Scooter's Big Adventure

Bring the Cookies

2012-02-07T20:18:00.000-08:00

Looks
Looks can be deceptive. Looking at this picture, one might think there was this much snow covering the ground in our area. The reality has been different, though, outside of Great Bear Ski Valley, in Sioux Falls, SD. The area has seen many sunny days above 32 F. which has melted most of our snow. But, Great Bear is "the little hill that could" when it comes to snow making, hence enough snow remains for us to play.

You may have noticed that my blog writing has greatly slowed. I see at least one main cause, and it has to do with desire. My desire to write has really dropped off, and it shows. The drop-off has led me to ponder it a bit. What's up with the change?

Ego vs Cookies
It's thinking and ego that get in the way of my creativity and desire, and this blog has gotten pretty "thinky", I admit. So what I try to pass as spirituality, and what I claim as my divine birthright, is really just a lot of thinking. It's ego, and it's stuck-ness that come out. It's happening again.

What I desire is true joy in writing and life. So it's just got to be let go. Whatever it is, it's got to be loosed. Let'r buck. It's not mine, anyway. It's God's to give, not mine to control. That's a relief. It's humbling to think God could flow through these hands, but that's the great thing about it. That's what we're called to as Spirits living out a Human experience - bringing Love to the world.

I've tried to take credit for talents given to me, for creativity that is not mine and it's just not right. Surely I have a part to play, and when it comes to creativity, I need to get out of the way and let Love flow through.

It's like the kid who brings mom's cookies to school for her birthday - she is just bringing the cookies Mom made. She knows very well who to thank. I sure do love Mom's cookies, and I think the world could love them, too.

Mesa Verde's Color

2011-12-05T14:26:00.001-08:00

October came right on time, but the colors at Mesa Verde National Park were brilliant and long lasting well into the Fall, when it was time for me to leave.

I was headed home on this day and knew what that meant for me. It was a time of joy and sadness. There was very little sadness, however, because of the appreciation I felt to Life for the time I had spent there this year, which was more than 6 months. It is never just nature that changes in this amount of time on the mesa.

My heart changes, I change, each year. I'm grateful to Life.

Celebrating My Re-Birth

2011-10-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

Life has a way of catching
The unsuspecting
Passerby on neighborhood walks
We're all just moving through
Rich, homeless
Poor, pretty
Our days catch us all
Money piled high or
Mounting bales of bills
Measure yourself not by
Monuments of man

You are not your pain
Neither circumstances
Or what you leave behind
When you Pass Homeward
To the Place of Memory

You are a Spark of the Eternal
Powered by the One
Come here to Remember
The Powerful Truth

We get to create this place
As we wish, together.

Life Unfolds Like This

2011-10-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

I crested the hill
Bottom outasight
Life unfolds like this
Brand new road
New curves
Potholes, rockslides
New mountains
Colors never seen
Streams untouched
Hope and fear
Flow together
Cascading to
Cottonwoods
Yellow, waiting
New life comes
After new choices

Vacation Notes

2011-10-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's been about a month, but I just wanted to share some of my vacation with you. This was a marvelous idea, this "vacation" thing. After having had a forced vacation in August for my first two full seasons at Mesa Verde, I realized that a vacation was in order this year because I didn't get to have the same break this past season. I loved it. I would love to have a year to roam and do not too much, other than be creative and do what I wanted. The photographs posted here represent some of those desires.

2011-09-26T17:23:00.001-07:00

Rio Animas

Light Storm II

2011-08-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

The Light Storm

2011-08-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

This was the best lightning storm of the summer on the Mesa Verde, up to this point. It's monsoon season and we are getting lots of moisture these days. We got some decent rain out of this storm, but the thrill of this epic lightning storm was something I knew I wanted to capture. It was one of those storms that reminds you that you are not in control.

Journiers

2011-07-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

We went hiking for about 15 minutes this day. It was snowing above us this June day, and coming down to us as rain/sleet. We were near Silverton, CO, and just had to go see all the snow that was still around into June.
Life was really fun and full with Molly around. She's coming back, too, which is awesome. My roommate situation is really good - Molly sometimes, and Venancio through the heart of the summer. Friend Jeffrey lives down the loop, as well as Mama Joanne and Mama Janice, and then Betty right next door. It's a fun community, and always feels like too soon when it starts to dismantle at the end.
We come and go in periods of living and leaving much like the Ancient Ones. It makes sense, since we are the residents of Mesa Verde today.

Every Day

2011-06-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

Foal readied feet stand
making it up vital
staying in heard
essential to continuing
this journey, mare
mother, lifetime, hooves
journey passing
eating sleeping watching
simple animal grace
honest power moving on

A View Remembered

2011-05-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

This may sound silly, but I'm beginning to realize, again, how much I love finding beautiful places to photograph. I found this place again, as I had originally noticed this view in April. We were coming back from Santa Fe and could not stop. I had gotten that familiar urge to break out the camera then, and figured I had the perfect day for it.

the Osprey

2011-05-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Looking for inspiration
To feel anything really
I love to live bodily
Keys to the door
Out to my heart
Feeling mental
Momentarily
Deep breath
Feeling?
Check

Reservoir

2011-05-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

My heart led me to this place and, once there I found something thrilling. I maintain that God spoke to me in my heart. I didn't hear an audible word, but knew/felt this was something I wanted to do and a place I wanted to be. The place is Vallecito Reservoir, and near it I was able to see something special. The reservoir, and the Landing.

Landing

2011-05-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

On a desire/whim, I decided to check out Vallecito Reservoir near Durango and Bayfield, CO. I stumbled around and found a beach and campground, and enjoyed my time writing and chilling in the wind and sun. Then I decided to walk up the road and find another view, to find a better view of the mountains, supposedly. The nest hit me like a lightning bolt. Whoa, that's cool! I decided to check it out, and as I got closer I heard the chicks, calling for food, mama or papa.

I was walking down the road near the nest, thinking it sure would be cool to get a glimpse of mama or papa. At the time I had no idea what type of birds were in the nest or to return, but I was excited. And then it showed up - swooping in and then pulling up and flying off. It had seen me, I thought. It, I knew, was an osprey. Even though I had only seen one in books, I knew. I found a boulder off the road with a beautiful angle on the nest and settled in, waiting and anticipating.

My patience was rewarded. I thank the Creator for this opportunity.

