April Storm

In under a week, a lot of things can change.

Gone are the long shadows of an evening sunset on a clear, cloudless day.

Gone are the brisk, warm-ish temperatures that warrent only a bulky sweater.

Gone are the smiling faces of my daffodils ...


I hate to say "I told you so," but I totally did.

Darn you, Cleveland weather!

April Bloom

I was surprised to see the bright yellow petals of this daffodil amongst the dark, rainy gloominess of the morning as I made my way to work. I was even more surprised, after a long day at said job, to see how fresh and happy it looked in the dying light of the day ...

So I just had to snap a photo.

I have the sinking feeling that this vibrant, little flower is going to end up covered in snow before the month is up.

Still Chilly

"It's going to be warmer today!" A coworker cheerfully informed me when I walked into the high school this morning.

Had I not seen ninety degree weather in December this winter, I might not be so spoiled and actually get excited over this teeny, tiny little "thaw" that's taking place.

Talk to me about warm weather when it will look and feel a little bit closer to this:

You know ... Me, in a bikini, sunning myself on a rock in the Caribbean Ocean.

A New School

Many days, I wish that things with my job (and teaching in general) were easier. I feel like, no matter what I do, it's like pulling teeth with my students.

They aren't motivated.

They don't care about completing their work (or passing the class).

They aren't very easily excited ... I mean, even the prospect of working with ten test tubes filled with unknown chemicals doesn't cause a noticeable reaction!

It makes me sad that there is so little enthusiasm for learning and just plain expanding one's universe with these kids.

Maybe I need to expand my universe and move to a different school ...


Something similar to the one I encountered while in Mexico would be nice.

Feliz Año Nuevo

I know I'm a little belated in this sentiment, but I'm having a difficult time adjusting to the "Cleveland gray" after a wonderful week of vibrant Mexico color.

I mean, if you have to wake up early (on vacation, even!), this makes it all worthwhile...

The photo doesn't even do it justice.

Artificial Fire

You'll probably be surprised to hear that scientists aren't positive as to why leaves change color in the autumn ...

Is it because pigments in the leaf (specifically chlorophyll) break down as the weather turns colder?

Is it part of a "bigger picture" of winter preparation for the tree or plant?

Is it a type of bug repellant from aphids that can only see in ultraviolet, blue, and green?


Whatever it is, I could look at fall-colored trees all day.

They are certainly striking this time of year ... Especially when set against a bright, blue sky.

Warm Fuzzies

What I wouldn't give to spend just one day of the week as my cats do ...



I think they've got the right idea!

Repetition

After booking our flights and planting our Colorado vacation firmly in reality, we let our families in on our plans. I was especially excited to tell my parents about our little adventure because I knew that they had honeymooned at a "dude ranch" in Colorado somewhere.

Imagine my surprise when they told me that their honeymoon ranch had actually been just outside of Estes Park!

I'm not sure how they came across the sleepy little town (they didn't have Internet search engines at their fingertips), but it was interesting to think they that had been there just over twenty-five years prior. Of all the hikes and locations to take in, they suggested that we see "Gem Lake."

A serene pool, hidden at the top of a mountain, the lake was crystal clear and cold and (like everything else) absolutely breathtaking.


My Dad has a nearly identical shot from when he made the hike himself. Apparently (or so the story goes) my Mom was "tired" that day and opted to stay behind at the ranch ...

Old Timer

Almost as magnificent as the mountains it is built upon, The Stanley Hotel was one of the reasons we chose Estes Park as our vacation destination.


The second-most haunted hotel in America (it has been visited multiple times by TAPS ghost hunters) and the location which inspired Stephen King's "The Shining," the internal and external atmosphere of the place did not disappoint.

While we didn't stay there, and opted for a quaint little river lodge instead, we did enjoy our "ghost tour" and, in addition to the rest of its surroundings, would love to visit it again someday.

Into the Woods

This next photo was taken during the tail end of our trip. We spent that particular day driving across the mountains and into the Colorado River Valley in search of moose and river otters ...

We didn't find either.

What we did find, however, were some very familiar-feeling paths that wound through tall trees and along grassy meadows. The "green-ness" of these trails was reminiscent of the metroparks that are nestled in among the urban areas of our home town ... And that flat, loping land made hiking more fun and less grueling (which was good at the end of our long, yet much too short, week).

