Photos and text copyright Romping and Rolling in the Rockies 2009-2017.

All photographs and text within this blog are copyrighted.

You may not copy or repost any photos or text without specific permission from the author of this blog. When in doubt, please ask.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

See Beautiful - A day late

For the past month, I have felt as if I've been floating aimlessly in time, and, true to form, I forgot that yesterday was "See Beautiful" Friday. Thus, I am celebrating seeing beauty a day late. I must admit that, for weeks after K died, I took very few photos of the world around me. Everything looked drab, dark, and colorless. Very gradually, I've started noticing the beauty around me again, a tiny bit at a time.

I ran across this beautiful Native American Prayer that is comforting to me as I remember K and realize that her beautiful spirit is still with me.

I give you this one thought to keep -
I am with you still – I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awake in the morning’s hush
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not think of me as gone -
I am with you still – in each new dawn.


I wished that K was with me physically, "covering my back", while I checked a trail camera that had taken incredible photos of a muscular and sinewy mountain lion. This lion is graceful, strong, smart, and beautiful. I am so grateful that a few of these animals survived the scourge of the bounty hunters who tried to wipe them out in the first half of the last century.

Look at the graceful curve of the lion's back...
... and, his powerful shoulders and long neck.
Check out the inquisitive look the lion adopted when he noticed the camera and sniffed the air.
What a beautiful creature. He survives by being invisible to humans while living among us. I love that my remote trail cameras can catch glimpses of his life.

While the mountain lion was visiting my trail camera, I was in the high mountains of Southwestern Colorado, rediscovering their beauty. I must admit that regret was mixed with awe as we gazed at beautiful mountain scenes. The scenes would have been even more beautiful if K had been with us to witness them. One evening, we saw a glorious sunset over a mountain lake.
I think that "seeing beautiful" is a state of mind. Love and beauty go together. I tend to think that things and beings that I love are beautiful. That link has never been more apparent to me than over the past month.

35 comments:

  1. A very beautiful and touching post, KB. I love that prayer - and how very true it is.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for sharing that poem and the beautiful pictures of the mountain lion. Also thanks for your kind words for our Nina.

    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow!

    What a post!

    Of course, you KNOW Khyra's favourite part!

    Thanks so much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow that sunset photo is a work of art.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow..that sunset looks like a painting! So perfect...so beautiful.

    That poem is so heartwarming but definitely a tear-jerker too. We're keeping that one in a special folder. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That last picture is just so excellent. Such beautiful colors.

    Cheers,

    Jo, Stella and Zkhat

    ReplyDelete
  7. The poem is very nice - and the last picture is so beautiful!

    Sam

    ReplyDelete
  8. The poem is beautiful and I'm glad that you are seeing the beauty around you and feeling the connection to the things around us, that we cannot see, that are real...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very true. When I see someone I love I see beauty too. Very inspiring thought.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beauty is ALWAYS seen with the with the heart even when the eyes son't. Beautiful prayer and yes, that is a beautiful sunset.
    Blessings,
    Goose

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beauty is ALWAYS seen with the with the heart even when the eyes son't. Beautiful prayer and yes, that is a beautiful sunset.
    Blessings,
    Goose

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a beautiful post. I love the poem. It has such truth in it and is exactly how I thought of my Mother after she passed away. The graceful beauty you have captured of the mountain lion has me in awe along with your Colorado sunset. We are so lucky to share life with such beauty. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ann...from...Outer Banks of NC.... said...such a beautiful prayer KB.... And K will ALWAYS walk your paths.. beside you...with her graceful charm.....and the love she shared will always be remembered...life's blessings just flow like the ocean tide ....And the mountain lion has its own special beauty... just like that last picture which is an amazing sight to behold..which reminds me... how glorious that sunset gives its greeting to the mountains...you do capture such beautiful pictures KB....Give R (A KISS and A BIG HUG)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh we are so glad you are back. We missed the spirit of your posts...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Definitely a perfect See Beautiful post! I think your eye for beauty is always there, though. I've never seen an image from you that wasn't breathtaking, and that's not an accident. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. The Native American prayer is just beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Beautiful post. Have a brilliant Sunday.
    Best wishes Molly

    ReplyDelete
  18. We see beautiful in your heart!

