Geranium Journaling

I’m enjoying Spring Geranium Journaling! It’s fun!

If you’d like to try: Start by selecting a simple subject that moves you. Look at it carefully. Then do a quick sketch with eyes closed, followed by a relaxed contour (keep pencil on paper) drawing. Last, sketch your final impression and add color.

Here are some examples:

Inspired by morning blue skies after succulent snow – an outdoor apple tree branch and an indoor geranium plant.

Thanks for looking at my interpretations. Have fun with yours!

A Walk in the Holy Cross Wilderness

The 123,000-acre Holy Cross Wilderness is named for the craggy (and at times considered spiritual) “fourteener”, Mount of the Holy Cross. Glacial action that occured tens of thousands of years ago has carved steep cirques and dramatic cliff faces. This high-elevation landscape is also characterized by softer rolling terrain.

The Frying Pan valley provided me great hiking access to this area where fall foliage glowed

Amongst the folds and textures of ancient schists, granites and gneiss.

My feeling of being immersed in a wonderful ever-changing painting deepened as sunset colors caressed this watery landscape.

And after a starry half-moon night, I woke early to see the fleeting silvers and golds of sunrise.

The half-moon reminded me of the orange-gold of the previous night’s Alpenglow.

As the glaciers have melted, the amount of frozen water has diminished. Now, this area is repleat with lakes and tarns. It provides headwaters to many creeks and streams.

However, sadly, in places such as the Homestake Reservoir, this water has been impounded and diverted for use by Front Range cities. Further potential impoundments are possible and I urge readers to join in efforts to halt such proposals.

Always changing and growing, let’s be custodians of our wondrous, deeply-textured, life-giving, high-atitude landscapes!

Weminuche Magic

It was forecast to be a wet week in the San Juans, but the two S’s felt that it’s always a good time to be in the mountains. After the last few dry, fiery summers, moisture would be welcome.

Early morning starts were essential to cover ground before the clouds expanded to join with the landscape below.

Mornings were clear, with a brilliant full moon.

We noted local occupants of the lake shores as we wandered their edges.

While light and water danced to the changes of day.

And flower petals glowed seductively against dark skies.

Mosses, lichens, sedges and rushes formed meadows and edges among the watery landscape.

Our silvery umbrellas like sentinels, reminded us of the night’s rain storm.

Still the mists swirled while colors unfurled.

Looping in the Sangres, CO

It was to be an atmospheric weekend, loping along the Venable-Comanche loop in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of southern Colorado.

We had an enjoyable, scenic walk up the Venable valley, but as we neared Venable Lake, stormy weather surrounded us.

We quickly discovered that the most sheltered camp near the lake was also home to overly curious marmots and a bunny. It required convincing dissuasion to keep them away from our salt-enriched belongings. They found our pole handles and backpack straps particularly enticing.

Sunrise was misty and magical. We headed uphill towards the Phantom Terrace.

True to its name, the Phantom Terrace disappears into its rocky surrounds. There are a few tantalizing seeps along the way.

We chose to wait out the stormy afternoon at Comanche Lake and were rewarded with bright morning light the following day.

It was a perfect time to climb Comanche Peak at 13,200 feet. We had views to peaks and valleys on both sides of the montain range.

Summer flowers added to the beauty of the landscape.

As did the lakes, tarns and flowing creeks.

And all too soon, the day of our departure dawned.