12/11/2009

Paisley Frost

Each morning I wake and hurry to the dining room window to see what work of art has been deposited on the pane.  Every morning it is a different masterpiece made entirely of frost.  It lasts only until the sun crosses the morning sky and casts it's warming rays on the front of the house but for at least a few hours of the day I am treated to some of the most magnificient and unique works of natural art imaginable.

12/02/2009

Winter Watchtower

A watchtower stands abandoned as winter rolls in over the Rockies.

10/02/2009

Honey, I'm home!


The Stanley Hotel is a popular landmark in Estes Park. Contrary to common belief, while the hotel inspired Stephen King's novel 'The Shining', the author was not actually staying at the hotel when he penned the novel. Nor was the movie filmed there, although parts of the mini-series based on the same story were. Local legend has it that the hotel is haunted by several apparitions including Flora Stanley, wife of Freelan Stanley who had the hotel built in 1907 after falling in love with the area.

While the Hotel is a stunning piece of architecture, the real breath taking beauty can be seen directly across from the hotel in the panoramic view of the Rocky Mountains.

Bull Elk~

A majestic bull elk bugles in a meadow at the Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, Colorado. After 15 years I am still amazed by the silent grace these huge animals exhibit as they move about the mountain and forests. While the sheer size of an adult bull with it's massive rack is intimidating, the sound of it's bugle during the rut is purely mesmerizing.

WHEELER TOWN CLOCK

From COLORADO AT THE SPEED OF LIFE

This clock, featuring a statue of the goddess Hygeia, was donated in 1889 by Jerome Wheeler for the opening of the Manitou Water Bottling Company in Manitou Springs. The statue was also a working fountain which had low basins so 'man's best friend' could drink from it.

IF THE BRONCOS CAN'T GO TO THE SUPER BOWL

Let the Super Bowl come to the Broncos! This port-a-potty is parked in the parking lot for tailgaters at Invesco Field at Mile High where the Denver Broncos play their home games.

BIRDS OF SUMMER, 2008

I've been living in the Security/Widefield area for over 14 years now and for as long as I can remember the Pelicans have always heralded the coming of summer. Although their numbers have dwindled over the years and they no longer nest at Carp Lake (aka Pelican Pond) due to human interference, they still make a rest stop at the old fishing hole before settling for the summer at Big Johnson Reservoir. This year the size of the flock has almost doubled from that of last year.

A couple of resident Canada geese took exception to the overnight invasion and tried to persuade their uninvited guests to leave but the much larger American White Pelicans ignored them and continued to paddle lazily across the water. While patience is not a strong point with the honkers, the geese eventually took flight. They will return when the pelicans leave on the final leg of their journey, just a couple of miles away. During the mating season the male pelican developes a fibrous plate on the top of its bill, which will fall off after a successful mating.

I have never been up close to a pelican but interact with Canada geese quite often and consider the geese to be rather large birds. Imagine my surprise when I saw how the pelicans dwarfed the geese when they swam side by side. Just to give you an idea, the Canada goose has a wing span of about 6 feet and weighs around 14 pounds while an American White pelican has a wing span of 9 feet and weighs approximately 20 pounds.

CARP LAKE, COLORADO SPRINGS

Tags: American White Pelican