A small part of our amazing winter wonderland this morning
I stand in the midst of creation’s wheel And watch in wonder the quiet majesty of its turning. We are in the care of a love without limit or definition Under the protection of a love that never looks away.
Steven Charleston
It is Monday morning and we have fresh snow on the ground, clear blue skies and sunshine. I am grateful to be a witness to this beautiful winter wonderland. Today I am missing my mother who would have been 92 today. I also can say I miss her with a love that is without limits. Not sure I would have said that as a teenager which makes me grateful for my growing maturity. I’m also grateful for the belief that there is a caring love (and I speak of love as an action word, not a noun) that never looks away. I have experienced such love in family, friends and nature. So, I pray today for the gift of sharing with a love I’ve experienced which is without limits and never looks away.
“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.”
Eeyore
Well, I promised a snow report, so here it is. I cleaned about 5-7 inches of snow from my car this morning. My car dashboard said 22 degrees but we could see single digits tonight. After about 36 hours of snowfall nature is offering warm sunshine and blue skies. In this image from Reservoir Ridge Natural Area you are seeing the transition. I had coffee and conversation with Dan early this morning then made a drive to the foothills for photo opportunities as the sun and blue skies appeared before returning home. I lovingly accept the gift of this day. Enjoy your Sunday and may we all make a positive difference today.
Every moment is a gift. … Whatever life gives to you, you can respond with joy. Joy is the happiness that does not depend on what happens. It is the grateful response to the opportunity that life offers you at this moment.
Brother David Steindl-Rast
A light wet snow began falling about 6:14 am, our first snowfall for the 2023 winter. I was planning on meeting Eric in Windsor for coffee and conversation this morning but as I headed out of town I had second thoughts and returned home. We talked on the phone instead, which was still a good conversation.
Weather app says 2-7 inches possible by tomorrow noon and some much colder temperatures. Those temperatures will make roads nasty. During a lull, just after noon, I stepped outside and took this image. As you can see the trees still have a few leaves and with the snow being wet I’m afraid branches will be coming down. It’s Nature’s way of pruning.
My saga with the raccoons continues providing another opportunity for either anger or joy, my choice. I noticed they’d done more damage on Friday afternoon, tearing down another 1/3 of the insulation. So, I sprayed the remaining insulation and the firewall with a mix of water and peppermint oil last night. This afternoon when I started the car and began cleaning it off, a heck of a racket came from my engine compartment as two raccoons scrambled for their lives. Once they hit the ground they ran like crazy for the culvert. At first I felt angry to know they were back and fearful they had caused even more damage. It’s frustrating because I do not want them to cause electrical damage but also laugh at the situation. At some period of my past I may have waged war on them but I’ve come to understand waging war is not a solution. I want them to leave my car alone and they want to survive. It’s Nature’s way of survival. Anyway, I sprayed peppermint again and have decided to park my car in a different location, away from the culvert. And if that doesn’t solve it, I’m getting rid of the damn car because the car’s the problem!!! 😂
In reference to David Steindl-Rast’s quote I must agree that every moment is a gift. It was a gift when I felt the anger then let it go. It was a gift to laugh as I watched them run like hell. It’s a gift when I can share this comical/serious situation with you. And, it’s a gift for you to hopefully laugh at my situation while being grateful it ain’t you. Think I’m gonna soak in a hot tub of water tonight before bed and look at it as a gift.
These storm clouds were taken last night out on the eastern plains. A rather large storm was raging so I thought I may be able to capture some drama in the clouds and drove out that way.
The point of living a creative life – rather than just engaging in creative pursuits on occasion – is not merely to produce aesthetically pleasing artifacts, but to bind one’s creative work and living experience as two dimensions of the same life in all its details, always unfolding and evolving in parallel.
Guy Tal
Each of us is a creative soul. Some have tapped into that creativity while some are unaware they have it or deny they have it. As a photographer I see it as a gift to create/capture images that are pleasing, draw out emotions (yours and mine), and show the beauty of nature through photography. And, we all can do that. I really like the word “bind” that Guy Tal uses in his quote. So, as a prayer this morning I would ask for the binding of my creative works with my living experiences.
A favorite bench at Pineridge Natural Area this morning
Well Nature decided to share with us a few more snowflakes before officially moving into spring. As you can see the bench I sit on to journal is not quite as inviting this morning. Have a wonderful day and Happy Earth Day! Stay warm.
“Zen is less the study of doctrine than a set of tools for discovering what can be known when the world is looked at with open eyes.”
Jane Hirshfield, The Heart of Haiku
I was surprised to see the dusting of snow and fog this morning. So I took the long-cut to the coffee shop via Stuart Street to visit the cottonwood tree at the Fisher Nature Area Trail. If you look closely you will see a red tailed hawk in the top of the cottonwood. Fog has burned off as blue sky and sunshine make their appearance. Have a wonderful Saturday and look with open eyes!
This is Howes Street just off the CSU Oval. Roads were very slushy this morning.
Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.
Brené Brown
This past weekend we had two days of 60 degrees and sunshine while this morning we have 24 degrees and two inches of snow. It’s still falling. However, it is a wet spring snow so plenty of much needed moisture with it.
Coffee of choice, scones and conversation
I had coffee and conversation with David this morning at one of our favorite coffee shops. Of course with the snow and cold the scones were mandatory. David is from Copenhagen which is a bicycle friendly city and where cars have a much smaller footprint on people’s lifestyles. So as usual, David rode his bicycle to the shop.
They said last night when I went to bed we’d have 1-3 inches of snow by morning. Wrong, again. This storm turned out to be a nice spring snow of at least 7-8 inches, loaded with moisture. Gardeners will will love this snowfall, as will wildflowers in the meadows and weeds in people’s front yards. It’s actually quite pretty. The city snow plows have been out clearing the slush off the roads but if there is no reason to be out, stay home. It’s more of a day to curl up in a favorite chair, wrapped in a blanket and read a book. Or, if the child in you wants it’s also a good chance to go play in the white stuff. Maybe make a snowman, it’s perfect snow for that. It’s also one of those days to warm up a bowl of soup for lunch. Now that I think about it, didn’t we just have that first day of spring about a week ago?
