A tinge of green spraying out in the fingertips of the trees, shoots of new grass stretching up pushing past the old: The sun is scintillating and the skies are brilliantly blue: The afternoon calls out to me whispering of long walks and sun browned skin. I grab camera and liquids and we head out...
Twenty minutes from home, lie the feet of the Rockies. Paths abound for hiker, runner, and biker alike and we choose one that faces the metropolis to the east.
Winding ever upwards, the narrow artery slices it's way up the hill, leading toward the peak and the promise of sights unseen .
Blue skies beckon...
Rambling ever upwards, the rocky path is a road less traveled for people of pavement, far (enough) from the city's turmoil. The scent of pine lightly wafts on the breeze, fresh, perfuming the air with new growth.
Having reached the trail's top, I stand in silent awe at the beauty of nature. The Garden of Angels* stands majestically in the distance, the distinctive sandstone a reminder of earth's tumultuous past.
The first of a multitude of days that we will spend afield, thrilling at the artistry of time and the megacosm.
*You can see more pictures I took another day hiking at Red Rock's amphitheater- it's more familiar name- here
Sounds like a hikers' paradise, Danette. My family likes walking trails too, though most of the ones nearby are through thick woodland rather than the open vistas you have.
ReplyDeleteI love this! Very poetic and the photos are fab too my dear! I find walking very therapeutic for writing, helps me loosen up the grey cells and reflect on things, life, my WIP.
ReplyDeleteHappy Hiking and Happy Writing!
Oooh, purdy.
ReplyDeleteBotanist: Thanks! We have so many great trails, it's hard to pick one! The vistas are quite lovely but I also love walking in wooded areas.
ReplyDeleteThose blue skies are simply majestic - so gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteTalei: Thanks! I'm trying to be a bit more disciplined with what I write with my pictures. Good practice!
ReplyDeleteRogue: Thanks!
Ladyfi: The blue skies of Colorado are quite stunning! Thanks!
Danette, another crusader I hadn't followed. How could I miss you? Glad to come by today and see these glorious pictures of the Rockies. Of course, the only pics of the Rockies we see in Oz are snow-covered ones so this is refreshing. So you want to leave it all for Florida?
ReplyDeleteI read your 'goldfish' entry too. Was great. I thought you may not read any more comments there so am telling you here how much I enjoyed it.
Denise<3
WOW, Danette,
ReplyDeleteYour pics are stunning. Do you do photography as a hobby or professionally? They're really gorgeous. I took a peek at your others, too.
I very much enjoyed the prose along with them. Nature really is amazing, isn't it?
Denise: Thanks for dropping by and thanks for the compliment about the flash fiction! It was another fun challenge.
ReplyDeleteAs for leaving it all for Florida...? Well, I'm just not a winter girl. If I had my druthers I would winter in Florida and summer in Colorado and it would completely doable if I could just win the lottery! :) Seeing as that is not likely to happen I will probably settle for vacations in Florida because I can't really afford to move AND my kids are here(and I still have one young enough to need me around).
Michael: Thanks Michael! I am merely an amateur and not working with the best equipment either- but the Rockies do provide even a lame photographer a chance at some award winning pictures if you know how to focus! :) and I can do a little more than that!
Nature is indeed stunning! Whether the mountains or a sunrise/sunset on the plains or the Gulf! I love being outside (when it's warm!!!) lol.
Those photographs make your home look amazing. I love the rugged and the flat and plain stretching out before you. My view is the regular patterns of houses and manicured wildernesses that team with semi-wildlife :)
ReplyDeleteAh, what amazing pictures... would love to put on my running shoes and jump inside one of these photos and just run, run, and breathe in the fresh spring air...
ReplyDeleteIt has been snowing here this week, still...hoping next week will bring a change ('specially since I'm supposed to change summer tyres in my car, eek)