sunset

Critters and Such – Day 276

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Photo: L. Weikel

Critters and Such

“They grow ‘em big here at Amadell,” is something I guess you might hear if you listen closely.

This fly is not your normal housefly. While I didn’t “Google” it to see what makes this one so much more amazing than its woefully benign cousin, the common housefly, I’d wager at least part of its coolness comes from hanging out in a rainforest.

Take a close look at this amazing creature, though! From its white face to crimson, astonishingly bristle-haired abdomen, it is a sight to behold. And it was remarkably placid, at first landing on my foot to get my attention and then nonchalantly striking a few provocative poses as I snapped its photo from a couple of angles.

Photo: L. Weikel

Then there’s this lovely little fungus, his cap glistening as if he’d been dipped in lacquer upon sprouting. I found the utter newborn-ness of this mushroom’s appearance captivating.

No matter where I venture at Amadell, trees dominate the landscape. While there are always a myriad of flora and fauna to explore under my feet or on the ground along the cliffs and hillsides, it always pays off to try to remember to look up!

Photo: L. Weikel

Whenever I do, I almost always find my breath catching in my throat. The majesty of these great Beings is impossible to ignore. They are the Keepers of this Land, the sentinels, the Watchers. It feels distinctly unwise to pass through these forests without paying my respects both sincerely and often.

Respect. Gratitude. Appreciation for the life that abounds around me.

And how could I end another post from here without another Amadell sunset:

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-835)

Sunset – Day 239

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Summer Sunset – Photo: L. Weikel

Summer Sunset                                   

As Karl and I were taking a walk this evening, I was stopped in my tracks when I caught sight of the setting sun.

The fiery orange-red ball appeared massive as it gave the illusion of setting amongst the branches of a towering oak. I almost asked Karl to pretend to place his hands around it or on top of it or whatever so we could create one of those optical illusion photos.

But instead of doing something hokey like that, I opted to attempt to capture the simple beauty of the sun in relation to its own stunning surroundings.

As you can see, the photo turned out reasonably well. I assure you, it does not capture the magnificence of just how grand the sun appeared this evening. But the beauty suffices. If you open your heart to take in the color captured as the orb sank below the horizon, you can appreciate why I tried.

If you are lucky enough to have the personal mobility, I urge you to take a walk tomorrow. Don’t let another day go by without drinking in the beauty of our world.

(T-872)

Tuckered Out – Day 209

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June Sunset – Photo: L. Weikel

Tuckered Out                                  

I was feeling kind of bad tonight that I am so freaking tired and sore. It just seems like no matter how much I walk, day in and day out, I still tire a lot more quickly than I remember ever doing before. While I’m trying not to judge or speak to myself harshly, it is a bit disconcerting, and it takes discipline not to feel disappointed in myself.

For the most part, I’ve been maintaining my walking regimen that I began right around my birthday. Yesterday, though, I barely registered any mileage, since I had a session with a client.

I tried to bounce right back onto the wagon today, though, clocking in 6.3 miles.

The First Leg

Spartacus and I did an initial 4.1 on our own.

Among some of the fascinating things he found to smell, explore, and ‘mark’ on our journey today, we did spot this evidence of a raccoon passing through.

Raccoon passing through – Photo: L. Weikel

About 20 minutes after our return, Karl came in and wanted to do our usual walk. Since I hadn’t taken Sheila on the 4.1, we knew it would be best for all of us to take her out and at least ‘do the two.’

I’m so glad we did! Not only were the clouds and colors of the sunset beyond compare, the lightning bugs were coming into their glory tonight. It was so great to walk through the woods at High Rocks and watch them rise from the forest floor. Of course, they were also rising from the meadows, too, as our path took us from forest tunnel to open fields and back again.

But as I started saying at the outset of this post, I was really feeling a bit disappointed in myself for feeling so tired.

