Category: Photo Journal

Photo Journal: Redwoods National Park

Since this blog is about being outdoors with kids, on occasion I plan on sharing images of the great outdoors taken by my husband, Mountain Dad. For a time in his past he was a professional photographer with a special love and talent for taking breathtaking landscapes. I may be biased, but I’m also not blind. His photos are amazing.

This photograph is a black and white of Redwoods National Park, which we visited as a family in the spring of 2011.  For more photos by Mountain Dad click here.

Winter and Summer Extremes

Seasons in the mountains reach the extremes.  
In winter, snow falls in bucket fulls, leaving the world draped in a thick white blanket.  For good or ill, everything is covered by a new, clean layer. Dead looking trees with barren branches sleep, saving their energy for the growth that will come in spring. The freezing temperatures create a dramatic, monochromatic world, where the dark stone of the mountain contrasts the bright whiteness of the snow and ice. Silence reigns.
Winter’s beauty is full of harsh angles, sharp contrasts and dramatic vistas.
Summer, on the other hand, is soft and lush. New growth peeks through the layer of melting snow and ice, full of hope and promise. Colors explode – greens of every hue in the meadows, delicate pinks and purples of the wildflowers.  Plants grow wild and uncontrollable. Warm air teems with the sounds of zooming hummingbirds, rustling leaves, cackling squirrels, bubbling water and the neverending conversations birds flitting from branch to branch.
Summer’s beauty is bright and cheerful, comfortable and unassuming.
These photos of the Stewart Falls River Valley were taken by Mountain Dad last year.  The contrast between them reminds me that no matter what the season in life, change will come.  Just like the mountain, I have extremes too. The Snow Queen side of me is harsh and demanding, daring others to defy me. As the Snow Queen I am strong and get things done. The Summer Goddess side of me is light and happy, beckoning all to dance away their cares. As the Summer Goddess I appreciate life and the joys of what it brings. And just like the seasons in the mountains, both the Snow Queen and Summer Goddess could not exist without the other.  The Snow Queen provides structure to life, helps me make goals, and motivates me to succeed.  Without that structure and forward progression, the Summer Goddess would have no purpose and could not fully enjoy the depths of happiness life has to offer. 
Just as the change, I do too.  I guess that’s what makes me a Mountain Mom.   

Powderhound

Opening weekend for Sundance Resort hit hard with heavy snowfall all weekend long. You know what that means – powder time! The posted photos do little to capture the glee I felt floating through the snow. Run after run of powder up to my mid calf, sliding down the mountain as if riding on a cloud; that’s what joy feels like. I hope this coming holiday and ski seasons bring many powder days and joy to all of you.

 

 

Harvest Festival

Sundance hosted a Harvest Festival this past Saturday. The music was bluegrass. Stalls sold boutique jewelry, handbags, photography, vegetables, wood crafts and even furniture. Sundance chefs provided the food and the lift was in full swing. Big E particularly enjoyed the Screech owl on display thanks to the local wildlife rescue. It was so cute!

I enjoyed the music and was so excited to see a Gluten Free food stand with samples. Big E is allergic to wheat so we rarely find things he can eat at places like that. I was so excited to give him a cookie that it was only when he was coughing, spitting and getting a rash that I realized my mistake. These cookies had eggs and nuts in them, other allergy foods that we avoid normally. So, we ended the lovely festival by racing home as fast as possible to get Big E some medicine. He’s fine now but I still feel like a bad mom. At least he doesn’t hold grudges, if he can forgive me I’ll make sure to forgive myself.