1. Morning walks. I only have three pictures, because it snowed this week and the only walk I went on was dark, cold, and slippery. There wasn’t much to see or take pictures of and I was too busy keeping my “eyes on the road.”2. Snow. We got 16 inches at our house, and were so happy to see it because the fires were bad, We’d had multiple days of wind and the Troublesome Fire (one of four fires burning here) was headed straight into Estes Park but the snow slowed things down.3. The final days of fall. Fall is my favorite time of year in Colorado, even though this year it didn’t last as long and we couldn’t go hiking because of the fires. We spent the day before the storm raking leaves and washing ash off the cars. I also gathered up all Ringo’s toys from the yard, washed and mended them, after which I temporarily changed the “no toys in the house” rule to “no toys outside.”
The squirrels get so fat off our pumpkins
4. Practice. I don’t know about you, kind and gentle reader, but I have been ramped up this week, anxious and tense, waiting for the election. I’m doing everything I can to keep it together, and that means practicing like my hair is on fire.5. My tiny family. Sam has been gone five months now, and I still miss him so much. For now, we are enjoying giving every bit of attention and all the treats to Ringo and he seems to be okay with that. We’ll get another dog eventually, but for now this is enough. Eric is back in his office a few days a week, so I get Ringo all to myself and kitchen counter love notes. I especially like winter because Ringo and Eric get more cuddly.Bonus joy: two hours in the pool, sitting in the sauna, a big glass of cold clean water, clementines, funeral casserole, onion buns, Fritos (my go-to pandemic snack seems to be chips), good TV, good podcasts, good music, making myself a new playlist on Spotify (I called it go ahead and cry), good books, another baby on the way, new windshield wipers for my car, payday, getting all the laundry done and put away, clean sheets (I forgot how soft our winter sheets were), Wild Writing, hanging out and writing with Mikalina, texting with my mom and brother, catching up with Carrie, snow spikes for my walking shoes, yoga with Jamie, a snow day with Eric, massage, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.
1. Wisdom from Robin Wall Kimmerer, from her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, “Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, the feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street to a sacred bond.”
5. Restoring Indigenous Systems of Relationality. Because this: “The vision we have described here is a vision that ultimately focuses on life, that values and prioritizes the dignity and respect of all living beings. It teaches our children how to co-exist in respectful, reciprocal relationships with diverse communities, including lands, waters, atmospheres, plants, and animals, and it believes in and works towards a more honest, just, loving, and sustainable future for all of us.”
At the beginning of the summer, the sun burning apocalyptic in the Colorado sky, I began writing a poem titled, HOMESICK: A PLEA FOR OUR PLANET. It was written to highlight the earth’s deep love for all she creates, in hopes that humans might requite that love with their actions, choices, and vote. As humans, it’s easy to forget that we are, ourselves, nature. There are so many horrific losses of climate change––and it is, by itself, enough reason to reevaluate everything about our care for the planet. What needs to happen for us to stop ignoring the fact that the earth is, everyday now, scattering her own ashes? It’s crucial to presence the question, ‘What kind of planet are we passing down to our children?’
9. The Log 2: Another year. (video) “This peaceful log bridge video, filmed in the Pennsylvania wilderness by Robert Bush, captures just how many wild animals cross over and under this log, day and night in every season…The August 2019 video, filmed in 2018-19, was the second of Bush’s log videos. His first, The Log Movie, was filmed in 2017-18 and includes curious baby bears, a snowy winter scene or two, and a few small surprises.”
18. I Am Watching My Planet, My Home, Die on The New York Times. “Every single issue that matters to me — education, social justice, women’s rights, affordable health care, criminal justice reform, gun control, immigration policy etc. — won’t mean a single thing if the planet becomes uninhabitable.”
21. Bunky Echo-Hawk: The Resistance. “Filmmaker Ben-Alex Dupris explores how the reality and resistance of Native Americans inspires the work of Pawnee artist Bunky Echo-Hawk, igniting discussions about environmentalism and Native American rights, among other topics.”
1. Morning walks. I only have three pictures, because it snowed this week and the only walk I went on was dark, cold, and slippery. There wasn’t much to see or take pictures of and I was too busy keeping my “eyes on the road.”
2. Snow. We got 16 inches at our house, and were so happy to see it because the fires were bad, We’d had multiple days of wind and the Troublesome Fire (one of four fires burning here) was headed straight into Estes Park but the snow slowed things down.
3. The final days of fall. Fall is my favorite time of year in Colorado, even though this year it didn’t last as long and we couldn’t go hiking because of the fires. We spent the day before the storm raking leaves and washing ash off the cars. I also gathered up all Ringo’s toys from the yard, washed and mended them, after which I temporarily changed the “no toys in the house” rule to “no toys outside.” 
5. My tiny family. Sam has been gone five months now, and I still miss him so much. For now, we are enjoying giving every bit of attention and all the treats to Ringo and he seems to be okay with that. We’ll get another dog eventually, but for now this is enough. Eric is back in his office a few days a week, so I get Ringo all to myself and kitchen counter love notes. I especially like winter because Ringo and Eric get more cuddly.
Bonus joy: two hours in the pool, sitting in the sauna, a big glass of cold clean water, clementines, funeral casserole, onion buns, Fritos (my go-to pandemic snack seems to be chips), good TV, good podcasts, good music, making myself a new playlist on Spotify (I called it go ahead and cry), good books, another baby on the way, new windshield wipers for my car, payday, getting all the laundry done and put away, clean sheets (I forgot how soft our winter sheets were), Wild Writing, hanging out and writing with Mikalina, texting with my mom and brother, catching up with Carrie, snow spikes for my walking shoes, yoga with Jamie, a snow day with Eric, massage, reading in bed at night while Eric and Ringo sleep.
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 