Gosaukamm

How about just a pretty picture and a silent start to the week. This one was taken on a recent trip near Hallstatt Austria. It was chilly but beautiful and pristine. I hope you enjoy and have a great week.

Psithurism

(n) the sound of wind in the trees and rustling of leaves.

One of my favorite sounds here on earth and it’s right up there with listening to the rain.

Uninspired

I am struggling a little at the current time and feel uninspired. Kind of hard to imagine, looking at this beautiful picture, but at the moment it is merely a filler, giving you something beautiful to look at. It’s another favorite spot.

Irene my friend, you are right and the lack of inspiration comes from the recent worries and stresses about Mom being in the hospital once more and not doing well. Today was a tough day, and while I need to, I can’t talk about it right now and all my attention and love is with Mom. Payers are definitely needed…thank you. ❤️

Last days of summer

As the last days of summer dwindle down, the temperatures have teetered between mountain snow and lakeside swimming weather. It poured rain last night and I loved listening to the rhythmic sounds of droplets splashing against my window at night.

Fall is a time to slow down and restore more stillness within. It’s a time to nurture and sit back with a cup of tea, or indulge in a hot bubble bath. It’s a time for cozy onesies and to snuggle up to comfort and a movie. Everything slows down and the struggle for making the most out of my days becomes even greater as daylight is getting shorter and shorter.

This week, I have found myself less inspired, and though I want to write, I struggle to find content I really want to talk about. Monday I dropped off Thundr1 (my car) at the repair shop. My fears were quickly confirmed and the clutch was in need of replacement. It set me back a pretty penny, especially since I am not working and still am trying to heal my body to function better. Tuesday I got to talk to Mom briefly after nearly not talking to her for three weeks, due to hospitals and iPad troubles. The next day she was already admitted back into the hospital for acute breathing problems. It’s a little like rolling with the punches this week and perhaps m spirit is a little dampened by the weather and recent news. Perhaps it’s just normal and we all experience writers block or times we feel less inspirational. It will pass in no time with better stories to report.

Take care of each other…❤️🙏🏼

Painted Dunes – Lassen National Park

Flashback to the painted dunes with Mount Lassen looming in the background. What a beautiful place just a few hours from my home. I do live in a diverse center of an ever changing landscape.

To the north live my volcanoes and the volcanic scenic highway promises a beautiful feast for the eyes. Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta are just a few favorites with a vibe and energy that will surely stir something within. It did with me and I will never forget my initial visit. Today I think that spending time at the base of Mount Shasta in Oregon was the beginning of my spiritual journey and I have never been the same since. In a good way I hope and so much has happened since. In a sense it is my true north as far as connecting with spirit and if I had to pinpoint it on a map.

To the east of me is more desert and it’s probably the least ventured area I travel.

To the south are more of my beautiful mountains, which grow bigger and bigger the further you go, forming the Sierra Nevada’s. It’s a diverse landscape with granite peaks and limestone boulders for climbing or perhaps the backdrop to an Iron Man movie. This area includes the Alabama Hills and The Buttermilk’s, which make favorite bouldering areas.

To west lies the ocean and a warmer Californian climate that I often seek during winter escapes. There is something soothing listening to the waves and watching the mystery of the fog rolling in from the ocean.

Each landscape is so unique and special in itself, that I am truly lucky to have this diversity and the ability to see these ever changing places that are all within driving proximity. I don’t ever take them for granted.

Lake Tahoe Shoreline

Since I live in such a rough place (which actually means beautiful place) and many of you enjoy my Mother Nature posts of my surrounding area, here is one from the shoreline and a small beach at Lake Tahoe. I hope you enjoy.

High Sierra

The beautiful high Sierra near Bishop CA as seen from my recent hiking trip.

Eastern Brooks Lakes

Picture from my recent road trip.

After a few hours driving south we ended in Little Lakes Valley, near Bishop, California. It’s a beautiful little slice of heaven filled with mountains and alpine lakes at high altitude. I always struggle at first, trying to adjust to the thinner air of high elevation. I just can’t get the air all the way down into my lungs, and most times a slight headache accompanies the first few hours.

The hike to Brooks Lakes was short with a grade that moderately climbed up and away. Although I still had to work at it and broke a sweat, taking in short, quick breaths while my head was pounding, I’d say it was a good trail to get accustomed with. Especially if you only have a limited amount of time like in our case since we had been driving a good part of the the day. Did I mention the days are already getting shorter and it gets darker earlier? Sigh…,

A highlight was that we had the place all to ourselves and saw a brown weasel hunt, jumping up and through a tree without any effort, right in front of us. What a great and unusual animal sighting. And check out those mountains in the background. Small looking from the distance but 13.000 + feet tall.

Zen saying

You should sit in nature for 20 minutes a day…unless you’re busy. Then you should sit for an hour. ❤️🦋

Lake Tahoe Marina

I live in a beautiful area no doubt. One that has beautiful bodies of water, alpine lakes, and the mountains to play in.

Here is a recent picture of the beautiful blue waters at one of Lake Tahoe’s Marina’s. There are several Marina’s around the lake and it sure never gets old to visit. It’s like escaping, going on vacation in my own backyard with every visit to Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America.