Impression Evergreen

Saddle Rock On a sweltering summer day in Nebraska, we hiked at Scottsbluff National Monument all the way up to the top of Saddle Rock. Unfortunately, a natural roadblock forced a detour but that didn’t diminish our resolve. Just like the first pioneers, we approached the remarkable formation by crossing the rolling hills of a flower-filled prairie. Recent rainfall had transformed the vibrant grassland into a kaleidoscope of vivid color. The spacious summit was a unique habitat featuring steep ledges, ponderosa pine and dangerous rattlesnakes. Views were far-reaching as a wide vista included the Twin Cities and most of the North Platte Valley. I can only imagine what it must have been like to migrate across this vast landscape so many years ago. Things are different now but when you visit a place such as this, you still get a sense for what it was like when the West was wild. Scottsbluff National Monument From the top of Saddle Rock Rolling hills A flower-...

"The Flatirons" Colored Pencil The unique Flatirons rock formation is an indisputable highlight of Colorado's Front Range. Situated just west of Boulder, the peculiar peaks are an uncanny reflection of the quirky town they have come to symbolize. Laced with a cascade of verdant pine, the Flatirons thrust skyward in a perpetual state of spectacular confusion. Speckled with orange and violet, the apathetic crags are pockmarked with holds and cold to the touch. The sizzling, summer sun has bleached out the cerulean sky and scorched the ochre meadow. Gnarled ponderosa pine are shedding their dry needles neutralizing the cool, green trees with some warmth. The eternal Flatirons have resisted the destructive forces of nature for more than 80 million years. In an ever-changing world, there's something comforting about the permanence of these striking, sandstone slabs.