Everything

2011-05-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

I write because it's how I connect with everything
Everything becomes full in my heart
Elusive heart comes focused back to my chest
I don't need to be anywhere special
Nothing happens out of the ordinary
Special nothings get whispered and my heart hears

People wonder why I write, why put it out
Why do people go to church or walk in the woods
Paint dance snowboard cook or love?
There's a River running through them, me
You can get that anywhere you find focus and joy
And your heart joins you with everything

For Stephanie

2011-04-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

I'll never forget meeting you
And I'll certainly remember the two of you
And how you lit up my day with kindness
Humor and love for he who could be so difficult
On purpose because its how he showed you
How much he loved you and still does
And your smile is one for the memories
It was a shock to find out you moved on
It was a blow to know I wasn't going to see you
Smiling behind the post-office counter
Your joy for life filling the mailboxes
Far better than stamps and letters
I appreciated your way
How you treated Molly and Me that night
And how I can see you smiling now

Magic

From Minneapolis

2011-03-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

What amazes
This soul-mind is gray blue
Fluffy shadows beside the warm
Orange and yellow rays coming thru
Clouds placed on canvass by the Painter.

How that reminds me of Home
Home where names are sung
Beautiful music is common language
Everybody is their own energy
Heat, transportation and cell phone

Perhaps not 'body' but Every One
Because there is no division
Only distinction and mind cannot contain
That which I Am
What loves and longs for Home

Sky light ethereal image
Encompasses an essential moment
Glory the Soul needed to express
Because this is Heaven on Earth
Felt with Her, driving home this weekend.

The Question Was Asked

2011-03-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

"An Eagle before Me" I say
Shoes placed to ground
White and gray socks
To the Stone.
Here I Am
God in front of Me
We ride the currents
Steady flapping southeast crossing
South Dakota into Iowa

Then, as summoned, We turn back
Gliding to Me sitting
On the Rock
Shoes placed on the ground
Coffee by My side
Overlooking the Big Sioux River
Resting high in My sanctuary
You fly between the Sun and Me
And Your shadow crosses over Me

Our shadows meet and We fly on
Southeast over wide silver ribbon
Swollen with Spring rain and Spring thaw
I sip coffee as You leave
Three messengers, southeast, powerfully
Striding on to appointed rounds
We complete our dance this eve

Red Tail Hawks tease, "Screeeee"
Hidden behind the trees
Black Crows "Caw Caw" exclamation
To the chill riding gray wind

When I Don't See You

2011-03-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

When I don't see you
It doesn't mean you're not there
Like a dark night, a closed door
Inside light doesn't shine out
No cracks under or around
To betray what's within

You are still there on the other side
And sometimes, just a little light
Of you who you are reaches
Simple Awareness that
You were the bird above me
Along the path, the snow, the crunch

You were the cool air
The ache of the muscles after a fall
The warmth of hot cocoa and a healing touch
Fresh water to the face
Joy in a meal among family
Friends celebrating life with laughter

And all of the above
Sum up life one day
And I know you were there
Though I didn't see you.

The Expedition

2011-03-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

We began the snowboarding adventures together last year. Last year AJ, Alex, Blaine and I had a great time. This year the party really expanded - we added the ladies. Kellyn and Molly both snowboarded this year for just the second time each, and Joey came along for the day as coach.

I am grateful for these moments - being together, and experiencing something I had chosen after last year at Terry Peak with the crew. This was a blast. I feel thankful for the moment we had.

"I see why people think this is fun." - Molly, after riding the bunny hill without falling.
"My favorite part was going up on the chair lift for my last run." - AJ
"This was my best day ever." - Kellyn.

They Came to Me

2011-02-22T12:19:00.000-08:00

I needed a mental health day. It was a hard time for me - hard to choose to not work when it was something I had promised to do. But I did it, and I needed the break. And then when I went out to enjoy the day, there they were. I created them. They showed up because I was there. Six bald eagles.

let you be

2011-02-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

alone is what you make it
don't doubt it, no need to shake
blue gray with a touch of pink
the dark shadow is the recognition
waiting for you like a sunset underneath a day
worth of clouds, just another emotion
waiting for the right time to peak
we do not do this alone even when
it's you
and the cloud

who gives the cloud
who is human
who is both

alone is what you make it
take steps to dance your own dance under cloud
sun, or deepest water
twirling spinning jumping slow-tapping still

their is value in you dancing your dance
do not dance another's
do not wish for other weather
flowers grow with rain and sun

When you live here...

2011-02-11T08:51:00.000-08:00

This farm, less than a mile away from Fairview, SD, is nestled into the Big Sioux River valley. I took this picture from the bluff above the river, standing in Iowa.

Winter can get long, so I've developed some strategies that allow me to come through winter unscathed, so to speak. First thing I've done is mixed a variety of arts into the fun. I concentrate more on my photography, but writing and painting play a part as well.

Second, snowboarding has saved my life. I love to ride, and love getting better. I can feel it now and then when I find my balance, and gain some confidence. Truth is, I don't do much that's fancy. Don't need to, but am now hoping to advance my skills. Charging down our little hill last night, I remembered what I love about snowboarding. I love the feeling of flow, of groovin'. When things are going well, that's how it feels coming down the hill.

Third, I've added more color to my wardrobe. Putting on colorful clothing reflects more of my true Being and brightens my day.

And lastly, I've really enjoyed getting to be with Molly this winter. Spending time with her adds to my sense of life's good-ness.

When Sparkles Meet

2011-02-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

I call this one "Sparkles in the Morning Sun" because this is Sparkles. I also really love the effect of the sun coming through the plastic over the windows meant to keep the cold out of this drafty old farm house. Nothing like sunrise on the farm, especially with the cold we've been having. Feeding the pigs at sunrise might be one of the coolest things about the pet sitting. Literally and figuratively.

Sparring

2011-02-04T00:43:00.000-08:00

The photo is of Pebbles and Girty doing some sparring. It's something initiated by the younger Pebbles, who seems a ready instigator. She keeps things lively, as there's always something interesting to observe in this pack with her around.

A few years back when I lived in Ohio, I took a Saturday training on leadership through observation of and working with a small herd of horses who were now serving mostly in a therapeutic setting, and were all rescues or adoptees. Observing the herd and seeing the relationships was so fascinating. I'm up early today, but not because there's something unusual about today. This is the standard deal with the pooches. I get up when they wake up and need to move. They go outside, and I sit down and write.

The whole thing cracks me up. My training is kicking in. Canine trainers are the best. Who else could do this so lovingly and patiently? And my four-legged furry felines find faux fighting at five of 3 fun if not frenetic. The kitties, Sparkles and Leo, did some slo=mo kung fu fighting earlier. Sorry to get that stuck in your head. You are welcome.

Everybody here, myself included, is just fighting to figure it all out, in a kind of playful way. Cue the music you'll hear the rest o' the day. Everybody was kung fu fighting, fast as lightning!

