Life is either a great adventure or nothing!

"Life is either a great adventure or nothing."

Helen Keller


 

 I LOVE Marsh-marigolds because they are one of the very first subalpine wildflowers to bloom each June, signaling the fact that the summer adventure season is finally HERE! But there is still a WHOLE LOT of snow to travel through in order to get to the peaks!

Photos: Marsh-Marigolds on the Colorado River Trail, and various views from Trail Ridge, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, June 1, 2015

Autumn Aspen leaves embody the joy of life!

"Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow."

Helen Keller

This past weekend, I hiked the Oh-Be-Joyful Pass Trail near Crested Butte.

What can be more joy-inducing than autumn colors, except, perhaps, for the fact that they are a reflection of one's own inner beauty?

Even the Subalpine Firs and Engelmann Spruces celebrate the joy of life when they catch Aspen leaves and display them like Christmas tree ornaments.

Photos: Scenes along the Oh-Be-Joyful Trail; near Crested Butte CO; September 26, 2014

Like the sunflowers, keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It's what the sunflowers do.”

Helen Keller

How abundant the wild sunflowers have been this summer!

Photos: (Top) Sunflowers in the campground at Zion National Park, UT, August 30, 2014; (Second) Sunflowers growing on a sand dune near the San Rafael Reef, UT; September 1, 2014; (Third) Alpine Sunflowers in the Snowy Range, WY; July 14, 2014; (Bottom) Alpine Sunflowers backlit by evening sun, Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO; June 30, 2014

It is better to be happy for a moment and be burned up with beauty than to live a long time and be bored all the while.

"It is better to be happy for a moment and be burned up with beauty than to live a long time and be bored all the while."

Helen Keller

Photo: Fire-roasted Douglas-fir cone; High Park Fire, Poudre Canyon, CO; September 7, 2012

Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow.

"Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow."

Helen Keller

Photo: Cliff Paintbrush and Mt. Rainier at sunset, Mt. Fremont Trail; Mount Rainier National Park, WA; July 24, 2012.  I find it amazing to realize that the woman who wrote this quote was both deaf and blind. Her insight also helps us realize that joy is no mere emotion.  Rather, it has epistemological value - it is the energizing force underlying our capacity to understand.