Sandy's right ... once more!

It WAS a nice morning to be out ... cool, but with no breeze and a warming sun. We checked the eagles (one of them, anyway) and the paddling birds on Bauer Lake.

The first picture, though, shows an artifact of Colorado weather ... a layer of windblown sand clinging to the underside of a curl of snow hanging from the eave of the house. 

The second shot is just aimed a little more north of Sandy's picture of Mesa Verde across Bauer Lake; this one show the Sleeping Ute beyond some duckies.

At the top, geese go about doing what geese do as Sandy goes about doing what photographers do! tv

Beautiful Morning at Bauer Lake

On our way to breakfast out this morning we went in search of an elusive pair of Eagles that nest across from Bauer Lake.  The morning was beautiful.  The eagles still elusive so we turned to take pictures of this always special spot.  There is a stillness. There is the reflection of the blue sky in the ripple free waters.The brilliant colors of  brush lining the shoreline.  And Mesa Verde towers above all in the background.  We have come here often  but I am still amazed.  sf

Damn!

We were heading home from Durango after having a nice lunch at Applebees. I knew there were elk in the wild in Colorado. I have seen and photographed the elk on the elk ranch outside of Mancos. That was fun. But elk in captivity is just not the same as elk in the wild! As we traveled down the highway toward Mancos today, up on the hillside there was a herd of about 20 or so beautiful elk! Elk in the wild, I had waited for this! I yelled "stop" and while Tom was pulling over grabbed my camera bag and rolled down the window while I pushed the camera on button and was ready to zoooom in some great Elk pictures! When at that point all that showed on the camera screen was a big "Change the Batteries"! And then the elk were gone. . . DAMN! My first bad word in Colorado. . . . . . . . . .sf

Spring!?!?

So, let's recap. Friday afternoon it was like driving through a Saharan dust storm for the 80 miles from Pagosa Springs home ... couldn't see Bodo Park from the Wal-Mart stoplight in Durango, and some folks said they saw it raining mud when moisture began to mix with the dust and blowing sand. 

The moisture turned into more than four inches of snow by the time it was done spitting flakes yesterday afternoon. Put a real crimp in the 9Health Fair that started at the school at 7 a.m. yesterday morning. Sandy and I worked opposite ends of the line, serving about 360 participants, little more than half the number that has sometimes come out.

Things were better by the time we went to the Bauer Lake Club annual meeting last night, and pretty clear when we returned. 

And this morning, right about now at 7:o9 on April 5, it's a clear sky and NINE degrees outside ... as cold a temperature as we've seen the entire winter (I think it got down to seven degrees once in December, when we usually have our coldest weather).

Springtime in Colorado! tv

It's SO nice to be home!

Today wasn't too rough a day. Got on the road by 6:30, covered about 500 miles in 10 hours, allowing a little time for stopping to eat breakfast in Limon after taking pics on the high plains, plus various fluid exchange stops after that. The last 80 miles was like driving across Saudi Arabia ... sand storm all the way! Yuck!

I wouldn't want to live there, but the high plains at dawn and sunset are awesome; so vast! sf

I Used to be a Yooper!

My sister-in-law Alice gave me a T-Shirt that said so when I moved from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 2003. For those of you who don't know the Michigan lingo, if you live in the Upper Peninsula you are a "Yooper" if you live in the larger, lower part of Michigan you are a "Troll". Means you live below the bridge, the beautiful,big Macinac Bridge that connects the two parts of Michigan. You just kind of have to have been there to understand! It has amazed me the number of people that I have run into here in Colorado that are familiar with the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. There is even a" Yooper" sign in the local gym. I have shared the humor of "Da Yoopers" musical group with a sick friend here in Mancos who needed a laugh. Delightfully , my Yooperism has been refreshed recently with enjoying a blog written by an old(not in years!) friend from Newberry, Michigan where I lived and worked and shoveled snow and enjoyed the unique culture of another great small town. Check out yooperyarns.com written by Cathy Clementz for area photos and an always thoughty and interesting, and sometimes funny, good read. sf

Reasons to be Happy in Mancos!

#1 is that Tom will soon be starting on his drive back home to Mancos! I was so glad to be working at Artisans yesterday morning just to pass the day and see a few people. Although he and I are both independent thinkers and many times spend our days doing our own thing, it is not a good feeling having him so far away. Besides , Tom is awake earlier than I and makes the coffee and walks the dog long before I am up and around. I was reminded of this this morning when Scooby Doo woke me at 5:30! Ok, I'm spoiled. And I love it! Hurry home, Tom.

I am going to be posting a snow picture just for my Sister Vel in Corpus Christi. Strange how we long for what we do not have. She is having beautiful shorts and sandals weather and wants to see snow! I think I can just find something for her from our trip up to Ouray and Telluride. There is still lots of snow in the mountains. And from the look of the sky this morning, may also be some on the ground here in Mancos by the end of the day! sf