• Avian,  lake,  natural areas

    Periods of Silence

    May 17, 2020
    Great Blue Heron at Dixon Reservoir this morning

    The strange look to this water is really the clouds reflected on the calm waters of Dixon Reservoir this morning. When I arrived there were several fishermen out along the shores including this Great Blue Heron. This is almost a 75% crop because it was shot at 55mm, thus it’s not the best image but the feel is what I wanted anyway.

    One of the reasons I come here is because of the silence. The nature area is right up along the foothills and does look down on Fort Collins and very little traffic to be heard. But, things seemed quieter this morning at the nature area, with several periods of complete silence, even with the meadowlarks. I did arrive earlier than usual which may be the reason. Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!

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  • clouds,  lake,  landscape,  natural areas,  reflections,  sunrises,  trees

    The new norm

    April 24, 2020
    Dixon Reservoir and the Pineridge Nature Area

    I have always loved to watch white, fluffy, billowing the clouds. This morning at Red Fox Meadows the clouds seemed whitier, fluffier, billowingier, and dramatic, against the blue blue sky. Not sure if that’s due to my time in isolation or the cleaner air or both. But, it seemed to me everything was crisp, felt clean and fresh. I apologize because I’m unable to express what it is. I will say this, if this is the new norm then I don’t want the old norm.

    Later I drove to the Pineridge Nature Area and glad I did. It’s a nature area of mixed trails around the Dixon Reservoir and along the small ridge in the background of this image. People were out walking and running these trails. It is up against the foothills so away from traffic. It was serene for me and I plan on returning. It will be a good place to exercise and get me out the neighborhood. You may see a few more images from this area.

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  • Black and White,  clouds,  grass,  lake,  landscape,  Plants,  prairie,  quotes,  trees

    Beautiful Questions

    December 14, 2019

    Cottonwood trees reflecting in a pond at Rocky Mountain Arsenal from 2011

    “The ability to ask beautiful questions, often in very unbeautiful moments, is one of the great disciplines of a human life. And a beautiful question starts to shape your identity as much by asking it as it does by having it answered.” David Whyte

    A few years ago I became less interested in answers and more interested in the questions. We already have too many people who have the answers. I’m grateful for the inquisitive minds in our world today, always looking for another question. Those questioning minds belong to the creatives, the prophets, researchers, the explorers, the seekers.

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  • Art/Design,  Creativity,  fog,  lake,  landscape,  musings,  natural areas,  quotes

    Living with Mystery

    October 14, 2019

    Morning fog shrouding the dam at Hoover Reservoir in Westerville, Ohio

    “A great photograph is a distillation, a reduction of the chaos of our wider experience to a visually satisfying essence where what is excluded is as important as what is included.” David Ward

    I have no clue as to why I took this image almost 10 years ago. It’s lost in time. It could have been my creative voice within or my attempt to duplicate an image I’ve seen before or the mystery it evokes or all the above. Today it makes no difference because I see this image taken almost 10 years ago with my eyes of the present moment. And, how it will speak to me in 10 years from now can only be know then.

    So, what do I see now after 10 years?  This image popped out to me immediately. I find this image to be very minimal as much of what could be seen is hidden within mystery. It has soft visuals line leading me into that mystery. There is someone standing on the dam seemingly lost in their thoughts, gazing into the mystery and yet there is a serene and peaceful feel to all of this. What it evokes is an awareness of how I feel much more comfort in living with mystery than I did 10 years ago. Enough rambling. Now what are your thoughts?

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  • lake,  landscape,  sunsets

    Enjoying the Sunset

    August 8, 2019

    This was taken in 2005 at a local pond with my friends while having a picnic, plenty of food and games. It is scenes like this that I wish I could know what people were thinking about. I wonder if my friend was having an awareness of her part in the universe, or was she remembering a choice made in the past she would like to change or was she dreaming of a future moment yet to come.

    “I could have. What does this phrase mean? At any given moment in our lives, there are certain things that could have happened but, didn’t. The magic moments go unrecognized, and then suddenly, the hand of destiny changes everything.” Paulo Coelho.

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  • lake,  lifestyles,  mountains,  seasons,  snow,  winter scenes

    A Dedicated Fisherman

    October 10, 2018

    Fisherman at Apache Lake in Red Feather Lakes
    Fisherman at Apache Lake in Red Feather Lakes

    Light rain and drizzle started yesterday and we awoke to more of the same. About 8:300 this morning it began to be a mix of light snow and rain. I’m okay with the snow but not the cold. At 35 degrees this is not bad.

    I had to make a trip to Red Feather Lakes to help a friend. We were not sure what the weather would be like up there as it is 2,000 feet higher but it was not bad. They had maybe 2 inches of snow. After we unloaded the car we took a walk along the dam at Apache Lake in the snowfall. We found this dedicated fisherman, in waders and knee deep in the water, oblivious to the snow. I have a feeling he was rather content because he was dressed for the weather and enjoying the beautiful scenery. 

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