Small bird flies fast

I woke up in the morning and decided I needed to do something different. Not that different, but still. Probably go and check out some small birds ;) So I went to Central City to see if I could find some. And it didn't take long to spot one, resting on the fence and waiting for the sun to warm everything up...

 

Loveland Pass - snow in June

The snow in the mountains stays longer than downhills... So if you miss it and want to refresh your memory... just go up to the mountains and you will definitely find some ;) Loveland Pass is one of the best destinations for such an escape from the heat of a big city. Can you imagine this tall wall of snow along the highway at the end of June? And yeah... I was unable to park closer to the summit and needed to walk uphill to the trailhead.

 

In the kingdom of sand...

We crossed the bridge (click here to refresh the memory - Crossing the bridge...), returned to the trailhead and soon found ourselves on Highway 163, heading towards Monument Valley. Everything around us looked quite unusual. The colors faded and the sky took on a grayish hue. The haze had hidden many details and we couldn't see very far.

 

A sad day for merganser family

Last Friday I stopped by the small pond in City Park to check on the merganser family. If you remember, just a week ago (six days to be exact :) ) I discovered that the merganser momma had returned and had 10 (!) ducklings (click here to read this story - They are back!). So I wanted to see if the small ones had grown and how the whole family was doing. But the family was still sleeping at the far end of the pond... so I watched them for a couple of minutes before heading towards the big lake in hopes of finding some more waterfowls...

 

Crossing the bridge...

The Dead Horse Lookout was our first stop on this trip (click here to see - Late evening in Canyonland...) but not the only one on our plans. The next morning we continued towards Natural Bridges National Park. We've been to Utah before, but this park escaped our attention, so we decided to fix this and take a look. We started on the trail that runs along the edge of the canyon and just look at this view!

 

Late evening in Canyonland...

We were going to check out some places and made our first stop at Dead Horse Lookout (not technically part of Canyonlands National Park, but the two are very close and I've always considered this lookout to be the entry point into Canyonlands).

 

They are back!

This morning I stopped by the City Park and they were back! The merganser family is back! Merganser mama and her 10 ducklings (last year there were 8)...

 

Creatures... or aliens?

I went to the Botanic Garden to take some photos of the flowers and when I downloaded the images to my computer I was surprised by what I found. There were some unexpected pictures... Something that I cannot identify... some creatures... or aliens? Anyway... some plants look quite not as obvious if you take a closer look...

 

Just days before colors changed...

Staunton Park is one of my favorite Colorado state parks. It is also becoming increasingly popular, so get there as early as possible if you want to hike there. And the easiest hike is just over 2 miles to Davis Ponds.

 

Orange and purple

Yeap, we did it again... I mean, we spent a couple of hours in the Denver Botanic Garden ;) And, honestly, there aren't many better ways to spend a Sunday morning ;)

 

Gold in Golden, again :)

Hmm...actually I'm not talking about real gold. I just refer to leaves in the color of gold. Just go there in September and walk along Clear Creek and... you won't regret it!

 

Beautiful flowers in a beautiful garden

...and I'm not talking about the Denver Botanic Garden ;) This Sunday we checked out another (that I like at least as much as the Botanic Garden) - Hudson Gardens. Less known, less sophisticated and plant-rich, but still a pleasant place to stroll around.

 

Mountains and trees

It was a beautiful and sunny Saturday morning and I was heading somewhere... but before I got too far, I changed my mind and ended up at Cherry Creek Park ;) I wasn't planning on doing any serious hiking... just wanted to spend an hour or two in the woods, and this place suited me quite well...

 

Bits and pieces...

Flowers are beautiful, aren't they? But today I want to look at blooms differently... Instead of the whole, I want to look at the parts. At bits and pieces. See the colors and shapes... And I'd like to start from this poppy... Bright and intricate...

 

When the water sparkles...

It was a good Sunday. I mean... good if you like rain ;) Just exactly what we needed. But the rain stopped, and the sun came out from behind the clouds, and the drops of water sparkled like precious stones sprinkled on the leaves...

 

Beautiful flowers

Flowers, flowers, flowers... Every year they look the same and at the same time different. Every spring I see them around and... I can't pass by without stopping and taking a photo or two...

 

Tulip day

Yes! The tulips at the Denver Botanic Garden are in bloom and, as always, absolutely stunning!

 

Elk Bugling

The first snow falls in Rocky Mountain National Park as early as October. And the elks move down and through the valley, where they still find some grass to eat. The grass is no longer lush and green, but still better than nothing.

 

After the rain

It's been raining in Denver for the past few days. And not only did it rain, but there was also sleet... Actually it was nice to have some moisture, and I have nothing to complain about, it's Spring after all isn't it?

 

Yellow, bright yellow...

What is the most colorful time of the year, I would like to ask... And I think the answers will vary. Some will say that it is spring, when flowers bloom and bring different colors into the world. But some will say that it is fall, when bright hues of yellow and red dominate and overpower all other colors...

 

Bird's Island

Let's go around the lake... And look for birds (and more). We'll start with a hike around Standley Lake, and continue through the City park, and end with a walk around Belmar Lake. Yep, I will mix the pictures together and... the landscapes may be a little different, but the birds in all three places are very similar... so there's no point in separating them ;)

 

Macro beauty or beauty of macro?

Nothing can stop Spring. Not days of cold. Not a strong wind. Not even snow... Nothing...

 

Perfect Sunday in Nederland...

Once upon a time... one Sunday in March we decided to go somewhere... We unfolded the map and  put our finger on it. Oops... we've picked the wrong page and have to head across the ocean to the Nederlands. Too far for a short Sunday trip, huh? But we looked at the right map and figured out that we also have Nederland in Colorado too ;) And it's not very far away... and the road there is just beautiful!

 

One warm day is enough...

What do we all like about Colorado? Changes, I think. Everything is changing rapidly here. The weather is never predictable. And even one warm spring day is enough for all plants to start sprouting leaves, flowers, branches...

 

To rush or not to rush...

Just a week ago everything looked so promising. And some trees responded to the call of spring and started unwhirling the flowers, and it looked amazing. You remember these pictures, don't you? Click here if you want to refresh your memory - Bright and fresh... The next thing, as we all remember, was almost a foot of snow covering the ground and destroying those who were in a hurry to show up... Even though the snow melted quickly, the damage was done... Believe it or not, but this is the same tree on which the bee collected nectar a day before...