Skywatch Friday: A morning in the Garden

 Last week the family and I headed over to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs for a quick hike.  Apparently we weren't the only people with that thought because it took us forever to find a parking spot.


We ended up parking at the trailhead for Ute Trail.  I have to admit that I'm a creature of habit and when I go to the Garden I always like to hike the Palmer Trail.  Oh well, time to expand my horizons.

Above is a photo of America's mountain, Pikes Peak.  You can't get to the top of the Peak by hiking, driving, or taking the cog railroad right now.  They're in the final phases of the new summit house that they're building up there so they've closed off access to everyone.  The cog has been under renovation for three years.  Everything is scheduled to reopen in May.


The rock formations in the Garden are spectacular.


These are the formations in the central garden.  I usually get shots of them from the ridge on the opposite side.


It was a cold and windy day so our hike was quite short.  I can withstand the cold, but when the wind is freezing my face off I'd rather not be out on the trail.


It was Bella's 13th birthday.  She was thrilled to get out for a walk even if it was cold.


On the way out we found the remnants of someone's dinner.


Can you spot what else we found?


We've always heard there are Bighorn Sheep at the Garden, but in all the times we've been there this is the first time we've spotted some.


Not one, but two.  That guy on the left is very majestic.  What a treat!


Afterwards we headed over to Pub Dog for lunch and Bella's birthday celebration.  She chose the puppy patties from the dog menu.  A fun day!


Comments

Yogi♪♪♪ said…
Way to go Bella, 13 and out hiking in the cold wind! What kind of beer did she get?

Those sheep are spectacular. I do not believe that I have ever seen one in the wild.
April 2, 2021 at 9:37 AM
Light and Voices said…
Happy Birthday Bella. Glad you found a parking spot and some puppy patties for Bella. Enjoyed the cyber tour.
April 4, 2021 at 7:14 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Skywatch Friday: A little close for comfort

Image
We had a fire out here on the eastern plains of Colorado last week.  I kept getting reports on the fire's location on my cell phone while I was at work.  Then a warning popped up that let me know it was time to hit the road and go home to prepare to evacuate the critters. When we initially got home it was still a decent distance away. Within 30 minutes it had come up over the ridge and flames were visible. The winds were gusting 45 to 50 mph.  It was a fast moving fire that burned 5,000 acres in only four hours.  Then the most amazing thing happened--the winds died down and the firefighters got in under control by 8:15 that night.  Thank you, Lord! Have you ever had to stand in your house and wonder what you should take out with you?  There were only two things I could think of...1) my critters and 2) my passport so I could still go to Europe next month.  Irv and I agreed that we need to get things organized so we can just grab a box...
Read more

Skywatch Friday: Upper and Lower Falls

Image
Yesterday I got to visit the recently completed Uncle Tom's Overlook along the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. This is the first really good look I've ever had at the Upper Falls of the Yellowstone River. These falls are almost as good as the Lower Falls. After leaving the Upper Falls you go downstream for a mile or so to.... ...Artist's Point which has the very best view of the Lower Falls (in my opinion).  In this location the view is perfect, so perfect that it look like a painting. This is just one of the features of this Park that make it my heart and soul.   Linking with Skywatch Friday
Read more

Skywatch Friday: Wild Horses!

Image
 The Salt River wild horses have been eluding us since we arrived in Arizona several weeks ago so today we went in search of them again. This time we started at the Coon Bluff Recreation Area.  First we went one way down the river, but soon had to turn back because we didn't bring any rock climbing gear. Then we turned around and went the other direction. The water in the river was crystal clear, but no sign of fish or horses. There are times when I really miss my dad especially when I want to know what kind of tree I'm looking at.  This one has something that resembles Spanish moss hanging down.  What is it? This riparian area that surrounds the river has all kinds of wildlife.  Today we saw theses white egrets. This gray heron was also hanging out in the distance. We met a guy carrying all kinds of photographic equipment and he said we needed to go about a quarter of a mile further down the river to find a spot where the horses cross every afternoon around 5:0...
Read more