Almost over

Just a little over two weeks and then "On the Road Again"...can't wait.....We will be going to the Grand Canyon.  Hopefully I will have LOTS of pictures.

Rufous Hummingbird

So we have had quite the array  of Hummingbirds this year.

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Calliope Hummingbird

Broad-Tailed Hummingbird

All of these birds have been great to watch...sure wish we had this much variety in Georgia.  Not that I don't enjoy the Ruby-Throat Hummingbird.  We have had lots of birds to look at this summer.  We caught a Golden Eagle on one of our hikes.   We got pretty close before he took off.

Golden in flight

Golden Eagle

 






We went to the Rocky Mountain NP for two fun filled nights of "real" camping.  Had a great time, Chris and Justin came and joined us.  We did not see as much wildlife as we usually do.....or I should say that we did not see as many Elk as we usually do.  But we did manage to see some Big Horned Sheep and Moose with a calf.  Soooo awesome....I sure didn't think that the Moose was going to happen.  Always wrong place, at the wrong time.

His little harem

Bull Elk and in charge

This bull let all know that the group coming through was his.  There was about thirty or so.

Lone Ram

Big Horned Sheep

The Big Horned Sheep where plentiful this visit....I have not seen this many in one place.

Moose Calf

Mother and calf

This was sheer luck.  We where just about out of the park and Paul saw them.  We followed them for a ways.  But these last few shots where the best.  Maybe next time we will see a bull.  I just don't know what I would do if I ran across one of them....

Lands End Road

Looking back over one of the valleys

This Lands End Road is one of my favorite to ride up.  I have never seen any wildlife on it, but an awesome drive.  Looking back over the valley once we get to the top....too cool.

This place is really very beautiful....I am sure that there are other places that match or even exceed it's beauty, but this place really has that "AWE" effect.  So very lucky to see it, not once, but several times.

Still missing Faith, but all is well with us and Scarlett.

Middle of Aug

Most of the time the park is quiet, except for the weekends...and it looks like we will be busy every weekend through Oct.  Week days, good, weekends, busy....story of our lives.

The migrations have begun...we are seeing different types of Hummingbirds.  For the first time I have actually seen a Broad-Tailed Hummingbird.  They are pretty.  Most of the other hummer's have started their trip south, where ever that might be.  I know this because, instead of filling up the feeders everyday, I am down to filling up one feeder every other day or so... still I have managed to go through twenty-five pounds of sugar.

Our neighboring camp host has migrated south also...they have gone home.  We will be on our way shortly, but on a sadder note.  We will be leaving one of our beloved fur kids in Colorado.  Faith is not doing well and we feel that it would be an injustice to try and make her travel all the way back to Georgia. She will be missed.

So, most is well with us....until the next time.

So July is almost over

So we are almost finished with the month of July....wow.  One more and we will be on our way to someplace new......then Georgia.  

Cooper's Hawk and nest

Cooper's Hawk

We have been in the bird rescue business. Our Cooper's Hawk seemed to have had some over crowding issues and a couple of them ended up on the ground.  We did manage to get one up in the tree, (as far as we could), but the other just did not seem to get the hang of it.  So after several attempts at placing him in the tree, we decided that he would have to go to rehab and get stronger.  Maybe we will see him in the skies around the park.

We did have some excitement close to the park...the farmers field just outside of the park caught fire. Fortunately it did not catch his house or barns on fire. We think that it might have been started by a cigarette. 

Farmers Field

Terri, Sarah and Sam

Terri and the kids came out and visited with us for a couple of nights.  We went to the Monument, trying to get to cooler weather.  It was a great visit. Then Chris and Justin came out to visit and we went up on the Grand Mesa....again for some cooler weather.  Are you seeing a pattern here....it has been HOT!!

Chris and Justin

Golden Mantel ground squirrel 

Very fat cheeks 

We are seeing some of the Hummingbirds that migrate through....The Rufous and the Calliope.  They don't stay around very long.

Rufous Hummingbird

Calliope Hummingbird

I also had the chance encounter with a very "little friend".  I have never been able to hold a hummingbird, but this little guy was a bit confused and thought that anybody that came near should be feeding him.  So with a little encouragement I helped him to the feeder.  Alas I think that he has it figured out now, and does not let me get near him.

