• clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  winter scenes

    Give Your Light to Others

    Raven’s gift of the sun over Dixon Reservoir

    I read a Native American creation story in a book called “Ladder to the Light” by Steven Charleston. Curiosity caused me to do some research about this story, discovering several versions. One enjoyable version can be read here by Pamela Morris. Her story is longer, includes the creation of the stars, moon, rain and a bit of romance. She created her version from a combination of many other Native American creation stories. Charleston’s version has a strong ethical theme and is shorter so I am sharing it with you. Pamela’s story is worth the read.

    Long ago Raven found the light: the sun hanging like a shiny mirror in the midst of an empty sky. Raven liked shiny things. He could have kept the sun for himself, but he decided to give it to the people. He brought the sun, placed it in the nest in the sky, and let its rays bring life to the dark world below. Raven gave away his most prized possession. We are not what we have; we are what we give. Sharing is the measure of our faith, the simple test of how well we have learned the way of the spirit – not to have more for the few; but enough for the many. When you see the sun rise, remember Raven and give your light to others.

    Steven Charleston
  • clouds,  horizons,  Humor,  landscape

    A Spiritual Experience

    Weld County Road 90

    Billy Collins writes in his poem, Under the Stars, that “pissing is a form of meditation…(it’s) what we were designed to do.” I’m not sure how many people would associate pissing as a form of meditation, but it does does make you think…

    In the summer of 2016, something I was designed to do, and what the British refer to as the waterworks, stopped. After a trip to the ER, a visit to the Urologist who did surgery (bit of plumbing work), the waterworks are working again. I now have a greater appreciation of how wonderfully our bodies are made, plus a lot of gratitude when they function properly and of course plumbers. This past week as I stood on the side of County Road 90 I needed to practice this form of meditation he mentions in the poem. I must confess it felt good to stand there watching those clouds and meditating. And, with a stretch of the imagination you might even say I was having a spiritual experience! 😂

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

    I live a good life!

    This morning’s sunrise

    The starlings have noisily invaded the leafless deciduous trees along the eastern bank of Dixon Reservoir. I listen as their rabble rousing concert echoes across the meadow. Then without warning they stop. I look up, confused with the silence. Suddenly at some unknown signal they begin again, filling the sky now with their gossip of which garden or park they will invade next. When they go silent again, a group takes flight filling the air with their black wingbeats. Some consider the starlings to be invasive and destructive but the truth be, it’s nothing compared to man!

    Fully awake now and with my spirit refreshed, I move on to a local coffee shop. I share my story of the starlings with Adrianna while she makes my mocha. With her smile, our conversation and a warm mocha I begin to warm up. I live a good life!

  • clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  trees

    Turning to Another Door

    At the beginning of the twenty-first century, to feel alone or want to be alone is deeply unfashionable: to admit to feeling alone is to reject and betray others, as if they are not good company, and do not have entertaining, interesting lives of their own to distract us, and to actually seek to be alone is a radical act; to want to be alone is to refuse a certain kind of conversational hospitality and to turn to another door, and another kind of welcome, not necessarily defined by human vocabulary.

    David Whyte

    I like solitude. Yet, I also need contact with people, which is one of the primary reasons why I include coffee life with my mornings. Yesterday was a funky day inside my head. Felt frustrated, restless, irritable, even lost. I wanted to be left alone. So, through habit or need, I chose to find a place in nature. So, I spent time with the meadowlarks, the silent clouds, the whisper of the wind, and my good friend, this solitary tree I visit on a regular basis. The setting sun casts a warm glow over the grass. My funk faded and a calm settled within me, but sure it will return at another opportune time. I’m glad I’m unfashionable and turned to another door! Hope everyone stays warm and dry. I awoke during the night with a sore throat and now have a niche little head cold. It will be a day for rest and soup.

  • clouds,  landscape,  moon,  quotes

    Glad I noticed.

    It was 3:39 am and my churning mind was not letting me sleep. Thankfully, I don’t do that very often. However, this time I grabbed my phone and started to dictate some of those churning thoughts. I don’t do that very often, either. I giggled to myself as I wondered if those words would make any sense in the morning. They didn’t. Anyway…

    “Put your thoughts to sleep, do not let them cast a shadow over the moon of your heart. Let go of thinking.”

    Rumi

    A few weeks ago I drove out east with my focus on the clouds (you can call it another cloud spell). I setup my camera and tripod and had taken a half dozen images before I realized that the moon was subtlety hidden among those clouds. I totally missed it. I laughed at myself as I realized I was too busy thinking about getting an image rather than letting the image present itself to me. Guess I need to be more open. Glad I noticed! Hope you enjoy your Monday!

  • clouds,  landscape,  quotes,  storm clouds

    The Spell of Clouds

    Storm clouds from March of 2014

    A cloud is a spell against indifference, an emblem of the water cycle that makes this planet a living world capable of trees and tenderness, a great cosmic gasp at the improbability that such a world exists, that across the cold expanse of spacetime strewn with billions upon billions of other star systems, there is nothing like it as far as we yet know.

    Maria Popova

    What an amazing statement she makes, “there is nothing like it as far as we yet know.” Something to ponder. I’m not sure I was as fascinated with clouds when I was younger as I am today and maybe due to my indifference, lack of interest as a youth. I know photography has changed my view of the world. I also know that as I draw closer to taking my last breath I see this world with eyes of attention, interest, respect, feeling and wonder. Having said that, I must confess all clouds have a spell on me and I’m okay with that.

    Now that the snowstorm has past, today has offered us a cloudless blue sky with sunshine and warmer temperatures. The quickly melting snow has filled the holding ponds outside my condo. The geese and ducks sound excited about that. If tomorrow’s weather is the same as today, the remaining piles of dirty plowed snow will quickly disappear. Hope you are having a good weekend. Enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day!

  • clouds,  landscape,  mountains,  quotes

    Amazing Clouds

    I was awaken earlier this morning with rain tapping on my bedroom window. And, more moisture coming later in the day. The temperature is in the mid 40’s but it feels colder with the high humidity. My weather app calls for a Winter Storm Watch until 6:oo am Friday morning. Snowfall of 4-9 inches with winds up to 50 mph is expected. I call that nasty! As you can see clouds are building up over the mountains this morning creating some dramatic scenes. We sure need the moisture! I met Mark for breakfast then stopped at Rigden Reservoir for images of the amazing clouds.

    “We must say of the universe that it is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.”

    Thomas Berry