Hey! Here's a summer photo dump without much context. Context is overrated.
The world is so messy. People change, we're at war, the future is uncertain. All that makes me even more grateful for the community we have in Colorado. Concerts, camping, art, adventure- these things keep me going.
#coloradoliving
The last week of September I did my first solo backpacking trip. Covered 60 miles (including the couple that I got lost) of the Colorado Trail, from the South Platte River Trailhead to Kenosha Pass.
I saw so much wildlife. A coyote running over a hill into the sunrise. A doe under the first sunbeam that emerged after an afternoon storm. An elk with the largest antlers I've ever seen, his eerie calls echoing for hours with his rival across the canyon. A mama moose with its calf that I somehow didn't notice until it was 10 feet in front of me when she huffed because those massive creatures are colored just like the forest. So many species of birds, chipmunks, squirrels, and curious creatures.
So many landscapes. The most expansive meadows nestled in the mountains, the most vibrant groves of aspen, and the deepest, densest sections of mossy, old growth forest.
So much inner work. It felt like my brain- my soul- could breathe. Like I didn't realize how much it had not been breathing in so long. The last night Matt and my good friend came to get me and we all camped together. I couldn't stop thinking about how much I loved them- how I love so many people in my life, and that maybe the existence of so many lovely people brings hope for the future.
At times it was hard and lonely. Scary, even. At other times meditative and joyous. I still have bruises and blisters healing, but I can't wait to do it again next year. #solobackpacker #coloradotrail
We just ran a 5k after work, in addition to walking a little over a mile with Mary. The farthest I've ever jogged without stopping was 2 miles, so I've beat that by an entire additional mile today! I can hike a mountain or bike all day, but running has always held a huge mental block for me.
Working with my body to accomplish things I never thought I could makes me appreciate it in new ways. The exhilarating pulsing in my strong legs, the feeling of the wind on my skin, my sharp eyes taking in all the bunnies and blooms along the trail- all of these things are gifts I never want to take for granted or belittle.
The main thing I've learned about running is that once you learn how to pace yourself, you can handle a lot more than you think. I guess that can be applied to a lot of other things, too.
Now I'm one step closer to being ready for that Triathlon I signed up for a little too impulsively in August! Luckily, there was an option to paddleboard for the water portion because I'm worse at swimming than running. 😜🏃♀️🚴♀️
#huksylife #triathlontraining #running
Mary.exe has stopped working.
Here's some more from graduation week! We surprised Mary twice- the first when Mary's brother, @blueline_101 , showed up on her last day of school. She thought he was coming days later. She saw I was filming so she ducked behind a pillar to hide, where she stared her brother right in the face! It took so long for her to register who he was and react! Also, one of Mary's peers asked if he was her grandma. Sick burn.
The second surprise was her graduation party. Mary gets super worked up for parties where she is the center of attention, to the point where she stresses herself and everyone else out! So, her brother whisked her off to Estes Park while we set up. She thought we were just going out to eat with the family. Although her initial reaction was to walk out, walk back in, take off her hoodie, and hand me pixie sticks, when she got settled in, she was the life of the party!
Both videos are shared with @maryanngainesbringhurst permission. We love you!
#graduation ##classof2024
Congrats, Mary! So grateful for the Colorado community who came out for her graduation party and especially for @blueline_101 , my mom, and Matt's mom, who came from out of state! Mary is obsessed with Buccee's and since the decorations we saw matched her school colors, the theme for the party seemed a no-brainer.
We also had several family members who watched the graduation on Livestream. Will post more soon! #graduation #classof2024 #specialolympics #buccees
Throwback to St. Patty's day weekend. I made some really tasty corned beef before we ventured out for a lovely night in Denver. We ended up at the new Colorado Buccee's on the day they opened on the way home. #buccees #denver
Here's a Fall/Halloween photo dump along with a new poem about Jack-O-Lanterns.
I notice I keep gravitating towards writing about death right now. I wonder as I post my poems if someone is going to think I'm mentally unwell (that's kinda true) or perhaps just trying to live out my middle school dream of being goth.
Truthfully, I think this is just my way of processing death. A few years after losing my dad I left a culture that garunteed eternal life and it felt like I was learning about death for the first time despite being in my 30's. I then immediately moved to another state and worked for a year daily with people who wanted to end their lives or had just tried to. Then I started working at a nursing home, where death has just become a part of the job. I talk to the people there as they process their own end. I see them slow down, watch them say goodbyes, I provide comfort while they transition, and eventually reach out to comfort their family members. This is all between being "the fun person" at work who helps the people who are still alive have a good quality of life with things like games, community outings, and art. I constantly have to learn to hold space in my heart for both mentalities.
Anyways, I was a fox for Halloween, Mary was a "Zombie Puff" and Matt was a robot. What were you?
#poetsofinstagram #poetryisnotdead #elegy #poetrysociety #familyphotography #halloween #trickortreat #fallvibes #pumpkincarving #pumpkinart #activitiydirector #recreationtherapy
You say, "I'd watch the whole world burn for you."
But Love, what if I don't want you to?
Do you think I want to live in a place
Where I know everyone else died for me?
To overcome that grief and make my life worth it-
Do you know how much pressure that would be?
I know a bitter flame rises in you
That tells you the safest thing is to burn
But is it love if you set fire to
All I love, despite what I yearn?
What if all I really want from you
Is to know when to let me go
To let me die if I am to die
There are worse things
Than saying goodbye
The deepest desire within me
Is to be with you forever
But if that is not to be
Then I need to know your world
Will not end
When we're not together
When I don't have much time,
When my whole world grows dim
I want your fire's light to guide me
And then turn into a river
To nourish the world
That you're still in.
#instapoetry
#poetrylovers #poetrycommunity #poetryisnotdead #nanowrimo #poetrysociety #familyphotography #couplesphotography
