320: Mountains
Posted: August 9, 2011 Filed under: 1200 in 2010, Adventures in Life, Earth, hiking, home, nature, Photography, Spirit, Summer, travel, Vacation, Walking | Tags: butterfly, Colorado, flowers, Longs Peak, Maine, Monarch (butterfly), mountains, Photography, postaday2011, Rocky Mountain National Park, wildflowers, WP Weekly Photo Challenge 42 CommentsLast year at the time, M and I were in Colorado, hiking around in Rocky Mountain National Park. The WordPress Weekly Photo challenge for this week is Mountains, making this a great time to pull out some of those mountain photos that have been languishing in the archives. Longs Peak is the only “fourteener” (summits over 14,000 feet) in Rocky Mountain National Park.
247: Water on sunnier days
Posted: May 28, 2011 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Adventures in Life, Earth, hiking, home, nature, Photography, pond, Quotes, Spirit, Spring, Summer, travel, Walking, water, weather | Tags: Alluvial Fan, Colorado, Colorado Springs, David Mead, Fulton J. Sheen, Photography, postaday2011, Rocky Mountain National Park, water, Waterfalls, WP Weekly Photo Challenge 27 Comments(At the Alluvial Fan in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. August 2010.)
I’m dipping into some water shots I took while we were in Colorado last summer, just for the fun of it. And because the weekend is getting busy and it’s easier to bring up old photos than to upload, re-size, and post new stuff.
236: Flourishing in the rain
Posted: May 17, 2011 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Adventures in Life, Earth, home, nature, Photography, Quotes, Spirit, Spring, Walking, water, weather | Tags: Boulder Colorado, Colorado, Friedrich Nietzsche, fungi, fungus, mushrooms, Photography, postaday2011, Rocky Mountain National Park, Susan Sontag, Thomas Carlyle 24 CommentsNature alone is antique and the oldest art a mushroom.
~ Thomas Carlyle
While some things are not doing so well in our supersaturated system caused by all the rain, others are flourishing. The fungi are loving it.
208: Rainy Tuesday Time Traveling
Posted: April 19, 2011 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Adventures in Life, Critters, Earth, goals, hiking, home, nature, Photography, Spirit, Spring, Summer, travel, Walking, water, weather | Tags: Colorado, flowers, Golden Gate Canyon State Park, postaday2011, rain, Rocky Mountain National Park, tulip, wildflowers 27 CommentsIt’s another rainy day here in the Bogs. Rain, rain, rain, and more rain. It’s hard to believe the clouds can hold that much water. Just when I think there can’t possibly be anymore, it pours. Walls of water march across the pond. Buckets of it are dumped on the trees. In between, it mists and spritzes. Even when it seems like the rain has stopped, the air is so saturated with water that it forms a mist or fog that clings to the hair, skin, and clothing.
The earth is also saturated to the point that the ground has become one big puddle. There are places where it looks like new ponds are forming. Vernal pools, of course, have formed (or will be forming) in the woods. One of my goals is to spot a salamander in or around the vernal pools in our woods. I have a feeling that is not going to be an easy goal to meet.
150: Sunday search engine terms
Posted: February 20, 2011 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Adventures in Life, Autumn, Blog Business, Earth, hiking, home, nature, Photography, Summer, travel, weather, winter | Tags: Colorado, farm equipment, Never Summer Ranch, postaday2011, Rocky Mountain National Park, Web search engine 28 Comments(Old farm equipment at the Never Summer Ranch. RMNP, Colorado.)
I’ve had this post on stand-by for one of those days when I didn’t feel like posting. This is one of those days. We are in the winter doldrums right now. Gray, cloudy, cold but not arctic-blast cold, and there is no snow on the ground so everything looks kind of blah. The surface of the pond is refreezing, but I have serious doubts that it will freeze enough for walking, skating, or skiing upon again this season.
Today’s walk was pretty uneventful. I didn’t even bother to take any photos. Day 10 of my yoga challenge is completed. I’ll be carrying on from here, just not posting about it unless something worth posting about happens. Thanks to those who joined and those who encouraged. I appreciate it. 🙂
(More old farm equipment. RMNP, Colorado.)
I sometimes get some interesting search engine terms, and some that baffle me as to why my blog comes up as a possible place to find an answer. I thought I’d share a few along with my thoughts on them.
