FALL FOLIAGE REDUX

On September 30 we did another road trip into the mountains seeking changing leaves and sister Stacie was able to come along this time.  This trip was not so high or dramatic as the one over Trail Ridge Road but still very beautiful.  The Peak to Peak Highway showed us gorgeous sights between Estes Park and Nederland.  Our first stop was in western Longmont near Lyons, where we visited the Ya Ya Apple Orchard and Farm.  It was a great place, with apples of course but also some beautiful horses and other critters.

At Ya Ya, they breed fabulous draft horses called Percherons.  These gentle giants are so sweet and the foals weigh 200+ when they are born!  I found them every bit as intriguing as the Budweiser Clydesdales I've seen and so open to interaction with people.

On the left is Sweetie, who came to greet us as we entered the barn. Don't you just love her bangs?  Her son Meister joined her and they let us stroke their faces and necks.

 

There were also some quarter horses and two miniature donkeys named Betsy and John Henry.  I had a lot of fun feeding a bucket of carrots to the donkeys, who were every bit as sweet as the giant horses.

 



We left Ya Ya with the car full of apples and happy thoughts about this wonderful place.

 

On to the leaves, primarily quaking aspens but lots of others as well.  Below is a shot of Long's Peak and sisters Susie, Valerie and Stacie at a stop along the way.

 

 

We stopped in Allenspark to see St. Catherine of Siena's Chapel, often referred to as the Chapel on the Rock. The chapel is a part of St. Malo's Retreat Center, which was severely damaged by a fire in November 2011.  It sits atop a massive boulder and reminded me of a mini Mont St. Michel.

 

 





We really loved this place and did a little exploring around the immediate vicinity - despite the bear warning signs!  Here we are getting ready to leave.  From left, it's Valerie, Stacie and Susie.

 

We cruised over to Nederland for some lunch, which turned out to be quite a challenge.  Nederland is sort of a hippy town but with bikers as well, all in the shadow of Mt. Meeker.  We just wanted a burger but between the crowds and the scary bars with flies, we searched in vain.  We finally landed in a place that seemed a throwback to the 1950s and indeed, it is over 50 years old and nothing has changed, including the waiters. 

 



Here are Stacie and Skipper, who was our good shepherd and chauffeur that day.  Inside the restaurant we entered a time warp.  Waiters in their 70s responded to questions such as "What's good to eat?" with "What the hell do you expect me to say?" Okay, uh, really?  A visit to the single restroom was even more odd.  Here's a picture of the tiny pink toilet, which was very close to the floor.

 

Our food was lousy but the whole experience was quite entertaining, including the patron at another table who took turns leering at each of us female types.  From the left, Susie, Skipper, Valerie and Stacie.

 

So ended a memorable day of sightseeing and sisterly fun.  I am continually discovering new and beautiful surprises in these fabulour Rocky Mountains.



CATCHING UP WITH THE CRITTERS

Before I post my next batch of fall photos, I wanted to share some photos and info on Sydney the cockatoo and the cats Aidan and Timothy.

1.  Avian report.  Happy 18th birthday, Sydney Eugene Miller!  Sydney is doing so well at The Gabriel Foundation - he lives with Director Julie Murad in her beautiful home on the grounds of the foundation and shares life there with several other lucky birds.  There are 500+ parrots in residence at the foundation aviaries, but owing to his outgoing personality, Sydney was chosen to live with Julie and work PR and education events.  He's made so many friends, including a special umbrella cockatoo called Chicken.

 

Here they are in their outdoor flight aviary.  Syd's flight feathers have grown in, but to fly you need wings and chest strength, which he had not developed during his life.  So, he's exercising diligently and one day soon he'll fly around with Chicken!  Chicken has not gotten along well with others in the past and it's a thrill for everyone to see him sharing space and a bond with Sydney.  Sydney has learned to say , "Hi Chicken" in a little Chicken-like voice.  A few more shots follow.

 

 

I see Sydney at least once a month and I'm always gratified by his wonderful adjustment to his new life.  He knows me and greets me and is quite happy to spend time with me - for about 2 hours.  Then he starts getting cranky, which I interpret as communicating that he's had enough one-on-one attention and is ready to relax and be a bird again.  This is exactly what I wanted for him - to be a well adjusted cockatoo with lots of human and avian interaction.  I miss him, sometimes dreadfully, but as we animal people learn, it's not just about us and our needs.

2.  Feline report.  Aidan Patrick and Timothy Preston are doing well and enjoying the milder weather.  Aidan is 2.5 and Timothy 8 months now.  Clearly Timothy is the brains of the operation.  Here he is explaining the theory of magnetic snaps to Aidan.

Their favorite thing is staring at sparrows, juncos, doves and finches from the patio room.  I added this room on to the house thinking it would be extra entertaining space and a pleasant place to enjoy the cooler months, given it has a fireplace.  All that is true, but the cats love it so much and once I got the clear decals up, the backyard birds quit hitting the glass and all is well at the bird feeder.

