clouds,  John O'Donohue,  landscape,  mountains,  quotes,  sunsets,  trees

Temporary Sojourners

Sunset on Larimer County Rd. 3

“We rush through our days in such stress and intensity, as if we were here to stay and the serious project of the world depended on us. We worry and grow anxious; we magnify trivia until they become important enough to control our lives. Yet all the time, we have forgotten that we are but temporary sojourners on the surface of a strange planet spinning slowly in the infinite night of the cosmos.” 

John O’Donohue

I broke the stay-at-home orders and headed out of town. Don’t tell anyone. I know how much quieter it is in town with half the traffic but it is even quieter on a dirt road in eastern Larimer County. Meadowlarks were singing their hearts out which made my heart sing. Not sure I have ever photographed these trees before. So, expect more of them.

I am reading a second book by John O’Donohue called Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections on Our Yearning to Belong. It is as good as his first one and that’s where this quote comes from. Good night. I’m off to bed.

Retired. Having fun with photography. Journal daily. Meditate daily. Learning haiku. Have a love for fountain pens.

8 Comments

  • Cedric

    Lovely scene you’ve captured Monte. I haven’t read any of John O’Donohue’s work but will look into it. I see that he has a book called “To Bless the Space Between Us”, that sounds like it could be rather appropriate for the times 😉
    In the quote, I especially like the “spinning slowly” part. This O’Donohue fellow must be a real speed freak to consider 1000mph around the axis to be slow. You gotta like that about a guy 😉

    • Monte Stevens

      So far I’ve liked what I’ve read of his stuff. And, the book “To Bless the Space Between Us” sounds good to me also. I did order one of Bukowski’s book, “The Last Night of the Earth Poems.” Sounds like a rebel from what I read of him and I like what I’ve read so far. It was much bigger book than I expected at 405 pages of poems but he does write in haiku so the lines are short. Thanks for letting me know about him.

      • Cedric

        You’re welcome. I like Bukowski for his rawness, even if at times it is crude or plain rude. The thing about him is that he is one of those rare souls who has accepted his broken-ness (he’s had a hard life) and can be completely honest about it. Also, he has a beautiful way of noticing people and the small things in life. His ability to see the world is very much like a photographer’s, except that he paints his picture with words rather than light.

  • Earl

    I’m sure the stay-at-home police are hot on your trail by now Monte. But don’t worry we’ll not give you up! There are things we must do for our own mental health. Lovely photo and I hope you enjoyed the small journey. 🙂

    • Monte Stevens

      Thanks for not squealing on me! I still have a few more things I want to do in life and not in jail. These are times when mental health is something we must keep healthy and the trips out of town are my medications.