Sunday in the mountains, what else to wish for?

Some of you who follow this blog know how much I love this place. I’ve been here so many times, and I never get tired of coming back. Honestly, I don’t know another spot so close to Denver that lets you escape the summer heat and enjoy fresh mountain air on a light hike. And the flowers! 

 

Poppies, flax and some other flowers...

Summer is here! The temperature is rising and the sun is shining brightly... So let's go out and enjoy some of the summer delights - flowers. In June, you can find them everywhere...

 

Beautiful morning...

One Saturday in May, I was on my way to Barr Lake State Park and asked myself - why do I keep coming here? And the answer was simple: cuz I like this place... yep, just like that :) Hiking around the lake always rewards you with such nice views... water and mountains... isn't that a perfect combination?

 

All colors...

White and orange... Blue and green... Hmm... maybe not all colors, since there's nothing yellow or red... but... does it matter?

 

Well... boring blue sky and busy birds...

It was a nice Saturday morning when I drove out to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge again, hoping to find something interesting. What I found first was a perfectly clear blue sky and still water on the lakes…

 

Rainy morning...

Saturday morning was a bit gloomy, but there was no rain, and all the flowers looked... um... as usual? Check it out here - May, Saturday, quiet time with flowers.... But Sunday morning brought some rain, and everything was covered in water droplets and... it looked absolutely stunning!

 

May, Saturday, quiet time with flowers...

I am not sure if I know a better way to relax and forget about a week of work... Strolling along the trails and admiring colorful flowers... what can be better? Beautiful poppied and intricate irises are everywhere today...

 

Different parks... different birds...

I wandered around different parks capturing different birds... City Park, Barr Lake State Park and Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge... Probably the most exciting find was a Snow Egret. Sometimes this bird keeps its distance, but sometimes lets you get really close.. And it's fun to watch this bird in search of food :)

 

The scent of spring...

Early morning, right after a hearty breakfast and a big cup of coffee, is the best time to go outside and breathe in some fresh air... Actually, smelling some flowers is an even better idea...

 

Lily of the Valley...

A year ago, we stumbled upon a small, unexpected patch of lilies of the valley - and what a delightful surprise it was. We were wandering through Hudson Gardens when something tiny and white caught our attention. Sure enough, it was a little cluster of flowers rarely seen in Colorado (click here to see what we discovered last May - Beautiful flowers in a beautiful garden).

 

Where Bison Graze and Owls Hide

The first time I visited the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, I didn’t get a good look at the bison (click here to see what I mean - Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge - first time here...). They were all far away, and I left a bit disappointed. So I decided to try again the following Saturday… and this time, I got lucky with a much closer encounter.

 

Pasque Flower Portraits: Rain, Snow, and Sunlight

I love this flower... I’ve seen it in the wild - it’s always a delightful find - and I’ve seen it at the Botanic Garden, where it’s just as striking. The genus Pulsatilla includes about 40 species of herbaceous perennials native to the meadows and prairies of North America, Europe, and Asia. Common names include pasque flower (or pasqueflower), wind flower, prairie crocus, Easter flower, and meadow anemone.

 

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge - first time here...

I've never been to Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge before, and last Saturday I thought it was a good time to check it out. Located just outside of downtown (about 10 miles), it is one of the largest urban refuges in the country. It is a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of busy urban life where time moves at nature's pace. With its expansive views, wildlife viewing opportunities, and recreation activities, it's easy to take a nature escape!

 

Code Pink

I've already done "one flower show" in the past - One flower show... And I just realized that I've done it more than once :) - Sunny day... Sunflower day... How about "one color show" and let's go with pink ;)

 

Spring Birds...

Yep, spring is here - and so are the birds. Some of them will disappear in a month or two, while others will simply change growing up - like these adorable Canadian goose chicks. Aren’t they the sweetest?

 

The Tulips That Wouldn’t Give Up

I know you’re probably tired of seeing tulips by now… but I promise, this will be the last time I bring them up (at least for a while!). It’s just so hard to resist sharing them.

 

Oh, these frozen tulips...

Yeah, I know - just a few days ago I shared those beautiful tulip photos (click here to refresh your memory - Oh these beautiful tulips...) and I was really hoping we’d enjoy a few weeks of warm weather. But… this is Colorado, and sure enough, just a week later, we got snow.

 

Two days in Pueblo, day 2

The first day of our trip was long and full of discoveries. We wandered through downtown, visited the Weisbrod Aviation Museum, dined at an Italian restaurant, and explored Neon Alley. It was a perfect day on the road, and we really enjoyed it - check it out - Two days in Pueblo, day 1! Tired but buzzing with impressions, we returned to our B&B and relaxed in the parlor, sipping a drink… So cozy :)

 

Oh these beautiful tulips...

It is this time of the year when the tulips are in full bloom.. And... they are beautiful!

 

Two days in Pueblo, day 1

A few years ago we were driving to New Mexico and made a quick stop in Pueblo... I mean, we wanted to make it quick... but we ended up wandering around for a half a day instead of a planned couple of hours. You can find this story here - The most boring city in Colorado... Really?. We fell in love with this place and decided that one day we would be back for a whole weekend... It took us 7 years to find the time for a longer stay, but last week we finally did it ;)

 

It happened again!

There has never been a year in Colorado where it hasn't snowed while the flowers were blooming... And this year is no exception, so it happened late last week when a fresh (thankfully not heavy) snow covered the area and the flowers that were already blooming...

 

Colorful...

Another Saturday and another stop at the Denver Botanic Garden. Last week the first blooms were just starting to come out (click here - The first blooms... ). And just a week later everything looked so different... More flowers and more colors, and the first tulips were open and basking in the spring sun...

 

Graffiti of RiNo and river walk in Golden

I started that Saturday exploring the waking flowers at the Denver Botanic Garden (click here - The first blooms...) and ended it in Golden, walking along the Clear Creek. But in between those two events, there was something else - mural hunting in the heart of Denver....

 

The first blooms...

Last Saturday I started my day with a stroll around the Botanic Garden looking for flowers that had woken up after winter... and... there were some! Oh these little irises that were everywhere... Dark blue or light blue... only 3 or 4 inches tall, but they looked absolutely gorgeous!

 

Urban or wild...

As much as we enjoyed the morning stroll through the streets of Colorado Spring (click here to see - Sunday morning in Colorado Springs), we had something else on our minds, so we got in the car and headed to our next destination. Not really far from where we spent our morning, just a few miles away. We were moving from something old and traditional to something new and even exotic - the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum. Even the building actually looked out of place - too modern and unusual for a relatively old city. But they placed it wisely... in an area where there aren't many other buildings that would cause much discomfort...