Hummingbird Time

It doesn't seem to matter to this Broad Tailed Hummingbird that it's snowing and snow has collected on the feeder--he still needs lots of energy.  The males have shown up in town and are setting up their territories.  I have been watching three of them fighting over the feeder.  Come on guys, there are lots of places to sit and eat around the table.  The females will show up soon.  The Broad Tails are probably my favorite variety because of the whirring sound they make when they fly--you always know when they are in the vicinity.  The other hummingbird species that frequent Colorado don't make that sound.  

This finch thinks he's a hummingbird.  I have seen him landing on the feeder and pecking around a number of times.   Summer is a great time for birdwatching in the Colorado front range.  Everything from wild turkeys, raptors, and water birds, to songbirds.   Many of them birds that I have never seen in Texas, but some that I see in Texas in the winter are here in the summer.  

This morning I watched a hummingbird flying parabolas out in the yard.  He would fly straight up and then straight down, but pull out of the dive maybe 6 feet from the ground.  Then I noticed that there was a second one sitting on top of a shrub near the low point of his flight path.  I think he was trying to scare that one away.  These little guys are the only birds that can even fly backwards.  Sometimes, I have also seen them fly up to the window while I sit typing on the computer.  They will just stare in the window for a few seconds and then fly away.  But this means they are very close to me--really cool!!

Retirement = Too Busy to Blog

Can it be--that retired people are busy?  You think you are going to have too much time on your hands, but NOT.  Household projects, grandparent activities, travel, shopping, a little nap--and the day is gone.

But once in a while, you just take a day off.  Saturday was one of those days. We went to the Estes Park Rotary Club's Duck Race, which is an annual fund raiser event for local charities.  There were over 5700 ducks in the race.  Check out the little video I made:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vugcqjm0zo

Yard Friends of the Rodent Family

Our little friend above is a Wyoming Ground Squirrel.  They are plentiful around Colorado.  Many folks want to poison them so they don't mess up their lawn, but its not like I have a real lawn--just a meadow with native grasses.  You do have to watch where you step when walking out in the yard--there are holes, much like a prairie dog town.  But these guys are fun to watch.  This morning I watched two of them chase each other round and round, then get in a scuffle for a few moments and then chase some more.  I guess someone must have gone in the wrong tunnel.  They are almost perfectly camoflaged with the soil and grass.  Sometimes when I go outside they don't run away, they just freeze--makes for good picture taking.  Of course, if I get close enough, they will run.

This fellow is a Golden Mantle Ground Squirrel.  He (she?) seems interested in digging holes up under the rock outcroppings in the yard, rather than peppering the yard with holes and mounds like the Wyoming type.  Or, they also seem to like to tunnel under the concrete front porches--quess porches look like big rocks to them.

The bunny rabbits seem to place their holes right at the base of bushes in our yard.  And the field mice seem to like our crawl space under the house.   Representatives of the rodent family abound, and each has their preferred spot to build their dens. Although I have not seen rats, which is more than I can say for our neighborhood in Houston.

One rodent we do not have in our yard is beavers. However, to see them, we only have to go down to the end of our street where they have a lodge and many dams at a creek there.

Estes View

I "borrowed" this photo from the Estes Park Convention and Visitors Bureau brochure.  Isn't it beautiful.  No wonder I love this place.  The white tower at left center is the historic Park Theater.  The main street of Estes Park, Elkhorn Avenue, runs fronm the lower left corner diagonally across the page and disappears behind the hill at right.  About a half inch above the last "s" in Estes, an oval-shaped Christmas Decoration is visible sitting on the hill overlooking town.  All of the street trees along Elkhorn Avenue are decorated with small white lights for the holidays.

Discovery ready to fly

In this photo, the Space Shuttle Discovery sits atop the Shuttle Carrier  Aircraft at the Mate/Demate Facility at Kennedy Space Center.  Tomorrow morning, it will be flown to Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C.  There it will find a home at the Smithsonian Institution's Udvar Hazy Facility for historic aircraft.

The Space Shuttle test vehicle, Enterprise, has been property of the Smithsonian Institution since 1985, and has been displayed at Udvar Hazy since the facility's opening.  Enterprise will be loaded onto the carrier aircraft and  flown to New York City for display at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum.  This flight is scheduled for Thursday of this week, weather permitting.

It's sad for those of us who worked in the Space Shuttle Program and experienced over 30 years of flights to see these unique vehicles put out to pasture.  There is not likely to be anything to equal them for a very long time.

