Escaping the Southeast Texas heat for a few days, I’m chillin’ in the mountains at Little House in the Rockies.
Oh, the glory of it!
Dusk falling over Palmer Peak
It was 40°F when I awoke this morning (that’s 4.4°C for my international readers).
Oh, the glory of it!
A little fire in the fireplace was just right for morning coffee and reading. And finding the names of all the Colorado wildflowers I picked yesterday.
Oh, the glory of it!
Fire is mesmerizing – have you noticed? I sat with my coffee, staring into the flames, and dozens of welcome ideas came knocking, like neighbors with fresh-baked cookies. So here’s a haiku for the inspiration that flames can bring:
gazing at the blaze, fiery hues, controlled-burn warmth, flame-thrown ideas
Now to jot all those ideas down before they leave like Thanksgiving guests when it’s time to do the dishes!
But first, the wildflowers. What a beautiful bounty! Here’s a rundown of the bouquet: Bigelow Tansy-Aster, Black-eyed Susan, Shrubby Cinquefoil, Fairy Trumpet, Giant Red Paintbrush, Mountain Parsley, Parry Primrose, Canada Thistle and White Yarrow.
I gathered this clutch of color in about 20 minutes yesterday afternoon, right before a mountain rainstorm came sweeping through. I hunkered down inside our tiny cabin with a book during the storm, listening to the rain pound rhythmically and peacefully on the metal roof.
Oh, the glory of it!
The storm is coming over the mountains
I’ve been busy with the camera, so you’ll see posts about hummingbirds and mountains and chipmunks (oh my!) over the coming days and weeks, even as I settle back into the summer heat at Glover Gardens in Southeast Texas.
life in the slow lane vacation relaxation clouds in my coffee
#CoffeeEmotions #Vacation #Summertime
With special thanks to my high school friend June Denise, who was the beautiful hand model, the photographer and the hashtagger (from her original post on Facebook).
It’s a quick weekend trip for the Grill-Meister and me, celebrating our tenth anniversary.
On a short walk yesterday afternoon, I looked up and saw these steeples framed by the traditional NOLA architectural elements of this stately home and a beautiful old oak tree. All of them both have withstood so much for so long.
It felt great to be in the moment, take the picture, have time to think about these iconic symbols, and then walk on.
I told you in my Earth Day post that I saw some marvelous creatures alongside Lady Bird Lake in Austin. I was alone with my camera in this beautiful setting for a couple of hours, and it was glorious. Mindfulness was easy; my soul was fed by the natural setting.
I think a group of swans did a performance just for me. As I stood and watched, they changed direction, got in position, and swam by in a line. #Awesome. #Haiku-worthy. #Serendipity.
statuesque splendor swans sailing smoothly past me synchronicity
This little bird makes me happy.She just ate a seed from one of our feeders, flew to a tree, and now she sits.
Looking.
A feathered still life.
A perfect and unique little being.
See her there, on the branch?
Is she contented? Is she contemplating that next seed? Is she thinking what a great day it is to be a bird in the sunshine, in a sanctuary-like environment where the predators wear warning bells and the feeders are always full?
(Glover Gardens predators are lazy indoor felines who enjoy supervised backyard visits.)
“Predator” Godfrey
“Predator” Fiona
Whatever she’s thinking (the bird), what I think when I look at her is that she’s a perfect reminder to be in the moment, and that every living creature is unique and special.
She just ate a seed from one of our feeders, flew to a tree, and now she sits.
