Goodbye January

Winter provides a spectacular backdrop for sunsets over the Tenmile Range.

In the morning, I watch the moon hang over Imperial Peak.

My routine is to sit and have coffee as I read emails and plan my day.

We spend as much time as possible outdoors.

I walk for an hour or more while Bob downhill skis.

It's necessary to wear spikes on my hiking boots to get traction on ice and snow.

At 80, we're committed to keep moving.

We enjoy having family visit.

It seems quiet when they leave.

Our grandchildren are all young adults now except the youngest who is 12.

Luckily, they no longer need my supervision!

As blue washes the landscape, I say goodbye to the day.

There is often a splash of alpenglow on Red Mountain.

The panorama of Nature is my One Good Thing today.

I hope wherever you live in the world, Nature offers you beauty.

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Storm Watch - Small Stone - 25

the sky floats a white veil

to the mountain's shoulders

obscuring the peaks

storm watch

small stone

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Tenmile Range - Small Stone - 17

 Over 30 years ago, I arrived in Breckenridge and was awed by the peaks of the Tenmile Range. 

It was love at first sight.

Imperial Peak (Peak 8) on far left looking toward Peak 5 of the Tenmile Range.
As you can see from the dark, rocky areas on the peaks, we need more snow.

The white ribbons are ski trails.

looking to the peaks

my heart finds home

small stone

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Small Stone - My Beating Heart

Ten years ago, on January 8, 2010, I suffered a heart attack.

Today, I celebrate life.

An end became a beginning.

The journey continues.

Find one good thing.

Pass it on.

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Light and Dark

Light and dark are necessary both in photography and in life.

that slash of light on the mountain is a snowcat grooming the ski trail.

The contrast is what makes a photograph and a memory.

Wrapped in wings of light and dark, life takes flight.

full moon at dawn from my house

I am the bird - the wings are mine.

Be present I tell myself.

Allow dark to enhance light and light to enhance dark.

I've been thinking about light and dark because I've been experimenting with night photos.

Bob's phone quit so I gave him my iPhone X, and I bought an 11Pro. I've been having some fun with the phone camera which has a night mode. 

As is my nature, I extrapolate from the specific (the night photos) to the general (living a mindful life).

It amazes me how just a little bit of light can influence a vast darkness.

And how enveloping darkness can create a backdrop to showcase existing light.

Light and dark are my good things both in photography and in life.

Find One Good Thing today - take flight, be present.

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iPhone 11Pro photos edited in Snapseed

A Blanket of White

At high altitude, the change from fall to winter is abrupt.

Several October storms blanket us with snow.

Temperatures drop consistently below freezing.

The trails through the forest are snow-covered.

Evergreens branches bend under the weight of white.

I walk carefully using poles for balance.

Soon there will be enough coverage for touring skis.

My physical therapy appointments are finished, but I have "homework."

Exercises for core strength, flexibility, and balance are a daily routine.

I continue to focus on correct posture.

New habits take the place of old, but mindfulness is necessary.

this bull wears two red ear tags - he's being studied by the forest service

Moose are in rut and roam near the house. 

a cow with twin yearling calves grazes across the street from my house - she's wearing a gps collar
notice how her ruff is raised and her ears are back - she sees me on an upper deck and is in protective mode

When I'm outside, I'm alert.

Bulls skirmish in a quest to win a cow's favor.

I won't stand in the way of love!

I say hello to foxes I see daily.

They stop and wait to see if I'll feed them.

When they don't get a handout, they continue on their way.

A new storm is churning gray clouds over the mountains.

We sit by the fire and wonder:

How can it be winter already?

A warm house is my one good thing today.

I also give thanks for the wildlife that roams so close to my home.

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Change

Thank you to friends who sent me healing wishes.

It's over 2 weeks since I fell, and my gashes are healed.

My wrist is weak and a little achy but so much better.

My body is still mending from hitting so hard so I'm still a little creaky.

I've begun walking again for exercise - just less distance and more slowly.

I'm also continuing to practice lifting my body without arms/hands from the lower step.

I saw how important core strength is when I fell.

Fall brings change to the high altitude landscape.

Temperatures at night go below freezing.

A skin of ice forms on beaver ponds.

Grasses in forest and meadows turn russet and ochre.

Animals forage and breed.

We saw a cow moose on a recent hike.

She had wandered inside a corral but easily jumped the rails to be on her way. 

The purple gentians are putting on a show.

I saw the first blooms in mid-August.

The saying is that when they bloom it's 6 weeks until snow.

In less than a month from my first gentian sighting, we had our first snow.

Rooftops and high peaks glistened white in sunlight.

It all melted (thank goodness) by afternoon.

When I walk into town, I pause and watch fly fishermen cast in the Blue River.

Aspens leaves are slow to turn, but some gold is appearing.

Autumn is a brief but spectacular season.

We've started our preparations for winter.

It will soon visit us, I'm sure.

Photo of Barb by Helen

I celebrate change today - my One Good Thing.

Thank  you for visiting!
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Bloom Time

Our winter snows reward us now with abundant wildflowers.

High altitude summers are brief but spectacular.

snow above treeline continues to melt

wild roses scent the air

the blue Columbine is Colorado's state flower

finding the tiny red Columbine is a special treat

Parry's Primrose grows close to water

delicate Bog Orchids are just starting to bloom

Each walk in the woods or through a meadow is magical.

Tenmile Range and Lake Dillon

The present moment yields many treasures.

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Life through Photos

Today, I walked trails on the east of town with a friend.

It was unseasonably warm.

Since melting snow freezes overnight,

we had to tread carefully over icy patches.

I used my Olympus with a 17mm pancake lens.

I love taking landscapes and portraits with that lens.

It’s very light and quick.

After finishing about 5 miles, I said goodbye to my friend.

I continued walking through town.

I practiced shooting street scenes.

I admire the street shots of other photographers.

 However, I’m reluctant to invade others’ privacy.

Some skilled street photographers manage to mask identity.

Their photos include people but the angle or processing preserves anonymity.

Those photos draw me into the scene and the story.

All our lives are story, of course.

The way others interpret the story may or may not be true.

Today, I’m telling you a story through photos.

It’s somewhat a story of my life.

I let it open to your interpretation.

My story in photos is my one good thing today.

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