Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Jerry in the prairie
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Island Walks
Early morning St. James City walks produced a few interesting pictures. Here are a couple of reflections taken from the pond behind the post office and two Wood Storks--one perched and one in flight. Also, here is a hawk that hangs around an eagle nest, a neighborhood orchid, a soaring osprey, a standing ibis, a really handsome vulture, plus the resting pose of Chico, the last of our Mexican gatos.

























The Pot Roast Caper
Our long-time friend Patrick has an interesting description of his ideal camping experience--he envisions traveling along the scenic highways of America, taking in the great vistas of our land while inhaling the all-American smells of a bubbling, cooking pot roast that will be his evening meal. So when Jamers brought up the idea of a Pot Roast Caper, Jan and I were all for it. Several false starts and changes in plans jeopardized the escapade, but it finally came together. Here is the scenario: Unbeknownst to Patrick and Friz, Jamers was down visiting us on the Island. Jamers told us when Friz and Patrick would be flying into Punta Gorda, so Jan phoned them saying that she had to go to Bonita Springs (where they have a home) anyway to shop for a rug, so why don’t they let us pick them up at the airport and drive them to Bonita? They readily agreed. Our plan was quickly formulated: Jamers, Jan, and I (along with the Pups) would drive BERT (our motor home) to the Punta Gorda rest stop, a mile from the Punta Gorda airport. While driving, the pot roast would be cooking in the slow cooker, accumulating the appropriate degree of doneness. At the rest stop we would unhook the car, Jan and I would drive to the airport to pick them up, tell them we needed to go to the bathroom, drive up to our coach, tell them to go in and be surprised by seeing Jamers sitting in the coach and smelling the cooking meats and veggies. Next we would hook the car back up and drive to our campground a little past Naples. Sounds like a great plan don’t you think?



However, we had a couple potholes on the path to pot roast progress: (1) We left the house early to prepare the coach for our trip (we keep the coach a few blocks away). When Jan pushed the button to raise the leveling jacks, one would not go all the way up--the coach would move but made a consistent, obnoxious, irritating alarm--not tolerable. We spent about an hour working on this problem (including lots of me laying under the coach urging it to act in the way I wanted it to). Finally, with Barry’s help, we used his jack to raise the coach jack enough to cancel the alarm. OK, we are running a little late, but all was still fine. (2) As we got ready to pull out, Jan smelled not the delectable odor of cooking pot roast but the metallic smell of burning wires--somehow the pot roast cooker got fried in the fix-the-jack melee. We stopped along the way to try and buy another cooker, but no luck. So Jamers and Jan modified the cooking methodology and polished the process to make things work. We arrived at the rest stop later than planned but luckily Patrick and Friz’s plane was late, so all worked out. We were there when their plane arrived, we loaded the car, lied about needing a potty break, and both of them were very surprised upon entering the coach. After a social break, we hooked up the car, drove to the Collier-Seminole State Park, set up camp in the dark, but by 9 p.m. we were enjoying the delicious, long-anticipated meal--MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.







Note that the planning for the original caper was much more complex and sophisticated. For example, it also included flying in PK Tours from the Caribbean.

Pups Across America

Here is a shot of Jerry, enjoying a romp in a meadow in the early morning light.

Headlights

See you next week.

Tags: Bird photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Handsome Jerry, Fluffy Mitzy
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Ibis Moon
Walking around the neighborhood, ibis were everywhere. Here is one sitting by the moon contemplating the fate of space travel in a post-shuttle era.



That evening we had a wonderful dinner with friends over at Jan S’s place (Yikes! I should have taken some photos!) Choice steak grilled to perfection, delicate mushroom sauce to entice the flavor, plump baked potatoes, a light, but complex Greek salad, and warm homemade rolls, all complimented with an appropriate selection of red wines.

Monday: Sarasota Drive
Monday I drove to Sarasota to meet with my business partners regarding a joint project. Smart fun folks—my kind of people. I’ll give you more details when we are closer to launch--gonna be fun.

Tuesday
Quiet day working on the Island.

Wednesday through Friday: Rolling Fog and Quick Trip to Dallas
Heavy fogs greeted us for our morning walk. Behind the post office I took these two shots.





After our family walk, I started a second stroll behind the Fish House along Pine Island Sound. The air was as thick as Campbell’s Mushroom Soup, producing that eerie feeling one gets in the surreal lighting when the air and water brew up a fog. Here I photographed a bug-eyed osprey sitting above her nest, a juvenile brown pelican trying to dry its wings atop a channel marker, a cormorant attempting the same feat atop a piling, an egret flying overhead, and finally these morning glories.











At 10:00 a.m. the Pine Island Taxi picked me up to take me to the Ft. Myers airport for two nondescript flights. The Dallas weather was chilly, the traffic horrible, but my workshop students were bright, fun, and seemed to very much enjoy the session. I arrived back home at 1:00 a.m. Saturday morning from a tiring but productive trip.



Saturday: The Eagles Are Back
Jan and I took the Kids behind the post office for a nice walk. I had Jan drop me off by the Fish House where I started walking and scouting for photo ops. I walked behind the eagles’ nest and there was an adult on a branch by the nest--great light, nice bird, sun at my back--this looked like a great opportunity. As I slowly walked up, though, she flew away to the north and I thought that was it. However, I stood still for a few minutes and here she came back flying toward me on her way to the nest. Yes, sometimes patience is a virtue! Here are a few pics of this magnificent bird.