Simpler

2011-02-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

I've seen and heard how I make things overly complicated. We'll keep this simple, in honor of Grandma.

When I see the austere, simple beauty of this country scene, I think of Grandpa and Grandma. They were farmers who valued education for their children, and they valued service - they bought the school bus and drove their and other kids to school in Alexandria, SD or "Alec" as Grandma called it. How many times did Grandma face roads and drifts like this in driving the school bus for her kids and the neighbors?

I honor all the easy and drifted roads she traveled. Thanks for your life Grandma.

One Life

2011-02-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

This was to be her 91'st birthday month, but was-to-be didn't come to be. And I am happy for her. She was a believer: that if Jesus had come to save her then who was she to ignore him. And I'm thinking they'll hang out up there, so that feels sweet to me.

One thing I'm grateful for this day is her life and what she has caused me to consider. As I rest here, I'm pet sitting. As I rest here, I'm able to get out of my head the things floating around in it. I look out to the oil road two miles or so east, I see cars and farms, trees and the miles of drifts reflecting sunlight and the power of the wind.

Wind and cold air is what this day is about. Its power is its elemental connection to me and everything. I step into it and sometimes have to lean against it to stand. Without the air, we cannot live physically, and we are not human. Therefore, I say wind is spirit, breath is spirit. Without the sun, earth and water, we have no physical life.

But that does not mean there is no life outside of dirt, wind and sunlight. I ask Grandma and I feel it in my heart, "Yes, there is life after life" or "Yes, still here in your heart" or "I'm loving it here!" She's there with Grandpa and Uncle Al, with our higher selves, with me here, with us all. That's love and true life.

Then if the wind is not true life, what is? If dirt is not God, what is? It's got to be the thing that makes the wind possible, which perhaps I would call real, the maker of this reality and experience. And that's us. You and I are the experiencer and the experience. I suspect Grandma knows a lot about that right now.

Another Family

2011-01-21T12:46:00.000-08:00

I've got my birth family, my old old friends, my old church family, old classmates from kindergarten to high school and then there are college friends. There is Ohio family and friends, Mesa Verde and Colorado family and friends, my adoptive family, the Wilkeys, all the pets I've ever had and all the co-workers I've been around over my working life.

Kids that I've worked with in the school district and through other organizations remain among my favorite people to see and talk to on those rare occasions we meet, and finally, the pets I've gotten to watch as a pet sitter. Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of substitute teaching in a couple classrooms at Axtell Park, another of my families, where I was teaching kids who had been at Longfellow Elementary when I worked there in '06-'07. Some of them I had spent lots of time with, and that was a sweet experience. I was grateful for the interconnection.

This is Girty, and she's a pretty reserved dog, a mix of Blue Healer and Basset Hound. She isn't one to jump on my lap, or be too happy and playful with me, but she's also not unfriendly or mean. She's a dog I get to watch on a new job I have - pet sitting for some folks from Dell Rapids, SD. I love the menagerie - four dogs, two cats, two fish and two pigs. I felt like I was a real farmer. I love the animals, and am glad to get to be around them. It's such a great time - getting to chill with them at their place outside of Dells. Their people are pretty cool, too.

Reflection

2011-01-18T12:09:00.000-08:00

This is the image of the Holidays for me. Molly was a celebrity with all the nieces and nephews, as was to be expected, and she already was a celeb with me and other parts of the clan. I feel grateful to have Molly VW in my life.

Magical Door

2010-12-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

Josh and the Little People was the writing project, and this was one of the illustrations. I was a big fan of The Littles when I was a kid and this door was an opening to the Little world, a magical door, that Josh found because he believed in this other world.

Simply

2010-12-12T17:11:00.000-08:00

Trusting me to know I'm doing the right thing is the most challenging thing I have in my life these days. I love that I have the option and the opportunity to be here. Trusting that I'll know the right thing without thinking about it, that I'll KNOW, that's the pure and simple thing. And that's who we are. We don't have to try to understand God, or God in Us. We don't have to reach for anything. We simply have God with us, and that's it. Trust it. God's there. Trust it. Nothing more and nothing less. You can connect to anything you need right now. I can. I just have to remember that God is here now. In me, with me, is me.

This symbol is thought to be a journey symbol left behind by the Ancestral Puebloans. I see it as a journey symbol for the people into connection with the Oneness that's inside them. The journey is back to simplicity, to you.

Me and My Wings

2010-12-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

If I got to do the "which animal would you want to be", this would be a no-brainer for me. Eagle, with male pattern baldness, as my brother would say. Molly and I found a couple of bald eagles near Great Bear Ski Valley outside Sioux Falls last weekend. I was as usual, thrilled to find them. And then I was thrilled to see the snow on the hill at Great Bear.

Got my first snowboard runs in tonight. I can tell that I am rusty, but things went really smoothly. I really do enjoy it. I feel like I'm flying.

Seed

2010-11-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

I never know what comes with a photo. I frame it, have fun with the moment, the light, and just do it. The art of photography comes with shooting the photo and letting the result be what it is. I do everything I can to give the photo a chance, and then "click."

I'm enjoying digital life, from that perspective. I get to play more, and seeing the result more quickly, get to enjoy the process of creation almost immediately. Art that is this simple and allows me to be so physically active is my kind of art.

Here's a wish and a prayer that your life has a simple element to it, one thing which allows you a simple connection to the One.

Begrudgingly

2010-11-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

This steel sky reminds me of
DeBeers lot, huddled, go wide right
Go deep Jeff, and Chad cut
Underneath and if you are
Covered the other is open, On TWO
I whisper.

Leaves crushed become stuck on
Hair and sweatshirt, smell too
Flat ceiling, warm days long slow retreat
Unrelenting boys will not
Acknowledge cold or dark
Only calls for supper, and
Begrudgingly, are acknowledged.

Welcome Home from Your Home

2010-10-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

I began my journey to my winter home on a Monday. It was a time of grief, loss, and moving. When I hit Nebraska, I was really on the road, in the middle of an eleven hundred mile meditation. That was mid Tuesday. By late Tuesday it felt like another world, perhaps the 5th world we've been expecting. It was not until I hit South Dakota that this world began.

The first shot is Above Leadville. Next, South of Valentine and finally, Below Sioux Falls.

I Saw Summer Today

2010-09-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

Summer stepped past me today. I saw it on the trail in the air and pulse of heat. I knew it was there. I felt it all over me all day. Yet I can't help thinking it may have been the last day of I'll see her.

