Welcome! I am a contemplative thinker and photographer from Colorado. In this blog, you'll discover photographs that I've taken on my hiking and backpacking trips, mostly in the American West. I've paired these with my favorite inspirational and philosophical quotes - literary passages that emphasize the innate spirituality of the natural world. I hope you enjoy them!

If you'd like to purchase photo-quote greeting cards, please go to www.NaturePhoto-QuoteCards.com .


In the Spirit of Wildness,

Stephen Hatch
Fort Collins, Colorado

P.S. There's a label index at the bottom of the blog.

Monday, February 18, 2013

The first spring wildflowers are blooming in the foothills!


Yay!  The first foothills wildflowers of the Spring are starting to come out!  Today I found these Spring Beauty blooms nestled in a patch of dried grass about 3 feet wide, almost completely surrounded by a protective rocky outcrop. Other Spring Beauty flowers in the surrounding areas won't start blooming for another two or three weeks.  This particular location is right next to my winter meditation spot on the south side of Arthur's Rock.  These flowers are able to bloom so early because the rocks that surround them absorb and reflect the heat of the sun within a very small space.  They remind me that it is important to set aside some time each day for prayer, meditation, devotional reading, journaling and communion with the Great Mystery.  This is a time to wall myself off from the stressful tasks and concerns of daily life and to concentrate the spiritual heat of my being in such a way that my relationship with God and Mother Earth is nurtured and expanded.

Photo: Spring Beauty, Lory State Park, CO; February 18, 2013

No comments:

Post a Comment