Life on the High Plains

Maybe, just maybe spring is here to stay.  My horses are happy.  This week they got to go out in one of the pastures that we let rest over the winter.  Sun, warmth, and a little green grass.  Life doesn't get much better than that.  If you don't believe me, just ask Big Sky Rock Doc (aka Doc) who was waiting for me when I got home this evening.   Do you think those are rain clouds behind him?  I hope so.   Happy Skywatch Friday!

Mr. Beans is trying a new sport this spring and today I finally made it to one of his meets since it wasn't cold and snowy.  I think the last track meet I went to was when my brother was in track in Round Valley High School in Arizona.  That may have been close to 45-50 years ago.  OMG am I getting old or what?  Anyway, track doesn't seem to have changed a bit in all those years. His coach has him running the 4 x 100 meter relay.   He's the team anchor and believe me, he can turn on the burners to finish up the race.   He also runs the 800 meter.  He prefers the short distances so this isn't his favorite event.     He has the look of a natural born runner--tall and lean with extra long legs.     Way to go Mr. Beans--we're so proud of the world's best grandson!  Keep running!

Saturday was a perfect spring day in Colorado!  I got to spend it in Denver with Mary and Mr. Beans.  We enjoyed some shopping and lunch on the 16th Street Mall before seeing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat at the Performing Arts Center.   The first time I show this show was in Chicago with Donny Osmond as Joseph.  It was an amazing production.  This performance was also good and it starred a couple American Idols.  Not quite Donny Osmond, but still good.     Mr. Beans enjoys the theatre although he's 14 and it would be inappropriate for him to look like he enjoys hanging out with this mom and Grammy.  He's much too cool for that.  I enjoyed spending the day with him, it doesn't happen very often anymore.   Today I had planned to enjoy another perfect spring day in Colorado with a hike in the mountains or a visit to our zoo.  I guess I should have checked the weather forecast before making these ...

Where has this week gone?  Work, work, work.  That's all I seem to do these days.  A couple 11 hour days this week, but I'm not complaining.  I thrilled to have the challenge of my new position.  However, I need to learn to be more like my brother, Yogi, who makes a point of getting outside during lunch each day and manages to get some great shots for his blog-- Yogi's Den  (check it out). I haven't been outside during daylight hours this week so my Skywatch Friday picture is a different sort of image. I started a new painting last week and it has a sky so here's a glimpse of it through my fish eye lens.   Here it is in its beginning state last Saturday.     It's got a long ways to go so stay tuned.   Happy Skywatch Friday!

What's better than a cute kitten video? A cute baby video. Miss GiGi is growing like a weed. Isn't she adorable?

It's mid April, right?  Spring ought to be here by now, shouldn't it? We had quite the ominous sky this morning. This dark sky and low clouds shrouded my mountains most of the morning.  We had on and off snow showers all day.  It was cold, wet, and windy. As much as I prefer sun and warmth, I'm truly grateful for this burst of precipitation.  This was a wet, heavy snow that this part of the country really needs. Can I please have my sunshine back tomorrow, please? Happy Skywatch Friday!

I may have declared the end of winter too soon. Last Thursday was supposed to be Mr. Bean's first ever track meet.  Yes, the tall, skinny kid is finally giving track a chance after all these years of us telling him how fast he is. Here he is with his teammates before the meet.  Can't you see him?  He's the tall, skinny one. As luck would have it, the Colorado weather rolled in and the meet was cancelled due to rain and snow.  (Secretly, I was happy to hear this because I wasn't there due to a pre-planned girls night out at The Warehouse and Mama Mia.) So this Thursday is his next meet.  There's only one problem...winter is returning to Colorado and we're supposed to have three days of cold and snow. I don't see a problem with kids running in the snow, do you?  Furthermore, I don't see any problem with me sitting in my heated car watching the meet from the sidelines, do you? I guess I'll load all my winter weather gear back into the car...

It was a quieter than usual weekend.  Since Irv works an odd schedule, every other weekend is my time to try to catch up with things while also trying to rest and relax (not an easy thing when there's not enough time to get things done.) Yesterday was very exciting because I FINALLY finished my coyote.  I've been working on him for four or five months.  The next time I choose to paint something that has fur, please ask me if I'm crazy.   Here's the photo that I captured at Yellowstone last summer. Here's my very impressionistic rendition of him (or her).  I have to admit that I'm in love with it. I think it's my best work yet.  I ordered a frame for it today and in three weeks when it's finally dry I'm going to frame it and take it to work to hang in my new office. I must be turning into a "real" artist.  A couple months ago I started a second painting that I could work on while the layers on my coyote were drying. This...

Mountains or Desert? I am so blessed to live in Colorado with my spectacular mountains.  The problem is that I HATE cold and snow.    Is there anything prettier than this? I love the Arizona desert too.  I can see myself living there, but I'm not sure I'm willing to give up my Colorado mountains. I think the only solution is to become a Snowbird--desert in the winter months and mountains the rest of the year.  Now I only have to get old enough to retire.  5 years and counting! Happy Skywatch Friday!

On our way home from Arizona a couple weeks we got to stop and have a quick visit with the in-laws. What is better than family, margaritas, and enchiladas smothered in green chili?  I was more than thrilled when we got to eat at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Albuquerque--Gardunos. Great food, great drink, and great company!

While we were in Phoenix a couple weeks ago we got to accompany Miss GiGi to her first photo shoot.   The photographer was absolutely amazing at getting the baby into all types of poses. In baskets, in buckets, wrapped up in all types of things, and sometimes buck naked.  Of course I couldn't steal any of her shots so I just got pictures of the process. Here she is wrapped in the Ozzie flag in honor of the Australian side of her family.     Cortney posted a preview on Facebook last week.  I can't wait to see the final products!    http://cortneytalbott.com/  

What could be better than celebrating our risen Lord on top of one of America's most beautiful mountains? Jillian, Brian, Irv, and I plus some friends thought today would be the perfect day to climb the newly renovated Manitou Springs Incline. The Incline is an extreme trail above the city of Manitou Springs.  It is the remains of a narrow gauge funicular railway that washed out in a rock slide in 1990.  It rises over 2,000 feet in about a mile with grades as steep as 68%.  It is a right of passage to climb the Incline if you're a Coloradan.   Here we are at the bottom.  From here it looks doable.     Then reality sets in really quick. It is steep and I mean really steep. The type of steep where you think you're going to fall over backwards and roll all the way back down to the parking lot while taking dozens of people out with you.  I think it all goes back to the thrill gene that I didn't get.  I do not like be...

Wow!  Lets talk about a crazy week. My goal on April 1st was to start blogging everyday for the month of April.  I guess I've already failed at that goal...maybe next month. Wednesday night my sweet Keira decided to eat a block of rat poison in the barn.  It was a long drive into the Vet ER, but she did not eat a lethal dose and they got her to throw up the majority of it.  Were we ever lucky!  The injections they gave her to throw up make her feel a little lousy for about 24 hours. On Wednesday I also started my new job duties and my assistant started that day also.  The first order of business was a move into a new corner office.  Yes, it's big.  I'm blessed.  I think I have room for a couch for afternoon naps...who agrees? I haven't really had time to get it completely set up yet, but it's getting there. Along with a new job title and a new office comes a lot more responsibility.  I've put in at least 10 hours a day fo...