ice ice baby

favorite kind of blue

               

Into the woods

the peak

                             

  

                     

                       

call of the wild...

Dawn had not yet broke when I first heard the call of the Coyote while hiking through the Sangre de Cristo range. There is not a more beautiful reminder of the wild, than listening to yips and howls from a pack of coyotes in the distance. Packs of coyotes can be found roaming the land from lower Central America up to Alaska. Spotting (or hearing) one of these canine creatures is not rare, but it is always for me a magical experience that reminds me of my place in nature. Their significance in Native American folklore as the “trickster” has always held a special place in my heart. Characteristically curious, intelligent and a little mischievous I cannot help but relate and hold a special place for coyotes in my heart.

yellow

                             

                        

Dancing in the Light

 I went with a group of students up to check out the aspen trees early this morning. Each turn up the road left us feeling more shocked. The car ride was a constant orchestra of gasps and “ooh” and “ahs” or just silence. 

So shocked by the beauty, we pulled off he road to frolic amongst the aspens. We ran through the quaking forests, crossed rivers and sat under the golden trees to take it all in for a while. I must say, I wish I started everyday sitting under an aspen tree.

 As an artist, I haven’t felt so inspired by a place in a very long time. There was an excitement that ran through my limbs as we walked down trails or followed rivers. I loved watching the light dance amongst the leaves as the wind blew. Seeing how the forest already was bare in some areas reminded me of how precious time is, and how quickly you can miss a beautiful moment in time if you aren’t present with it. It was one of those first time experiences that make you so grateful to be alive.

farm days

  

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”  

John Muir

Tomorrow I begin a new adventure.  I am driving half way across the country, moving all of my belongings to Colorado, to begin my graduate program in the fall. Going through various boxes, finding old ticket stubs from trains, buses or airplanes has brought back so many memories from the past two years of travel. I am so thankful for all of the experiences I have had--the good, the bad, and the ugly. Climbing some of the highest peaks in our country, attempting to sleep in boat docks on the boarder of Thailand and Cambodia, taking 15 teenagers to Las Vegas and expecting nothing to go wrong (the ugly). I am so happy to have met wonderful people that have inspired me, whether we have only shared a beer or spent weeks, months, even years together traveling states and countries. I look toward the future with excitement, ambition and a sense of wonder. Where will the next few years take me?

I am ready to find out!

"She was gracefully dancing in the waves.

She finally understood how you could feel so detached from the world,

yet be at one with it."

n.