Happy New Year

I had another post written that I was going to publish today, explaining the reason why it's been so long since I've posted again. But I decided it was just too desperate and too personal.

So instead I'll just say, "happy new year" to all of my readers. Here's hoping that your 2017 will be a good one with lots of opportunities for doing what fulfills you and being the best version of yourself.

For the first time in a long time, I have some small glimmer of hope that things will be better for my family this year. Perhaps soon I'll have some positive news to report and feel more like writing and sharing again.

Quiet Time in Nature

It's been a while since I have been able to check in again. Halloween was kind of a non-event for us this year, which made me kind of sad. My husband and I talked about how we're going to be very intentional for the rest of the upcoming holidays so we don't feel like we've missed out.

My son and I traveled to rural Illinois last weekend to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday. We didn't tell her we were coming  so we got to surprise her. She's not a terribly demonstrative person, but I know she was pleased that we were there. It was great to see my family, and spend a couple of days on the farm. Being outside in the morning and hearing nothing but birds and wind soothes and calms me like nothing else.

My grandma's farm at sunrise from my aunt's farm.

My husband and I had our annual get-away weekend in Manitou Springs this year. There's a great little B&B down there run by an artist who hand-painted each room in a unique style. We hiked the St. Mary's Falls trail in Cheyenne Canyon. Because we tend to head out early, we didn't see too many other people on the trail until we almost back down to the bottom. It was a wonderful hike in perfect weather, if a bit dusty due our dry autumn.

The falls were beautiful with some of the water frozen while some of it still flowed. The sky was a perfect, beautiful shade of blue. This weekend was just what the doctor ordered after another challenging week personally and for our country!

October Blues

Although it's my favorite time of the year, the past few weeks have been incredibly difficult and exceptionally busy. It seemed that we were getting on a more even footing with my son, but it's all blown up again. I feel so helpless and stuck. I don't know how to help him. I have even considered quitting my job and homeschooling him, but we wouldn't be able to afford the treatment he needs if I didn't have my job. It's also marching band season so every single weekend is spoken for right now. Luckily this coming weekend is the state competition so we'll get our weekends back.

I've seen a total of one horror movie since autumn started. Although my family started watching The Nightmare Before Christmas, we haven't been able to finish it. Sigh...

Since I'm (still) an emotional wreck, I'm just going to share some fun photos from the month. (At least I've still managed to capture some of the beauty of the season).

The purple ash in our backyard. Most of these leaves have fallen now.

Some sort of autumn berries.

Our purple ash in our front yard next to our neighbor's golden ash.

A cottonwood tree on a sunny day with a beautiful blue sky.

I loved the way these limbs were still tipped with green leaves.

On my walk once the Cottonwoods started losing all their leaves.

 

The sun hitting the one maple leaf in the pile of ash leaves.

On the creek behind my house.

Sun back lighting the red leaves.

Reflection of the bare trees in the wind-rippled pond.

Autumn grasses.

The following photos prove that I work in a pretty cool place. These guys were placed around the office in different poses.

Lounging at the farm table. Yes, we have a wine rack on the wall, and yes, sometimes we break into it.

Hanging out in the reception area. Do you know where I work now?!

Drinking some coffee with his North Face cap on.

Here's hoping that your fall and Halloween season have been pleasant!

There's Gold in Them Thar Hills!

Whew, this last week was crazy! I went to a conference in Chicago, and realized that I was so busy this time that I didn't take one photo the whole time I was there. I left home before 5 AM on Monday only to find that the travel company for my work hadn't booked a ticket, even though I got a confirmation. Luckily there was still space on the flight so I was able to get to Chicago. But I forgot to have any caffeine at all that day (yeah, I'm addicted), and got the worst headache that made me totally nauseated and ended up missing the opening session of the conference since I was in bed at the hotel. There were over 7,000 people at this conference, which is a bit much for this introvert. So by the time I got home on Thursday, well, actually early Friday since my flight was delayed leaving O'hare, I was SO done with people. Luckily a quiet couple sat next to me on the flight home.

We've also been really busy lately with my daughter's activities since it's marching band season, and she's doing theater tech, on top of her increasingly more demanding class load. We spent all day Saturday at a marching band competition, then Sunday we made it up to the mountains to see the colors. We were probably one week late for the prime colors, but we still had some nice views of the golden aspen trees.

Happy Autumnal Equinox!

Autumn has arrived. Although today was fairly warm, this means cooler days, colorful leaves, and a belly-full of horror books and movies! From now until November, I am on a steady diet of the horror genre, starting with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow which always kicks off the season right and sets the mood.

In honor of the season Google has helped me to create a movie. Please enjoy!

Still Sporadic and Some Autumn Photos

I was hoping to be posting more regularly by now, but my emotional state has still been too volatile from dealing with my son's issues. I yo-yo between bleak despair and guarded hope, sometimes within just a few moments. Sometimes I'm able to take the long view and trust that everything will work out in the end. Other times I feel so mired in adverse situations that I think we'll never raise our son to be a happy, productive adult. Rather than subject my readers to my emotional states, which could cause whiplash, I've been posting less frequently. Perhaps someday I'll come out on the other side of this!

I am getting very excited for autumn though. It's my favorite time of the year and we're starting to see the signs around here. I have been trying to take photos again because it makes me so much happier to do something for myself.

My husband and I took a walk this evening after dinner and I got a couple of shots of the changing leaves.

The light was starting to fade on this one below and unfortunately I only had my phone camera, but you can still see the cherries and yellow leaves.

I love these rust-colored chrysanthemums that bloom in late summer/early autumn. These are in my front yard.

The apples and cherries are nearly ready for harvest around our neighborhood.

I've seen a couple of really cool spider webs lately, too.

Probably my favorite photo that I've captured lately was the nearly full moon the other night.

I hope that all of you are doing well and getting excited for the season. I don't think I have any readers in the southern hemisphere so I think we're all heading into the same season!

Rocky Mountain High Labor Day

Today was Labor Day, and what would have been my dad's 70th birthday. Two years ago in September we spread my Dad's ashes in Estes Park, and then hiked to Gem Lake. We were going to hike at Lion Gulch today, but the trail is still closed. Three years after the flood, they still haven't been able to get it reopened. So we hiked to Gem Lake again today, which was really very fitting. This is a great trail to take into Rocky Mountain National Park without fighting the traffic, or having to pay to go into the park since you hike in.

It's a great hike with amazing views which I had to share.

The sky was an amazing shade of blue today.

Some of the leaves were starting to turn up in the high country.

The distant peaks behind the pine trees.

The town of Estes Park.

There are wonderful rock formations all around this area.

Yellow aspen leaves on the shaded path.

A pine tree through a hole in a rock.

The rock hillside behind Gem Lake.

At Gem Lake.

An old tree and it's reflection in Gem Lake.

Another view of the distant peaks and interesting rock formations.

The blue sky and the hint of color on the aspens.

A view of the trail

Another rock formation that looks to me like a child talking to an adult.

A rock formation that reminds me of a brain.