nature's color blocking

I walked outside in the wee hours of the morning this morning and saw this beautiful collision of blues, purples and golds. Just wanted to share...

reluctant return

We returned last night from a blissful, extended weekend at the cabin. The whole family was there at some point. So relaxing, so fun, so needed. It's difficult to return to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. To make matters worse, the skies are gray and gloomy with lots of rain and wind throughout the day. Ho hum, take me back to the cabin! 

single shot saturday

temporary sunshine

For a split second, I thought it was over. Winter, that is. Yesterday, the clouds parted, the inversion lifted, and I looked outside to see the beautiful blue sky. I raced for my iPhone and captured this cute little sun flare and posted it over on my Instagram page. I thought to myself, 'well, winter wasn't so long afterall'. My mood was elevated and I started thinking about Spring. Visions of tulips and daffodils were dancing around in my head all day, and I started thinking about Easter candy, which, to be honest, isn't that unusual. I even took the remaining Winter decorations down from the shelves. It turns out I may have acted too soon. This is what I woke up to this morning....

Looks like I won't be getting my garden tools out anytime soon.

52 photos project {the skies above}

Ordinarily, when posting a picture of the sky, I would be tempted to show an image of a bright blue, puffy-white-cloud-filled sky or a beautiful sunset filled with oranges and yellows. But today, I chose an image of the sky above our cabin in the Uintah Mountains of Utah. The sky was a beautiful blue, but I chose to process it in subdued black, gray and cream tones. So fitting for this time of year, I think. These branches will be weighed down with heavy white snow before long, and the sky will be a darker stormy gray for sure. But until then, I will enjoy the clear days like this, when the sky seems to go on forever. 

head in the clouds

When I was a little girl, I used to lay on my front lawn and look up at the clouds in the sky. I would try to find animals and toys and people in the clouds. I admit I still have that habit today. I can't lie in my hammock without turning into that little girl again. Today was a hammock day, at least for a few minutes. I'm thinking two Chinese dragons....in battle. What do you see?

spectacular sunrise

I woke up early this morning to a spectacular sunrise. Another beautiful day ahead at gorgeous Lake Powell. Trying to enjoy as much of the warm weather as possible, knowing that when we get home, cooler weather will be here.

late summer sunrise

Summer is fading away. Even the sky this morning was filled with the colors of autumn. Some people hate to see summer end. But, I love this time of year. As one season is ending, and another is about to start, I get a rejuvenated feeling. Like a new year has begun. It's one of the reasons I love so much  living in a place that has 4 complete seasons. It's like having a fresh start every few months. My moods change with each new season, as do my interests. This time of year, I get antsy to pick up my indoor hobbies like quilting and baking, and I set aside my outdoor hobbies like gardening. Each season brings with it wonder and beauty, especially through my camera lens. As the pink and purple flowers die off in my yard, the leaves on the trees begin to change to orange, red and gold. It's like a fresh new coat of paint on the world. And the best part....the painting is done for me:)

falling for nightfall

I just can't get enough of them. We have had so many beautiful sunsets this summer. We had a horrible inversion yesterday, but the silver gold lining was this beautiful sunset last night. It's like the sky was on fire. Ironically, it was still so hot outside that it also 'felt' like the sky was on fire. Simply Gorgeous!

fire fallout

We have had such a horrible month of forrest fires this year. I feel like the whole state is on fire in every direction. Over the weekend, our Youth Conference had to be changed to another location at the last minute. The air is filled with the smell of smoke, and, at times, ash has literally been falling on my clothes and hair.  Needless to say, exercising outdoors is risky business. The temperatures continue to be in the 90's, and we have had a lot of wind, which doesn't help the situation at all. It is so hot and dry that it is hard to stay outside for any extended period of time. The grass, trees, flowers and shrubs in the neighborhood are  struggling in the extreme heat and wind.
So, what's the silver lining to all of this??

The beautiful sunrise this morning, that's what. With all of the smoke in the air, the sun looked red this morning, casting a beautiful orange glow on everything below. It looked like a giant orange creamsicle had been melted over the top of everything. Mmmmmmm...which gets me thinking... Maybe I'll pick some of those up today:)
P.S.I think I burned my retinas taking this picture.

black beauty

I had to photograph something black for one of my classes this week. Lucky for me, mother nature cooperated! This was the beautiful sunset last night. I've really been paying more attention to nature this year. I think I've become more aware that there is beauty in everything around us, if we just slow down enough to pay attention.  

The Golden Hour

There is a term used in photography

that describes the best time of day

to take beautiful pictures.

It's called the golden hour.

It is typically an hour (or so) 

before sunrise

and an hour before sunset.

During these times, 

the sun is low in the in the horizon,

giving off warmer hues

and softer diffused light.