Until I took a look at Spartacus. He sacked out like this as soon as we walked in the door. Looks like he is every bit as tuckered out as I am. Weird, perhaps, but I took comfort in this.

A tuckered Spart (with friends watching his back) – Photo: L. Weikel

I’m grateful my body can carry me around the countryside, logging 6.3 miles on a gorgeous Saturday. And I hope and expect to get up tomorrow and walk some more. I’m on the cusp of making some changes and this walking is clarifying and solidifying some choices for change that are a long time coming.

(T-902)

Sleepy Muses – Day 172

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“Sleepy Spart” – Photo: L. Weikel

Sleepy Muses                     

Karl and I walked 6.3 miles today. We walked at two truly lovely times of day.

This morning I woke up extra early, which was not part of my game plan. Nevertheless, I vowed to make the best of the situation. So we made ourselves a cup of rich, delicious roast and a luscious latte, respectively, and proceeded to enjoy the utter delight of a breezy late spring morning.

One of our discoveries along the way was a teeny tiny little mushroom at the side of the road. It was a thing of simple beauty.

Morning Mini-mushroom – Photo: L. Weikel

 

As the day wore on, I was lucky enough to be doing all of my work via laptop today, so I was able to be outside as I worked. Wow – it got hot! I’m pretty sure it reached about 81 degrees today.

But then Karl and I took a second walk: what now passes for a ‘little’ walk – 2.2 miles. There was a massive storm cloud hovering right over us the whole time we walked, bringing a shift in the wind and dramatic changes in temperature. It felt like the temperature dropped about 20 degrees in minutes.

The winds were invigorating and felt like they were sweeping away old ways of thinking and tackling issues.

But the sunset.

Spectacular – Photo: L. Weikel

I have to post this now. Seems to me I have more to say, but I am 100% worried that I’m going to fall asleep quite literally before hitting the ‘publish’ button. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve nodded off already. Sometimes, the Muses need sleep too, and quite frankly I think mine just stalked out of the living room, took a bath, and are ready to retire for the evening.

They don’t care how great my photo of the sunset was. They want to sleep – or threaten to strike.

(T-939)

Groundhog Serenity – Day Eighty Three

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“Groundhog Sunset” – Photo by L. Weikel

Groundhog Serenity

Bet those are two words you never thought you’d see together. Me either.

But in contemplating what I would write about tonight, I thought I would share a photo I took from our porch this evening, minutes after Karl and I got home from a walk.

Suspension in a Cocoon of Serenity

The sun had set on this Groundhog Day 2019, and the colors of the sky were simply too spectacular not to honor them by sharing them with you. What you see is completely unfiltered. And would you believe me if I told you the entire scene was more catch-your-breath exquisite than I can express?

Yeah, you’d probably believe me. I bet it happens to most of us a lot more often than we realize. I hope so, at least.

Nature just is that way. It fills us up and transforms us from within. All we need to do is open our eyes, ears, and every other sensory receptor and allow. It fills us up through our being.

The sky tonight brought me to the verge of tears. For a few moments, when I stood on our porch and I gazed into this magnificent palette, I felt suspended in a cocoon of serenity. The air was crisp and fresh, but not so cold as to rake my sinuses. Two deer ran an obstacle course of trees and bushes at the base of this photo as I took it, their somewhat tentative and graceless dance rustling leaves and breaking sticks as well as the silence.

More Moments of Love

In those sacred moments, I stopped worrying about my mundane concerns. With no one to talk to and no humans or their activity in sight, it was as if I were less a human and more a simple observer – and member – of the web.

Can you look at that photo and not feel it viscerally in your heart?

We need more serenity in our lives. We need more magnificent, rich hues coloring our perceptions. We need more opportunities to forget about our mundane worries and concerns.

At the risk of sounding hokey, we need more love permeating our cells and blanketing our landscapes with colors and beauty and simple appreciation for life, bringing us to the brink of tears.

(T-1028)

“Minutes Before Groundhog Sunset” – Photo by L.Weikel