 

Another favorite pastime is keeping mom company in the sewing room.  A nice chair and a soft pillow is all they need.

 



BLISSFULLY, GORGEOUSLY FALL!

In the blink of an eye, the terrible hot summer died and a glorious autumn was our reward!  The nights turned cool and then downright cold, with the days sunny and just-right-warm.  I made two trips to see the Rocky Mountain foliage display, even though my own back yard was putting on a small personal show for me.  Here are some shots of early September in my Timnath house.  Note the new patio room and Timmy and Aidan guarding the house against the finches.



The first big foliage trip was a long adventure from Timnath to Grand Lake over Trail Ridge Road, a fabulous drive through Rocky Mountain National Park beginning in Estes Park and ending at Grand Lake.  The pinnacle is at 12,000+ feet and is above the timberline at alpine tundra level.  My sister Susie and her husband Nick (aka Skipper) and I set out early on September 16 for what would be a wonderful day full of wildlife and aspens in their full glory.

Shortly after departing Estes Park, we spotted this young Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.  He studied us intently and was happy to pose until his family beckoned him back into the brush. 

We started gaining elevation and soon came upon view after view of autumn foliage.  The aspens were in every stage of fall colors, depending on their genes and their exposure.   Note the extent of beetle kill in the pines.

While the beetle kill has ravaged the lodgepole pines throughout the Rocky Mountains, a significant industry has developed around harvesting and using the wood from the dead trees.  Additionally, we saw so much new growth of various spruce trees which the beetles do not care for.  In a few generations, the Rockies will have a beautiful display of spruces and the stands of dead lodgepoles will be forgotten.

Here are the requisite personal shots that prove we were actually there:

The high point of the day for wildlife was getting these photos of a female moose and her juvenile daughter.  Moose are very shy and not often seen, though they are reported as plentiful in our mountains.  These two were grazing and although mama moose was alert, she seemed neither frightened nor aggressive.  Here are a few more of these two:

We shot photos until the park rangers came and waved us away.  Their concerns are for human safety as well as prevention of the animals growing too accustomed to interaction with people.

As we continued the forest changed and grew increasingly barren. 

The Alpine Visitor Center is almost at the highest point of Trail Ridge Road and was nearly ready to close for the winter the day we visited.  It was cold and windy up there and all of us felt the altitude.  There are fascinating presentations and photos of life at that rarefied level.  Of course, the usual tee shirts and espressos are also available.

As we summited and started down into stands of trees again, we were lucky enough to see a group of white tail does and their yearlings.  We got a couple of nice photos of these sweet creatures.

From there is was down to Milner Pass and the Continental Divide at 10,000+ feet. 

 

We headed into Grand Lake Lodge for a late lunch and more beautiful vistas.

 



What a piece of heaven this place was!  Just idyllic.  We ate a great lunch of steak and brie paninis and plotted our trip back home, ultimately deciding not to take the short way down and into Denver, but to retrace our steps.  We figured it would be a different view on the way back and so it was. 

Here are some photos of a bull elk and his harem.  He was magnificent with so many points on his antler rack.  The ladies were chatting among themselves and he sat apart from them, with a sort of insouciant attitude.

In all, a wonderful day in the Rockies!

THE END OF A BAD SUMMER



Fire smoke in background

The best season in Colorado has finally arrived and it's wonderful.  Cool nights, warm but growing less so days, and a riot of tree colors.  (More on that in my next post,) We are in heaven here after such a brutal summer, accompanied by the interminable wild fires that were so destructive.  It all began on June 9.  Bestie Mags Lew, my sister-in-law Nancy and I were up at Estes Park for the Wool Festival and when we sat down in the little arena area to watch the Leaping Llamas/Llama Limbo events, we could see the beginning of the High Park fire, located in Rist Canyon slight north and west of Fort Collins.  Thus began our season in hell,  though at the time we had no idea that our governor would soon be proclaiming, "Colorado's burning!"  The fires destroyed land and homes in the foothills and canyons while the drought took its toll on the crops and livestock of the plains.  Our usual summer afternoon thunderstorms and rain never materialized, day after dry day.  An ugly time.


This  darling creature is a paco-vicuna, a mix of alpaca and its cousin the vicuna.  They are adorable and their fleece is considered very special.  There are only around 400 of them in the USA.

This giant llama is preparing to jump over the bar during the Leaping Llama competition.  Note fire smoke in background.

SPRING IN NO CO

Here's a quick update on the happenings in Timnath-

I just added on a small patio room, all glass with screens. More living space for my tiny house.   It will be a four seasons room I think, as the patio fireplace is now inside and can be used for some warmth.  Window coverings being installed next week, plus more electrical capability and an overhead fan.  Considering flooring now.  Will post photos when there is more to see.  The cats love it because my bird feeders are right outside and they lay in front of the open sliders and stare at the chirpers.  Below are photos of the new rescue kitty, Timothy Preston, aka Tiny Tim.  He is an uncommon breed called Cornish Rex with wavy hair and giant bat ears. He'll be tiny and athletic his whole life, God help me.  The kitten loves Aidan way more than Bear ever did and Aidan is in heaven with a little brother to follow him around. Timmy had to be declawed on his front paws last month  because he was climbing to the ceilings via the slightest toe holds (including art work) and then crying because he couldn't get down.  Hurt his leg once falling and that cinched it.  Despite my misgivings and reservations, I did it and he was perfectly fine within a few days.  I still miss my Bear Boy dreadfully and we have had 4 animal deaths in the family since I got here last fall plus Gracie right before I left San Diego.   Sigh.... 

