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| Crystal Lakes Colorado (elev 8,900 ft) |
It is mid-September in Colorado and the leaves are starting to change. Last week at this time we had our air-conditioning blasting away as we experienced temperatures in the high 80's and this morning before I left for work I turned on the furnace to keep the house warm through the expected mid-50's temperature.
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| Crystal Lakes Colorado (elev 8,900 ft) |
Should I wear a sweater or a wind-breaker? Short sleeves, sandals, closed toed shoes, or a long sleeved blouse? This is the annual dilemma for us each year. Is it going to rain or snow this week or will it be back up into the high 90's tomorrow? These challenges are somewhat of a bother but with them comes a bountiful reward of scenery that is breathtaking and spectacular every year.
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| Mule deer |
Fall in the Rockies also provides us with opportunities for countless wildlife photos. These opportunities are situational and one has to always be prepared and on-the-ready with a still or video camera. Whether it be grazing mule deer, resting Canada geese, or a wandering moose we are always surprised by their presence and how beautiful they are as they pose for our camera.
After all, it is we who are imposing upon their habitat with getaway weekend cabins, recreational vehicles, and off-road vehicles; campfires, make-shift porta-potties, and the often inadvertent trail of garbage left behind by the clueless outdoors man.
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| Moose calf! |
We are among the very fortunate who own mountain property. With each two-hour trip to our land the end result never ceases to amaze me. The smell of the pine trees, the beauty of the aspen trees when the colors start to emerge as if they were painted yellow by the sun, and the pureness of the air quality. We have no cabin at this time, just a lot of trees and rocks. We have spent many hours this summer in an attempt to stay ahead of the pine-beetle devastation that is killing off our pine trees. Lots of sweat and hot days, but balanced by fresh air and beauty. There is just nothing quite like the weekend exhilaration of this experience. Fall is a welcome season in Colorado and I would say my favorite of the four.
If you are ever looking for me on some fall weekends you can find me like this between chores.
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| My favorite work boots |
Love, Grandma P
