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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

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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.

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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!

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May…It’s Not Easy…

It’s here…the month I’ve dreaded every year, for several years now. As hard as I try to put on a happy face and remember the good times…as everyone instructs me to do…it’s not easy.

I lost my Granny on May 22nd of 1999…the Friday going into Memorial Day weekend. She was 88 years old, and had been a big part of my life. She continued to live in Illinois after my Granddad passed when I was very young. But, every summer she’d travel to spend the summers with us. She, my mom, and I did everything together in the summers. We were like the Three Musketeers. My dad worked out of town during the week doing road construction, and my older brother was in the local Drum Corps. traveling and competing in the summertime. So it was just mom, Granny, and me. So much fun was had!

I lost my amazing mom 11 years…almost to the day…after my dear Granny. May 28th of 2010…also the Friday going into Memorial Day weekend that year. She was only 68 and had fought a difficult battle toward the end with her heart. One of the most giving hearts in the world, and it just couldn’t give any more.

I lost my best K9 buddy, Nugget, to leukemia on May 2nd of 2012. Just two years after losing my mom. It was almost more than I could take. Nugget and I had a special bond that I had never experienced with any dog before. Even a stronger bond than I had with his brother, Comanche. It was like we were one soul. He understood me better than anyone or any pet ever had.

So May is here…I will get through it again, just like in the years past…but I know it won’t be easy. I’m just going to try my best to remember the love, laughter, and happy memories…there are an abundance of those.

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Meet Little Miss Freddie

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~ Above: Me and Freddie at my office right after my husband adopted her. ~

Little Miss Freddie…a mix of border collie and black lab…came into our lives at the age of eight weeks on my 49th birthday in 2017. My husband called me at work and asked “What are you doing for lunch?” Since it was my birthday, I thought he was asking me out on a lunch date. Instead, he said “You want to go look at puppies?” Heck YEAH! Who DOESN’T want to go look at puppies!!?? Duh! Come to find out…my mother-in-law had called my husband earlier in the day and told him about “free” puppies she had seen advertised in the paper.

Having been without our two golden retrievers, Nugget and Comanche, for nearly four years, the topic of raising another dog had recently come up in conversation on occasion. My husband was more ready than I was…and it was discussed that he needed a K9 companion when working in remote areas during the summer months. Being retired, my husband would be spending the most time with the new pup and be the most involved in training. With that in mind, I told him I would be fine with which ever puppy he selected and to just go ahead and adopt one in the litter his mom told him about. He stopped by my office right after adopting her. She was adorable, of course.

~ Above: Freddie’s first time at the cabin on the mountain. ~

My husband had always wanted a dog named Freddie…so, that is how we ended up with a girl dog named Freddie. After a friend suggested it, I decided Freddie could be short for Fredericka and I like to give my mother-in-law a bad time by insisting that since the “free puppy” was her idea, Freddie’s middle name would be Kathryn…Little Miss Fredericka Kathryn.

Freddie immediately showed her intelligence and fit into our active lifestyle perfectly. We take her on hikes, she loves riding on the 4-wheeler, and being a very active breed, she goes on five or six-mile runs daily alongside the 4-wheeler usually with my husband.

She is a joy and is learning new things every day. She has been with us now for a year and every day is a new adventure.

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~ Freddie sitting on the stump of a tree my husband had just cut down. ~

~ Helping my husband drive…and on the 4-wheeler…seeing her first cow (a big bull) ~

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~ In her new coat on Christmas Day at the Cabin.”

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~ Enjoying the Wyoming sunset. ~

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The Woman Behind My Camera

I’m just an average gal…nothing too complicated. I’ve got a love for simple things…the great outdoors…dogs, cats, and every cuddly creature in between…and photography, of course.

I’m a 4th generation Wyoming native and love the natural beauty surrounding me every day here in my home state. Being able to share that beauty with others is a joy and a blessing.

Between 1988 and 1990, I attended the Colorado Institute of Art (now known as the Art Institute of Colorado) and graduated with a degree in Visual Communications. I’ve had a career in Graphic Design now for the past 28 years. I cannot believe it’s been that many years! Time gets away too fast!

In the past few years I’ve been able to blend my graphic design experience and love for photography and create note cards featuring my photos. It’s something I absolutely LOVE doing. It’s an enjoyable outlet…and something I hope to be able to do for many years to come.

You can see my work in my Etsy shop at: Paws Fur a Moment Photography