Ravens

These two ravens are observing the world from the top of a cabin roof near Estes Park.  They are certainly inquisitive birds.  One day I put out a bag of garbage for pickup.  I attached an envelope containing money for the man who picks up, using that clear packing tape that is absolutely people proof.  I noticed a couple of these ravens walking around the bag looking and pecking at it.  After a while I went out there to check on it because I could see a few holes around the bottom of the bag.  The envelope with my money was GONE.  Now, it was a pretty windy day, so I suspect that those guys pecked at that thing until it was loose enough to blow away.  OR, maybe they are out spending my money, doing a little shopping!

Ravens are known for being very intelligent, with reasoning powers almost equal to those of a dog.  I am used to seeing Texas crows and grackles, but these ravens make them look small--they are some big birds.  And very interesting to watch.  With some criminal tendenances as well--dang theives.

Frogs

This post is primarily in honor of my daughter--who loves frogs.  Consider it one of those off the wall posts, not related to any subject I normally post about--except that it is wildlife related perhaps.

 One of my friends made a trip to Costa Rica and took photos of this frog.  She said it was a Red Eyed Tree Frog.  Obviously not one of those poisonous tropical frogs.   I just thought it was really cute.

April Snow

The Stanley Hotel presides over Estes Park, with Lumpy Ridge as its backdrop.  A snowy peak of the Mummy Range can be seen at left.  Estes Park normally sees some snow in April, but this year has been really warm with spring-like weather in March and April.  Finally, folks woke up to snow yesterday morning, although it is far from enough to make up for the less than normal amounts received this year.  Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park has been melting already, and people have been warned not to walk across it.  Yesterday's snow won't last due to daytime temperatures reaching into the 50s and 60s.  Spring is knocking on the door.

Lenticular Clouds

Lenticular clouds can form when stable moist air flows over a mountain or a range of mountains.  The clouds have been mistaken for UFOs because they often have a characteristic lens appearance and smooth saucer-like shape.
In the top photo, elk graze in the foreground as a lenticular cloud forms over Twin Sisters Mountain.  Although I was not near my camera to capture a photo at the time, when the sun started to set this cloud developed a beautiful red color.  The bottom photo shows a lenticular cloud that formed near Long's Peak, as seen from the Bear Lake parking lot.
The first time a flatlander (like me) sees these clouds, it is a pleasant surprise.  The mountains also are excellent generators of rainbows in the summer.  Stay tuned for a rainbow post in a few months (I hope).

That First Sighting of the Divide

When traveling by car from Texas to Colorado, one route is to follow US 87 to meet I-25 in Raton, New Mexico.  After about 800 miles of rolling hills with pines, farmlands, dry plains, tumbleweeds, ranches, and buttes, one tops a hill and there they are--the Rocky Mountains.  It finally feels like one is actually making progress toward the goal of Colorado, although it is still another 6 hours or so to Estes Park.

Of course, on the return trip something of the reverse is true.  My mother told my husband, "every time we would leave Colorado when Lindy was a kid, she would watch the mountains out the back window for as long as she could see them and cry when she couldn't see them anymore."   My husband's response was, "nothing's changed."

Bobcats!

We have often seen bobcats in yards around Estes Park. Everything I read about them says they are solitary and nocturnal, therefore seldom seen. Not so around here. The two pictured here were photographed in a yard (I borrowed the photo from the Estes Park Newspaper).    They seem to be out and about earlier than usual this year due to the warm weather.

The larger, lighter male is on the right. They are the most plentiful wild cat in the U.S. and range across much of the country having adapted to diverse habitats as forests, swamps, deserts, and mountains. They can weigh up to 30 pounds and visually look similar to their larger relative the Canada lynx. The cat is named for its tail, which appears to be cut or "bobbed."

They usually eat rabbits, birds, mice, squirrels, marmots, other smaller game. The bobcat hunts by stealth, and attacks with a leaping pounce that can cover 10 feet. Females will raise a litter of one to six kittens who remain with their mother for up to a year.

As is seen with other wildlife in this area, including deer, elk, bear, and bighorn sheep, they have also adapted to living in the vicinity of humans. Not that they are tame or want to be approached by humans, but they do not seem put off by coming into areas of human habitation (housing areas). It's more like they just tolerate the human homes being there because there is prey that inhabits the yards. The homes in our area have one acre or larger lots, and so are scattered rather than being close together as in surburbia. I know there are lots of squirrels, gophers, rabbits, and mice living in my yard. Maybe I will get my own bobcat visitors soon.

