I had my 3rd annual 4th of July brunch which I hosted with my roommates. It was amazing and we had so many people come through! I loved the age range and some of the adorable little ones that came through our door.
I attempted to hike Long's Peak as well. I discovered that it's a Class III (on a scale of I-V, where V is the most technical), and decided at the Keyhole to turn around for the sake of my mental stamina. I only got about 45 minutes of sleep the night before in a very noisy campground and was feeling pretty worn down. After picking my way through the Boulderfield to the Keyhole with a pack on my back with an ice axe, microspikes and a helmet, which kept shifting forward on my body every time I leaned forward throwing off my balance, it was time to turn around. I think it was totally a blessing, because the rest of my group ended up on the summit seeing lightning as a storm was coming in. I made it to tree line right around the time said storm got started. When I got back to the trailhead, I saw a quadruple rainbow! Unfortunately, no pictures of that rainbow.
My ridiculously large pack. Ice axe, microspikes & helmet included.
At the beginning of the alpine meadow.
On the way up to the Keyhole, which is behind me and just to the right.
What I've really enjoyed lately though has been my art class. I signed up to take a watercolor class at the local fine arts center, and have not regretted it at all. I've explored different techniques and styles, and have simply savored the creative outlet. There's something about doing art that gives me solitude and a sense of peace. Maybe it's the search to create something beautiful and experience God in that capacity. Maybe it's the relief from the stress of my job and other areas of life. All that said, I think I'll be signing up for additional classes in the future.
Starfish on a rock - using plastic wrap, rubbing alcohol, and salt for creating texture.
A piece I created for a friend, based on Psalm 27:14 (Amplified version).
A study on light using glass and fruit to capture the shape & shading of the objects.