- im sick and im tired of my phone ringing — Me too! Well, I’m not sick but I AM tired of my phone ringing with wrong numbers and telemarketers being the primary callers these days. The National Do Not Call Registry apparently doesn’t apply to charities or politicians. It ought to. Those are the two groups that keep my phone ringing the most. Lately the credit card companies, car warranty scammers/spammers, and other businesses have been creeping in, too.
- when do the amish do their laundry — Probably when it needs done, like the rest of us. But I could be wrong. They may have a particular day in which they do it. I don’t think so, based on the fact that I’ve seen Amish laundry hanging out to dry on various days of the week.
- comparing god to riding a tandem bike — This is now my all-time favorite! I suppose one could make a good analogy or metaphor using god and a tandem bike, with god taking the lead or maybe helping you pedal (depending, of course, on how you view your god). What amazes me is how far into the search the person had to go to end up here at my blog. I tried it and gave up looking for it after 10 or so pages.
- if technician sees something bad on mri — They probably won’t tell you (and shame on them if they give it away somehow as technicians are supposed to be trained not to do that). You’ll have to wait for your doc to give you the bad news.
- freezing broccoli without blanching — This continues to be a fairly popular search engine term that brings people to Life in the Bogs. The answer is: No, no, no, and NO! Absolutely not. You have to blanch it. It’s not that hard. Really. Four minutes in boiling water, four minutes in cold water, pat it dry, and bag it up to freeze. You’ll be glad you didn’t skip the blanching part.
- i’m too young to be this sick — I’d venture to guess that most of us feel that way when we get terribly sick. I hope you feel better soon.
- can you wear bogs in the summer — Gosh. I don’t know how you would unless you’re Mother Earth/Mother Nature.
- the memory of geese flushed from a pond — Sounds like a nice memory. We prefer to see our geese flushed from the pond. (They are messy creatures.)
- catchup — I didn’t know I’d fallen behind.
- im sitting in front of the beach in my long black dress watching the waves — I am just… I don’t know what to say to this one. I am fairly certain I have never written about such a thing. I don’t even own a long black dress. Not sure why this would bring someone to my blog, but I’ve given up trying to figure out the mysteries of the search engine.
- phobia about not having enough milk — This one is for LadyPen who brought it up in the comments of my FAQ (which prompted me to include that in the FAQ). Now others are ending up here looking for answers about it. Isn’t it good to know that some phobias are shared by others? 🙂
(Sunlight in the aspens. Grand Lake, Colorado.)
I feel myself sliding into the mood to retreat, settle in with a few good books, and stop blogging for a while. Because of my commitment, that won’t happen. But don’t be surprised if my blog posts start to grow a little shorter. Then again, it might be related to the day and the weather. By tomorrow I might feel like writing two or three posts a day. (Ha. That won’t happen, either.)
140: From sunset to sunrise
Posted: February 9, 2011 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Adventures in Life, Earth, Fire, home, music, nature, Photography, snow, Walking, water, weather, winter, yoga | Tags: Colorado, flowers, Grand Lake, Ocean Colour Scene, postaday2011, Rocky Mountain National Park, snow, sunset, wildflowers, Yoga 29 Comments(Looking down the spiral stairs at sunset.)
We had a lovely sunset yesterday, the colors reflecting off the snow.
The snow looks almost like sand dunes to me. Perhaps that’s wishful thinking, a result of the desire to be on a warm, tropical beach, soaking up the sun.
We’re having another frigid day here in the Bogs. It’s too cold to stay outside for long. I step out for a few minutes, then run back in. A turtle shifting in and out of its shell. You’d think I’d be used to the cold by now.
Or maybe there’s no way to really get used to temperatures near zero.
I keep reminding myself that under all the snow and ice, under the cold, under the soil, seeds and bulbs are beginning to awaken. Spring is there, waiting for the right time to blossom.
So, while visions of spring dance through my head, let’s look at flowers. Flowers lit up by warm sunshine. Sparkles of sunlight on water. Reminders of how colorful the world can be.
(On the shore of Shadow Mountain Lake. Colorado.)
This series of photos were taken on a hike near Shadow Mountain Lake in Colorado. Shadow Mountain Lake is near Grand Lake, the largest natural body of water in Colorado. Shadow Mountain Lake and Grandby Lake (also nearby) are man-made lakes.
We stayed in a cabin in Grand Lake during our last trip out to Colorado (August 2010). It was a good location as we were close to Rocky Mountain National Park as well as other hiking areas.
The wildflowers in August are amazing. I must have taken about a thousand photos of wildflowers. What does one do with all those photos?
