Exploring the aspen forest in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Sauntering off the trail into the Aspens can soothe your soul. The forest absorbs sounds and the silence that is found there helps to block out civilization and all the stress abundant there. Just get off the trail and refill your soul!

There was still some color on leaves when winter came on High Line Canal Trail in Englewood Colorado a suburb of Denver. It is fun to find little gems like this lone leaf while sauntering a heavily used urban trail. Sometimes you just have to stop and enjoy the light.

As the season changes in the Rocky Mountains the streams are littered with beautiful gold and orange leaves from the shedding aspens. I was sitting next to Three Mile Creek in the Mount Evans Wilderness meditating with my thoughts and absorbing the calm soft colors in this splendid little creek. I believe these moments are required to keep my sanity in this modern hectic life.

Beatiful red paintbrush in an alpine meadow near Silver Dollar Lake in the Colorado Rockies.

A tiny bit of sunlight broke through the dense canopy of pine to highlight the beauty and imperfection of this Colorado Rocky Mountain flower.

Beautiful cliffs on the green river near Moab, Utah.

A Colorado aspen grove during morning's sunrise.

Beautiful backlit Wild Teasels in a boggy area at Belmar Park. Wild Teasels are a prodigiously spiny Old World genus of flowering plant that can grow six or more feet high. On first glance, the teasel might be confused with the thistle, another tall, prickly often found growing in sunny, disturbed areas

A few yellow Old Man of the Mountains flowers in the alpine ridges above Winter Park, Colorado. These flowers usually face east to the morning sun and that is where they are facing in the photos. Winter Park’s ski runs can be seen on the mountains behind. I was hiking off the Continental Divide Trail towards Devil’s Thumb north of Corona Pass and could not help myself but explore the summer flowers blooming in the Colorado “High Country”.

The details matter in the forest of Colorado. Aspen Ridge outside of Salida is a must during the autumn color run.

Bluebells near the Continental Divide Trail in the high Colorado Rocky Mountains.

A area of pine cones under a large spurce in the mountain forest of Colorado near Kenosha Pass.

It was relaxing exploring Tiger Key in Everglades National Park. We spent several nights camping on the key during our kayak trip into Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands. I was heartened by many sights like the one captured here. It was wonderful to sit in the soft sand and daydream about the many different people who visited this key and saw sights similar to mine and may have felt their souls soothed as I did.

Purple Thistle at Sunset outside of the Lost Creek Wilderness in Colorado

We came across many large Raspberry patches on our fall hike up to Three Island Lake in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness outside of Steamboat Springs Colorado. It is so wonderful to see all those bright colors on the hike and what a plethora of fruit for the wildlife. I am sure they gorged on these ripe berries.

Teig and I found this beautiful granite rock wall in heavy shadow sauntering up Three Mile Creek in the Mount Evans Wilderness. Ferns were growing out of the cracks and it looked uber cool to me.

A cool looking mushroom near the Vasquez Creek trail outside of Winter Park Colorado. I believe this is the species Laccaria laccata.

Tree Cholla in the Sandia foothills outside of Albuquerque New Mexico.

The flowers on these Yucca Plant outside of golden colorado are so awesome. Many people don't like Yuccas but I don't understand why that is. I love when they bloom and are uber colorful.