Springtime in the Rockies

 Well, I completely missed posting about winter on the blog!

We had very low snowpack.

view of Red Mountain from the back deck

Entering wildfire season, we're too dry.

We hope for moisture whether it falls as snow or rain.

It's very beautiful at high altitude.

The Moon still crosses the sky as it always has.

I often awake to photograph it.

Our "Egg Girl" still delivers every Sunday.

(Yes, I always photograph them too...some things never change.)

A couple weeks ago, we drove across CO, UT, and AZ to visit the desert.

Hello cactus and warm weather.

We arrived home just in time to celebrate my 82nd birthday.

I had two cataract surgeries this spring so I no longer need glasses.

I've worn glasses since I was 6 years old.

I find myself still trying to adjust them on my face and reaching for them at night!

I guess my brain needs time to recalibrate!

The beauty of my surroundings is my One Good Thing.

Now I can see and appreciate beauty with clear vision!

I hope you are looking for and finding Good Things too.

Barb

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Be Still - Seek the Light

Our oldest grandchild, Ben (18), left on November 26 for Norway. He joins an international group of youth in Rosnik, north of the Arctic Circle. They have an 8 month commitment to Youth with a Mission. Participating in planned outdoor adventures to increase their confidence and leadership skills, they will grow in self understanding and in awareness of the needs of others. Part of the program is a posting to a developing country to help with a community service project. Because of Covid, it's uncertain if this can happen. Ben is certainly hopeful.

When he was about 5, he showed interest in my cameras. Along with his siblings, we took walks in Nature. He carried my camera and snapped photos. I shared two tips with him: stay as still as possible and watch for the best light (this included knowing where he cast a shadow). As he grew, his interest in photography continued. He took classes and bought his own DSLR and lenses. He developed into a fine photographer and matured into a fine young man.

Saying goodbye to him on his last visit to us, I admit I clung to him for awhile as we hugged. I shed some tears. He stood calmly hugging me, trying to reassure me that all would be well. I know he's right. He's a young man now with his own convictions and determination. He doesn't need to hold his Grammy's hand while walking in the woods.  (Well, possibly at my age, I may someday need him to take my hand again....) We think of him many times a day. I wake in the night and add 8 hours to know what time it is for him in Norway.

 

Before Ben left, I asked if he'd choose a few of his photos for me to share on the blog. He was glad to do so, though he is always wary about revealing locations. He feels many wild places are overrun and spoiled by overzealous people. 

Ben is my One Good Thing today and always.

My advise to him is still the same:

be still

find the light

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Storing Beach Memories

Next week at this time, I'll be at home in Breckenridge, CO.

My beach vacation is soon over.

Until then, I watch the surfers.

Pelicans entertain me.

Blooms attract me.

Sunsets amaze me.

The roll of the sea is my constant companion.

I store memories of sand and surf for when I'm back at my mountain home.

Thank you for visiting.

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Life's a Beach

We're at the beach in southern California.
Color is everywhere!

Flowers bloom in profusion.

I'm awed as the sun sets over the vast ocean.

In the golden light of early morning, I meet shore birds strolling the sand.

I say hello as they scurry by me.

Sometimes mist mutes the lines between sea and sand and sky.

I see it all and feel grateful.

All photos except sunset are Olympus OMD-EM1 using 14-150 zoom.
Sunset is iPhone X.
I use Snapseed for editing.

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Stairs As Metaphor

I love photographing stairs:

down

stairs going to street level in our small, restored Bisbee hotel
(Letson Lofts)

sometimes a little scary
(watch your step)

night stroll, Mary descending gritty stairs between buildings
(what might be waiting at the bottom?)

or up

who needs a stairmaster for exercise?

up, up, and up  

a long haul
(and tiring)

changing over time
(like life itself)

sometimes easy and satisfying

crumbling steps to house (behind poppies)

other times precarious - just hanging in there

Mary and I visited Bisbee on my recent trip to AZ.
A historical mining town built on hills
is "taking steps" to reimagine itself
becoming a mecca for artists and entrepreneurs.

The metaphor of climbing Life's stairs - going both up and down
- searching for clarity and meaning -
- trying to remain stable -
my One Good Thing today.

Is there something commonplace
that you particularly like to write about or photograph?
Why is it meaningful to you?

Bonus Time

in the past week

I've moved through

varying ecosystems:

Granite Mt, McDowell Sonoran Preserve, AZ

 desert wilderness

open space, Denver, CO

 urban greenbelt

Breckenridge Ski area - May 2014

  

high altitude peaks

Mile High City and snow covered Continental Divide

 back to the city

with views of peaks

each place I visit - so different

yet, each in its own way

full of wonder:

a celebration

and so it is with all of us:

bound by our shared humanity

yet unique individuals

splendid and wonderous

one-of-a-kind

Barb inside glass sculpture - Scottsdale, AZ

my son says that living after age 70 is "bonus time"

tomorrow, I begin Bonus Time

I hope to continue life's adventure!

(another One Good Thing)

Desert-Mountains-City

Within a week, I've visited several different ecosystems.

The AZ desert landscape enveloped me in warmth.

Breckenridge, CO, (and fox) welcomed me home to a yard still snow-covered.

(Hopefully not for much longer - it is, after all, the end of May!)

So, to compromise, I'm staying in Denver for awhile.

My container gardens are already flourishing in the city.

I sit on our tiny patio to read and to relax.

In the filtered sunshine, I daydream of lizards and foxes and melting snow.

I'm rejuvenated from my travels.

For me, that's 

One Good Thing.

Bryce Canyon at Sunrise

be mindful

look carefully

practice patience

show gratitude

Entering Bryce Canyon before dawn, we make our way slowly downward as pink tinges the eastern horizon. A sliver of moon hangs in the sky. We shiver in the chill air, waiting for the warmth of the sun. Walking alone with only the towering Hoodoos and ancient trees as companions, we speak quietly, respectful in Nature's sanctuary.

The beauty of rock surrounds us - One Good Thing.