Living – Places: Faves – 3

The real adventure, he thought, is the flow of time; it's as much adventure as anyone could wish.
– Anne Tyler, The Accidental Tourist

Favorite photos – 3

Faves:  1   2   3  [ or jump to Now ]

The marshy areas are full of brightly glowing Golden Glow Coneflowers, which are up to 5′ tall and are just beginning to form their seed heads. [ 21-655 ]

One still immature coneflower surrounded by more mature seed heads

Right alongside Cub lake, there isn't much vegetation coming back from the fire yet, so this cluster of Black-Tipped Senecio really lit up the hillside. [ 21-658 ]

A cluster of bright-yellow flowers with a matching bee

Dream Lake with Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain beyond. [ 22-682 ]

A view across the lake with the jagged mountains beyond

Hiking up past Dream Lake, a steep trail leads up to one of my favorite views in Rocky Mountain National Park: the view up into Glacier Gorge with a glimpse of Mills Lake. [ 22-688 ]

Looking through pines at Glacier Gorge

When we reached Lake Haiyaha the forecasted storm had rolled over the Continental Divide bringing cold, gusting winds and light rain. Still, we enjoyed sitting on our favorite boulder that juts out into the lake. About 15 minutes after we began our hike back, the clouds pulled back again and we came across this beautiful view across the creek that flows out from Lake Haiyaha towards the basin the lake is nestled in. [ 22-689 ]

Water flowing slowly across a boulder-strewn valley with the mountains beyond

On the trail to Lake Helene, looking back at the mountains beyond Bear Lake. [ 22-694 ]

The mountains surrounding Bear Lake seen above a stand of aspens

One of my favorite views in Rocky Mountain National Park, conveying such a sense of what it's like to be high up, nearly at tree line. [ 22-698 ]

The trail winding across the scree field

Just north of Mills Lake, the outlet creates a picturesque little pond. [ 23-720 ]

View across a little pond with icicles flowing down the rock face on the other side

A beautiful sunny day lit up the freshly fallen snow in our neck of the woods today. We took a hike up the Picture Rock Trail, then turned around to look back south towards our neighborhood. Wow. [ 23-724 ]

The freshly covered foothills of our neighborhood

The Picture Rock trail winds up a valley where farming and rock quarries once thrived. I wonder who parked this implement after tilling a field and then never returned, leaving it to witness the passing of the seasons year after year. [ 23-726 ]

An old tiller rusting in a field

We hiked up the Nighthawk trail yesterday. The very beginning of the trail lies beneath Hatrock, a small mesa that is a sanctuary for eagles and other wildlife. It always looks so freshly beautiful to me.. [ 24-739 ]

Red stone mesa highlighted agains a bright blue sky

We took a walk along the South St. Vrain river this afternoon. It was early afternoon, but the sun was already low in the sky, causing dramatic lighting. I was testing out a new telephoto lens, so my attention was was drawn to things further away, such as this weathered cliff that is along the other side of the river. [ 24-741 ]

Last rays of winter sun on weathered cliffs along the South St. Vrain river

The low winter sun cast exquisitely long shadows. [ 24-758 ]

Three lone ponderosas on a ridge casting long shadows down the hillside

Just as we began our descent back towards the Gem Lake trailhead, there was a wonderful rock formation towering above us. It's easy to understand how Lumpy Ridge got its name. [ 25-798 ]

An interesting rock formation looking a bit like a turtle with a couple creatures riding on its back

Snow falls and melts
Birds come and go
Silence remains.
[ 26-809 ]

A small rock cairn frosted with fresh snow

Delicate white blossoms
floating gently in the breeze.
Last week fashioned from snow,
tomorrow, too.
Today, a gift from an old apple tree.
Springtime in the Rocky Mountains.
[ 26-816 ]

Apple blossoms open to the bright miday sun

I'm one of those fools who values nature's gold more than "real" gold. [ 26-818 ]

Birch catkins glowing golden in the late afternoon sun

We've been having a huge amount of rain this spring, more than I've seen before in the 25 or so years I've lived in this area. Our snow pack up higher in the mountains is well over 200% of normal, and it's still raining down here and snowing up there.

The upside of all this moisture is that our ponderosas are experiencing robust growth, which is wonderful because they went through a sudden and deep freeze early this past winter that left a lot of their older needles frostbitten and turning brown on the ends. It's great to see such a vigorous and beautiful recovery!