I was awake early this morning

to capture golden hour.

It makes you want to wake up early

doesn't it?

PS. I was up early so that I could talk to Brooke about the lost luggage situation.

It was 3pm in Germany before they finally

located and delivered their luggage.

Just a little hiccup, 

but now the fun begins:)

Waking Up To A Nightmare

I woke up this morning 

to a beautiful blue sky 

with just a touch of pink and yellow.

The birds were chirping 

and the air was crisp and cool.

I walked to the kitchen 

with a smile on my face.

"It's going to be a beautiful day",

I thought.

I reached over to open my blinds 

so I could let 

some of that beautiful sunshine in.

And then, 

I saw this.

My lawn was covered with pipes

and trenches

and pipes in trenches.

There was spray paint on the grass

equipement everywhere

sprinkler parts

a broken shovel

and flags of all colors.

Some of my perennials have been moved,

roots have been chopped,

and dirt has been dug away 

from the concrete edging.

It does appear 

that a little progress has been made though.

Today, 

we actually have a new valve box.

I have seen more plumber's crack

in the past week

than one person should see in a lifetime.

I would document it with pictures,

but I don't want to put anyone else

through the agony.

So, Im just going to close my eyes 

for the next few weeks

and pretend it is all just a dream...

...a very very bad dream.

Orange You Beautiful

In the wee hours of the morning, 

I woke up to this beautiful sight

outside my bedroom window.

Yes, that's right,

I said beautiful sight.

I am trying hard to overcome the phobia

mentioned in an earlier post.

Is it just me,

or does the moon look a little lot

like an orange. . . .

complete with navel?

Maybe if I just pretend, from now on,

that it's just a sweet juicy orange

dangling in the sky,

it will help me get over my fears.

We'll see.

Moonphobia

phobia |ˈfōbēə|nounAn extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. I have a phobia. It's not one that I'm proud of. In fact, other than my family and a few close friends, nobody really knows about it.

It's a little weird. No, it's a lot weird.I have had it as long as I can remember, but I have no idea where it came from.  I am convinced that I saw something as a young child that frightened me about the moon. Not the moon the way I saw it last night in the sky.

No, I can handle looking at the moon from a distance. It's when it is close up, like through a telescope or a picture that has been magnified. Especially if you can see the craters. Aughhh!! Just thinking about it right now is giving me the heebie-jeebies. (not sure that's a real word) So, you can imagine my horror when I ran across these last week.

I have been having nightmares ever since. Can

you imaging having one of these in my house.

I would literally need a straight jacket . . .

or a psychiatrist . . . or a gallon of Haagen- Dazs ice-cream or all three. One thing is for sure--I could never be an astronaut. Or a stargazer of any kind. Am I crazy? (Please say no!) Do you have any unexplained phobias?

Do share.  

Inversion Diversion

Every January, since I can remember,

we have had to deal with inversions.

This January has been no different.

It keeps us from exercising outdoors

even if the temperatures aren't that cold.

So, I pose this question . . .

does anything good come from an inversion? 

I woke up this morning to the answer.

Did you know that pollution in the sky

generally makes for a more vivid sunrise and sunset?

It has to do with the way the sun reflects

on particles in the air.

So the more particles, such as pollution,

the more colors in the sky.

I guess there is a bright side to everything after all.

Spectacular Sunset

As mentioned in an earlier post, 

this year I have really been trying to appreciate the little

day-to-day things in my life.

You know, the things that we rarely take notice of.

The things that we take for granted.

Like the sunset.

Tonight as I walked over to pull my blinds closed,

I noticed this spectacular sunset. 

Normally, I would just stand

and appreciate it for the few moments it was there, 
not giving much thought to it at all.

But, my photography classes have given me a new appreciation

for the beauties around me.

Rarely a day goes by now 

that I don't notice the beautiful sky,

regardless of the weather.

I have come to appreciate gray, stormy days

just as much as the bright and sunny ones.

I've always been a sucker for sunsets.

Tonight's took my breath away.
Not a speck of editing in this photo, by the way.
This is 100% mother nature 
(and a very good camera lens.)

Enjoy! 

May 31

for today…

outside my window… sunny and bright

i am thinking... maybe summer is going to come afterall


i am thankful for... nature


i am wearing... shorts!! 


i am going... to take my friend shelley to physical therapy

i am currently reading... expressive photography 


i am hoping... to accomplish everything on my list

on my mind... mike gets the keys to his new house today :)

pondering these words... savor every moment

from the kitchen... shepherd’s pie 


around the house... the tile man is here


one of my favorite things... getting up early enough to see the sun rise

i'm creating... a quilt for my reading chair

a few plans for the rest of the week... prune my lilac bush today!

from my lens... what i saw when i walked out to go running this morning