• landscape,  National Parks,  quotes,  river,  Smoky Mountains National Park

    The Earth is a Gift

    August 12, 2022
    Fall colors on Roaring Fork River in October of 2003

    “Our elders say that ceremony is the way we can remember to remember. In the dance of the giveaway, remember that the earth is a gift that we must pass on, just as it came to us. When we forget, the dances we’ll need will be for mourning. For the passing of polar bears, the silence of cranes, for the death of rivers and the memory of snow.”

    Robin Wall Kimmerer

    This quote reminded me of my visit to the Roaring Fork River back in 2003. I went up there with a fellow photographer to share expenses and have my first visit to the Smoky Mountains. It was also my first year with my first digital camera, a Nikon D100. I was very impressed with the beauty of this area. Someday I would like to make a return visit.

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  • clouds,  landscape,  mountains,  Rocky Mountain National Park

    Apocalypse

    October 22, 2020
    East Troublesome Fire seen from Running Deer Natural Area

    This is my second post today because I wanted to share the sad affairs we are experiencing due to the fires in Colorado. I took this image today about 1:00 pm. The East Troublesome fire that began a week ago, erupted on Wednesday afternoon due to high winds, plenty of beetle killed pine and very dry conditions. It jumped from 19,000 acres to over 125,000 acres by Thursday morning, a rate of about 6,000 acres an hour. The town of Grand Lake was evacuated yesterday evening. As of 1:00 pm this afternoon the fire had jumped the Continental Divide and was burning in the upper reaches of Rocky Mountain National Park. They have confirmed active flames in Forest Canyon just west of Moraine Park. It has now clearly jumped the Continental Divide and is burning on both east and west sides of the Divide. Estes Park has been put on mandatory evacuations. People are evacuating so Highway 36, 34 and 7 are a mess. I saw a video a while ago of elk heading east, they’re evacuating also. The sky looks apocalyptic.

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  • landscape,  mountains,  National Parks,  Smoky Mountains National Park,  sunrises

    Sunrise at Foothills Parkway

    November 14, 2019

    Sunrise on Foothills Parkway in the Smoky Mountains

    In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy skips and dances down a yellow brick road in hopes of finding the Wizard of Oz who will help her return home to Kansas. Traveling that yellow brick road lead her to new horizons, discovering her gifts of wisdom, courage, and love. I like to think of Dorothy’s yellow brick road as a metaphor of our spiritual journey to new horizons.

    Some of us live in the shadow of an illusionary self, a false-self that alienates us from reality, much of this world and a Creator. We can be blind to the possibility of the horizons yet to be discovered, paralyzed with fear, failing to venture forward on our yellow brick road and discover our gifts of wisdom, courage, and love, which I choose to call our true-self.

    “May we seek this inward path to encounter the true-self, the essence of who we are, and allow ourselves to be embraced by love.”

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  • clouds,  fall season,  landscape,  leaves,  Rocky Mountain National Park,  seasons,  trees

    A Day for Clouds

    September 29, 2019

    Horseshoe Park in Rocky Mountain National Park

    Well, Kathy, Tom and I ventured into Rocky Mountain Park yesterday. It turned out to be a perfect day. The clouds were the subject even though we were looking for the colors of our Colorado Aspens. We did not know it was a day for free entrance into the park so needless to say people were everywhere. I was a little disappointed because we didn’t get to use our senior passes. 🙁

    Shadows casting across what I think is Mount Chapin on Trail Ridge Road

    We ended up driving farther than we expected and made it almost to the Alpine Visitors Center. We decided to turn around before getting caught in the congestion in the parking lot at the center. It was tough enough finding parking in all the turnouts. Yesterday we had rain and wind so that seemed to make for the clear blue skies we enjoyed.

    Aspen colors near Hidden Valley in Rocky Mountain National Park

    The park was crowded. They even had the road to Bear Lake closed because of the traffic. Estes Park was also a mess because of the Elk Festival in town. We took the bypass around town, another smart move. Today we are planning a drive up Poudre Canyon. We have light fog this morning but that should burn off and give us a sunny day.

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