Space Shuttle Remembrance

Here is a link to a movie that was compiled from HD footage taken on 2 Space Shuttle missions.  The cameras were mounted on the two solid rocket boosters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2aCOyOvOw5c
This is quite a view of launch, solid rocket booster separation, and the view from the boosters as they fall back to Earth and land in the ocean.  One part that is only visible for a few seconds is that of the Space Shuttle orbiter and tank flying away from the boosters after separation.  The whole thing is is amazing--it amazes me that the cameras could live through it.
I miss my Space Shuttle, can you tell? (but I don't really miss going to work).

Bluebonnet Time

Due to the warm weather and good rainfall that have come early this spring, the wildflowers are popping out a couple of weeks earlier than usual. This is projected to be a good flower year--last year was not, due to the drought and heat.  The Texas State Flower, the bluebonnet, is projected to peak by next weekend in areas where it is prolific, such as Brenham and Washington on the Brazos. Of course the bluebonnets are often mixed with primroses, indian paint brushes, rudbeckia, wine cups, prickly poppies, and verbena for a beautiful mixed bouquet. The flowers are already blooming in the Houston vicinity. Areas a little farther west, such as the Texas hill country may peak a week later than area farther east.   A cool front is expected Tuesday with temps in the 50's to 70's and clear skies for the rest of the week.  Sounds like a good time for a day trip to flower country.

Wind Power

In the past few years, Texas has become a "power seat" for the wind generated power industry.  The windmills in the photo above are just outside Dalhart, which we happened to be passing through right at sunset.  After dark, all you can see are the individual little blinking lights that are on each tower. As we traveled down the road toward New Mexico, it looked like we were passing fields full of fireflies.  It's very dark out there, and those little blinking lights are just everywhere.  Of course, during the day, you can see them all turning.  One thing that surprized me is that they turn much slower than I expected.  

I have noticed many trucks on Texas Interstate Highways carrying the individual turbine blades.  They are much larger than they look after installation way up there in the air.  One blade fills a really long 18-wheeler flatbed trailer.  I read recently that wind turbines in the western half of Texas supply up to 8% of the state's electrical power now.   I have also noticed many of these windmills in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado.

At the Park

The trees are popping out with leaves (and mucho pollen); the redbud trees are blooming.  Things are looking nice and green around the Houston area.  Fortunately, the rains have helped with our drought, and more rain is forecast for the next few days.  This is a really nice time for being outdoors, with daytime temperatures in the 70's.  So there are many outdoor events and festivals now through April and May.  Then the hibernation begins untill Fall.

Garner State Park

 In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps began work at Garner State Park.  Located about 90 miles west of San Antonio, Texas, this is what I consider the prettiest part of Texas.  The CCC built many of the park structures in what is sometimes considered "National Park" style--using indigenous materials, in this case limestone and wood.  In the top photo, you can see the dance floor that overlooks the Frio River.  The second photo shows some of the rock vault work that forms the arches of the covered porch.  This building houses a snack bar and gift shop.  There are cabins available that are rented (well in advance) by the Texas State Parks Service, as well an enormous number of campsites with various levels of amenities.

  

Oh yes, there are innertubes for rent also, or bring your own.  The biggest draw here is the clear, cold water of the spring fed Frio River.  The greatest tubing river in Texas--not too wild for little kids unless the water level is high following a rain.  The photo above was taken in the fall when the cypress trees are providing some color.  But in the summer the large trees and cold water are welcome relief from the hot weather.  The elevation here is about 1700 feet, so nights are usually cooler even if the day is scorching--and the humidity is nada!  That in itself is quite a relief to people who drive the 6 hours from Houston for a little Texas vacation.

Snowy RMNP

I love Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) in the summer. The summer weather at altitudes ranging from 7,000 to 12,000 ft. varies from warm to quite cool.  These are the altitudes I have access to by road and trail when I am there in summer since I'm not a mountain climber.  The highest elevation in the park is 14,256 at the summit of Long's Peak.  The park in the winter is like a different world.  There is almost always more snow in the park than you will see in Estes Park.  This day was particularly beautiful with a clear sky.  Yes, it was cold--the temperatures were probably in the high twenties, which actually doesn't feel too bad as a result of the sun and reflective qualities of the snow.  I loved it.

Snowy Drive

Snow is beautiful, snow is fun, but not if you have to drive very far in it.  Actually, at the time the snow is falling, unless it's a blizzard/whiteout, the driving on most east-slope Colorado roads isn't too bad.  But during the next several days, especially if the temps go above freezing during the day and it all refreezes at night, then it can be unpleasant or even dangerous.  In this situation, the snow has melted and refrozen during the night so you have a layer of ice on the road and no traction.  Fortunately, for retirees, most of the time it is not necessary to go out, and the roads are plowed really quickly, so one is not trapped at home for too long.  The photo above was taken near Allenspark, Colorado, during a nice drive on a (lightly) snowy day.