Family Reunion

2010-08-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

We were brothers. I said brothers. Can't you see the family hairline?
If you ever get a chance, go see the UFO Watchtower on Colorado 17, Hooper, CO. Ten dollar camping, and a really funny alien garden. I had to laugh when I realized I'd found a relative.

Atmosphere

2010-07-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

This was one powerful storm, and I was so amazed by the views of the lightning. It made me glad to be where I was, which was up on Mesa Verde's north edge at the Lodge. You could say that the atmosphere between Mother Earth and Father Sky was "electric."

Mountain Story

2010-07-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

This is about me. This is about a full version of me. This is about faith. Faith, in me, faith in the God that is in me. There is a reality which is much greater, and that reality is part of what I'm talking about...we are infinite beings. Somehow my life has become about faith in Me again, in that Me that is also God.

I have confidence in me, in the part of me that can write, that knows these talents are here to use for my enjoyment, benefit and for others as well. But it all starts with Faith in Me. I just know where to put my faith again. Faith is a tremendous power. Love, working together with faith, is unstoppable. That's how I feel when I know I'm placing my faith in Me and the God within.

It used to be faith in sex, in someone else, in music, books, whatever could give me a buzz, it used to be faith was in a God that didn't like me, that was outside me. Now I know that Faith in God is Faith in Me. And faith can move mountains, and me to the mountains.

Moon Venus and the White House Loop

2010-07-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

It's ironic, this picture. I'been feelin' so connected to Mother Earth and this landscape, but I'been takin' pictures of Father Sky. I've always loved the sky. Guess I'm just evening things out, 'cuz I mostly take Earth pictures, and pictures of the people of Mother Earth. I love 'em all I guess. Just love lovin'. I hiked a long way today. Got paid for it, too. Was real hot, but it was like walkin' through music, thick, heavy and powerful...real quiet music.

Cooking Up Some Love

2010-06-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

I love it when cooking and art get to cross over. One of my favorite things about making something is the simple beauty in the foods and how much I enjoy myself doing this.

Prairie Woman and the Green Mountains

2010-06-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

This is in honor of Molly Wilson and Georgia O'Keefe, two women I love.

Venus and the Montezuma Moon

2010-06-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'd been trying to get this photo since I arrived at Mesa Verde this year. I feel blessed that Molly was here and I got to share this beautiful sight with her, as well as my beloved summer home. This is a view west from Mesa Verde's Montezuma Valley Overlook. Molly was here for almost three weeks and our time was glorious.

Name Tag

2010-06-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

i think i'm many things. or rather, my thoughts tell me im many things. little of it is reality, most of it a mistaken identity. some people think im a park ranger. some think im a brother and others think im a son a grandson a boy a wimp a man a hiker a writer photographer tour guide mean nice good bad spiritual religious angry happy handsome pretty ugly smart dumb wanderer boring artist thinker lover hater straight gay other failure success kortemeyer judstra scott and sad.

the real me needs no credit or recognition only acknowledgement. it doesnt need your acceptance but only mine to come through me. as if i know much about it. its impossible for the human mind to comprehend what I really am. it is for this reason i feel it to be so important to spend time on my own and letting go of all the thinking. and its not as though the human me is not any of these things but the real me needs no label.

Wandering

2010-05-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

This was a day on the land below the mountain. I am captivated with wandering the forests. That didn't happen as much last year, but these days are essential. The longer I live here, it seems, the more comfortable I get with the woods. The longer I am here, the more comfortable I get with myself, as well.

Great Sand Dunes

2010-05-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

At this time last week, I was on top of the dunes. At this time last week, last week needed a break. Last week needed to be cleared from my head. I left the dust of last week on the sand. And last week's last week has returned to the earth.

2010-05-16T14:34:00.001-07:00

Dunes

New: Podcast Audio Blog

2010-05-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

It's official. I have a podcast site for my new audio blog.

The podcast is entitled "Falling Trees" and will be a mix of random writing and reading of said writing, along with some music that I love.

Check out the podcast at http://scottkort.podbean.com/

Blessings.

Scott

Today's Thoughts

2010-05-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

I keep reaching for materials. I keep lusting after things. Hard to say what I'm really reaching for, but it's sort of like grasping for birds. They fly by. They land. They fly away. If they are wild, which I prefer, they do not often land on my hand. Certain people are so gracious that birds will land on them, for a moment, and bless them, then fly away.

The wild bird cannot be grasped. Love is what connects it all. But as a wise one has said around the topic of materialism, we are Spirit in a material world. Sounds like some old Madonna lyrics. Somehow I'm in the process, over and over it appears, to understand what it means to be in a material world as an eternal being. We are, after all, infused with God-stuff, and thereby, Forever.

What to make of those who have not, those who are experiencing a reality where they do not have the basics covered? I talk about the basics of life almost everyday at Mesa Verde, on my tours. I'll do 3 hours worth of education tours tomorrow, and much of that will be about those basics: food water shelter love.

We all have lives to live, and I believe we all have different roles to play. Some of us feel called to fight for justice in the inner city, to be a light to people we meet, to call for government accountability, to bring down the Taliban, to revolution in this country, to revolution and throwing down of the power structures.

I guess that leads me to my answer: I'm working on nothing but love. Loving my self, my life, my work, and when I have love, I'll share it. Love myself, then give out of my abundance.

Love yourself. Then watch.- Buddha.
Love God with everything. Love your neighbor as you love Yourself.- Jesus.

Never

2010-05-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

We never know the story about to happen. We never get the message til it comes. We are never anywhere but here. And we only hear the story once it's written, ready to be sung.

It's never not the moment. It's never not the song. If the words I say seem crooked, you won't read them long.

This tree holds a mystery. The mystery is song, from a wind colored dancer, dancing all night long.

The First Storm

2010-04-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

When the first lightning meets earth
The year begins anew
We feel the air change
The world gives us another chance at
Summer
At Love and Faith and Believing
In You, Me
Reasons enough to allow Winter
Rest
We're going to be busy.

Relevance

2010-04-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Walking along the parking area, I feel the wind gust in my face. My visit is welcomed by Mother Nature. The wind is welcome. I realize the wind, in another time or place, is not always welcomed by me. I resist it. But not today, today it is welcome. I am here as an appreciator of this experience. I am here as a visitor to this place set aside to preserve the works of ancient man. Relative to the life of this land, all we see has happened either yesterday or today. Ancient is a relative term.