Timmy is almost 6 months old now

Aidan and his little shadow, Timothy

Sydney Eugene is doing quite well at The Gabriel Foundation and I continue to see him frequently.   Attached is a photo of us at a Ft. Collins outreach event this year.   Every three or four weeks I make and take a hundred or so organic birdie mini muffins for him to share, various toys and his favorite junk food (nutter butter bites, pretzels, etc) and spend the day in Elizabeth, CO.  I'm going to do some photography for the foundation - portraits of the parrots who are adoptable, which will then be uploaded into Petfinders and other publicity sites. I attend a lot of the PR and education events with Sydney. The goal is for people to understand the enormity of the commitment of taking on a large parrot and how to make an informed choice.  Sydney has a special cockatoo friend named Katie as well as a myriad of human "Boos" at his disposal. His wing feathers have grown out and he is flapping around, building the chest muscles he needs to fly in his shared outdoor flight aviary.  He comes in to his own luxury cage every night.  When I arrive he recognizes me immediately and cuddles and chatters, but doesn't seem disturbed at all when I leave.  The decision to place him in lifetime sanctuary was so painful and yet it's had such a positive outcome - what a relief to know he is safe and flourishing. 

Sydney telling mom all the aviary gossip

 The family is fine and I do a lot with the sissies.  Have made some new girlfriends through sewing classes and the volunteer work.  Wednesday is sewing day every week at my house and it's a good thing, because it forces me to clean house on Tuesdays!  I miss my Sylvia and Carmen and am debating about getting some "staff support" for housekeeping.  I would go without a lot o other things to lighten that load.  Spoiled and lazy, that's me.

BFF Mags Lew is arriving next Tuesday for a week.  She is altitude-sensitive,  so my house is base camp at 5,000 feet.  A week from tomorrow we're going up to Estes Park, 7,000 feet, for the Wool Market  - lots of fiber arts vendors and various sheep, alpaca, yak, goat and lama related events. Plus they have a great quilt shop there!  .  I hope to bring home a baby alpaca - NOT!!!!    My family always looks forward to her visits, so we have sewing (yes, she drank that Koolaid a while back, in addition to her knitting and weaving and crocheting habits), cafe/shop hopping and a big Mexican food fiesta planned for her here at the house.  Plus we lay around and catch up on all the many "Criminal Minds" episodes on my DVR. 

Spring has sprung her in NoCo.  Baby critters everywhere, my backyard is in full bloom and a robin is nesting in the aspen tree right outside my dining room window, at eye level!  Mama bird went out to get a snack the other day so I snuck around to look in the nest and there are three beautiful blue eggs.  She got wind of the intrusion and came barrelling back.  Memo to self - wear helmet when spying on active bird nests!  We have baby horses, cows, pigs, goats, sheep and lamas nearby.  Below are a couple of shots of the foals and moms.  Sister Stacie and I go frequently to look at them and we have named quite a few.  We started with spices, like Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Pepper, Saffron....then we found out there were 71 foals and that was the end of naming the babies.  Nutmeg was the first foal of the spring and he is our favorite.

Two late spring foals, still in the small mom/baby paddock

Espresso and Latte are their names



Older kids with moms and aunties in the big pastures

The really white mare in the foreground seems to be the alpha of the group



WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, TIMOTHY!

Aidan and Timmy on sentry duty April 2012
(Sorry about the sideways - cannot get certain photos to cooperate!)

Announcing the adoption of Timothy Preston Miller! See the photos of our new baby kitty. It's five month old Timmy-cat from Timnath!  My sister Stacie had adopted him as a rescue and her dogs loved him and vice versa.  Unfortunately for her (but not me :), he proved too smart for their magnetic dog door, which is a dangerous circumstance out in the country. This was discovered shortly after I put Bear down and the rest is history. Losing Bear has left a permanent scar, as he was my once in a lifetime cat. That doesn't mean there isn't plenty of love available for a new one, however. Timmy is a Cornish Rex breed and his mom was rescued while pregnant. He has one layer of soft wavy black hair, unlike the three that most cats have. He will be tall and thin (why not me?) and very exotic looking. Leaps like a gazelle! Aidan has been crazy about him since the first moment he set eyes on him.  They wrestle and chase and sleep in each other's arms.  Timmy is a door charger and very crafty, neither of which I've had to deal with in the last few years.    Must be very careful.

 

Tmmy with Stacie's old lab Sasha March 2012

Aidan and Timmy sleeping April 2012