Autumn Dawn

I begin my walk as the sun is awakening.

A skin of ice forms where beaver build their dam.
Frost whitens the grasses.

The Harvest Moon accompanies me.

I follow a trail strewn with gold.

Ice crystals coat the log bridge.
I touch my hands to the cold wood for balance as I cross.

A deer watches before turning to lead me down the path.

In the shadow of the forest, I'm calm.

Yet, all around me there's exuberance.

Yellow banners flutter in the breeze.

I return home through waving grasses.

Waldo smiles his greeting.

Leaves litter my dry stream bed.

Pansies raise their faces to the sun.

Autumn is a brief interval at high altitude.
Snow arrives in October. 

Which Comes First...

I've been asked which comes first,
the photos or the words.

If the post is about something specific - say a hike,
the offering is straightforward.
Both words and photos are linear and descriptive.

But many times, as you know,
I go off on tangents.

I post on a more nebulous topic.
Connections might be fragile.
It's my nature to think figuratively.

I try to find the truth within an idea.

I let my mind hover over some thoughts.
Finally, I write - but not carefully.
My mind wanders through a theme or topic.
The words come, and I transcribe.

Usually, the words suggest images to me.
I use photos to help convey my meaning.
The photos are as important to me as the words.
I guess it doesn't matter which actually comes first.

But - here is the most crucial part.
I begin to pare - both words and photos.
Normally I have excess.
I really want just essence.

I want to say the obvious and also convey the hidden.
That is my process and my goal.

What about you?
How do you decide on a topic?
Are the photos most important?
Or the words?
What do you strive to share?
Do you think of your audience?

I have friends who visit this Blog - many I have never met face to face.
Yet, through our interchanges, I am knowing them.
I feel a connection.
What I present is for myself but also for this invisible audience.

It's an unexpected treat when I receive a response.

Thanks for reading -
 and looking -
and sharing...

Change

Nature has no trouble with change.

Arnica flowers bloom profusely all summer.

Now a metamorphosis...

inherently the same flower but vastly different.

Trees transform.

Green just a week ago, now golden.
Soon to shiver naked in the chill.

Change...

Do the mountains fade to the horizon?
Or, does the sky change day by day?

Do yesterday's prayers, now faded supplications, still reach the heavens?

From Dawn

to Dusk...

A promise - Change.

Learn from Nature.
Celebrate Change.

Day by Day:
Search for One Good Thing.
Pass it on.

Last of the Garden - My World

Temperatures are dropping to low 20's at night.
Aspens are changing color.

My Garden is taking a final bow

The Poppies have bloomed non-stop since June.

They like cool but not freezing.

Last fall, I seeded California Poppies along the stream.

They bloomed late and are already bowing to the cold.

The Yarrow is still in full bloom.

I have a variety of colors.

The red is my favorite.

They're resilient at high-altitude.

The hybrid Lupine spreads the last of its cheer.

I waited two years for the Dianthus seeds to bloom - it was worth the patience!

The Shasta Daisies still dance in the breeze.

My Sedum are always reliable.

I don't know what caused the garden to bloom so profusely this summer.

Maybe someone was whispering wild things to the flowers...

Take time to visit some other Worlds!