Amid the hundreds of thousands of deaths across the globe due to COVID-19, the senseless and horrific deaths of black men and women at the hands of white racists here in the states, the rioting across our country as the result of those crises, and the ‘leadership’ of a president who continues to fan the flames of hate and intolerance, it’s often hard to find joy.
This one daisy standing alone in a dark field reminded me of how hard it is to find joy when everything looks so bleak.
Most days, what saves my soul from total despair are my picture walks. When I’m out and about on a trail with my camera, the sadness of the world falls away as I look for things to photograph that capture my attention, my curiosity or my heart. It feels like a form of meditation.
A Flycatcher and a Goldfinch
A Nessus Sphinx Moth (aka Hummingbird Moth)
Baltimore Oriole and a Gray Catbird
A Barn Swallow and a Tree Swallow
Yellow Warbler
The Cambridge English Dictionary defines meditation as, “the act of giving your attention to only one thing, either as a religious activity or as a way of becoming calm and relaxed.”
A Brown Thrasher and an Eastern Kingbird
White-tailed deer looking coy
Once I spot something that looks interesting or beautiful or odd, there’s no room in my brain for any worries other than how to get the best shot that I can. It’s a game of sorts really–one that I never seem to tire of. Did I get the settings right? Should I change where I’m standing? Can I get a little closer without scaring the animal away? When I do get most of those things right, and the picture turns out clear and crisp and appealing, I feel like I’ve accomplished something.
The Bullfrogs always bring a smile to my face!
Columbine
Green Heron
A Painted Turtle and an American RobinMourning Dove
In addition to feeling like I’ve accomplished something, my picture walks are good therapy. At the end of a very long day of unrelenting heartbreak in the news, I can take to the trails to unwind and re-focus, both literally and figuratively, to find all the beauty that still remains.
A Gosling and a pair of MallardsSpotted Sandpiper
Mute Swan
A Red-winged Blackbird and a Tree SwallowNorthern Map turtle shedding its scutesLupine
Mel and I have just returned from a vacation in Colorado
where we both enjoyed pursuing our passions—fly fishing for him, nature
photography for me.
August 28-29
Hitchcock Nature Center, Honey Creek, Iowa
Our four day, twelve hundred mile car journey from Michigan to Colorado took us through the states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska. According to Google Maps, it’s only a 16 hour journey— that is if you don’t stop to sleep or eat or go to the bathroom! We did all of the aforementioned, plus took a side trip to Honey Creek Iowa where we spent two days in a cozy little cabin on the grounds of the Hitchcock Nature Center. While at the nature center, we took pictures walks along the Fox Ridge Run Trail and the Boardwalk Trail.
Yelllow-billed Cuckoo (Mel’s shot)
Dickcissel
Great Spangled Fritillary on Field Thistle
Baltimore Oriole
Red-headed Woodpecker (Mel’s pic)
August 30- September 2
Ft. Collins, Colorado
From Honey Creek, Iowa we headed through Nebraska to Fort
Collins, our first Colorado destination.
Fort Collins is well known for its excellent fly fishing opportunities and a multitude of natural areas to explore. Over the course of our stay in Fort Collins, Mel went fishing several places along the Cache La Poudre River, while I took picture walks along the Hewlett Gulch Trail, the Fossil Creek Reservoir (twice) and at the Colorado State University Annual Trial Flower Garden. Mel joined me for picture walks on one of my visits to the reservoir and at the university flower garden.
Cache La Poudre River where Mel was fishing (He took this picture while he was fishing and you can see the tip of his rod in the lower right corner.)
Bumble Flower Beetle (something I’d never heard of!)
Rock cairn on the Cache La Poudre River
I was surprised to find White Pelicans in Colorado! This one, as well as hundreds of others were hanging out at the Fossil Creek Reservoir in Fort Collins
Pied-billed Grebe
Western Grebe
Red-legged Grasshopper– one of hundreds at the Fossil Creek Reservoir
Barn Swallows waiting to be fed!
Musk Thistle
Swainson’s Hawk
Fossil Creek Reservoir is a huge tract of land! That’s me in the lower left corner!
Beautiful flowers and butterflies from the Colorado State Annual Trial Garden…
Painted Lady butterfly
Aphrodite Fritillary (I think)
September 3-5
Estes Park, Colorado
As soon as we arrived in Estes Park, Mel headed to the fishing shops and I headed out looking for pictures to take. Surprisingly, the Knoll-Willows Nature Preserve is right in town and only a stone’s throw from where we parked! Within a minute or so of commencing my walk, I spotted a huge bull elk lounging in the underbrush along the edge of the preserve! A little farther down the sidewalk, were several of his girlfriends. Apparently, elk are a very common sight right in Estes Park!
Bull Elk lounging around right in downtown Estes Park!
The Girlfriends
Looking around for a snack
Hmmm. No dogs allowed. What’s up with that??
