Flower and Reason I don't have more photos

Another beautiful flower that I wouldn't have expected to see this time of year. Not that it isn't normally blooming, I just didn't know that it did.

Ah...the reason I do not have more photos to display. I was hiking around, walking on pointy rocks, when I lost my balance and slammed my knee into another rock. It HURT! I don't get hurt very often, so the sight of my blood was a bit disconcerting. Miles, my cousin, had the idea of making this image a focal black and white. He was so right! Gross, but a good photo none-the-less.

More flowers and fall color

This picture reminds me of winter. The snowy white blossoms with the deep green and red undergrowth. I guess the colors remind me of Christmas.

A view down the valley and at some distant peaks looking east. The mine below is not Caribou Mine. I don't remember the name of it.

Added some Sepia tone to this photo to give it an old-tyme feel.

Another photo that reminds me of Christmas. I love the way the longer grass contrasts with the colored leaves of whatever ground growth this is.

Fall Foliage and Flowers

I love this photo with the soft focused edges. I feel like I'm peering through a hole in the forest and looking out over the evergreen slopes at Aspen gold.

A stand of Aspen along the 4WD route.

A beautiful flower being explored by ants. I seriously need to buy a wildflower book, because I love photographing them. I would also like to be able to identify my finds.

Another unknown flower. I didn't realize that flowers continued to blossom through late September in this area. I thought the wildflower season would be over.

Fall Colors

I took a 4WD ride with one of my friends up to Caribou Mine Site, which is kind of west of Nederland. We saw some amazing fall foliage. These Aspen were turning some amazing colors. I've never seen them turn orange before. Only yellow.

In the distance is a stand of Aspen in the full gold glory. They are easy to spy on the evergreen slopes.

Aspen leaves just beginning to show a blush of autumn color.

Meyer Ranch Park

Mulligan and I went for a hike up at Meyer Park Ranch. I managed to not find the trail head for the second time in 2 weeks. Ended up stopping at a gas station and asking the attendant. In my defense, I don't think the map was very clear. Here are some Aspen along the trail.

We hiked through Lodge Pole and Ponderosa Pine forests. In fact, one of the loops we hiked was called "Lodge Pole Loop". Aspen dotted the forest too. The Aspen were just starting to turn autumn colors at this altitude.

My good friend Mike enthusiastically points out the Bird Census Plot sign. We saw some birds down in the wetlands area at the trail head. In fact, I took Mike's bird identification book by mistake. I'll get it back to you Mike, I promise, before Trinity eats it. She ate "Our Daily Bread" a devotional given to me by the church I visited last week. I must say her choices in paper manuals and books are on point. Two weeks ago she ate a hand-out I'd been given called "Sanity". I think her gesture was symbolic in some ways:)

I think this is a Lodge Pole Pine. Not sure what the mountain is called, but highway 285 runs at its base.

Jack Kerouac 50th Anniversary at Tattered Cover

Mike Mulligan and I went down to the LoDo tattered cover to the Jack Kerouac lecture. I read one of Jack Kerouac's famous novels "On The Road" over the summer. This lecture really helped me make sense of some of the things that Kerouac was trying to convey. Also, Ed White, who is "Tim Gray" in the novel was at the lecture. I thought that was really cool.

Union Station in Denver, CO. We walked by the station on our way to and fro the car. I think Amtrak trains stop in Union Station, as well as the local commuter train. In the coming years, Union Station will be rennovated to serve as a hub for the ever expanding "Light Rail" commuter trains.

The finish line!

Here I am, blazing across the finish line! The last leg of the race was completely down-hill. Yeah! I'm not sure how long it took me, but I'm expecting a decent time. Just the feeling of finishing is good for me. I'm competing with myself in this series. When I'm in better shape, I can compete with others

Lakewood Trail Running Series Race #3

I've been participating in a trail running series through the Lakewood, Colorado Recreation department. The first two races were held at Bear Creek Lake Park. This race was the third in the series and it was held at Green Mountain. Here one of the volunteers explains the Long course (7.0 miles). The Short course, which is the series I am racing, was only 4.5 miles. I am the racer in the foreground wearing red shorts, and a ball cap:)

Now we are getting ready to start. The course was made up of rolling hills, but it was rocky and difficult to tread at times. The trail is rutted in places by mountain bikes. I sorta felt like I was running in a ditch during those sections. Also, there were a lot of mountain bikers out on the trails at the same time we were racing. Most of them were respectful and shared the trail thoughtfully.

And we're off! I look like I only have one leg! The start was straight up hill. I don't know how long that went on. I'm a terrible judge of distance:)

I always start out toward the front, and usually end up finishing last. I am not running daily like most of these runners. I would probably do a lot better in the races if I did. I felt the best during this race though. My breathing wasn't as ragged and my legs feel stronger. I didn't walk as much as I have on previous courses. It was a good race for me.

Evening Hike, Part III

Ah...the glory of some of my last shots of the evening.

Trinity and I sang together as the sun made it's way down the sky. We were so successful that coyotes in the distance began calling out to us. This did not sit well with Trinity and she did not want to sing anymore.

Last shot before heading back to the car. It was a beautiful, inspiring evening. I loved every minute of it and was thankful that I could share this with my mostly silent companion, but occasional duet singer:)

Trinity almost fades into the golden grasses and the dark peaks. The evening sky continued on its dramatic journey toward dusk.

Trinity relaxes along the trail. She has learned to be a patient model, and I think she even enjoys the bond we share as I capture image after image of her majestic figure.

A silhoutte that highlights Trinity's soft, flowing hair. Even though her face is obscured, I liked the way the remaining light highlighted her outline against the evening sky.

A portrait of evening turning to dusk. The intenity of the colors and contrasts increased with each passing minute. It was like viewing a totally different sky as the transformation to darkness marched on.

Evening Hike South of Boulder

On the way home from an appointment in Longmont, I glanced west and noticed a beautiful sunset. The first open space I could find I stopped at. I do not remember the name of this trail, but it led to higher ground where I could capture the majesty of the mountains, the setting sun, and my German Shepherd.

Trinity looks west toward the pastel colored sky. The wild Colorado sky put on quite a light show, as the sun sank lower behind the mountains. With every passing second, different shades of color were splashed across the sky and bathed those of us on the earth in it's glow.

A rocky trail leads onward toward the sunset. I decided to stop here and capture some beautiful cloud color and mountain silhouttes while at the same time alluding to the canine-wolf connection that I see in my German Shepherd, Trinity.

2nd Golf Scramble Ever: Part I

Here's my cart mate, Mike, holding up his prize from the "scramble" grab bag. We both pulled out club weights which I think help you improve the power of your swing.

This is the clubhouse at Homestead Golf Course where we played. It's located south west of Denver. I'm not sure what city it's located in. It might be in Lakewood or maybe Littleton.

A beautiful view of the foothills from one of the tee off areas. The beginning of the day was sunny but as the day progressed I was glad I brought my jacket

Here's Sharon scoping out her next shot. Sharon organized our golf scramble. She really did a great job. I couldn't have asked for a more fun day. Everyone on my team gave me great advice and were patient with my newness to the game.