Life on the High Plains

 It's that time of year--the transition from Winter to Spring.  We have long cold winters here in Colorado and when you own horses there's always a lot to do when the weather starts warming up. The horses look pretty darn awful when the season start changing.  Their long winter coats start shedding like you can't believe.  I try to muck their stalls every morning and this time of year I also use the shedding blade on them in the mornings to to help get that hair out. They both look pretty bad right now.  They're getting older--23 or 24 years old.  Believe me, they get fed well, but they both look a little skinny right now.  It's harder to keep weight on them during the winter. We keep their stalls clean which is where they primarily hang out when it's cold, but they also do a lot of pooping right outside the barn.  It gets very deep and mushy so when the weather warms up we have to do the heavy work and clean it up.  Why?  Because they c...

 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 c...

 On our drive home from Cave Creek I wanted to make a little side trip to the small Arizona town of Eagar where I had lived as a youth when my dad was stationed there in the Forest Service. The first stop was the old homestead.  Keep in mind that I left here when I was 11 which was 50 years ago.  As a kid you remember things differently than maybe they actually were.  It took me a couple drivebys before I realized this was our house.   When we left here in 1971 this house was a beautiful avocado green color, typical of the times.  My dad built that carport this is attached to the left side of the house.  Through the trees you can see a small structure.  This is actually two side-by-side sheds.  The shed on the right was located out in the pasture when we moved into the house.  My dad and brothers moved it from the pasture to its current location by rolling it on large logs that were used as wheels.  Yes, it's true and they all ...

 On our last day in Cave Creek I got to do some plein air painting! We went out to Cave Creek Regional Park to find the perfect spot.  We drove around until I located the perfect subjects for my painting.  In plein air painting you have to limit your scope so I had to choose only two of the magnificent saguaros in my view. By the way, this park is fantastic.  If you're a camper they have a really nice RV park there.  I definitely hope to camp there sometime. Luckily the spot I chose had a picnic table nearby so I had a place to put all my stuff since I didn't bring my camp table and chair.  Irv was happy to hang out and read his book while I went to work. I hadn't realized he also took photos throughout the day. The first step is the very first grade-like sketch of the main focus.  This is done in burnt umber which I then wipe off and let dry for a few minutes. It was a warm Arizona day, at least it was to us Coloradans.  It was in the low 80s whi...

While in Cave Creek last week we decided to head out on the Dragonfly Trail for a short 1.8 mile loop through the desert.  Below is the trail we planned to follow. It started in the Jewel of the Creek Conservation Area.  There was a small parking lot at the trailhead, maybe 8-10 cars could park there.  We got there early enough to grab one of those spots. We were well prepared with the water and snacks that a short 1.8 mile hike requires. It was a beautiful, well-maintained trail through spectacular desert foliage. There are so many types of desert foliage that I know nothing about.  I'm going to need a book before I move to the desert. Of course, the saguaros are the crown of the desert. The trail was very well marked (or so we thought). Beautiful rock formations too! Irv kept telling me it was too chilly for the rattlesnakes to be out yet.  I chose to blindly believe him. Look at all those arms twisted around each other.  I think that long spiny thing is ...