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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Long and winding road

Last evening dark clouds loomed behind rock peaks although our meadow exuded a calm peace.
This morning, the stormy aura remained. The vibrant energy of strong storms is both scary and beautiful.
As I rode my bike with K by my side, the Beatles song "Long and winding road" kept looping through my mind. It seemed to encapsulate life and the aspen-lined trails that I was swooshing along. It reminded me to be patient, even though the first attempt to extinguish my muscle spasms didn't work, hope remains.
I woke up feeling lousy - so lousy that I considered giving up on the day. Then, I started to rejuvenate and saw my chocolate best friend watching and waiting. OK, I thought, for K's sake, I'll head out onto the trails. K seemed as consumed by the dark energy of the gathering storm clouds as I was.
As we both stared into the abyss, both literally and figuratively, I glanced to the south. The light green leaves of awakening aspen trees decorated the hillside and reminded me to live my life with panache.
As I stared in wonder at the transformed landscape, I glanced at K. Her focus was the same as mine.
When we dropped down into an aspen grove, the aspens' green leaves, a symbol of life and vitality to me, blazed brightly with the storms behind them.
In a sunny spot, I noticed my favorite delicate flower just started blooming - a pin cherry. These blossoms will become a berry that bears devour in late summer.
At the end of my ride, I visited two different wildlife cameras to pick up their memory cards. First, I visited the popular bobcat scentpost at bobcat rock. Oddly, about a month ago, I noticed that all of the bobcat scat had vanished from the site which used to harbor numerous old bobcat scats. However, my camera showed no visitors aside from pine squirrels, golden mantled ground squirrels, and rabbits. My best guess was that the rodents had eaten the scat. I wondered if the bobcat would keep returning without the scat marking the spot. Indeed, he or she returned early in the morning of 5/27, looking lean and perhaps hungry.

Then, I checked my camera that has picked up lots of bear activity on a wildlife thruway in the past couple of weeks. I'd captured a bear barreling toward the camera, moving fast enough that the camera captured only a bear hind leg and rump before s/he passed the camera. Enjoy the short video.

12 comments:

  1. We had the blackest cloud roll in this morning - it covered the sky like an enormous blanket - very scary looking, then the loud t-storm arrived. We would love to have the skies you had to view instead of this ugly black mass. Hope tomorrow is a better day for you.

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  2. Let's try this again -

    Thanks for sharing those flower pics AND the great 'wildlife' shots -

    That song was my senior class song -

    Sorry about the day -

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  3. I hope you start feeling some relief from the muscle spasms soon! Does the weather have any effect on things for you?

    That bear sure wasn't wasting any time!

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  4. Sorry to hear about the spasms. I guess it hurts whether you get out or don't get out so might as well get out. Still, it's got to be exhausting. I hope relief is around the corner.

    Your flower shots below are gorgeous. Your camera does a much better job with closeups than mine. Or could it be skill?...

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  5. Chokeberry blossoms! How pretty! And I love those light green aspens against the clouds - what drama there! Can't even tell what direction the bear is coming from it was so quick, but that cat is so lean, I'd think it was a juvenile! Hope it finds some food soon... thanks for placing those cams all over the place which show us such remarkable life!
    Hugs xoxoxo
    Sammie

    Hope those spasms just go away!!!

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  6. I'm so sorry your neck's still spasming. We were crossing paws and fingers here for you for a better outcome.

    I can't get over the mix of colors in the picture of the aspens against the stormy sky. So many metaphors to find there.

    Thanks for sharing your forest with us, even on a tough day.

    ps-On yucca: I would think it an exaggeration that yucca could be lethal if I hadn't once used one to brake my fall. I had one of its blades spear nearly completely through my palm. They're one of my favorite plants around here, but I give them space!

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  7. We had terrible dark clouds roll in this evening with high wind, rain and hail, then we lost power for 1 1/2 hours. I imagine the clouds aren't as dramatic as ones you see, KB, but they looked threatening and that 'little fawn' came barreling down to the house and honestly hid behind a tree!

    Hope the next attempt eliminates the muscle spasms.

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  8. You are a real inspiirng example of mind over matter. At the start of the post I'd thought you'd stay at home and then you get out and about and give us one of the most beautiful, lyrical tours of your piece of paradise. Hope today is better.

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  9. hope you can get your neck spasms in check...as Angus said, you are wonderful at mind over matter taking in all the beauty and majesty that surrounds you...hope you get some relief soon...
    xoxo

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  10. I have learned that muscle pain just stinks and spasms don't help anything. You are brave to continue with your rides. Sometimes the best thing to do is to try to get your mind off of it. I know that some days it's just a pain to do.

    LOVE the pix! It is sooo cool that you catch these animals on camera out is the wilderness!

    Lots of Luv & Kisses
    Addie, Lucie and Hailey

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  11. What your spasms are doing to you is what my garden is doing to me. That and the clouds...

    I'm glad you were able to get out anyway, and I hope today is better. For both of us!

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  12. Hope you get some relief from the muscle spasms soon. I cannot imagine having to go through it.
    Thank you for sharing the footage of the bobcat and the bear. It is just so cool being able to watch them.

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