Stardate September 9, 2011
Haiku My Heart is a wonderful place where people from around the globe post stunning photographs and write amazing Haiku. It was the brainchild of my friend, Rebecca, who pens the recuerda mi corazon blog. Have a look to see more and find out how you can participate HERE.
Pretty red flowers
Bells ringing out the beauty
Hiding in silence
While riding in the mountains surrounding Taos, New Mexico, we stopped to take a rest from the grueling ordeal of riding off-road up steep rock strewn terrain. Taos is around 7000 feet above sea level. It would be a good bet to say we were riding up at 9000 feet when I looked around and saw these tiny flowers. While lying prone on the ground, I used the macro lens technique, (Thanks Paula ), on my camera that allowed a close encounter with these tiny red beauties.
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| We stopped for a breather and captured our trusty steeds sitting along Forest Road 114 |
I don’t know what kind of wildflowers these are. This particular flower was small, less than an inch, and the entire plant sits on the forest floor. This specimen was barely 6-7 inches tall. Maybe someone can help me with an identification. I thought they looked like tiny red bells. I know I didn’t hear any ringing, yet I spotted them amidst an immense forest. I thought of their silence and yet they were so bold as to allow me to notice them. The color was so deep and rich.
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| Yours truly at a scenic overlook on New Mexico State Highway 518 |
Keeping with the total Spirit of Haiku My Heart, I will tell you that the riding has been fabulous so far. Getting off the highway and onto the forest service roads and trails in the Carson National Forest has been quite an experience. Yet my body and mind are telling me that my days of being capable of pulling off these maneuvers safely, and keeping myself out of possible dangerous situations, might be coming to an end. Maybe it’s the altitude making me think this way, but these thoughts come from my heart.
The bottom line is this. I am desperately missing my wife and family, but having a wonderful time with new motorcycle loving friends in a beautiful place amidst little red bells that are silently ringing in my ears.
May Peace be in your hearts
13 comments:
...and little red stars that shine joy into your heart, my friend!
Wondrous photos!
As much as you are missing her, the reunion with your wife in just a few days will be pure magic!
They are pretty little things. No clue what they might be. I don't know what everything is in my own garden.
It's good to get away sometimes - even if just to have the opportunity to remember that you still love the folks you are away from.
Glad you are having a good time while missing home - it would really suck otherwise.
I'm sure the sights you're seeing are a wonderful balm for your heart. It doesn't matter what kind of flowers they are or whether anyone can identify them. They may not have existed in the moment before you saw them and may have disappeared as you did when you passed from their presence but the memory remains.
Beauty at that height!! .... and thanks for sharing the wonderful creation!!
i love that you captured this small gift of beauty with your photo and words...
be safe out there!
I am so touched by your post - from the opposite emotional perspective to mine. It's true that age is creeping up on us too fast, which is why we encouraged the lads to take this opportunity - Carpe diem!
Your tiny red flowers silently chimed to you it seems... beautiful flowers and it's lovely to see "you" too.
Happy trails! =)
Thank you for sharing this off road experience, it looks cool (both weather and pics) and beautiful.
enjoy!
love love this - I remember these flowers well from my childhood - I do miss New Mexico - thank you for the lovely reminder!
Oh, she'll be showing up soon. Try to enjoy that time of slowness and quiteness--grandkids tend to take care of the opposite end of the spectrum.
Gotta be missing those creatures...geeze, we're an hour away and I'm missing the Bug.
Ummm...yeah, she's training for use of the facilities--she can come back when she's 12 maybe! LOL
You enjoy those backroads while they're doable--and it ain't so bad to discover we don't DO what we used to. Some of that stuff maybe we don't NEED to be doin', eh?
*hugs*
Have fun on Jack! :-D
i love that one moment you are riding rough and wild, the next...lying on the forest ground to capture the spirit of tiny red flowers!
and even more than this...that you are here ringing out with love for all of us!!!!
thank you for being as so wonderfully you!
Truly a beautiful post, coming from a beautiful person who notices even the smallest flowers.
Ms Foxy
Just calling in to see that all is well (it clearly is, apart from from a little problem of unforced celibacy) and to wish you much happiness and
Peace
Hi Joe,
I love the red flowers. I think that they might be called monkey flowers. Not sure. I see them in the mountains around S.B. as well. I love that you were at such a high elevation and that you share your wonderful travels with us. I am sure that you do miss your wife and family! I adore seeing N.M from your perspective.
Peace, love and Hugs,
noelle
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