I’ve lived in Colorado for over 15 years now and not once have I pondered the idea of exiting I-70 at Silver Plume for a visit. Quite honestly Silver Plume never meant anything more than just the exit before George Town, which was the half-way mark to Frisco or Breckenridge (where I am typically heading to). But the thought of pulling off at that exit never occurred to me.
That was until about three years ago… Continue reading
I went on a quick photo shoot this afternoon downtown Chicago. Against my better judgment I wore my favorite pair of earrings, dangly earrings that have fallen out before. I looked in the mirror with gear in hand and said to myself “you know you are going to lose these earrings today don’t wear them”. But I did. And guess what? I lost one. I didn’t notice right away but as I was getting ready to go out for the evening and I was pulling my hair up I noticed there was only one earring left standing….ugggggghhh. LOST was one of my favorite earrings! Continue reading
I want a ride on a tractor…
Not just any Ol’ tractor but a very special tractor; one that might have been secretly a John Deer but painted to look like a Ford. I want to sit in an old wooden folding chair in a make-shift trailer attached to that tractor, riding with all my cousins on a loop around the world…in Gaylord, MI.
I promise to wait patiently… Continue reading
A long time ago I used to work with a theatrical lighting company (a job I truly loved!). And it didn’t take long after I started to get in the habit of looking up at the ceiling as soon as I walked into an establishment that housed any type of special effect lighting (or audio for that matter). After a while I just started looking up whenever I walked into any building; I’ve learned that there are lots of surprises to be found when you look up. A tin ceiling with ornate design…or in some cases a tin ceiling with ornate design that some brilliant person has tried to cover with paint, really good speakers, a dollar pinned to a rafter (and other similar objects), a well-engineered track of wire that serves a purpose you’ll never know, a balloon that has popped and never found its way back to the ground for proper final resting…a beautiful chandelier that obviously did not originate with the building it found itself hanging around in…art.
For anyone familiar with my photography, it’s obvious I do a lot of looking up. On this particular day while loitering around a little mountain town just outside of Estes Park, I walked into a little café, but before I did (you know I had to look up) I found this spectacular chandelier hanging above the entrance. I notice it has lights, I can only imagine how beautiful it must look at night.
I hope you enjoy the whimsical spirit and cheerful colors of this wonderful find…
-The Urban Mountaineer
Sometimes it takes a little longer to see the sun rise per se when you are perched in a field alongside a mountain but it’s certainly worth the wait nonetheless. On this particular morning I was happy just to get away from the noise of the city and quietly blend into a little valley between two mountain peaks. When I say city noise I don’t necessarily mean the typical noises we hear with our ears…sometimes it’s the noise from the energy of all the hussle-bussle-stressful-business the daily grind imparts on our soul. On this morning I wasn’t concerned with capturing technically perfect pictures rather images I could keep on the ready to remind me of the most simple pleasures spending time in the mountains provides and how getting away from the noise is so valuable to me.
morning flowers basking in the sun
Enjoy a moment of quiet peace…
The Urban Mountaineer