    Hugs,
    Lily Belle & Muffin

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks for sharing these beautiful images, KB. The mountain lion is magnificent and the sunset is stunning! K is the most beautiful of all, and she lives on in our hearts. I hope the beauty of each day will heal your heart.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Dear KB, I love the poem-it sums up feelings and hopes perfectly.
    The mountain lion is spectacular! I would be a bit fearful though.
    Beautiful sunset-we head to Pagossa Springs and Durango in another week and I can't wait to see the area(a first for me).
    Hugs, Noreen

    ReplyDelete
  21. What great poem, very touching to read. What a beautiful picture of the sunset...you really live in a countryside which is something special.

    ReplyDelete
  22. What a beautiful poem and what an amazing post. The things we have loved and lost are indeed in the beauty around us,

    urban hounds

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi KB, Ive been 'on hold' myself the last three weeks and can only thank you for your amazing photos. Your poem is perfect too. No worries, and love, Carol

    ReplyDelete
  24. K will always be with you. Beautiful lion
    Benny & Lily

    ReplyDelete
  25. Kia ora KB,
    I have been away from the world of blogging for a bit, and was a bit hesitant to return and find this news. There are no words I can write except to acknowledge all the aroha and wairua in the words of others, and the gifts K has given you.
    Aroha mai, aroha atu - Love recieved, Love returned.
    Kia kaha e hoa.
    Aroha,
    Robb

    ReplyDelete
  26. It truly is a state of mind! You put that perfectly
    Nola

    ReplyDelete
  27. Beautiful post.
    Beautiful pictures.
    Beautiful poem.

    Thanks for reminding me of a poem I've heard before but not thought of in years.

    Blessings,

    ReplyDelete
  28. Very beautiful prayer. And a touching post. I am so deeply saddened by the loss of your gorgeous K. And I am sorry I was not aware at the time she passed. I had been away from blogging and was devastated to read that K had passed. I had followed her brave and courageous journey and received strength from her, and from you. Now, as you know, I struggle with Suka's illnesses. Thank you for taking the time to come to my blog and write words of encouragement toward my healing. It means a lot and I appreciate it.

    K and Suka

    ReplyDelete
  29. I love the comfort of that prayer!

    ReplyDelete
  30. what a lovely prayer, i know just what you mean about not taking pictures after K died. when deefa died i didnt see anything for a long long time. i use to notice so much colour and life in the world with him by my side and still now i dont fully see the world as i did, maybe i never will xxx even tho stormy is only my second dog i definately feel that each dog makes us into a different person, seeing new things and thinking in different ways than before xxx

    ReplyDelete
  31. This so moved us. You captured the essence of See Beautiful perfectly, for it's never with our lenses that we see beautiful, it's with our minds and hearts. Beautiful is defined by and with those we love, who make this world so much better. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful words. We continue to send see beautiful thoughts your way and keep you in our prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I have always said that beauty is all around us - we just have to open our eyes and see it. I try (like you) to see each day as a new beginning to my new normal. I love this lake picture - you should frame it and hang it somewhere in your home. It's stunning :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Amazing. That poem was read earlier this year during The Lizard's grandmother's funeral. Thank you for reminding me. That sunset is worth staying in a developed campground!!!

    ReplyDelete
  34. K's colors appear all through that sunset...all warm and golden and glowing. Her gift to you, perhaps...

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thank you for sharing the Beauty that you see with us KB.
    The mountain lion looks so brave and strong. He is in his beautiful world.
    That photo of the lake gives us the feeling that we are right there too.
    And the Native American Prayer touches our heart in many ways too.
    Thank you for thinking of us to share.
    love
    tweedles

    ReplyDelete

If you are a Blogger registered user, you can skip the step asking you to verify that you are not a spammer. For posts older than 5 days, I have comment moderation turned on.

Thanks for your comments!!!!!