Springtime in the Rockies

 Well, I completely missed posting about winter on the blog!

We had very low snowpack.

view of Red Mountain from the back deck

Entering wildfire season, we're too dry.

We hope for moisture whether it falls as snow or rain.

It's very beautiful at high altitude.

The Moon still crosses the sky as it always has.

I often awake to photograph it.

Our "Egg Girl" still delivers every Sunday.

(Yes, I always photograph them too...some things never change.)

A couple weeks ago, we drove across CO, UT, and AZ to visit the desert.

Hello cactus and warm weather.

We arrived home just in time to celebrate my 82nd birthday.

I had two cataract surgeries this spring so I no longer need glasses.

I've worn glasses since I was 6 years old.

I find myself still trying to adjust them on my face and reaching for them at night!

I guess my brain needs time to recalibrate!

The beauty of my surroundings is my One Good Thing.

Now I can see and appreciate beauty with clear vision!

I hope you are looking for and finding Good Things too.

Barb

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Update

I last posted in July.

We've been feeling fine.

The days pass quickly - I think more quickly now that I'm 80!

In August, while the Shasta Daisies were blooming, Bob and I celebrated our 58th anniversary.

During September, our container plants and perennials still flourished.

However, nights became colder.

We had snow flurries that whitened the peaks.

By October, aspen leaves put on their show.

We enjoyed a spectacular fall.

Moose began to mate so we were very cautious and watchful when outdoors.

The pre-dawn Hunter Moon glowed above Imperial Peak.

In the beginning of November, we got back-to-back snowstorms.

Breckenridge Ski Area opened for the season.

dusk and moon-rise over Red Mountain

My changing Colorado landscape is my One Good Thing today.

There will be snow on the ground at my house through May.

We are blessed by white.

I hope you're well and continue to be active.

May love and peace abide with you.

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Summer - Thank Goodness!

It's finally summer at high altitude.

Globe Flowers bloom in boggy areas

I spend as much time as possible outdoors.

Paintbrush

Blooms paint the landscape in vivid colors.

Arnica and a decaying stump make a simple tableau

Temperatures remain pleasantly cool - some snow stays on high peaks all summer.

Senecio

Wildflowers bloom in profusion.

morning light on Ten Mile Creek

Streams and rivers run high from snowmelt.

Lupine offer a sweet, musky scent

Summer is a colorful gift after a long, white winter.

Bob and I remain active and feel well. I don't spend a lot of time sitting. I limit computer time. We share responsibilities for cooking and cleanup. I find cooking to be a necessary but unwelcome chore. Unfortunately, we have to eat - we like food but preparation is tiresome.  After dinner, we like to read until bedtime. I'm thankful for our eyesight since reading is so important to us. Now that I'm 80, I realize that every moment I can enjoy Life is bonus time. 

blue Columbine - Colorado's state flower

My One Good Thing today is the awakening of blooms after a long sleep.

I hope Life gives you many good things.

Thank You for visiting!

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Celebrate!

 It's still winter at high altitude.

Even the donkeys downtown are getting sick of the snow.

However, inside there are blooms.

We've had some celebrations.

Our twin sons turned 56 the end of April.

There was still plenty of snow for their AT skis.

My 80th birthday was May 9th.

The family paid a surprise visit to help me celebrate.

photo taken by Neve's brother, Caden

Our granddaughter, Neve, graduated from high school in May.

Neve in her traditional Korean Hanbok - professional photo

She'll begin a pre-Med degree in the fall. 

While attending graduation in Denver, we enjoyed spring.

photo taken in New Zealand by a friend

Last but not least, our oldest grandchild, Ben, will marry his fiance, Paula, in July.

pond in Frisco, CO, where the snow is mostly melted

There are many good things to celebrate!

I hope good things are happening in your life, too.

Thank you for visiting.

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Waning Days of Summer

We wait so long at high altitude for summer to arrive.

Fireweed in an alpine meadow

We crave the warmth of color after months of white.

Asters with a lone Arnica

But our season for growth is short.

Cow Parsnip setting seed among drying grasses

Perennials and wildflowers go to seed.

I remember my mother by planting Pansies

Potted plants and deck boxes give their final encore.

Bob and Sam (10) climb toward the sky

We hike the trails and relish the late-bloomers.

clouds part to showcase Imperial Peak - a bit of snow lasts all summer on high peaks

Fall is waiting in the wings as summer takes a final bow.

sitting among the last of the Lupine on Peak 10

Summer brought beautiful days with plentiful adventures.

I spent as much time as possible outdoors.

In past years, I often took solo hikes, but now, at 79,  I'm usually with someone on the trails.

It gives my family peace of mind to know I'm not alone.

Our high altitude summer is my One Good Thing today.

Bob and I celebrated 57 years of marriage on August 14th.

For us, that's another really Good Thing!

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The Thinker - Small Stone - 12

 

I watch Angelo from my kitchen window

sitting amid the Forget-Me-Nots

always serious, always thinking

staying mindful

small stone

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Bloom - Small Stone - 11

in harsh conditions, the Columbine adapts

to bloom anew every summer

small stone

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Pansies Make Me Cry - Small Stone - 5

pansies raise their sweet faces toward sunset's glow

thinking of my mother who loved pansies

passing from this life on a July evening

her pansies still blooming

I remember her in the comforting twilight

as tears fall

small stone

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Let Your Spirit Bloom

 

Spring is an elusive season at high altitude.

do bees have knees?

I've planted some deck boxes with pansies which tolerate cold.

Other more delicate annuals must wait a bit longer.

We live just above 10,000' (3,000m).

Days in June remain pleasantly cool, and nights are still chilly.

Hiking in the early morning, especially when gaining elevation, requires a jacket.

I'm alert while climbing through the forest, but so far in June haven't encountered a bear or moose.

Pausing at this skeletal tree, I send positive and healing thoughts to family and friends.

I entreat myself to extend kindness, stay calm, show tolerance. 

I believe that we all put powerful signals into the Universe.

May mine be free of anger and judgement.

Globeflowers

Wildflowers are blooming in boggy areas of the forest.

Marsh Marigolds

Globeflowers and Marsh Marigolds raise their fresh faces toward the sun.

Globeflowers

light shining through delicate petals

They are both fragile and tenacious.

(Perhaps like you....)

There is a pervading quiet on winding trails through old growth forest.

Rustling of small forest creatures and songs of birds accompany me.

The burbling of Lehman Creek permeates the silence.

I'm thankful for wilderness that heals the spirit.

Hiking through springtime wild places is my one good thing today.

Thank you for spending time with me.

I hope you've enjoyed your visit.

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