Crossing the rutted gray-black pavement, the sandstone orange hues strike me. The stone contours suggest a slope. Intermittent trees block my view of the stone. I walk slowly, carrying my newly prepared cup of coffee, which at first powerfully burns, then warms my hands. I am new here and the comfort of coffee helps ease me into the experience. The trees move in and out of my fixed gaze and there, as though it were meant to be a birthday surprise, appears a drop-off. Sandstone falls away. Where I expected the sunlit salmon sandstone I now see shadowed stone that has become a vertical wall. It becomes a canyon without bottom. I am thrilled at this discovery.

Continuing down the walk, the canyon walls are broken, punctuated by textures that turn into shelves of stone. The shelves turn into keepers of blocks piled neatly into walls. The walls surprise me again, thrilling me in a new way. They form what seems to be a completed space with a doorway. One, then two rooms appear. I continue walking, unsure if what I saw was real, challenged anew by a glimpse of something much larger. Shadows and walls seem to appear, and I’m drawn forward down the walk, inspired.
I approach the openings between the park buildings, where I hope to reconcile my imagination with reality. What I see throws me, but the reality serves me well in that the structure I see before me opens my imagination to new dimensions. The place before me exists on many levels and I am stirred to contemplation. What is the meaning of this?

Road workers come to mind. The construction of the road, the maintenance of the road, it all seems so highly appropriate and amazing to me now. The power of the place justifies the road in, makes those people working as flaggers for the current road construction seem so valuable. They have given me something.

My love for an ancient landscape and the people who wandered it, who shaped it, is kindled. The people of the cliff dwellings come alive because of someone I’ve never known except framed in a car window. They told me to stop to keep me and those fixing the road safe. They kept me safe so I could return to this place some 26 years after this child first marveled at these ancient homes and the canyons which are their hosts. The road flaggers kept me safe to allow me this opportunity to burst into Love for this ancient home.

The road is safe so the myriad of people who work here as rangers and construction workers and computer technicians can be here. They care for this place. The road is safe for them as well. It is safe for me to be here for the same reasons. I have come here to care, to Love. Enriched, I leave this place and thank them all silently, with a wave, with Love for this place called Mesa Verde and all its people, especially the flaggers.

Monarchs

2010-04-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

The place is called Monarch's Cave. The people, no doubt, were monarchs of their world. These were potters. These were masons, engineers, farmers, geneticists, elders, children. Sometimes they commuted to work, sometimes they traveled, perhaps on pilgrimages and journeyed to better lives. Their goal: being truly human and experiencing the journey. It comes up in their stories, in their religion which was life. Life as Religion.

To be sure, I got these ideas from books. The feeling I got from the books told me "right on", this is true, these people were connected. Or perhaps it's the feeling of going to these places and realizing that I am connected always to the ancients, to the One.

The visit reminded me of a family reunion, of a homecoming. It was a chance to honor those who came before and are still.

Nesting

2010-04-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

Nesting is a way of life, and I've got a desire to nest. Finding these friends along my path in Sioux Falls' outdoor campus reminded me of that. I don't need to have children to nest, but I wouldn't mind having a place to settle in, keep my own yard and have a place from which to launch my adventures.

This photo makes me very happy. I took maybe 15 pictures of these ducks, working to get just the shot, the precise focus, the drake with his head up, the gleam from his head. This was the last shot I took of these ducks, and I actually had walked away before listening to something telling me to go back, get exactly what I wanted. And it happened.

Irony: I'm traveling, heading west to Mesa Verde, CO, for another session of Park Ranger-ing, for another six months. But it could be a means to an end. That's how I'm approaching it. And, it still is the funnest job I've ever had.

2010-03-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

She's ninety. The one on the right. 90 years of life. She lives across the street from me. I see her some times. We talk about the old days. Well, she talks, I listen and interject now and then. Most days she may not be able to tell you I was there just a few hours after my visit. I've never tested her. She may surprise me. It's funny that each time I see her it seems to me she's surprised like "Hey, your supposed to be somewhere else, aren't you?" She's strong and healthy for a being in her 91st year of walking this planet.
The photo is from her 90th birthday party this past February. I'm so glad to know her. Thanks for your strength, Grandma.

Herald of Winter

2010-02-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

Alert
It's winter
Snow crunching
Still
Quiet
And the Chickadee dee dee

Flower Sun

2010-02-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

The Sun must burst when it sees
Its friends blooming looking up
Burning up when death is near
Sprouting in season
Tilled to dirt
Bound to become again
What its always been
The Sun
The Wind

Friends

2010-02-05T06:48:00.000-08:00

My roots reach water
People can go anywhere with me
I touch the sky
I stretch to the horizon and beyond
Birds rest and nest on me
People get home on me
I change with seasons and add color
I am a path through the garden of the plains
Without me you would be alone and sad
Without me you would be alone and sad
You bring people closer to me
You help people enjoy me more
We are good for each other

2010-01-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

Leaving their nest, a pair of Bald Eagles go out to hunt.

If

2010-01-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

If.

If there was not perfection in this world
If you were not my brother, my sister, my cousin
If the stars could not feel our hearts break and
dance with joy knowing
If every death was less than Life Anew

If we were divided by this Gulf
If we were divided by this skin
If color was other than the Light
shining from each Radiant Face
If each Face was not God's

If Love and Hope were mere four letter words
If you and I were less than Daughters and Sons of the Most High
If the music did not touch us
coming from the Spheres of Space
If the perfection of which I speak was not Grace

Would you not Know It
Could you not feel it with every Beat
With every Breath
With every Quake and Flood
With every Rainbow We Create?

Then It Was Winter

2010-01-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

I was home and it snowed and I could not wait
To go out in the drifts and winds, so bold to think
I could enjoy the dormant time, the gold
Believed, did I, that play could rebirth
In heart and limbs during this time
When children struggle to rise from their beds
Knowing it snowed but they must wait 'til buzzers
School bells, teachers, parents and the Stars agree
It's time to go out, we have to go out, sledding
Snowboarding and glee abound out the door
Stocking hat mittens snow pants moon boots
Up the hill trudging merrily slipping back down
On plastic faster than you can say Banzai!

2010-01-07T19:14:00.001-08:00

Sundogs in SD

Christmas

2009-12-31T09:52:00.000-08:00

Love

2009-12-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

She's just there, and I know her well
What isn't for sure is how she will show
Her face or if I'll only see her dashing through
Brilliant, pounding hoofs and a flag of white
Diamond cut snow
Crisp leaf aflutter
A single breath
Cloud

Love

2009-12-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

When nature and I get together these days it's a love fest. I feel present, at times, in nature like few other places. A few deep breaths is all it takes to get me.

Light Speed

2009-12-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

I guess I call it abstracted light photography. There's probably a name out there, but this is it for me. Just playing and having fun.

