Country roads

Happy Mother's Day, all of you ... and Sandy, especially!

Yesterday we were doing a lot of work at the computers, and got tired of staring at screens. So, in the early afternoon, we went for a drive with our cameras to enjoy the neighborhood. It was sunny, but with a breeze that made a jacket feel good.

The roads are open a little further into the national forest, the grass in the fields and pastures is a little greener (rain the night before sure helped), but the spring flowers aren't really out yet.

Anyway, we saw the eagles at their nest near Bauer Lake and they were doing a lot of flying. At one point, both left the nest briefly, one of them to swoop down to the lake and pick up something to carry back to the nest ... couldn't tell what it had.

One flew in high circles over where we were parked on the road, giving me lots of time to figure out how to photograph him/her. The posted pic is the best of my efforts ... lots of improvement yet to go!

On the other hand, little paintbrush flowers are giving the yard bright spots of color, and a few lupines are blooming. (I hadn't realized the paintbrush blooms are so fuzzy!) Spring is yet to come in terms of the floral display. Some of the low places we stopped yesterday will soon be covered with pale blue as the flowers come out.

We have to work on cards today, interspersed with Mother's Day brunch at the Millwood and the Sunday matinee of the Mancos Valley Chorus concert this afternoon. It's a clear morning, so it should be a beautiful day, and the chorus concerts are always fun.

Our trip to Yellowstone isn't far away, brought home by doing some planning last night for the trip up. We had thought to spend our first night in Vernal, Utah, but they're already booked full! And, after reading the reviews for the few lodging places in Vernal, it's just as well!

So, ever flexible, we'll take a different route and head for Price, Utah. It has more to offer (vacancies, especially!) and, conditions permitting, it may give us a chance to go west of Green River and drive up through the San Rafael Swell and Buckhorn Wash. I've been wanting to show Sandy the amazing pictograph panel in Buckhorn Wash, and that, plus Arches NP earlier in the day and the canyons carved in the San Rafael Swell should make for a day full of pictures! tv