Snow is such a magical thing, I wish that I had gotten to go to the snow more often as a child myself to experience the wonder of snow. Like this little girl, dancing and running in the snow. There is such innocence in just playing around in the snow. She and her little brother where running around just having fun with each other by the ski lift. It is refreshing to know that people, whether just children or not, can appreciate the innocence that nature provides.
My mom and I are heading out to Yosemite for a short trip before Christmas. I am hoping to see lots of snow even though it says it will just be raining. I have been yearning for some new adventures and haven’t been to Yosemite since seventh grade. So adventure here we come. Hiking , maybe cross country skiing, and lots of photos. Stay tuned for photos! See you all in a couple of days.
It is too heavy
He says
For me to carry this alone
I am slowly being buried
Don’t leave me here in the cold
What can I do
She asks
But is afraid
Carry it with me
He says
Without looking away
Make this one man’s burden
Into two
Saving me
But damning you
Do you care enough
To give yourself up for me
To be buried alive
Under the weight
Of eternity
Will you carry my burden
Until there is nothing left
Will you save me
From my curse
And damn all the rest
Follow me
You say as you run
But how do I know
Which way to run
When you leave me tracks
Leading in every direction
Catch me
You say with a laugh
But how can I catch you
If you were out of my grasp
So long ago
Out of reach
Out of sight
Out of my control
We are running
In two different directions
Still trying to find each other
But we are lost
Not with each other this time
But alone
I will be waiting at the crossroads
When you are ready
To come home
We found a coyote laying down on top of a snow hatted rock that just looked really amazing. We decided that we would wait for him to stand up on top of the rock because the composition of the shot would be perfect. He seemed pretty content just laying there though, trying to take a nap.
He really was beautiful and I almost missed him. I hadn’t even noticed him at the time because I was watching another coyote out in the fields when another person pointed him out to me. It is funny how easy it is to miss things. It makes me wonder what else did I miss, what other wonderous creatures did I pass by as I was consumed by some other thing?
He was watching us, it was amazing because you could almost see what he was thinking as he eyed us warily.
His nice little nesting place did give me an opportunity to try out and practice my newly learned photography skills.
He unfortunately did not work with us quiet as well as we had wanted. Instead of standing up as we had hoped he would, he sort of non-chalantly slide off the backside of the rock. We missed a possible great shot but still we did get to watch him for a while. I wish he would have stood up though so I could be showing you much better pictures. Oh well. Thanks Mr. Coyote for posing.
Yellowstone is a beautiful place, it can be both a snowy wonderland and a snowy wasteland. While I was there I got to see both sides of the coin in numerous occasions. At many times it would just be huge stretches of white nothingness, empty and solitary. However at some moments you would see bright fields of red brush or a flower poking through the snow. You never know which side you will get, just cross your fingers for a wonderland where the color splashes across the snow. You will find me there waiting, as always for those who seek out the third path. Not black or white, but the colors that lie between.
The first real wildlife we happened upon in Yellowstone was the majestic elk. We spotted a group of bucks off on the side of the road in a snowy valley and decided to follow them for a bit. They had huge antlers because they hadn’t dropped them yet. It was quite the sight to see.
They were just roaming around eating grass. The funny part about going on wildlife hunts is that at first every little thing you see is amazing and you stop for an hour to watch it, but as time goes on it becomes normal. At the beginning of the trip we stopped a good hour and a half to watch these elk go around a valley and across the road, which was amazing. But my point is that by the end of the week we would drive right past them without a thought.
You would just say, hey look elk… okay moving on. It become normal so easily. This beautiful animal that I don’t see often, in a weeks time became something entirely ordinary in my mind. There seems to be something twisted in this idea. Maybe just how easily things can be taken for granted in life. Learn what you want from it, but appreciate it now because nothing is ever as ordinary as it seems.
As usual we got to watch how an elk finds food in this snowy terrain. It is actually very interesting but not as amusing as watch a buffalo find food.
Buffalo’s strategy: If I roll around in the snow enough, or grind my face deep enough into the snow, eventually I will find some sort of tiny shrub to munch on until I move on to the next snow pile in which to shove my face.
The elk just paw at the snow and push it aside with their noses to try to find some brush to chew on for some time. 
I actually really enjoy this shot with the tourists in the background and the elk on the road. It has a corky quality to it. It is like a creeper photo and wildlife shot combined. The elk one by one would cross over the road. It was cool to watch because they would come right up close to us as we stood there with out tripods and huge cameras. It really was an experience to be so close to these huge creatures, and I will never take for granted this experience ever again.
Silence is not something we today hear a lot of in our lives. How many times can you just stop everything you are doing and listen. And when you listen, the only answer is silence. In Yellowstone this is a luxury I indulged in quite often. You could be walking around and just stop in the middle of nowhere. All there would be is silence.
I would hold my breath and look around, all you could hear was the sound of falling snow and the world breathing around you. It is something very special to experience. I never really was aware of just how noisy and bustling life was until I escaped to the wilderness for that week. It was actually really hard to come back to Santa Cruz, especially school because there was so much noise that it was almost suffocating.
I miss the silent moments, where it was just me and the living wilderness talking in utter silence. Many people ask if silence can speak and I can answer this for you; yes, it most definitely can. But what is it saying is the real question. When the world falls silent, what will you hear the wind whisper in your ear? Or will you even remember how to listen at that point.
It is important to remember the voice that nature holds, and to never forget how to listen to it. When it speaks, listen because it will tell you the secrets of the world. And that is not something you want to miss, believe me.
Welcome to a place
where desolation meets
silent tranquility
here is my isolation
amidst the winter’s snow
there is no place
to bury the dead
no time or will
to dig deep
beneath the barren forsaken land
the dead lay as they fall
no ceremony as the wind
claws at your face
when you scream
no one is there to listen
in a place
riddle with unmarked graves
you walk amongst the dead
but do not know it
kill or be killed
at the Gate’s of Desolation
Here is the site I got to see everyday when I was in Yellowstone. This picture can’t truly describe how beautiful this place really is. I must say it is extremely different than Santa Cruz and this is one of the hardest parts of being back home.
I keep looking outside expecting to see snow and gorgeous mountains but instead I see rain and lots of trees. I am not complaining, it is just such a shock because it is so entirely different. It really reminds me just how lucky I am to get to travel like this because I can experience all the different terrains and lifestyles of the world around me. That is why I believe it is essential to travel because people have to get out of their normal atmosphere and see the world in all of it’s different lights.