Needing Nature

I grew up coming to this place, hiking everywhere, up Medicine Bow Peak, taking trails to many of the lakes, and up and down countless logging roads exploring long forgotten cabin foundations. Assuming I had experienced every established trail around here along with several unestablished trails, I was surprised we had missed this one, which is the most spectacular hiking trail in the area with the exception perhaps the trail to the summit. The scenery along this particular trail is breathtaking and takes you along the base of the mountain range, by icy crystal lakes, small streams that are simply snow runoff, with pockets of dazzling wildflowers. And of course, no picture is going to do this paradise justice. In fact, I apologize if I have posted this picture before, but I just want to get sucked into the picture and be there NOW experiencing the fresh air and the exhilaration you feel there. It's magical. Whenever we go somewhere, I always order hiking guides to wherever we&

This time of year, the temperature is always so bitter cold that everything even "looks" cold. The sky is different shades of icy blue, airbrushed with hues of cool pinks. No reds or yellows to warm us up. It's beautiful, really, in an icy chilling way. The river where these pictures were taken at sunset is framed by tall snow covered branches. I wanted to capture the pastels of the sky that I notice are only like this during these bitter cold snaps of the Midwest in January. Cold, cold, cold, icy cold. I went to a deserted park at sunset to get these shots, not realizing that it was much colder here than it is when I'm just running from my car into a store, etc. My fingers were numb, but the quiet was peaceful, and it was nice to be outside for my mini-field trip. FIRE AND ICE by Robert Frost Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I kn