Turner County Sunset

2009-12-02T17:30:00.000-08:00

Woods Demise

2009-12-01T15:49:00.000-08:00

They were caught in something much bigger than what they had experienced prior. Each felt it. Knowing it, and knowing what to do when in beyond what seemed logical possibility are two different things. And it ended here. How had a small town life ended in bullets through their bodies. Placid nineteen fifties life. Gone. And now they are left to wonder what could have been. What could life have been like with a few different turns?

Big Sioux Morning

2009-12-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

Family Time

2009-12-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

Gathering

2009-11-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

Grandma Judstra and one of her great grandkids. Sophie is just a few months old and, of course, very cute. Grandma is 88 years old, in the best shape she's been in physically in a few years, and full of humor, one-liners and old-time stories.

This is my favorite captured image of the day. It was a day, as are many when we are together, about the kids. The kids were the centerpiece of a thankful group. You could see that everyone was happy for the renewal the children bring. Also adding to their thankfulness was the good food, a Vikings win and lovely weather.

It's telling of our group that thankfulness for good food comes in as a near afterthought. None of us has worried much about where a meal was going to come from beyond whether it was from this source or that. None of us has wondered recently if their child was going to have food that day, or if we would have to find some other way to afford food besides just buying what we wanted. My mom's parents and her family were farmers, coming through the depression era experiencing that kind of possibility.

We have so much to be thankful for. Life, love, shelter, food - as one of my favorite coaches used to say, keep it simple. I'm inclined to go with that this holiday season, simply appreciating life, what we've created for ourselves, what we can create for ourselves. Thankful - yeah, me too.

New Adventures

2009-11-18T19:15:00.000-08:00

It's safe to say that new adventures are the best variety in life, and variety is the spice of life. I really love me some spice. The experience of having this new camera, giving me a fun way to spend an afternoon outside, is pretty much one of the best things I've done for myself in a very long time. My love for creating beautiful images has been sparked by my ability to play with this camera. My mind stays busy, my heart stays open, and my eyes stay sharp.

I spent the afternoon outside simply enjoying the beauty I found around me while looking for ways to play with it in images. And to think I actually wanted to turn this day in for a work day today. I feel so blessed to have experienced it the way I did. Now I'm recharged and ready to enjoy more work this week.

This is me feeling thankful, and glad to share it with you.

Apples

2009-11-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

I love this image fresh from yesterday's harvest of photographs. I spent the afternoon creating some images that were mostly experimental and meant to give me a start back into more creative photography. I love the apples hanging out in my parents trees - they look like ornaments just waiting for the Christmas tree to show up. This is a particular favorite of mine, and I'll post more as the good ones come along.

My adventures have returned me to South Dakota. I'm now working at JCPenney's and start this weekend at Great Bear Ski Valley where I'll be training Saturday. I get to work outside and run the lift or do whatever they need. I'll probably be working a few mornings a week at Great Bear. It's shaping up to be a lovely winter. I've just gotten my first snowboard, and I'm looking forward to riding this winter as well. Beyond that, I'm moving to Sioux Falls temporarily and back to my old apartment, the one I last had in Sioux Falls. In March I will returnto Mesa Verde National Park for a third season. Now you're all caught up.

Life is changing and I am always pondering new opportunities. One of my latest ideas was to become a Catholic priest. So I started talking with my friend Chad, and he told me that I would probably have to become Catholic to do this, so I ruled that out. Bummer. And then he mentioned some of the other "dos and don'ts" those guys have, and I realized it's just not for me. Major bummer. But, I do like the uniform.

A View Into Town

2009-10-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

Whips of warm light pull me to
Points of cold shadowed plain
Winds whisper in crisp waifs
Floral cloth on Mother Flower
And feathered friends make their feast

Hawk rides the breeze rising from plains
Swept by hawk gaze covered by
Shadow and smooth open sky
Which wings hover, wings cover
Weightless, watching breathless with wonder
I am won.

2009-10-24T15:45:00.001-07:00

Football!

Nearly Complete

2009-10-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

It's time to say Hasta Luego to my dear Mesa Verde, at least for a while. Life is exciting, right now, and I have open possibilities as to where I'm going next, beyond my trip to Dakota. I have some "quite possible" work and some that I'm just hoping to hear about. Beyond that, I believe I could get back with old jobs in Sioux Falls, if need be. Whatever the case, I've got adventure ahead, and I'm excited.

Travel in the fall is so great. I love the changes, I love the weather, I love wearing a cozy hoody and blue jeans and knowing all is right in the world, and finding some place to be out in the nature, in the mountains, on the plains, and I love ramble on sentences with too many, commas, and too little structure to make sense of what this thing is really saying, but isn't it great that there are all these worlds out there and we get to explore them, like the mountains, or your backyard and our imaginations that give so much pleasure and immense vast possibilities and beyond hope to knowing what is there and goodness that could be placed in the infinite by you or me.

2009-10-11T11:42:00.001-07:00

Fall at Mesa Verde

One Journey

2009-10-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

I love making connections in life that focus on our basic nature of being. That basic nature is the One. Like Neo in The Matrix, I Am the One, and you are also.

Oneness is an experience. It's not quantifiable, or even qualifiable (if that's even a word). One is not capable of describing itself. One needs the Other. Other helps Onenness describe Itself.

Before the rabbit hole opens up and swallows me, I would like to stick with a stone and mortar example. Take the concept of the Kiva: it is a rounded sub-floor room which is, to our understanding at Mesa Verde National Park, a ceremonial space, perhaps a living space in the winter, and from my imaginative view, a fun place to be with family to tell the important stories about who your people are in the scheme of this world, and perhaps what the world means.

A fire is lit in the middle of this cylindrical pit. You are there, sitting across from your Grandmother and Grandfather, who are telling the story of your migration as a people. The story is told and retold to ensure the next generation carries your story and will be able to retell it to the next generation. You listen intently, head down, eyes closed now. You peak a view to see Grandpa as he becomes very animated in describing your people's journey from the land of the sunrise to this desert highland. You see the fire in his eyes.

Perspective is gained. The unity of the circle lives in you. You're part of the circle as you sit in the kiva, as you gain a deeper view into the world where you live. Not only does this story communicate the journeys of your people, it relates the Journey we are all on. Enjoy the Journey today.

Friends, and Growing

2009-10-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a great day for friendships, a great few days in fact. I've connected with a long-time friend, Alfreda. We met in Farmington, NM, had coffee, and enjoyed our time catching up, exploring life and what we want from it, and just generally being real with each other. We've always shared something really great, and I'm grateful for that.