I'm also grateful that we got a few minutes of sunshine to enjoy this. We already had one big thunderstorm with a hard downpour and hail earlier today, and it's clouding over and thundering again right now. Crazy! [ 26-824 ]

A tight cluster of pollen cones with fresh needles emerging from the center

Pasque flower blooming earlier today near Little Horseshoe Park, Rocky Mountain National Park. Even with its dog-eared petals, what allure it must hold for nectar-seekers. [ 26-825 ]

Bright yellow stamen peeking through fine-haired pale violet petals

Emerald Lake (10,080 feet) lies in Tyndall Gorge at the foot of Hallett Peak, with Flattop Mountain (12,324 feet) to the right. There were lots of waterfalls flowing down from the last of the snowpack on the flanks of the two peaks, so the music in this little amphitheater was exceptional. [ 27-840 ]

Emerald Lake reflecting the flank of Hallet Peak

Earlier this week, we took a hike in our beloved Buttonrock Preserve, which re-opened just recently for the first time since the September 2013 flood. In places along the creek it is much changed from the raging flood waters that scoured the valley, but there is still so much beauty to be enjoyed. This view was early in the hike, just as the dawn sunshine was beginning to kiss the valley. [ 28-863 ]

Early morning creekside reflected in a still portion on the creek

Milkweed growing at the edge of a horse pasture along the South St Vrain Creek, basking in the late afternoon autumn sunshine. [ 28-876 ]

Exploded milkweed pod with the seed fibers backlit by late afternoon sunshine with cliffs in the background

Ice painting in irrigation ditch along the South St. Vrain Creek.
Mixed natural media, 2016. [ 29-894 ]

Ice patterns, including tiny, small, and larger trapped air bubbles

A couple days ago, the high was in the mid 70s F. We woke up this morning to a different fairy tale. I love living in the Rockies! [ 29-903 ]

Bench on hillside under snow-covered ponderosas

The glacial water flowing down Fall River is so clear that in places where it's flowing gently, you almost can't tell there is water above the colorful rocks. In other places where the water is falling gently, the play of shadows across the rocks is mesmerizing. [ 29-919 ]

Beautiful patterns of light and shadow at play on the rocks in the river bed

We had a big wind storm last night that blew a lot of the autumn leaves off the trees, revealing this amazing wasp nest hanging a few feet above our heads. It's about a foot long from bottom to top. Nature is so amazing! [ 29-920 ]

View around the side of the wasp nest

One of my favorite moments in life is the morning after a big snowfall when the first rays of sunshine come up over the ridge to the east of us and light up the freshly fallen snow on our ponderosas. [ 30-1001 ]

Snow on the boughs of ponderosas brighly lit by the morning sun

I really love springtime. Today, we were cheered on our walk by lots of Gaillardia blooming along the way; they are sunshine personified. Here's a more mature Gaillardia seed head a few days later (with a halo of the cottonwood fluff that's doing its magical floating dance right now). [ 30-1005 ]

Gaillardia seed head

"Come in," she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm."
– Bob Dylan

Well that was a treat! I happened to be looking out our picture window at the rain that was falling this afternoon when a dragonfly swooped in and landed beneath the basket of flowers that hangs there. It was a big one, maybe 3-1/2″ long, and it stayed there for a long time, I suppose sheltering from the rain. According to Wikipedia's Aeshnidae article: "They are the largest dragonflies found in North America and Europe and are among the largest dragonflies on the planet. This family represents also the fastest flying dragonflies of the order of the dragonflies and damselflies.… The adults spend large amounts of time in the air and seem to fly tirelessly with their four large and powerful wings. They can fly forwards or backwards or hover like a helicopter. The wings are always extended horizontally." [ 30-1006 ]

Dragonfly perched under a hanging basket of flowers

This caught my eye the other day. Not sure what it is; some kind of gall wasp or perhaps a fungal growth? Whatever it is, it sure is beautiful. It's difficult to make out in this photo, but those orange protuberances are actually little tubes (click the image to see a larger version in which they are clearer). [ 31-1022 ]

Mystery guest

Prickly pear (Opuntia⩘ ) blooming on the first day of summer. [ 32-1030 ]

Prickly pear (Opuntia)

Mountain Mahogany seed plumes glowing in the early morning sunlight. [ 33-1053 ]

Mountain Mahogany

Milkweed seed about to take flight. [ 33-1056 ]

Milkweed fluff and seed bursting out its pod

The soft colors of autumn. [ 33-1057 ]

Autumn flaming oak

When I go outside each morning to put out some birdseed, sometimes my timing is just right to catch the colorful sunrise light show that lasts just a few moments and rapidly changes from deep reds and oranges to lighter violets and pinks. [ 33-1059 ]