The Ground Squirrel

During our first full day in Estes Park, my husband and I drove into the Rocky Mountain National Park for an "easy" hike. We stopped up at Bear Lake (shown in yesterday's photograph) and walked a nice, semi-paved trail around it. Being that it was October, the off season, we were practically alone ... Just us and nature.

As we rounded a bend, we saw this little guy mulling around in the pine needles:

Being a lover of all animals small and fat, I quickly snapped picture after picture and was astounded when it actually came closer (only a couple feet away) to investigate us.

It took all of my willpower not to scoop it up and stuff it in our backpack ...

Colorado Dreamin'

Last year at this time, my husband and I were enjoying the gorgeous mountains of Estes Park, Colorado. Planned on a whim during that previous spring, the trip took us farther west than either of us had ever been ... And served as an introduction to air travel for my husband.

In remembrance of that magical and beautiful week (it was just what I needed given my working circumstances last year), I've decided to post a photo each day to commemorate the vacation.

I wish we could have gone back this year!

Someday ...

Stratocumulus

You know that fall is absolutely around the corner when you wake up to gray skies and rain and leave work to blue skies and sun.

I could sit around and look at the clouds all day ... Besides, it's good practice for when I need to teach this stuff to my Earth Science students.

Mid-week Exhaustion

I was looking through my photos from the summer the other day and I came across the album I put together after my husband and I spent a day at the local zoo.

This one seems to sum up how I'm feeling right about now:


That little creature is a rock hyrax (evolutionary cousin of the elephant, if you can believe it). Much like myself after a full day of teaching, it has collapsed in its tracks, completely tired and dehydrated from the heat of the afternoon.

I can't wait for "fall weather" to finally head our way. Days that reach upwards of 85 degrees in the beginning of September are no picnic ... Especially in a stuffy, non-air conditioned classroom where air flow is nonexistent.

Serenity Now

With my new school year quickly approaching, I feel like I hardly have the time to stop and take a breath. Perpetually in motion, I'm rushing around to get my room ready, assemble my students' supplies, and just orient myself to the school and all the people in it.

This photo was taken during my in-law's vacation extravaganza last week, yet it feels like forever ago.

It's funny how time can move at a snail's pace, then quickly accelerate to something much faster. Hopefully, by posting this photograph here, it will remind me (and you?) that we all need to take a moment to just breathe every now and again ... To just be and enjoy all the simple things that can be so easily missed.

The Next Morning

Although I'm still uncertain and waiting for the results of my metaphorical storm, I can plainly see the "new life" sprouting from the real storm last night.

The flowers in the front of my house are either (finally) budding or blooming, seemingly awakened by the nighttime rain:

Hopefully, my storm will produce something even more wonderful.

Lazy Days

Whoever coined the phrase, "It's a dog's life" certainly did not have cats!



I mean, how could anything but this be considered the life of luxury?

St. Malo's

I just love this photo.

I took it when my husband and I vacationed in Estes Park, Colorado this past fall.

While in a little shop in the heart of town, my husband and I came across a postcard depicting the cutest little stone church perched atop a large rock. Appropriately called "Chapel on the Rock" (or St. Malo's as the title of this post points out), it was every bit as beautiful and peaceful in person as it was on that postcard ... Maybe even more so.

Once inside, I really wanted to capture the simplicity and beauty of the woodwork, rock walls, and colorful stained-glass windows so that I could take it home with me. The violets, greens, and golds cast across the pews were so calming and relaxing.

I could have sat there all day long.

I could just look at this picture all day long, too ... Especially after a hard week of teaching (or is it, babysitting?). I hope that we'll be able to make the trip back to Estes Park someday.

Good Friday

Friday is always good, but today is "Good Friday," one of the most solemn church days for Catholics everywhere.

Today, Jesus died for our sins.

In celebration of that and all the other good things that I have been blessed to experience throughout my life, I wanted to post some pictures that show (at least to me) the goodness and beauty that we often take for granted. Every time I look at these photos, I see them with a fresh set of eyes and enjoy them all over again. Some are from last year's vacations, and others from the "terrible" winter storm this March.

In any case, I hope that you can find some goodness in them, and give thanks for the goodness that is present all around us ...

If only we take a moment to open our eyes and truly see it!