Spring Already?

Now the folks in Colorado would find this to be, well, just weird.  But Spring seems to have begun in Houston.  Red maples, redbuds, pears, and plums are starting to bloom. The ash trees have new leaves, and many flowers that survived the very warm winter are already blooming.  The photo above shows a few of the blooms on my Meyer Lemon tree--it is just covered with blooms.  If even a small percentage make fruit, it will be a really big year for lemons.  When spring starts this early, we all just hope that a late cold front doesn't appear on the scene and nip all the new growth.

Texas Skies

I love open areas like prairies and meadows where there are unobstructed views of the sky.  These photos were both taken near Brenham, Texas in December and January.  I find the winter skies interesting as cold fronts come through and then clear skies emerge with the cirrus clouds like those in the top photos.  In the bottom photo, the colors of the sky almost made me feel as if the colors of the Bluebonnet flowers that this area is known for are being seen in the sky--soon to fall to the earth and cover the area with spring blooms.

A Lucky Day

I guess today will qualify as random thought day--sometimes brought on by icky weather and staying indoors. I took this photo near Talkeetna, Alaska.  Talkeetna is a very "frontier" looking town of log buildings--geared for tourists, with some interesting shops and restaurants.  It is situated where three rivers meet to form the Susitna River.  A short walk down to the river reveals spectacular views of  Mt. McKinley (in photo) and other peaks of the Alaska Range.  We were told that only about 20 percent of people who visit Alaska in the summer are able to get a glimpse of the mountain.  It is usually obscured by clouds, so it was our lucky day.  Actually, we were also lucky to get more views the next day on our road trip up to the vicinity of Denali National Park.  But you can't be lucky every day--the day after that when we rode the buses into the National Park and reached the overlook--nothing but clouds and fog.   Alaska is spectacular, but seemed very remote to me and to say "large" would be the understatement of all time.

Living with Seasons

It is a pleasure to spend time in a place that actually has seasons.  As a retiree, you really don't need to worry about having to drive to work in the snow or ice.  Just have plenty of food in the house and your computer, TV, and some books-as well as some art supplies and sewing equipment.  Oh yes, and plenty of cat food!  Have the  firewood ready to go in the wood stove if the power should go off.

Who needs to go anywhere?  Even so, if you get cabin fever, you can put on your ice spikes, snow shoes, or cross country skis and take a nice walk.  In a few months, spring and summer will show up all green with flowers.  Then the fall with beautiful leaves and crisp temperatures.

All this and no humidity, misquitoes, or roaches (Texans take note).  A small town atmosphere with lots of caring people.  And wonderful scenery--so keep the camera handy. Am I sold on Estes Park--yup!  Just can't be beat!!

A Winter Day at Lily Lake

Lily Lake lies along Colorado Highway 7 south of Estes Park.  It is surrounded by a handicapped accessible trail that is probably the flatest trail in Colorado.  Technically, it is within Rocky Mountain National Park, but it is accessed from a parking lot that is right beside the highway.  It's a popular picnicing and fishing spot in the summer.  On a clear winter day, with the contrasts provided by the dark green trees, rocks, and snow, the beautiful Colorado blue sky just POPS!

Hungry after your walk on the trail, but don't want to picnic by the lake?  The famous Baldpate Inn is just across the highway--from May thru October you can check out their dining room for a fantastic soup, salad, and pie lunch buffet:  http://www.baldpateinn.com/Baldpate.menu.html

A Trip to the Country

A short day trip to Roundtop and Brenham, Texas, yesterday.  A 2 hour drive takes one from the metropolis of Houston to a different world.  Roundtop is known for it antiques festival and arts and crafts shopping.  It is just a spot in the road really, but has several restaurants whose decor reflects their setting (rustic), and their food is wonderful.  A fiber arts show was in progress at one of the galleries and had wonderful art including handmade furniture and clocks, pottery, glass works, paintings, jewelry, and more.  We topped off our trip with a visit to the Brenham Art League's Gallery before heading back to the city.  We resolved to return to Brenham for a tour of the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory and associated tastings.

