“The mountains are calling, and I must go.” (John Muir)

Tom and I resonate with this sentiment expressed by John Muir. The Rocky Mountains are one of our favorite places to experience the grandeur of nature – the majestic landscapes, the crystal deep blue skies, the vast expanse of wilderness.  We love camping near a mountain stream and listening to the musical lullaby the water plays as it lulls us to sleep at night.

Last week, we once again headed to the Rockies stopping at Fawn Lakes Campground near Red River, New Mexico, at Taos New Mexico, and then at West Fork Campground outside of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. While in Pagosa, we had the opportunity to spend time with our dear friends, Len and Nancy, who even came out to enjoy dinner around our campfire. Later that night, the waxing crescent moon and crystal-clear sky provided us with the perfect setting for star-watching.

We’re now in my hometown of Grand Junction, Colorado which sits in a valley noted for its vineyards and fruit orchards. Growing up, we spent many days on nearby Grand Mesa. Years later I returned with my brothers and their families camping and fly-fishing together. All of these experiences contributed to my deep love of the mountains. This time we’re here to celebrate my mother’s 94^th birthday and my aunt’s 103rd. What treasures these beautiful women are to our family and all who know them. It is also a time for us to take another pause and really see the beauty around us.

Afterwards, we will head to Rocky Mountain National Park where I will take part in a photography workshop led by our friend and amazing professional photographer, Kevin Gourley. I bought a new camera a few weeks ago and have been practicing using it on this trip. While many photos landed on “the cutting room floor” as they say in Hollywood, I hope you’ll enjoy the ones in today’s post as much as I did while taking them.

Photography is truly helping me see the world differently, to focus in on a granular level to see the exquisite detail in tiny creatures and plants. And to appreciate the vastness of mountain scenery. With a camera at my side, I find I’m always on the lookout for the beauty that is always present but which I far too often overlook.

My personal spiritual view is that there is a Creator who is both above and beyond creation and also in every part of creation. Seeing and appreciating the beauty in plants, rocks, fields, and stars leads me to feeling more connected to all of nature and to the Creator as well.  

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“The Unruly Mystic: John Muir”  – The Movie