Terrestrial garter snake--Daily Detail

Terrestrial garter snake, a photo by dawnela on Flickr.

Today while Greg and I were biking on the Legacy Parkway Trail, we saw this garter snake sunning itself.

As I pulled up and turned around to go get a better look, Greg said, "Now don't go and pick it up!"

Sometimes, I think he knows me too well. I didn't pick it up at his behest, but I did snap a few photos.

Via Flickr:
Legacy Parkway Trail, Farmington, Utah

Quaking Aspen--Daily Detail

Aspen a video by dawnela on Flickr.

Aspens are almost never still. A mere breath of a breeze will stir the leaves into motion. Despite their nearly constant motion, aspens fill me with peace. I could spend hours watching how the light plays through the leaves and branches of aspen trees. The light and shadows are endlessly changing.

Aspens are fascinating to me for many reasons. The leaves are so susceptible to movement because of their flattened and flexible petioles. The trees reproduce by cloning, so entire aspen groves can actually be a single genetic individual. Within a single aspen clone, thousands of trees with identical genes grow side by side, yet each one is also unique. Aspen bark is smooth and white, a perfect canvas for carving. Arboglyphs, carvings by Basque shepherds, can be found in many aspen groves in the Great Basin. While in the company of aspens, there is always something intriguing to contemplate.

I have three full grown aspens in my yard. They are working hard at cloning themselves, and many baby aspens pop up in the lawn every summer. I am singling out a few and allowing them to grow. Someday, I hope to enjoy an aspen grove in my backyard. In the meantime, I enjoy each individual aspen I have.

View from my window

View from my window, a photo by dawnela on Flickr.

When I am having a tough day at work, I can view the distant mountains through my office window, breathe deeply, and reset my perspective. Today the clouds were dramatic, and the light was constantly changing.

The Daily Detail - Day One

All too often, I find myself racing through life, too focused on the task at hand to appreciate the beauty around me, except in passing. In order to slow down, look around, and appreciate the abundance of life around me, I have decided to embark upon a little project I am calling the Daily Detail. The Daily Detail will be a photo of something that catches my eye during the day. Now I am much too much a slacker to get this done every day, but I want to do it as often as possible. Just as a reminder to myself how important it is to slow down and appreciate the life I have.

I pass the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Ogden, Utah everyday on my walk to work. The church was built 150 years ago, and despite being on a very busy road, there is always a feeling of peace surrounding the church and its gardens. The spring flowers are blooming, and pale spring green leaves are unfurling on the trees. Today, everything was kissed by the rain.