Recently I became friends with a woman from Cortez. We had been acquaintances, friends in a very "see ya 'round" kind of way, and now we are going to hang out. That's wonderful for me, since I think she's great. I'm glad to have at least one friend who's not from the park.

And, I have a date with another woman, a second date. It's not for sure when that will happen, but I believe it will. She is a special woman, and someone I admire. Looking forward to seeing where that might go.

Beyond all that, I've recently discovered that certain people I've hung with this year I don't like, but some I know I really do like, or I don't like them in certain situations, like when they are getting drunk. Never been one for that alcohol gig, at least not much of it. Some's fine, but "drink 'til 'ur drunk" is not my idea of good friendship or a good time.

I'd like to think that some of this has come as a result of me looking at my situation more deeply and acknowledging my own humanness. I'm not sure that's what this is, but it's natural for me to examine changes I feel, and I'm feeling a change.

Who am I? What am I choosing? I am choosing to be the God That I Am. You can do it too. It's a humbling thing to admit, being An Expression of the Most High, and having my own free will at the same time. I'd sooner not admit it, but I Know It, and so I'll say it. At least here, I will.

Deer Play

2009-10-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

The fawns leaped and bounded and made biting gestures to each other. Circling, they made a playful running loop, celebrating their legs which allowed them to spring about like they knew something...they knew joy. They didn't think it in, they didn't hope it in, they just played. Mom was ahead of them and was leading them past the windows of Fewkes Cabin here on the Mesa Verde. They slept in the cold last night, with the threat of mountain lions about. They slept with the stars, and their mother, watching over them. They slept as part of God. And today they are out and about again, appreciating the Sun and the light streaks in the trees this early morning.

Saturday/Sunday Thoughts

2009-09-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

Me with whiskers...what my co-workers call "evil Scott."
Went hiking today up Chicken Creek, and got rained and pelted on with some light hail. Good times. I did like it, actually. I especially liked getting out of the rain when the temps reached 48. Raincoats and forethought are wonderful things.

Here you see me tucked into one of my favorite hiding spots, the lovely Spruce Tree Coffee House. I'll miss my pseudo-friends here when I leave this place. I've found that most of my friendships are fleeting or shallow, and are often a lot like commercial friendships. I buy mocha, they smile and we carry out a social transaction. For me it reminds me of dating!

Meanwhile I've grown "away" from many of my old college friends, and while I feel a bit of sadness about that, I realize that my life choices do that. Moving, choosing this job and lifestyle all add up to a little isolationism. Sitting, drinking coffee and writing my life for web consumption do that as well.

Tomorrow I'm going to Telluride, to the bank, to go hiking, etc., and my friend Ali might come along. I've hung out with her as much as anyone this summer, and look forward to a continued friendship with her when we go our separate ways in less than one month. Just like so many others friends, I keep them with social fishing line.

Some (Non) News

2009-09-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

Pictured: Me, Jack the Roomie, and Ali, at Jack's going away party.
People are always asking me "So, what are you doing this winter? Got anything?" The answer, as of right now, is "It's coming." It's hard, because what I'd really like to do is hibernate! Well, maybe that's just today. I'm sure I'll have something good for me to do, something that I love. It's coming, because I'm choosing it.

The photo collage above is from the slide show/video a friend of mine and I put together for the end of season slideshow. There are many emotions that come with this lifestyle. Imagine building a community each spring and then tearing it down that fall. It's what we do in seasonal work.

This year I've had many great friends. Thanks to you all: Jacob, Pete, Tony, Ryan, Emily, Claudia, Kip, Pete, Dee, and many other coworkers and friends. But special thanks goes to my closest friends Ali, Jack, Ellyse, Brooke, Bruce and Sara and Oliver, Kita, Sherrie, Eli and Erin and Itza, and Paula, one of my few friends from off the mesa. There were so many parties, events, hikes, drives and fun times in training and work that I'm forever blessed by this amazing summer.

Great Cloud / Nap Day

2009-09-07T12:30:00.001-07:00

It's a really unique day for clouds. This is a view from the eastern escarpment of Mesa Verde to the LaPlata Mountains and across the Mancos Valley. It's comforting, like cottonball blankets tucking Mother Earth in for an afternoon nap in the shade.

Steps.

2009-09-02T07:35:00.001-07:00

Where am I going? That seems to be part of the excitement of the coming months. I don't know where I'm going after this job, but what I will tell you is I've applied to jobs in Homer, Alaska, Custer, South Dakota, and somewhere, Massachusetts.

I had started out by saying only the Mesa Verde area, or back in SoDak, but now I'm opening it up a bit. I just decided it feels better to give myself a wider variety of options. I'm still going to be looking for jobs around here as well, but right now I'm focused on National Park, nature camp or other interpretive type jobs rather than just anything around here. That feels good, because I know what I like to do, and that is communicate about things I love to people of all ages.

And now I have the experience and means to get that done on a regular basis. I'm greatful. Next steps are continuing to apply for jobs I may like and believing in myself.

Shelter from the Storm

2009-08-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

In a little hilltop village, they gambled for my clothes.
I bargained for salvation and she gave me a lethal dose.
-Bob Dylan

My camera broke recently. I should say, the zoom and focus are not in sink, and the zoom moves really slowly. Like most of these types of electronics, I'm guessing it's more expensive to fix it than get a new camera. I'm not complaining - just letting you know that I won't have much photography to post on the blog for a while. I would like to save to get a nice digital camera.

I love images, but also words that help us imagine what makes up life for us, what is important enough to attempt the impossible, to place word to the essence of that thing.

New Mexico Baseball - Part 2

2009-08-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Image Courtesy of Troy (NY) Record

The Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, NM, stole the show when it came to my time in New Mexico and my baseball quest. Connie Mack is a nationwide league, extending into Puerto Rico, and involves some fine 16-18 year old young men playing baseball for the love. And they play with wooden bats! I love it. Not only do these young men get to play my favorite game and play it really well, but they also get the beautiful experience of having a baseball compress and spring off the sweet spot of a wooden bat.

And then there's the sound which can be described as nothing other than fundamental to the game: the crack of the ball smashing solidly off said sweet spot. It's the feeling of knowing you hit it well, of knowing your training paid off in that one moment, because you just did very well the most difficult thing to do in sport.

I saw two great games: the Florida Legends beat the Dallas Tigers, 11-1. The next game held more drama: The Dallas DBAT Mustangs beat the Midland (Cinicinatti, OH) Redskins in their last at-bat. They were the visitors and made the come-from-behind victory complete by shutting down Midland in the bottom of the 7th inning. Just the half inning before, the Mustangs left-fielder crushed a first pitch fastball over the right field fence with a man aboard to score the go-ahead run.