Little Friend

Me and my little friend

Raccoon doing some fishing

The wildflowers have been pretty.  Not as much as in years past, but pretty just the same.

Wild Flowers on the Mesa

Wild Flowers

So we have a couple of camping trips planned, one at the end of the month up to Stage Coach SP.  We will get to visit with our friends, Jeany and Ken.   I am sure that it is cooler there...okay I am hoping that it is cooler there.  Then we are into August...and we will make a run over to the Rocky Mountain NP...it just would not be a trip to Colorado without a trip to the Rockies.

So as always, all is well with the girls and us...until the next time.

Second Month

So the month of June;  we have been busy, maybe not as much as May.  The campground has been full most weekdays and definitely on the weekends.  Our daughter from Denver has been over to see us and we have managed to get over to her too.  Both visits where great, and we got to meet her boyfriend, Justin, nice guy, can't wait to meet his little girl. 

Magnificent Frigatebird









The wildlife in the park has not been as co-operative.  I have had an interesting bird fly over....So this Magnificent Frigatebird came over the water and he was a site...I am under the impression that these birds usually stay on the west coast, so we where excited to see him., though he did not stay around long.

Hairy Clematis

Clark's Nutcracker

We went back up on the Mesa and went to the observatory and we saw lots of birds and some of the Golden Mantel ground squirrels and a few chipmunks. Below are some of the birds that I got a picture of and some of the flowers.

Steller Jay

At the park some of the birds and fox have been in the area....these are some of them.

Fox

Lark Sparrow

Blue Grosbeak



So as you can see we are still having fun.  We had our friends; Jeany and Ken, from AZ visit with us. Glad to have seen them, we do plan on getting up to their park; Stagecoach and hopefully camp for a few days.... then maybe the the Rocky Mountain NP.  Who knows.... Paul's daughter and grand kids from North Carolina are planning on coming over and spending a couple of days with us. 

As for the wildfires, (that I am sure most have heard about), they are not close to us so far.  We did have one that we could see from the park, but it turned out to be "small".  So lots of things going on....

As always all is well with the girls and us...."till next time, stay cool.





Crazy, busy

So time has gone by...we have been in Colorado now for four weeks...WOW!!  Everything is running just as smoothly as when we left two years ago....CRAZY.  We pulled in and had a couple of days to set-up, then the fun began.  

The start of the 18hr race

Ooooh pretty lights

We started our first weekend on, with the 18hr Fruita bicycle race.  I have seen a lot of things but this really takes the cake....these people ride a course, (around our park/lake), for 18hrs.  Some do this all by themselves, (one man/woman team), and some have up to eight people that share in the pain.  Either way I am thinking that this is not for me. After I saw the course; in the dark, (because this race starts at midnight), I knew that I would never stand a chance.  What a wild 18 hours....and these people really seems to enjoy this, go figure.



So while the week was quiet enough, we knew that another wild weekend was in store.  Mother's day weekend was just as busy. Although no bicycle races were happening, the kids sure enough had their own agenda going on. 


Robin and her little one

Yellow Warbler

Now we are two weekends down and another on the horizon....and that being a HITS event, (some triathlon thingy).  This consist of swimming, biking, and running.  As if one part of this is not painful enough.  A whole lot of fun there.  Can you say busy, busy busy....

So now we are at the weekend that starts the summer for most, yeah.  BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, that is all I can say about that.  And it looks like we are to stay that way well into Jun. 

Dinosaur National Park

Looking out Kebler Pass







Elk

 

All the while this is going on we have managed to get in some site seeing....We have played in the snow on the Grand Mesa, and up at Crested Butte, (Kebler Pass).  We have been to the Monument and to Dinosaur National Park.  So busy we may have been, we still have  found time to enjoy the wonders of Colorado....but of course this is why we keep coming back., right?  It has to be, why would you drive so far for a summer break?  We do enjoy this part of the country and have made numerous friends, and maybe that is why we keep coming back.  I have also seen a lot of wildlife right here in the park. 

Female Great Horned Owl

Mule deer







The Owls that I had followed last year, are in the park, but they do not have a nest this year.  The Coopers Hawk are on their nest, so maybe I will be able to follow their progress.  The Humming Birds and Dove are plentiful this year, as are the deer.  So there is lots for me to keep tabs on.  Not to mention the Eagle on the way into the park that is on a nest.  I have a few pictures, but they are a little harder to get too, to take pictures of.