“Hey, good lookin’, what’s cookin’?”
Teenage boy in Estes Park
Bull Daddy in Estes Park
In front of the Visitor’s Center at Estes Park, the Hummingbird Moths and the Hummingbirds were a delight to watch…
White-lined Sphinx Moth or Hummingbird Moth
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Sunset in the Rocky Mountains
Osprey with his catch of the day
Red-tailed Hawk
California Poppy
Barn Swallow
Pygmy Nuthatch
Least Chipmunk (look at the length of that tail!!)
Mountain Cottontail
September 5, 2019
Rocky Mountain National Park
to Steamboat Springs
We spent the day driving through the scenic, breathtaking Rocky Mountain National Park to reach our second Colorado destination, Steamboat Springs. Mel and I stopped several times through the mountain route to take in all the spectacular views– but I never took any scenery pictures (they tend to be disappointing compared to the real thing), preferring instead to look for the smaller things like birds and butterflies and mammals.
Clark’s Nutcracker (Clark’s Nutcrackers are mainly found in mountains at altitudes of 3,000–12,900 ft in conifer forests.)Gold-mantled Ground Squirrel in the Rocky Mountains This little critter looks a lot like a chipmunk but is much bigger– kind of like a chipmunk on steroids!
September 5-9
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
While Mel went fishing in the Yampa River, I went walking along the Yampa River Trail, a 7.5 mile multi-use trail that runs through the heart of Steamboat Springs and along the Yampa River. Along that trail, I found other points of interest like the Rotary Park Boardwalk and the Yampa Botanic Park, both of which were wonderful places for a quiet retreat as well as multiple picture opportunities.
Yampa River
Swift Moth
Two-striped Grasshopper
Black-billed Magpie along the Yampa River Trail
Cedar Waxwing
Osprey
Coronis Fritillary (I think) on coneflower
Yellow-rumped Warbler
bedraggled Robin
European Starling
Hollyhock
Yellow Warbler
Mourning Cloak butterfly
On one of the days that Mel didn’t go fishing,
we took a drive up to Fish Creek Falls
together for a picture walk and later spent hours at the Yampa Botanic Garden taking pictures of all the beautiful flowers,
birds and visiting insects.
White-lined Sphinx Moth (or Hummingbird Moth) in the Yampa Botanic Garden
Townsend’s Warbler up near Fish Creek Falls
Stunning flowers from the Yampa Botanic Garden…
Mel fishing the Yampa River
September 9-12
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado
Springs was our last destination in Colorado and we made the best of the time
we had. As soon as we arrived on the afternoon of the 9th, we went for a
picture walk in Palmer Park on a
trail that turned out to be rockier and slipperier than we expected. Not many
pictures got taken—we were too busy watching our footing!
Cassin’s Vireo (I think) One of the few pictures I took at Palmer Park because I was too busy watching my footing!
The following morning we headed out to the Garden of the Gods, which is known for its enormous, awe-inspiring geologic
formations, including tall rock spires or hoodoos, and steep cliffs. It’s a
major tourist attraction and well worth the visit.
Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs
After our visit to Garden of the Gods, Mel dropped me off at the Bear CreekNature Center to take pictures all afternoon while he explored the fishing shops, bookstores and coffee shops around Colorado Springs.
Vesper Sparrow
Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay
Rock Wren at Bear Creek Nature Center
Spotted Towhee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Scrub Jay
Lesser Goldfinch and Pine Siskin
On Wednesday, our last full day in Colorado, Mel dropped me off at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo where I spent a delightful five and a half hours taking almost 800 pictures of the zoo animals and of the native birds that were flitting about in the nearby trees!
Baby Wallaby in his mama’s pouch– one of my favorite pictures from the zoo This baby wallaby is around 7 months old and barely fits in the pouch anymore! Here you see his head and legs sticking out!Mom and baby wallaby hanging out togetherThe Wallaby baby hopped around for a few minutes before scurrying back to the safety of his mother’s pouch.
Emu
Giraffe
The meerkats were great fun to watch. They are both curious and comical!
“What’s up, buttercup??”The meerkat on the right walked into the scene, laid down and decided to strike this rather suggestive pose! Their antics were so much fun to watch!Moose I had been hoping to see a moose in the wild in Colorado, but this is the closest I got!
Peacock wandering around in the zoo
Steller’s Jay at the zoo
Parakeets in the Budgie House at the zoo.Okapi Also known as the forest giraffe, Congolese giraffe, or zebra giraffe, native to Africa.
Male Wood Duck
Female Wood Duck
A young warthog (native of Africa)
Porcupine taking a nap
White-backed Vulture (Africa)
Red River Hog– native of Africa
The best part of going on vacation, besides getting away from every day routines, is finding things I’ve never seen before (and taking pictures!), eating things I’ve never tried before and meeting new people I’ve never met before.
