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My husband and I extricated our bikes from a tangle of cobwebs and dusted them off over the weekend to enjoy some beautiful spring weather. The bike trail we traversed provided pastoral views and lots of cows and chickens. This barn along the path was a cheery display of patriotism that brought a smile to my face.

Cee’s Oddball Photo Challenge: 2015 Week #14

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Bathed in the glow of a brilliant sunset, with our minds calm and serene after a brisk hike through the park, serenaded along the way by the low-pitch croaks of what sounded like a thousand bullfrogs, this was a perfect way to end the day.

Nature is like that. She soothes and delights, amazes and inspires. And precisely why we should embrace more of her every chance we get.

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While hiking in a state park near here today, my sister and I stumbled across this poor fellow. A bit unsettled and unsure whether he was dead or alive (perhaps lying still – trembling with fear – until we passed by), we backed off a bit and my sister threw a stick at him. When it hit his stiff little beaver body with a thud, we knew he posed no danger. And we laughed hysterically!

I wonder what happened to him? So odd to find him propped up just so. What do you suppose what his (her?) undoing?

Cee’s Oddball Photo Challenge: 2015 Week #12

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Cruising the streets of downtown Des Moines last Sunday, something caught my eye. It was the backlot of an architectural salvage company where they sell assorted artifacts in keeping with the trend in refashioning and repurposing old relics, furniture, fixtures and bric-a-brac. We visited the place last summer and I was appalled at the obscenely high prices they charged although it was a fascinating place to explore. No matter. It costs nothing to snap a few photos and glean some inspiration along the way.

Cee’s Oddball Photo Challenge: 2015 Week #10

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I want to climb a mountain.

Certainly, to do so implies reaching the summit, trekking to the very top and gazing full circle, all 360 glorious degrees, upon the landscape both beyond and below. After hiking in Colorado last fall, someone suggested I try to ‘bag’ a 14er – a mountain peak that’s 14,000 feet or higher above sea level. And so, my husband and I now have a trip planned this summer to hike the beautiful trails and mountains there again and, of particular interest, to attempt to reach the crest of Gray’s Peak, the tenth highest mountain in Colorado. Whether or not our attempt at mastering such an ascent culminates in a stopping point where ‘down’ is the only option, I’ll still be content to just try, where the beauty and magnificence of this incredible wilderness state will be reward enough for our efforts. Still though, the pull of that moment, imagined in my mind’s eye, spurs me forward. I want it. I want it badly. I want to climb this mountain.

I’m told many factors will come into play. Only a select few will be under my control. Others, such as the weather, are conditions that will be calling the shots that day, one that will begin before the sun comes up. We’ve been advised to leave early, preferably around five AM, so that we can reach the top and begin our descent before noon to avoid getting caught, totally exposed at the top of the mountain, above the treeline, in summer storms that can quickly develop in the early afternoon hours.

My elliptical workouts during these cold winter months, with spring hikes planned in Iowa state parks, along with healthy eating, eager enthusiasm, photographic inspiration and technical skills are my contributions to the effort and I do what I can. I have no illusions. I turn 58 next week and while not terribly out of shape, nor am I a lean, mean fighting machine. Living here in the Midwest, where bluffs and hills provide weak to moderate vertical challenges, I realize that being a ‘flatlander’ will put me at odds when it comes to the elevation and thin air of Colorado terrain. A few days of acclimation will be required before we try the climb. Storms, wind and rain might derail us. There’s a lot to consider and some planning will be required if our venture to the top is be a successful one.

So be it. It’s my mountain and I want to see what she – and I – are made of.