The Land of Melting Shadows

There once was a land, no further away than your imagination. A Land where the Trees’ whispers can be heard on the wind. And the squirrels chitter and chatter as they scamper to and fro amongst the branches - playing their endless game of tag.

A Land where the Brooks babble endlessly amid fern covered banks. Fish and Tadpoles play a game of Leapfrog in the clear, cool water and Turtles sunbathe nearby.

A Land where the tall Grasses sway in the breeze as if dancing to a distant tune. Wild flowers wave their petals at the busy Bees who fly by; Beckoning to them. Enticing them.

A Land where the Deer graze peacefully in the lush, green valleys. A Land where the Birds and the Faeries gather in the bushes of an evening to share the day's gossip. And the Frog serenade, with Cricket accompaniment, continues well into the night.

A Land where the morning sun melts the night into the shadows of the day. And at sunset the shadows melt into night. But there are times when the shadows melt into things best left to one’s imagination.

A Land of Melting Shadows.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Wildfires Hit Close to Home

Royal Gorge Fire

I'm sure many of you out there have read about or heard of the horrendous wildfires which have occurred here in Colorado. Fortunately the fires are being contained and the weather has turned a bit cooler with a few scattered showers. But the devastation remains. Over 20,000 acres burned, more than 500 homes or structures damaged or destroyed, and two people have died.

Black Forest Fire

Last Thursday, the Black Forest fire was being fanned by winds from the South. This fire is located to the northeast of Colorado Springs and the southeast of Denver. The wind was bringing the smoke into the Denver metro area. It was terrible. The thick haze lowered visibility and was a health hazard. We're all still getting over our irritated throats and watery eyes. But the worst part was seeing the ash in the air. I couldn't help but wonder if the ash that I was seeing was someone's memories or was it someone's dream.

Black Forest Fire

The same day that we were getting the smoke, I received a text notification that there was a wildland fire in the area of our new property. But thanks to the quick response by the local fire crews, it was extinguished in a timely manner. (I had signed up for emergency text alerts for that area through a website named Nixle. Great thing and I recommend that you check out the website!)

Black Forest Fire

Over the weekend, Hubby and I drove to the homestead. We had stopped in Colorado Springs to get a bite to eat when I received a text message about another fire, but this time it was in the subdivision where our place is located. We decided to head that way anyway and see how far we could get before we were turned back. We made it all the way to our place without incident. We later found out that the fire was at the opposite edge of the subdivision from us. Oddly, over the course of four days, four separate fires had started and all were within 25 miles of each other.

Something is telling me that these fires had help. I cannot fathom why a person would do such a thing! If there is someone behind these fires, I do hope they are caught. But the universe has a way of making things right.

image source for all photos

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Random Roadtrip ~ Bonsai Exhibit

This week's road-trip is to a Bonsai Exhibit at the Denver Botanic Gardens. My youngest son and I attended this exhibit in May.

My son and I both have a love for the art of Bonsai. We have both tried our hand at growing these miniature trees. It is not easy to replicate the environmental character that is developed by their full size cousins living in the 'Wilds of Nature'.