Taken in the area of the casitas at Ghost Ranch where the college staff live. Georgia O’Keefe’s mountain in the background.
See you along the Trail.
Category Archives: Photo
Sentinels
For uncounted ages they have kept
a silent vigil over the valley:
steadfast, firm,
silent observers of
days gone by,
events long forgotten,
moments well-remembered.
For unknown ages they may stand
a stoic presence in the valley:
constant, unmoving,
voiceless witnesses to
occurrences unforseen,
futures unknown,
happenings unimagined.
8 July 2011
Estes Park, CO
The image was taken at the Lumpy Ridge Trailhead, Rocky Mountain National Park
Filed under National Park, Photo, Poem
An early start – at least in my world
I am not a morning person. On Koenig Standard Time, the hours for sleeping run from approximately 2:00 or 3:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Clearly this poses a challenge with the way days are currently structured. I do try to follow that schedule on weekends and vacations.
Today was an exception. I did stay up until 1:00 AM or so, but I also managed to awaken early. This was my day to spend in Rocky Mountain National Park. I decided to get an early start. I succeed. Even with spending time for breakfast and having to return to the hotel to pick up my National Parks Passport, I made it into the park by 8:30 AM (which probably isn’t all that impressive for others).
For a couple of hours, the park was reasonable empty. I drove the Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center, stopping often for pictures and to do a bit of hiking. By the time I made my way back – around 10:30 or 11:00 AM – traffic had picked up considerably. But still it was an enjoyable day – short of wildlife – but an amazing diversity of eco-systems – incredible views. Not sure my photos do the park justice – not sure they show up here – but I took a bunch.
Walked the streets of Estes Park again in the late afternoon. Picked up Leavings by Wendell Berry. Very impressive. I had read some of the poems before, but there are some awesome ones.
Found Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on TV. They were young. Clips from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II are being shown. It looks good. Will have to figure out how to see it before the Trail takes me back to Manhattan. Patience not being one of my strong suits.
Tomorrow back to Greeley for the memorial service for Steve Brown.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Movie, National Park, Photo
Evening, Estes Park
The aroma of coffee comforts me
as a slow drizzle falls;
clouds creep down the mountains,
a chill steals into the air.
I grasp my mug tighter,
warmth seeping into my fingers.
The rain increases.
8 July 2011
Estes Park, Colorado
Filed under National Park, Photo, Poem
Fossils and a Peak
Started the day late – largely because I did too much work – and I remain way behind. But eventually I stopped, and vacation began.
We started with a journey to Florissant, CO and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. This involved a drive over Ute Pass. We ate at the Swiss Chalet in Woodland Park – an interesting town – definitely worth checking out further should the Trail ever wend this way again.
Florrisant Fossil Beds was an interesting mix of pine forest (pictures added to the pine cone collection photo album), fossils large (petrified wood) and small (insects), and frontier history (the Adeline Hornbek homestead). The petrified wood is from redwood trees – 35 million years or so ago, volcanic eruptions (they must have been huge as the volcano in question was some distance away) buried the valley – it was apparently quite lush and feature major redwoods. The eruptions buried a significant part of the redwoods – the tops died and decayed over the years – the stumps petrified. The volcanic activity also created a lake in the valley; the bottom of the lake became the resting place for insects and plants which became fossilized. Adeline Hornbek, a single mother of four, claimed land under the Homestead Act. She pushed the boundaries on traditional gender roles and became a prosperous rancher and a community leader.
From pondering fossils, petrified wood, and homesteading, we returned to Manitou Springs and the Pikes Peak Cog Railway for a journey above the timberline. We observed changing environs as the train climbed some 6,000 feet. Two elk, viewed from a distance, highlighted the trip – first time I have ever seen elk in the wild. Several deer were viewed as were numerous marmets.
Tomorrow is a little unplanned – it involves travel to Greeley, CO where we will have dinner with Sue Brown. We will see what else the day brings.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under National Park, Photo
115
This is the 115th post for 2011. With this post, the number of posts for 2011 (to date) equals the number of posts for 2010. That’s the whole point of this post.
For good measure, it includes a picture from Pikes Peak. It’ll do.
See you along the Trail.
Colorado Springs – 4 July 2011
Vacation day 1.
Well technically not. Since it was July 4, it actually counted as a holiday.
The holiday was spent in Colorado Springs and included:
Sleeping in! Always a good thing whether on vacation or on holidays or on any days.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo: many giraffes, lots of pine cones, naked mole rats, wallaby petting, the Mountaineer Sky Ride – just a bit scary, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun and more. The entrance fee included a quarter to give to support efforts to protect an animal. There were six possibilities – I picked the African Penguin.
Garden of the Gods: lots of red rock, some hiking, many pictures.
A good day – sore feet, sore knees, sore back – we will see what works tomorrow when the vacation actually begins.
See you along the Trail.
Saints of the Public Life
During today’s workshop on living our faith in the public life, participants were invited to name the saints who have gone before us – those who have witnessed in public life in a variety of names. After we had the page filled with names, facilitator Ryan reminded us that behind all those we named were many people whose lives they had touched – people who had also faithfully witnessed in the public life.
In the conversation that followed, Sam and Claire observed that the people we named were well known. They also observed that there are many, many, many other Saints of the Public Life: people who each day work in the public life for peace and justice faithfully, carefully, passionately, and constantly. They do so known only to a few – those who work with them, those who love them.
Tonight, I was reminded of one such saint – I remember and give thanks for Steve Brown.
We knew it was coming.
We had been warned – a number of times.
Yet still, the news, the final news, coming tonight, carried surprising force.
We met over thirty years ago.
Tricia, Sue, and I were students.
Steve a trailing spouse.
We played tennis. We laughed.
Steve was a patient, gentle, creative man.
He also had a deep commitment to peace and justice, a commitment he lived in many, many ways on issues ranging from nuclear disarmament to ending war to just immigration to access to health care – on the list could go. .
Steve, and Sue, put themselves into the struggle for full inclusion of GLBTQ people in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
For a number of years, Steve has faced illness.
Sometimes he seemed to gain – there were periods of remission.
But the struggle continued.
From time to time, the reports came – the illness was getting worse.
When his presbytery voted on the most recent initiative to include our GLBTQ sisters and brothers fully in the church, Steve made the effort to be there – his commitment to justice transcending his illness.
He voted, again, for inclusion. His presbytery did the same.
Tricia and I leave for Colorado tomorrow.
Our plans included a visit to see Steve and Sue.
A few days ago, we heard that the end was drawing near. We began to reconsider those plans – to perhaps go to Greeley sooner than we had intended.
Late last night (OK – early this morning – I don’t sleep much) – we heard more news: the end might come before our arrival.
We called Sue a couple hours ago – so we would know how to finalize our plans – and we heard the news – Steve died this morning.
I give thanks for Steve’s life and witness; I give thanks that his pain has ended; but the world seems a little bit less bright and my heart aches for Sue – we will figure out how to see her as she walks this shadowed valley.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Photo, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Of large tents
I have been offline a lately since I have been under the Presbyterian Church’s Big Tent in Indianapolis A pretty good time was had. Lots of good folk seen. Tomorrow brings vacation – travel to Colorado – then to Ghost Ranch.
Filed under Photo
More barbed wire
Walls and barbed wire have run through my mind ever since reading Theresa Cho’s post Unveiling the Barbed Wire Divider. I attended the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation as well so the themes were close at hand. Theresa’s words inspired some words from me. And led me to a picture I had taken at the University of the West Indies:
Not sure what to make of the picture – but it is worth pondering.
See you along the Trail.