As it turns out, however, Midland was not done. They came back the next night and beat the Dallas Mustangs 7-1 to win the Championship. If you must know, I was cheering for them simply because they are from Ohio and I lived in Ohio for a while. Beyond simply rooting for one team, I was rooting for all the boys to do well. I love the game and love to see people excel in it.

The State of Baseball in New Mexico -Part 1

2009-08-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

Doug Mientkiewicz, pictured, a favorite Minnesota Twin from days of yore, now plays for Albuquerque.

If you know me well, you know of my love of baseball. It's an artful game, and can extend into the transcendent. I've been feeling an absence of baseball from my life since living at Mesa Verde and southwest Colorado. Geography can be a tricky thing when it comes to satisfying some of these needs.

That's why part of my 11 days off has included a copious amount of baseball. 4 games in 3 days. First stop, was Dodgertown, New Mexcio, and the Albuquerque Isotopes vs the Tacoma Rainiers. My friends and I received free tickets from their son and grandson who is the Albuquerque mascot "Orbit." The night was warm and pleasant, the game well played and captivating. The home team lost, but my love for the game was confirmed.

Love affirmed, I sought to do what most lovers seek to do, obtain more of the thing they crave. I went back for more the next day, a day game. On this day, the hero was my hero. Mientkiewicz hit the ball hard, early and often. This also included the game winning RBI. I especially enjoyed the view from behind home plate, as the 'Topes and Rainiers starting pitching was quite good. This also gives me the view I was most used to playing baseball, that of catcher.

Beauty

2009-08-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

Beauty is a near-fatal temptress. Recently I realized newly how addicted I am to beauty. Beautiful faces. Beautiful land. It's nothing, really.

Addiction is my soul jumping fully into something to see where it leads.

Beauty, and chasing after it, lead to more chasing, it seems.

Music, clothing, food, sex, people, photography, words, thoughts.

Breathing, being, experiencing. Life. It's so addicting.

It's Stopped for a Moment

2009-08-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

The great sand dunes of Great Sand Dune National Park are always moving. Humanly speaking, once one starts moving all the time, once we get used to our own change, the change we cause, it's hard to stop. Change becomes the constant. We delve so deeply into the things we choose. We love it, hate it, it is who we become.

To settle.
To create a dune, the illusion is that of settled. The sand looks like it is settled, but truly, a dune is always shifting, sands on it always moving.

Pieces of stone have broken from mountains.. They've tumbled great distances. Much of the sand that has formed the dunes at Great Sand Dunes has come from the San Juan Mountains to the west. It has eroded down, changed from a mass of stone, a mountain, to become part of the dune. Once the stone has left the mountain, it will roll down stream, shaped, polished bits breaking off.

Each bit becomes tinier bits. They wash down stream, tumbling all the while and finally ending up in the valley floor. It settles for a moment, only to be moved again by the wind.

It's not necessary to settle to become part of something. There's no escaping our personal impacts in the places we settle. Yet consider the power of a kind word from a traveler to a stranger - any person can give love in any number of small ways. Your impact today on a complete stranger changes the world absolutely.

Rio Grande

2009-08-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

Spent the night on the Rio Grande, life giver to the Puebloan peoples, oasis in time of trouble, reconciler of differences. When the people moved there from places like Mesa Verde, they had to find a common language of goodness, of agreement. I believe the river did just that, allowing them each to feel the abundance again, the abundance they felt lacking in the places they left.

Painted Hand House

2009-08-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends: Vacation is great. Back packed up to Sand Canyon Pueblo Friday night. Got there by 9pm. It was an amazing night and hike. Temperatures in the 70's for much of hike. Perfect time to be there, though unseasonably cool. Planned that! Packed back next day. Along the way saw many pueblo cliff structures. People here in the 1200's sure knew how to pick their places.

Pictured above, Painted Hand Tower, Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, Southwest Colorado (Sleeping Ute Mountain in background)

Ice Lakes Basin

2009-07-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

Jack, my housemate, and I hiked to Ice Lakes Basin this past Monday. We climbed above 12,000 ft to reach this heaven. There are no words to describe it.

Reflecting

2009-07-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of Jack, my housemate, who will be leaving at the end of this week. We hiked to Ice Lakes this past weekend and camped below the lake along the river that flows from the it. Words cannot do this place justice.

The Source of Blue

2009-07-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of Ice Lake west of Silverton, CO. It's where Blue comes from.

Columbine and the Blue Blue Sky

2009-07-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

This is a photograph of the state flower of Colorado, the Columbine. What a treat the hike was - hiking to Ice Lakes, getting above 10,000 feet, seeing these and many more amazing wildflowers. It was LOVE.

The Circle 'O' Boys

2009-07-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

I spent a weekend in Moab with my brother and his family. Here are a few pictures from the mountain biking expedition with the fellas. We enjoyed a beautiful ride on the Moab "Circle 'O' Trail", a short trail linked to a few other "Moab Brand" trails. It was a great morning ride.

In the photos: upper left, Alex; upper right, Blaine, AJ and Alex; lower left, AJ "digging" up the trail; bottom right, all the Kortemeyer fellas posing in front of the Circle 'O' sign.

Rangers

2009-07-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

When I first met Nic, he was proudly standing in front of me with a Mesa Verde Junior Ranger badge and a Texas Ranger badge with his name on it pinned on his shirt. He was at Cliff Palace with his dad, cousins, aunt, uncle, and grandparents preparing to go on my Twilight Tour.

Once the tour started, I paused often to see if anyone had questions and Nic always would say "I do" and twist his lips a bit, a very endearing little habit of his.

This picture was taken by Nic's cousin Sara as Nic ran up to me and grabbed my hand, and Sara was kind enough to share it with me. It was taken on Wetherill Mesa the day after the tour we all had together.

Quiet

2009-07-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

The darkness came quickly. He sat without a fire, thinking. The world moved on without him as the slowness penetrated his mind. The sun laid down below the window of the earth and went to sleep.

Balcony Court

2009-06-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

I spent a morning in Balcony House, alone with the spirits and the rooms. Bathed in sunlight, I enjoyed a time of contemplation and anticipation - contemplation around the mysteries of my life, and anticipation of the beauty of the moments ahead.

I was not prepared for what happened - the beauty was overwhelming, and something convinced me quickly that this was important for me.

The photographic evidence does not capture the beauty I experienced. This photograph is my favorite and one of the best photos I've ever taken at Mesa Verde National Park.

The Wall

2009-06-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

This wall, bathed in early morning sunlight, divides Balcony House into two courtyards, balcony and kiva courts.