    hope to despair.

    Dr. Howard Thurman

    I took this image at noon today at Red Fox Meadows Natural Area which is a 40-acre urban wildlife refuge that is less than half mile from my condo. It also is an important stormwater detention area for the city. It truly is a corridor for wildlife as I have seen fox and deer here on many occasions. There are plenty of hawks feasting on mice that consider this their home. Yet, there are houses and traffic to the north and south of me but with the right composition I can pretty much eliminate any sign of man’s intrusion. I really need to visit more often for its stillness and quiet, for the photography, a place to journal and I can practice my flute there. Have a wonderful Monday!

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