#ca section j

  When Krystal Rogers-Nelson paints, she feels more connected to herself and to the world, especially when she paints landscapes. She says, "The process has a meditative, self-reflective quality.  It makes me slow down, carefully observe my surroundings, and helps me quiet my mind. Being out in nature does the same thing—I guess you could say it’s my therapy." This watercolor, done on a small card, is of Sonora Peak.

By Poem and Art by Krystal Rogers

  My nose is dry and stuffy,

my shoulders tight & strained.

My feet are covered in mosquito bites

and my lips, chapped from the sun.

Yet I lie in the wonder & beauty of our planet;

contemplate the vast, intricate universe that we are part of—

and can't help but feel overwhelmed with happiness and gratitude

for being a witness of this magic...

The shadows are lengthening across the speckled sandy soil where we have made our home.

Chipmunks chirp & chase each other –

they jump between pine cones and anthills,

scaling the bark of the mighty Ponderosa pine

that shelters us from the mighty wind.

A solid mound of creamy granite rises up to the North –

subtly the geology is changing from dark, volcanic conglomerates to more exposed, igneous granite. And I feel at home…

The golden sun is peeking at me through the trees

and the dirt on my fingers shimmers.

I can still smell the blend of sage, mint, & fruity alpine flowers.

Gusts of cool wind plume though our tent...

My body is strong and ready to relax;

my mind is quiet,

and my heart content.

The air is dry;

the ground dusty, flat, and flexible;

the wind, gentle and soft.

Sonora Peak proudly stands watch to the South.

the clouds shift,

and they're almost gone...

The sky is blue with early evening.

Canyon shadows carve the landscape into deeper,

more angular peaks and bluffs.

I feel calm & present -- nowhere to be, no rushing to go...

The mountains surround us,

pine needles cushion us,

the sun warms us

and the wind comforts us.

And this is why I walk. And this is why I sweat. And this is why I breathe,

and live,