Alone time

 You know how sometimes all you need is space and time to breathe, renew a connection to nature and not feel responsible for someone else's experience?  That was me yesterday.

I headed to what has become one of my "go to" places of 2024. Rocky Mountain National Park. 

The forecast was for thunderstorms. I didn't care! Moody pictures float my boat too and since I wasn't anticipating every being more than a half mile from my car, I wasn't worried about being another of Colorado's lightning victims. 

Midday... bright sky, flat images with unappealing contrast and completely lacking the reflections, shadows and wavelengths that I'd prefer. But boy did the air smell good! And it gave me creative practice in Lightroom, turning blah pictures into something more interesting. 

I was hard pressed to find animals. :-( 

A few elk in the distance, butterflies when the sun came out and the occasional bird. Of course, chipmunks. (They appear to be the free gift that comes with your entrance fee, rain or shine, hot or cold.)

Then I ventured further from the car and took a break to play "rock or marmot?"  Mostly identifying rocks... but eventually training my eyes better!

I began to hear and see and feel the animals come out. In this one spot, just before I was pelted by hail and ran for the car, thunder suddenly crashing around me, I was lucky enough to see my only marmot of the day, a couple of very curious wee birds and a freakin' weasel that stopped for just a second (and a second is all I need) as it scurried by, in search of last minute dinner options.

I had the the MOST joy sharing all of this with a young couple on the trail, who had just moved here from Oklahoma. They 100% shared my wonder and excitement at our good fortune.

This is why we come here. To revive little parts of ourselves that might otherwise be overlooked in everyday life.