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.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Pasqueflowers Teach Us Much About Our Own Spirituality


One of the traits that allows Pasqueflowers to bloom so early in the season is the fact that they are covered with a dense layer of hair, sometimes resembling fur. Another adaptation is the hollow center of their stems, which allows metabolic heat to be concentrated within the plant, thus warming it ten degrees or more above the temperature of the surrounding air.

Sometimes this crazy, hectic, impersonal society in which we live can seem so cold, so lacking in a love that would appreciate and nurture the unique gifts that each of us has to offer. Often it tries to make us into mindless machines, incapable of even a single creative thought. However, we can survive and even thrive in this culture if we keep open the space of our inward center - the place where the Divine dwells - and clothe ourselves with spiritual practices - like meditation, prayer, journaling, solitude, hiking, community and mindfulness exercises - that keep us warm and help preserve our love and passion.

Photo: Pasqueflowers, Lory State Park, CO; March 20, 2014

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