Old Ponderosa Pines

In what is called the Montaine Forests along the Front Range of the Rockies, between 6,000 and 9,000 feet, the Ponderosa Pine dominates the forest.  These are very long-lived trees, with some in the American west documented to be in the 700-800 year old range.  Trees of that age are rare, but those in the 200 to 500 year range are much more common.  At about 200 years, Ponderosas start to take on the look of an old tree, a flattened or sparse crown, fewer small limbs, but some very large ones.  Sometimes the top of the tree will look craggy and dead.  It is not unusual for these older trees to be 150-180 feet tall.  Many of them have survived several forest fires.  Scientists have taken core samples, or studied the stumps of old trees that were cut and dated many trees to the mid-1500's.  In the area around Estes Park and locales to the north and south in Larimer and Boulder counties, there are some of these 450 year old trees.  And 200 year old trees are quite common.

The tree in the photo above grows along Carriage Drive in Estes Park.  It shows the signs of great age, but I don't have a clue exactly how old it is.  Last summer, at night the hoots of an owl could be heard coming from it--perhaps it served as a nesting tree.

Two Young Men

These two young males, known as "spikes" were members of a herd of approximately 60 elk that were grazing in my yard.  The snow was patchy and plenty of dry grass was available for them.  At this time of year, the females and calves from last spring hang out together in herds.  The large males tend to have a boys club off in the National Park somewhere.  These two are young adolescent males who will leave their mothers' herd in the summer and join the other boys to learn more about life as an elk.

New Snow

The morning after a new snow, the sun comes out and everything is so beautiful.  It may look cold, but with the sun shining at 40 degrees, it is a wonderful time to enjoy the beauty of the snow.  This photo is taken at the riverwalk downtown Estes Park.  The walkways and bridges wind through town between the river and stores and the contrast of  bare limbed Aspens, Narrowleaf Cottonwoods, and Spruce trees is striking.

For a Texas transplant, it offers another "riverwalk" opportunity that is a stark contrast to the scenery along the San Antonio Riverwalk.  I love them both.

Outdoor Days

Winter in the Houston-Galveston area is, for the most part, a pleasant time of year.  Although there are cold snaps at times with temperatures dipping below freezing overnight, there are also many days in the 60s and 70s when outdoor activities are really enjoyable.  No heat, and almost no misquitoes.  Like the day I took this photo--sit outdoors at the coffee shop under the live oak trees--even wear your shorts if you are warm natured.  Enjoying this time of year helps to make the HOT HOT the summer a bit more bearable.

Pedestrian Crossing

In addition to the herds of elk that pass through the neighborhood, small groups of mule deer seem to be always on hand.  This guy doesn't care that I'm driving down the street, he's in the crosswalk!  Caution is required on all streets in Estes Park because wildlife is everywhere.  Yesterday, I saw a mule deer doe standing right along the side of my street as I came around a curve.  It caught me by surprise, but she seemed to be watching for cars and crossed the street after I passed.  Both the elk and deer seem little concerned with the cars and will eat grass within a few feet of the street, not even flinching when a car passes.  Of course, at times there are some unfortunate incidents.  But they are wonderful to watch and we just try to be careful of them. 

Lawn Service

How's this for free lawn service--complete with fertilization.    Note that there are a few yearling males with this group of females.  They have grown small spike antlers, which they will lose in the spring just before starting to grow next year's antlers which are sure to be a larger set.  At this time of year the adult males hang out together separate from the females.  They can sometimes be seen in the National Park lands with their band of boys.

Winter in East Texas

East Texas is a land of pine forest covered hills and swampy cypress filled river bottoms.  Winter ranges from mild in the southern reaches to much harsher in the north nearer the Arkansas and Oklahoma borders.  But winter in these areas is nothing like winter in Colorado.  Here is a photo of bald cypress trees in an artesian lake on a foggy January morning--no ice or snow to be seen.  The thermometer will drop below freezing in the overnight at times, but high temperatures may even reach into the 70s at times.

Fastest Plows in the West

After the snow fell most of the night, the snowplows are busy at work the next morning in Rocky Mountain National Park.  By late morning, Trailridge Drive is open all the way to Many Parks Curve, the extent of its accessibility in the winter months.  Beyond that, the snows are too deep and winds too high to keep that part of the road open from late October to late May.  But the lower elevations of the Park are available for sightseeing, sledding, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing.

Back Yard Bunny

Here is my back yard bunny.  He (or she) doesn't seem to mind the cold or snow. I watched him sit in the back yard by the rocks for several hours while it snowed on him.  He finally went in his bunny burrough.

Internet Access Again!

What a beautiful day for a walk.  What a difference a couple of days makes.  Look at these brave folks out walking their dogs on Saturday.  When the snow is over and that blue sky and sunshine appears, it seems worth it to have had to wait indoors for the end of the snow storm. 

I have been one of those busy retirees for the past week and haven't had internet access to allow posting.  Finally!  I'm off and running again--I have missed posting the blog.