grand view / in the saddle

L - Nikon / T- iphone (click photo for a better view)

Day two. Estes Park, Colorado.
We went on a two hour horseback ride in the Roosevelt National Forest. Climbing from 7,000 ft to 9,000 ft on steep and narrow trails - just the three of us with a guide. The views were amazing and the air was fresh and sweet. There were sore bottoms the next day but it was well worth it. / what a great adventure. it was so much fun to be in the saddle again. paint pony = love.

grounded / balanced

L - Nikon / T - iphone (click photo for a better view)

Day one. Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs then Red Rocks for Bon Iver /Feist concert.
Her new hiking boots gave her a confidence I wasn't always comfortable with - she was always wanting to climb higher. / glad i found some hiking boots in colorado springs. i climbed to amazing views

relax / rest

L - iphone / T - iphone

Enjoying a most beautiful spring day.

essential / fundamental

L - Nikon / T - iphone

I had a lot of work to do in the studio but what was most essential today was to get outside, exercise and soak in some sun. So I went to my favorite place - Big Trees Forest. / my dog and chick-fil-a - just about all i need.

purple jelly beans / pink pom poms

L - iphone

"Make keen use of your five senses and become a sensualist." - 54 precious keys to happiness

I was keenly aware of my five senses today as I sat outside and ate my lunch. I looked around at the colorful world around me - yellow tulips, pink pompom cherry blossoms, white and purple pansies, the green green grass and the beautiful blue sky - colors matching the sweet and chewy jelly beans I had as a snack. A bird sang and I couldn't place it's song. A cool breeze was blowing, that mixed with the warm sunshine, brought a tingle to my spine . It gusted at times whipping up a mist from the waterfalls that cooled my skin and blew around in swirling delight the soft pink petals of the cherry tree that landed in piles like pink snow. It was a delightful day to be outside.

What excited your senses today?

i walked / she sat

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

The weekend was like a beautiful day in April.

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.

You know how it is with an April day.

When the sun is out and the wind is still,

You're one month on in the middle of May.

But if you so much as dare to speak,

a cloud come over the sunlit arch,

And wind comes off a frozen peak,

And you're two months back in the middle of March."

- Robert Frost, Two Tramps in Mud Time, 1926

white blanket / white veil

L - Nikon / T - Nikon

"In winter we lead a more inward life. Our hearts are warm and cheery, like cottages under drifts..." - Henry David Thoreau

posy / bouquet*

solo post - L, Nikon

"A delicate fabric of bird song 
Floats in the air, 
The smell of wet wild earth 
Is everywhere. 
Oh I must pass nothing by 
Without loving it much, 
The raindrop try with my lips, 
The grass with my touch; 
For how can I be sure 
I shall see again 
The world on the first of May 
Shining after the rain?" 
- Sara Teasdale, May Day

I woke up this morning with good intentions of being productive today... then I stepped outside... with camera in hand. You know the story.

Hope you enjoyed this first day of May.

*not your traditional bouquet of flowers but it works for me

looking up / lifted up

L - Nikon / T - Nikon (taken by friend)

Hope you had a most wonderful Saturday - delightful in every way.

Today I did some work in the yard. I pruned my roses way back- long past due, and planted some bushes - another job past due. It was the first pretty day that I've had the opportunity to work in the yard. I sure was nice to be outdoors most of the day. I'd say spring is here and it's definitely time to set up the hammock. There's not much that I love more than a warm spring day in the hammock with a good book and a soft breeze across my face. I missed my chance today - tomorrow it's supposed to rain - but there will be plenty more opportunities and I look forward to those days. / I hope Taylor explains this photo. All I know is that it was part of recording a scavenger hunt in Athens today. From seeing the other photos she sent I'd say she had a fun day. This one was titled parachuting with an umbrella mary poppins style

savor

solo post - L, iphone

T gets embarrassed when I take pictures at a restaurant, but with the iphone I can be a little bit more discreet, so I slipped this one in. We had a nice dinner at Cafe Intermezzo last night. They have the most wonderful outdoor patio – you're taken to Vienna when you dine there. Tonight we had turkey and brie crepes with raspberry preserves, Cafe Brio and tiramisu torte. It was breezy and comfortable outside, almost like autumn. There is nothing I enjoy more than to sit outdoors at a coffee shop with friends, my daughter or a good book. My daughter laughs at me because 9 times out of 10 when we're eating someplace like this I'll say, "I love this, I feel like I'm on vacation." Alot of times before I even say it she anticipates my pleasure and says ," I know... you feel like you're on vacation, right?" and we could be in our own backyard - literally. Why is that? I do like my sunshine and fresh air – I savor every moment of it.

secret: I modified my iphone photo, to give it more DoF, in photoshop.