Violet sunrise clouds

Yesterday, we had some very strange weather. Although the temps hovered between 20 - 25 F the entire day, it also was foggy and misting all day long. I guess the temps were warmer higher up? By evening, everything was more slippery than I've ever experienced before in the 20+ years we've lived here. Even the gravel driveway. This morning, too. Can't even step out the door without Yaktrax ICEtrekkers on my boots. The upside is that the trees and wildgrasses are simply stunning in today's early morning sunshine! [ 34-1062 ]

Frost covered ponderosa trees

We've had an interesting late winter: days of cold weather and snowfall alternating with days of warm weather and sunshine. It's a beautiful experience to take a walk in sunshine the day after one of the periodic snowfalls. [ 34-1064 ]

Barn blanketed in snow

Whenever we're out for a walk, we take a handful of horse cookies for our favorite friend along the way, Ranger (with his human's permission, of course). The cookies smell delicious with all natural ingredients: oats, wheat bran, cane molasses, rolled barley, and fresh apples. Ranger absolutely loves them, so when he sees us, he always makes a happy chuckling sound as he walks over. [ 34-1072 ]

Garima and Ranger

Rabbitbrush grows all along our roads and driveways here. It's a super tough native that flourishes in tough environments, and right now its beautiful yellow-orange flower clusters are bursting forth. I think I love them as much as the bees! [ 34-1084 ]

A bee feasting on a Rabbitbrush flower cluster

After last night's snowfall, the view here this morning in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains is simply breathtaking. [ 34-1094 ]

A view of a steep, snow-covered hillside. In the foreground, a couple Ponderosa pine trees with big balls of snow around all of their needle tips are framing the view. Beyond the hilltop is a beautiful blue sky with just a few whisps of clouds leftover from the previous night's snowstorm are crossing the sky.

We are enjoying an exceptionally beautiful spring and early summer. A much higher than usual amount of rain has resulted in an abundance of exuberant vegetation along with beautiful insects and pollinators feasting on that abundance. On a recent walk, we spotted this caterpillar, which I think is a type of Sphinx moth (Sphingidae) and certainly one of the largest and most beautiful caterpillars I've ever seen.
[ 35-1108 ]

A large, long, green caterpillar seen from the side. It has beautiful black, yellow, and red spots and little yellow pointed legs is eating the edges of a leaf on a wild Four O'Clock plant.

The partial eclipse looked even more beautiful as seen in the patterns cast by the shadows of trees on the road we were walking along. [ 35-1115 ]

Each of the points of sunlight in between the shadows cast by the leaves of a tree on a stretch of ashpalt is shaped ike a crescent moon.

The state of the world has been crushing my soul. Walks seem to be the only anecdote. Lately, the beautiful hues and wonderful fragrances of autumn have been helping to restore me to some semblance of equilibrium. [ 35-1116 ]

A hillside of orange and burnt yellow-hued wild grasses backlit by afternoon sun and interspersed with some Ponderosa pine trees through which can be glimpsed a blue sky.

One of our favorite moments when we are out walking is saying hello to our buddy, Ranger. [ 36-1125 ]

Ranger, a tan quarterhorse with a dark brown mane, is standing at a fence touching his nose to the hand of Garima. Behind them is a tan wintertime pasture, a low red barn in the distance, and tree-covered hills beyond.

By morning, everything was covered in about 10″ of dense, heavy snow. We spent a few hours shoveling. Then, just as we finished, the clouds lightened, the sun starting shining through, and we were treated to what I think is one of the most beautiful sights: a landscape covered with snow and lit by sunshine. [ 36-1128 ]

Another view of Ponderosa trees covered in snow, this time looking towards the west.

One of my favorite things in springtime is when the blossoms open on the old apple trees growing on the side of the lane I walk along most days. I love the way the buds are a rich reddish pink, then burst open to reveal white flowers with just a hint of pink. [ 36-1130 ]

The tip of a branch on an old apple tree with a white fully open blossom surrounded by reddish pink buds that are just starting to open. A ladybug can be seen on a leaf beneath the open blossom.

I love autumn. [ 36-1135 ]

Against a tangled background of still green foilage, a single grape leaf faces the camera, spread out almost like wings of a butterfly. It has begun the process of turning. Around the main veins running from the stem out to the leaf tips, branching many times, it is now a pale yellow green. Between those veins, it is still mostly green, which really highlights the leaf's vein structure. The very tip of the leaf has begun to turn a rusty brown.

Here's the beautiful early morning sunlight sparkling on the dancing surface of South St. Vrain Creek as it flows down out of the Rocky Mountain foothills. [ 37-1147-2 ]

A shallow crystal clear creek about 20 feet/6 meters wide is flowing away downstream over a bed of rocks that are various hues of brown. In places where the creek is dancing around bigger rocks, the surface is sparkling white. There are green bushes and trees on both sides of the creek, and in the distance, a glimpse of a clear blue sky above.


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