Put them on her blog, of course. 😀
Another Challenge
Sun salutations can energize and warm you, even on the darkest, coldest winter day.
~ Carol Krucoff
(Sunrise. Ocean City, New Jersey. September 2008.)
I have a confession to make. I have been slacking when it comes to my daily yoga and meditation practice. Some days I do it rather half-heartedly. Other days, I don’t do it at all which means it can no longer be called a “daily” practice.
(Sunrise. Ocean City, New Jersey. September 2008.)
So here it is, my 10-day yoga challenge: I will commit to getting up early (by 6am) every day for the next 10 days and starting my day with yoga. I know it takes longer than 10 days to establish a new habit, but I’m trying to reestablish a habit. Besides, I can always recommit at the end of 10 days.
Anyone want to join me on the mat during those early hours? There are plenty of free yoga practice videos to be found on the internet. From YouTube to YogaJournal to YogaYak and more. I’d love the company.
Since daily blogging has helped me keep my outdoor commitment, I’ll be adding a little something about my 10 day challenge each day. If I don’t, feel free to ask, “Hey! Did you do your yoga practice today?” It will keep me accountable, something I’ve found works well when I’m trying to establish (or reestablish) a habit that is good for me. Funny isn’t it, that the things that are bad for us don’t take as much work to become habits? Or maybe they do and we just don’t notice since we’re not really trying to establish them as habits.
Mountain pose teaches us, literally, how to stand on our own two feet … teaching us to root ourselves into the earth … Our bodies become a connection between heaven and earth.
~ Carol Krucoff
Today’s CD
Ocean Colour Scene, Mechanical Wonder.
My friends and visitors from the U.K. have probably heard of Ocean Colour Scene. I’m not sure about those of you from the U.S. and elsewhere. I was first introduced to their music by a good friend who lives in England, and have been a fan ever since. (Thanks, Nickie!) Listening to this today, as well as looking them up on YouTube, reminds me that I should look into their new stuff.
You can sample some of their music here and here.
138: The Colorado River
Posted: February 7, 2011 Filed under: 365 Life in the Bogs Challenge, Adventures in Life, Flashbacks, hiking, home, music, nature, Photography, snow, Summer, travel, Walking, wandering, water, weather, winter | Tags: Colorado, Colorado River, postaday2011, Red-tailed Hawk, Rocky Mountain National Park, The Black Keys 17 CommentsAnother gray, snowy day here in the Bogs. I didn’t wander far when I went out. I fed the birds. Watched our two red-tailed hawks as they watched the birds at the feeders. The hawks have been swooping down, attempting to feast on a bird or two, birds we have lured in with food. As far as I can tell, the hawks have not yet been successful in their attempts.
I took a few photos but don’t want to post them. I’m not in the mood to look at snow and gray skies.
(Colorado River. Rocky Mountain National Park. Colorado.)
Instead, I’ve been sorting through the Colorado pics from last August. I would like to get prints made of some of them. It’s just a matter of picking out a few and that means going through them, one by one. Since I mentioned the Colorado River in Friday’s placeholder post, without showing it to you, I thought it only fair that you get a chance to look at it in photos and not just in the imagination.
(Cloud and grass reflections on the Colorado.)
A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself — for it is from the soil, both from its depth and from it surface, that a river has its beginning.
~ Laura Gilpin
(Fly fishing in the Colorado.)
By the time it came to the edge of the Forest, the stream had grown up, so that it was almost a river, and, being grown-up, it did not run and jump and sparkle along as it used to do when it was younger, but moved slowly. For it knew now where it was going, and it said to itself, ‘There is no hurry. We shall get there some day.’
~ Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh
The Colorado River is 1,450 miles long and originates at La Poudre Pass Lake on the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park.
(At the Continental Divide. RMNP. Colorado.)
The photos of the river, above and below, were taken in Kawuneeche Valley, about 10 miles from the river’s source.
The weather here in the Bogs is going to be about the same tomorrow, only colder. By Wednesday we might see some sunshine and I’ll be ready/willing to post photos from my daily outdoor excursions. In the meantime, isn’t it nice to see so much color?
Today’s CD: The Black Keys,The Big Come Up.
The Black Keys are a couple of local guys, from Akron, Ohio, who play some bluesy, raw, garage-band rock. I’m hoping to see them in concert someday (they are always sold out around here before we can get tickets). I don’t have their newest album yet, but you can hear some of the songs from it here. (“Howlin’ For You” is one of my faves.)