Nature Notes ~ Summer 2023

Soft Morning Alpenglow

Have you ever marveled at the color of the mountains when the sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon? For a little while at dawn, the highest peaks are illuminated by the soft morning light reflected through atmospheric particles giving the mountains a magical glow. The alpenglow!
 
In late spring I was out for my morning walk and saw this beautiful scene over the Rockies. The very top of Mount Evans and the surrounding peaks were a delicate gold, transitioning down the mountain sides to coral, pink, and violet. The colors were simply amazing on the snow-capped front range!
 
It was a morning with low cloud cover hovering right above the horizon with subtle rays of light that seemed to extend into the clouds from the glow of the peaks. I could hardly believe my eyes! The magic lasted only a few minutes, and then it was gone. Yet the scene was so awesome that I wanted to share, and the image Soft Morning Alpenglow was born.

The original painting will be donated to Center for the Arts Evergreen as part of their "130 for $130" exhibition. Member artists like me help raise funds for CAE through their donations of art. Each original is $130 and the show runs from August 24 to September 15. Click here for more info. And if you're not able to attend the exhibit, I'm tickled pink (alpenglow pink! : ) to offer prints of this image as well!

So the next time you see the mountains illuminated in their soft morning alpenglow, stop and let yourself take it all in for just a few moments...and enjoy the beauty of nature.

​In awe of the natural world,

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Winner of the 2023 Earth Day Drawing!

This year's winner of the Earth Day drawing is Melissa from the Adirondacks! Mel is a long-time friend and passionate conservationist. I've always admired her fortitude, authenticity, and spunk. She's a great lady committed to her community and the natural world, and she really makes the world a better place to be!

Every week, Mel devotes time to picking up litter along the road near her home in Keene, New York. She also shares her voice with New York state government officials to encourage stronger laws for a more sustainable future. Mel and her husband saved for years and now live in a green net-zero house that's powered by solar energy and is eco-friendly, so much more than the average home.

As the winner of a free print in honor of Earth Day, Melissa chose the third image in the Desert Waves series. This work brings attention to the Sea of Cortez where clear turquoise blue water, diverse bird species, and whales and dolphins thrive near San Carlos, Mexico.

The images transition from a tiny unidentifiable life form near the tip of a willet footprint to patterns in the sand that mirror the outlines of the surrounding desert mountains. Each of the three images is connected to the next by continuous lines of sand, sea, and mountains. Footprints of birds connect scale. Grains of sand create ecosystems. Ocean waves create mountains.

It brought a huge smile when I read Mel's words about her new print. "I love being able to look at the near, the middle, the far and the farthest parts of the scene, and the light on the water and the way the little riffle wave draws back really delights my spirit. The suggestion of layers of life, visible and too tiny for us to see, is another source of delight. I can also pretend to be a bird living my best life on the shore." Her encouragement for my art is such a heartfelt, wonderful gift. Thank you, Mel!

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Conservation Corner

Here's to picking up trash! Along the road where you live. When you're out for your walk with the pup. In the park. Along the trail! Melissa is a wonderful example and inspires us to make our natural world cleaner and more pristine by picking up garbage whenever we can.

​Stuff a trash bag in your pocket and if you see any litter, pack it out with you. Just think, if everyone picks up at least one piece of trash when they are out and about, then soon our beautiful hillsides and trails, parks and natural areas will be free! Litter FREE!

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Enchanting Walk in the Woods

A beautiful new hike! The Enchanted Forest and Magic Mountain Trails are in the Apex Park open space near Golden, west of Denver. What's really cool is that on odd numbered days, specific trails are open to hikers and equestrians only. Then on even numbered days, these trails are only open to folks on mountain bikes.

There's a stream that runs along the trail and the sound of its playful melody is a joyful companion to the birds singing their happy tunes! The wildflowers are colorful too, smiling in their pretty blooms from all the nurturing rain. What a great day!

Here's to new trails and enchanting walks in the woods!

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Have a wonderful summer!

Baby columbine in March...

And the same columbine plant in June!

Please feel free to leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you!