NATURE HELPED ME GET THROUGH 2020…AND EVERY DAY

I am fortunate enough to live in Wyoming. A place with wide open spaces, lots of fresh air, and undisturbed natural places where one can clear their mind and escape the “noise” of politics and pandemics. On any given day, I can enjoy the mountains, rivers, lakes, forests and hiking trails that are near my home. It’s a benefit of living here that I’m happy to share through my photos.

During the year of 2020, I’d completely neglected my blog. I had high hopes of writing and sharing on a regular basis. But all the “noise” of what was going on in the crazy world just wouldn’t allow the words to flow. Like everyone else, I just couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening.

So, I went for quiet walks or short hikes whenever possible…always having a camera with me. Whether it was just my iPhone or my Canon…I’ve always got a camera with me. Documenting things of beauty in the natural world. Things that bring me peace in troubled times…things that bring me peace every day.

Ice fishing at Pathfinder Reservoir • January 2020
On Casper Mountain • February 2020
Snow on Casper Mountain (measured by my hiking pole) • March 2020
Spring runoff in Garden Creek at Rotary Park • Casper, Wyoming • April 2020
Hiking the Bridle Trail • Casper Mountain • May 2020
Wildflowers in Beartrap Meadow • May 2020
Newly born antelope with their mama in the cemetery • June 2020
Deer Creek near Casper, Wyoming • July 2020
Monarch butterfly on thistle flower • August 2020
Sunflower opening up • in my sunflower bed • August 2020
Changing seasons on Casper Mountain • September 2020
Garden Creek at Rotary Park • October 2020
Alcova Lake • November 2020
Christmas 2020

Winter is for Ice Fishing

My husband and I do a lot of ice fishing in the wintertime. It’s so enjoyable to get out and enjoy a beautiful winter day, fill our lungs with fresh air, and catch a few dinners for our freezer. We’ve had a lot of pretty exciting experiences over the past 20 plus years fishing together. Not sure if we are just getting older and “wimping out” or just getting smarter in our later years, but we choose our days at the lake more carefully now in an attempt keep the fishing trips enjoyable instead of freezing our butts off. Ha! Ha! Therefore, we have only gone twice in this 2019 season, but hoping to get out there at least one more time before we can no longer walk on the lake for a few months.

Christmas at the Cabin

There’s nothing quite as enjoyable as spending Christmas at my mother-in-law’s cabin in the mountains each year. This past Christmastime was especially relaxing since I had taken time off work to enjoy the whole week unplugged and off-grid. Perfect for recharging my internal batteries and getting away from it all.

I wish for snow every year for Christmas. I was a bit concerned last year when the forecast didn’t predict any measurable snow for quite some time. It didn’t look good for a “white Christmas” in 2018. That all changed, though, when we arrived at the cabin for our week-long stay. Not 20 minutes after we arrived, the snow started to gently fall. It was so serene and beautiful.

We received a couple more gentle snowfalls while we were at the cabin. It was so beautiful to see the landscape transformed into a winter wonderland for Christmas. It made our stay absolutely perfect.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying a Happy New Year. Here’s hoping 2019 is full of great adventures and prosperity.

Happy New Year!

It’s been a while since I last posted to my blog. To be honest, I just couldn’t find any words after the unfortunate accident that took our sweet 4-legged fur kid, Freddie, from us in May. That was my last post. A lot has happened since then…and in the coming blog posts, I’ll fill you in on what I’ve been up to. Including a hike that made me proud of myself just soon after we lost our Miss Freddie.

So, here’s wishing all of you a very happy 2019! Let’s DO this!

Gone Too Soon

This is one of the most difficult blog posts for me to make at this moment…

Our dear, sweet Little Miss Freddie crossed the Rainbow Bridge far too soon this past Thursday. My husband and I are heartbroken.

Freddie came into our lives just one year, two months, and one day before her short life was tragically ended by an accident.

My heart just aches knowing how her life ended. But, remembering all the joy and fun she brought to our lives over the past year, gives me some peace.

She is…and always will be…deeply missed.

Six Years Ago, Today…

Six years ago, today…my dear, sweet Nugget crossed the Rainbow Bridge after a short battle with K9 Leukemia. He had been diagnosed just three weeks earlier.

Above: Nugget and his brother Comanche just hours after we adopted them at 8-weeks old.

My husband and I knew there was nothing that could be done that wouldn’t put Nugget through tremendous discomfort and limit the quality of what little time he had left. So, I basically let my sweet boy have a “doggy bucket list”. We played more, went for more rides on the 4-wheeler, he got more treats, and soaked up more warm fires in his bed by the pot-bellied stove. He was even playing and rolling around in the grass just the evening before his passing.

The night before he passed, Nugget was sitting beside me and I could just sense that his time was drawing near. He leaned into me as if to give me a hug. Our favorite lilac bush was in full bloom and so I went and picked a flower from the bush and held it to Nugget’s nose. He closed his eyes and sniffed the beautiful purple lilac enjoying its wonderful fragrance.

The next morning, Nugget passed away peacefully laying under our beautiful lilac bush. I’m so very thankful that he went that way and we were not forced to make the heart wrenching decision that often comes near the end of a pet’s life.

Nugget and I had such an incredible bond…a connection I’ve never felt before with any other pet. It’s a connection that cannot be explained in words. And it’s one I will carry with me forever.