My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
I enjoy the walking trail at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area because it is reasonably flat, has wide open vistas, lots of songbirds and healing silence. When I get to my rock-bench I usually find the silence I’m seeking. And, the silence I’m seeking is absence of manmade noise. I can sit there for 15 minutes with only the sounds of nature reaching my ears, which is music to my soul. Last Friday evening was one of those ever-so-silent times. Loved it. Hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July.
The skies have been looking like this the past few days as storms build up along the Front Range then move off to the eastern plains. There have been a few severe storms and we have predictions for more over the next 5 days. Would like to share some of this rain with those out west and southwest.
“Art is not simply works of art; it is the spirit that knows beauty, that has music in its soul and the color of sunsets in its handkerchief, that can dance on a flaming world and make the world dance too.”
W.E.B. Du Bois
This image is not what it looks like this morning. It rained almost all day yesterday and this morning it is overcast with prediction of rain later. It is the last day of May and yet we had snow in the mountains yesterday. I imagine a few Memorial Day camping trips and picnics are not turning out as planned. Some are probably were over early yesterday. Alternate plans today call for the grill to be fired up in the backyard under an umbrella or they’re ordering pizza. This image was taken last summer at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area before the fires ignited. Hope you have a super Awesome day!
We have at least 3 inches of snow here in town while, the mountains got much more. Heavy, wet, slushy, with icy and slick roads this morning.
It seems this savings times thingy really works. The saying goes: spring forward and fall back. Well we seem to have jumped all the way to Christmas of 2021. Sheesh!😁
Even though I don’t like the cold anymore, it’s 28 degrees, the beauty of fresh snowfall is breathtaking. Have a great day and stay warm!
fresh blanket of snow
ms
covers cold open meadow
demanding silence
This past weekend we set record high temperatures for both Saturday and Sunday. I wore sandals both days and short sleeve shirts. 😁 People were outdoors and some even got sunburned. I spent time Sunday afternoon at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area. I took this image to show you we still have snow in the foothills from the almost two foot snow storm we had three and a half weeks ago. Sunny this morning but expecting it to cool off this afternoon and enjoy refreshing rain showers. And, you can see the grass greening up. I’m good with that.
Most people don’t look…
Henri Cartier-Bresson
the gaze that pierces – few have it –
what does the gaze pierce?
The question mark.
It was -8 degrees at 6:30 am. That’s too dang cold. Wearing wool socks, two pair. Made a French press but it was cold before the first sip. And, it’s snowed. It may sound like I’m whining because I am. I also have an attitude! Our countries unrest doesn’t help the attitude. The thought crosses my mind to sell my condo and move south. Whining! So, about 9:30, after it had warmed up to -4 degrees, I headed to the natural area. Needed time in the sanctuary of nature as it’s therapy for this negative thinking I find myself in. I needed to gaze at the world around me rather than the four walls of my condo or the prison of my thinking. Found the parking area empty, fresh snow and shadows as the sun began to break through. I immediately began to feel better!
A friend sent me a short reading that reminded me of the value of beginning our day with gratitude. I realized that sure wasn’t how I began today. So, I restarted my day with a gratitude list in my journal. Beginning to feel even better but still cold.
It was in the mid 30’s when I took this image of the rider at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area this afternoon. As you can tell a little snow and cold does not stop the avid bicyclist in Colorado. They gear up just as you would for skiing or snowmobiling. This guy was on one of those fat tire bikes, with those massive tires for snow. Shortly after taking this image the sun poked its head out, gave me shadows in the snow and made me smile.
Had a good night’s sleep but woke up too late to catch the sunrise so you’ll have to settle for this sunset at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area. We had a dusting of snow on Sunday morning then cleared up by noon. Monday evening a light, gentle, silent snow began and did not stop until this morning. The sun came out mid morning but left us with an inch of snow. The mountains got much more so skiers are probably happy dancing. It was cold this morning at 9 degrees but warmed up to 23 when I took this image at 4:30 pm. I had a nice quiet time as I sat in my car and journaled, the sun bearing down on me and keeping me warm. After writing I took a short walk before the sun set which is when this image was taken. When the sun sets this time of the year it gets cold quickly.
UCHealth contacted me and I’m scheduled to have my first COVID-19 vaccine this coming Saturday morning and the second one on February 20th. They sent me an email letting me know I could sign up for the vaccine. So I went on line and chose the first opening. I was quite surprised to be notified, figuring I would have to get on some long waiting list.
Think I’m gonna send Adobe a suggestion for them to add an automatic Remove Contrails button in Lightroom.
And a side note: Amanda Gorman rocks!