Through a Glass Darkly

We live in a world full of wonderful color.  But sometimes, we see things more clearly when we reduce our vision to its most basic -- black and white.  The following images were taken in color but take on a different feeling in monochrome.

The Dock - Taken August 8, 2010

 Parallel Lines - Taken September 18, 2010

Moon Rise on a Crooked Road - Taken September 18, 2010 

Train Tracks and Country Roads - Taken September 5, 2010

Visions from Nature - with a Twist

Taken  August 29, July 31, and August 8, 2010

 Moon Rise over Independence Monument - Taken September 18, 2010

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Haystack in a Storm  - Taken September 5,2010

Pinyon Pine Living Life on the Edge - Taken June 20, 2010

 Harvest Clouds at Sunset - Taken September 5, 2010

 Angry Clouds - Taken August 18, 2010

Fond Memories from a Bygone Era - Taken September 11, 2010  

Life and Death on the Monument

The Colorado National Monument is one of our favorite places to spend an afternoon.  It offers an almost limitless number of trails and paths with breathtaking vistas and wonderful rock formations.  The pictures below were taken during two afternoon hikes and feature the beauty seen from the valley floor.

 A hardy pine tree grows in stark contrast to the wind carved rock formation and crystal blue sky.  We love summer weekends in Grand Junction.  It gives us a chance to explore and reconnect with our inner child. It is hard to be stressed when you are surrounded by such beauty.  This picture and the next were taken in an area known as Devil's Kitchen.

Taken June 20, 2010

I love this picture because it reminds me that beauty doesn't end at death.  This Pinyon Pine was undoubtedly picturesque throughout its life, providing shade and shelter for local wildlife and weary hikers.  But its usefulness and beauty endures even after the evergreen foliage has turned black. Eventually, it will fall and as it decays, it will serve to enrich the soil for future generations.

Taken June 20, 2010

Over the July 4th Holiday weekend, we went on a short hike through No Thoroughfare Canyon.  It was really too hot to be walking through this high desert environment, but we were drawn by its beauty.  Because of the heat, only one other group of hikers were chance companions on this journey.  It proved to be a beautiful, but sad day for all of us.  This picture and the next show the stark beauty of the valley.

Taken July 5, 2010

It's hard to appreciate the scale of the valley while walking the trail, much less from a photograph.  The following picture makes it a little easier to realize just how massive is the monument first glimpsed from this perspective on the trail.

Taken July 5, 2010

The junipers in this view of the monument are full grown trees, but appear to be small bushes as they are dwarfed by the size of the mountain.

Taken July 5, 2010

Sometimes you have to look down instead of up to see the wonder of nature.  The Indian Paintbrush on the left survives in spite of the hot July sun.  The brightly colored lizard delights in the heat.  

Both taken July 5, 2010

Framed by the unbelievably blue sky, this monument rises hundreds of feet above the valley floor.  Carved by centuries of wind and rain, the rock formation is a wonder to see.  In my mind, this sandstone masterpiece will always be a memorial to a newly met traveler who succumbed to the heat that day near the base of this monument.  It was a sad end to a beautiful day.  However, I can't think of a more beautiful view of this world to take to the next.

Taken July 5, 2010

Sunsets

Sunsets are God's reward for making it through another day. We look forward to each special passing of the day and are always surprised at how unique this common event can be.  

We found this sunset on our hotel balcony in Teluride, Colorado.  The day had seen a great deal of rain and we arrived late because the road had been closed by mudslides.  The skies had been gray all day and we didn't expect to see a sunset, but you never know...   We stepped out onto the balcony and shared this choice moment with weekend neighbors on their balconies.

Taken July 30, 2010

We love wandering around the beautiful valley we call home.  This beautiful sunset found us on the Colorado National Monument. The dead tree in the foreground proved to be a good lens through which to consider the finite limits of life against the backdrop of the ever refreshing and changing evening sky.

Taken July 24, 2010

Of course, Colorado isn't the only beautiful state and not the only place to enjoy a sunset.  We found this unlikely and possibly lost pelican flying through a fiery sunset in southeastern Idaho.  I spent many days pondering the beauty of Mount Sherman in my earlier days.  It is still a beautiful place.

Taken September 5, 2010

Sometimes you don't have to wander very far to find wonder.  On the way to the post office, we noticed an interesting cloud display that caught our attention.  All we had to do was wait a few minutes to see interesting turn into awe inspiring.  A couple of jets just passing over the horizon completed this memorable evening surprise.  The picture below is from the same sunset, but with an entirely different feel.

Taken September 15, 2010