Female hummer's at the feeder

Osprey fishing



So until  the next time, as always, all is well with the girls and us.

Mountain Blue bird



Traveling again to Colorado

I know that is has been quite awhile since my last blog....hopefully I will keep up with it better this summer and even after that.  Only time will tell. 

While we have been on the road since the beginning of April, I have not had too much to talk about, but since I have something to talk about now I will start at the beginning....  When we started this trip on Easter Sunday we had not got out of the state of Georgia when we had a tire blow out.  Fortunately for us it was a inside dually tire and caused no damage.  After having a small heart attack at the cost of the tire plus labor, (being Sunday and Easter), we opted to wait until Monday for the repairs.....three tires later we are back on the road. 

We made our way to Livingston, TX and finished our domicile change and moved onto Houston to visit with Grandma Hiner, Aunt Tonya and Uncle David.  Had a great visit, but too short as usual.  We then made our way to San Antonio.  Stayed a few days there and then moved onto New Mexico.

We have been here for two weeks....and really have had a wonderful time.  This has been a really wonderful, unique, group of people.  They have embraced us like family.  We have to leave just to have the rest. Paul and I have learned how to play Mahjong, Hand and Foot, and Pokeno.  I have beaded, puzzled, chit chatted and learned the words to Happy Trails.  We have welcomed other travelers home and wished others safe travels.  When I say that we are sad to leave, that is not just lip service. 

So with all that being said, we are sad to leave, but it is time to move onto our summer haunts and get on around the next curve. 

All is well with the girls and us....I will be back with more and pictures too.

Just some highlights....

Well I could make a bunch of excuses, but that is all that it would be.  

We have made it to Colorado, which most already know, and have really been having a great time.  Arrived the first of May and have been working in the park and watching the wildlife grow (in numbers), and in size.  The spring rains have come and gone and the summer weather is making it quite warm....nothing that we can't deal with; we just run up to our property and the temperature drops like a rock...

Most of the snow is off the higher elevations, but there is still some and they have managed to ski on the 4th of July, amusing  if nothing else.

Grand Mesa

I have lots of pictures and most will just be loaded straight up to the picasa web album, but here are a few that I am fond of...

This is snow on the Grand Mesa early May.  Really was quite beautiful, kinda nice not to have to deal with the whole winter thing.  

In the park we have had lots of last years animals around.  The deer heard from last year have stayed around, and why not. 

Mule deer and fawn

I was lucky to have come across this little guy, probably just hours old.  Since this picture, the older doe has delivered twins. 

We also have had lots of birds, Great Horned Owls,Great Heron, Bald Eagles, Osprey, Bullock's Oriole, Western Tanager, and more.  I have been keeping a close eye on our Great Horned Owls.  What a treat!  I have so many pictures of the one owlet.  He/she, (not sure which), has been a hoot, no pun intended....

Owlet 20May,11

This picture is before he/she had left the nest for good...although not quite ready to be on his own, he/she is making his way around the park and keeping the other birds and small animals in a stir.

Mom seems to stay near, but she is letting him/her learn to fend for himself.  

Mom and Owlet 29Jun,11

Well I have also seen my very first honey bee swarm, and not just one swarm, but three.  That was way cool....never knew how interesting a little honey bee could be. 

Bee swarm

Bee keeper???

 We called somebody to come and gather the bees up, they let me help....yeah I just watched.

Buck in velvet

Like I said we have been up to the property that we bought last year.  The first visit there was still snow on the ground....since then it has all left and the wild flowers are blooming and the young animals are out and about.  We stayed one night and the temperature dropped down to 35 degrees.  Pretty cold, since the temperature that we left in Grand Junction was 100degrees.  We had a great time and Chris was able to come up and stay with us.

This buck thought that he was hidden, yeah he has no idea who he is dealing with.

Snow Shoe Hare

This rabbit got Paul and I, we had no idea what kind of rabbit we had found.  This is a Snow Shoe Hare, changing into his summer color of grey.  All that is left of his winter color is his feet and the trim on his ears.

We have been to Denver and went to the Coors Brewery.  What a great tour, and free beer!!...and I don't even drink beer. We also went to the Renaissance Festival.   It was such a good visit with Chris and her roommates.

I have lots more pictures, so look at the picasa web album.

As usual all is well with the girls and us...