And so we begin another year. 2013 has come and gone and the cycle begins again with a fresh start, a new outlook and a list of promises made that we fully intend to keep, but probably won’t. When embarking on a new year’s adventure it is customary to establish a good set of resolutions for oneself, a guidebook for behavior with which to navigate this new and unknown segment of our journey as we continue to strive for perfection. I resolve to do this, stop doing that, do more of the one thing and be better at the rest. I began making my own obligatory list of promises for this new year…I promise to sweat more, eat less, read more books, get more done, be more thoughtful…but as I pondered my list of potential resolutions which would be guiding me into this new year, I got distracted by the view. My thoughts wandered to the hills and my list evaporated into that big, blue expanse of sky. And so I have only this: I resolve to be ever mindful of these moments. I promise to live these moments and continue to share them with others. For these are the things that fill my heart with joy. And taking pause to look back on these moments, I realize that this year of joy will lead to another and yet another. And in the end, with these little moments of joy, I am building myself a lifetime of happiness.
Category: Desert
Sunsets and Starfall
It has been a quiet, relaxing week around here. With some time away from work and close to home, I fully intended to hit the household to do list and get some of those ridiculously prolonged projects completed. But there was this cloud of gratitude in the air, coloring our sunsets in such a way that chores and projects fell by the wayside and we spent the week watching the sky, taking photos and simply enjoying our moments.
Clouds and Cookies
When I was a child, my grandma would always send the family a big tin or two of homemade goodies for the holidays. Date pinwheels, persimmon cookies, chocolate covered pretzels and chocolate chip cookies…the contents never varied. Opening that tin always felt like saying hello to old friends and getting a big, warm hug from Grandma. The chocolate-covered pretzels were my personal favorite, but I always wondered about those persimmon cookies…what, on earth, is a persimmon?
Treasure Hunt
As autumn begins to creep toward winter, our high altitude adventures go into hibernation mode as snow begins to dust those granite ridgelines. And so begins our desert season. This time of year, our explorations take on a whole new vibe. Desert dunes displace Sierra summits, Jeffrey pines give way to Joshua trees and skycapes stretch far beyond what the eye can see.
Skyscapes
I struggle with this season of change, or rather, this season that stubbornly refuses to change even though Mother Nature claims it should be so. Feeling hot, ornery and uninspired, I allow myself to become absorbed in the business of everyday tasks and I forget to stop and enjoy the moment of sunset. So, lately I have been making an effort to be mindful of those moments whenever they happen to present themselves. And looking back, I have discovered a small collection of skyscapes too lovely not to share.
Cool It, Summer
With August nearly done and a new school year begun, I keep expecting a shift to occur. You know, those subtle changes that come with the changing of seasons. The air gets a little crisper in the early morning hours. The light begins to change and long shadows fall a little earlier. Mother Nature hints that autumn is finally making his way around. In the desert, it is a very subtle shift, nearly imperceptible. But you can feel it, if you’re paying attention. And I, for one, have been attentively and not-so-patiently awaiting that shift. Unfortunately, Mama Nature’s not quite ready to indulge, so summer is still very much in full swing in these parts. C’mon, Summer. Cool it!
Desert Spring
I seem to have a theme going, here. Spring. It is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year in the high desert. I’m sure my loved ones wonder why in the world we are so grounded in this dry, little, desert town in the middle of nowhere. Well, as The Little Prince declares, “The desert is beautiful.” This desert has so much spirit and life and a view with no bounds.