Island Frank
Satisfied that I probably had at least one or two decent pics, I walked back toward home. Cars were stacked up at the community center as a pancake breakfast/craft show was just starting up. As I approached, I smelled the distinct odor of frying batter and heard the familiar keyboard tunes of upbeat island music that I’ve been enjoying for the last decade. Before he came into view, I knew that Island Frank was playing away for the crowd. Frank is a fixture on the Island, selflessly sharing his musical talent for dozens of fundraisers and other non-profit events year after year. Here he is at work.

Pups Across America

Here is a shot of Mitzy (she is in the lower left) at sunrise behind the post office.

Headlights

We will he headed for Apopka to enjoy the T-Day holiday with family and friends--might be some interesting photos!

See you next week.

Tags: Pine Island

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Handsome Jerry, Fluffy Mitzy
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

I spent the week at home on Pine Island, enjoying the nice weather and reconnecting with friends while re-establishing my base of work (my office is the top floor of our home).



Triple Dipping
I’m normally not much good at multitasking, but this situation works pretty well: Around sunrise each morning at the St. James City post office, I let Jerry and Mitzy off the leash and they can run to their hearts content. At the same time I get my morning health walk in, and since I carry my camera, I get the chance for a shot every now and then. I took this shot of the blasting-off Anhinga there one morning.



Neighborhood Stroll
When we get back home and the light is right and my work allows, I go back out walking through our neighborhood. Lots of ospreys and eagles in nest-building mode with lots of other avian activity. That is where I got the shots of the two hawks and the flock of Ibis.

Pups Across America

Here is a shot of Fluffy Mitzy and that handsome boy Jerry.

Headlights

Check out next week for more pics.

Tags: Pine Island

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - The Kids go boating

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Note that this blog is a continuation of last week’s Alaska photo trip. If you missed it and like photos of eagles, check out Blog 69: North to Alaska from October 30, 2011.

Rearview Mirror

Homer, Alaska, is one beautiful place. Known for its fishing (primarily halibut and salmon), commercial and recreational fishermen are abundant in season. Gorgeous scenery everywhere including mountains and glaciers. Nature lovers have lots to see with wilderness parks and wildlife refuges taking up much of the land of the Kenai Peninsula. Along with the large eagle population there are numerous birds of other breeds, lots of brown bears, whales, dolphins, otters, seals, and on and on. Anyone who enjoys nature and beauty will marvel at this place. http://www.homeralaska.org/



Friday: Picture Perfect
Just a gorgeous day with warm light and warm temperatures. Lots of fun shooting birds in flight and a few perched, majestic avian specimens.

Tides: For those of us from Florida and others on the sea, we are used to the rising and ebbing of tides and plan our boating accordingly. However, we ain’t seen nothing like Alaska tides! (Tides range from minus five feet for a low tide to 23-plus feet for a high tide.) We experienced a 23-foot tide, high enough to shut down the road. The good news is that it allowed us access by boat to almost anywhere.



















Saturday: Rain and Snow
The weather went from light clouds and dry, medium clouds and rain, and then dark clouds and heavy snow. Regardless, it was a great day for photography. I also took advantage of the changing weather to practice making blurs. See what you think.

Eagle-Seeking Voyages
The Homer Harbor (home to one of the vessels from the “Deadliest Catch”) is two-thirds down the Homer Spit, right inside Kachemak Bay. Each day the boat captains would take into consideration the tides, winds, and weather and concur with our photo leader as to where to hunt the eagles. Several times, for example, we were in China Poot Bay. Another way to think of it is that China Poot Bay connects to Kachemak Bay, which connects to Cook Inlet, which connects to the Gulf of Alaska, which connects to the Pacific Ocean.































Sunday: Drive to Anchorage



At 9:00 a.m. I met Aussie Mark in the windy dark morning. We drove slowly up the Spit* because the front desk clerk had told me that the combination of high tides (over 20 feet) and high winds was causing waves to toss rocks upon the road. As the skies lightened up and the wind went down, we enjoyed nice weather the first 75 miles or so of our trip west, north, east, and back west. However, from there we shifted from dry, easy-driving pavement to slick, snow-covered highway. We had plenty of time, however, so we just slowed down and enjoyed the view. The trip along the Alaska Scenic Byway took us through Anchor Point, Ninilchik, Soldotna, Sterling, Coopers Landing, and Hope before arriving at Anchorage. We detoured a little taking the Seward Highway and stopped along the way past Moose Pass to enjoy the pristine solitude made up of the black-and-white landscapes











At Anchorage I took the red-eye to Minneapolis, and then returned to Ft. Myers arriving at 1:30 Monday afternoon.

*If you are not familiar with the term, a spit is a deposit of sand that connects to land and extends into the sea--a big sandbar. Our motel, the Lands End, was at the end of the spit.

Monday through Saturday: Back on Pine Island



Fortunately I had no travel planned this week, and after unpacking from Alaska, I was able to “regroup” from our five-month motorhome trip. The weather was wonderful (high 70s to low 80s). While walking, biking, and driving around the island it was great to see the eagles in or around their nests (we have 16 active nests). Friday morning I took this pic of an eagle perched just west of the post office.

Pups Across America

Here are a couple shots of The Kids on a recent boat ride.

Tags: Homer, Alaska, photography, Bird photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Preparation
Sunday was a day of preparation, catching up on work, and getting ready for my trip.

Monday: The Big Trip
Monday morning, the Pine Island Taxi picked me up at 4:00 a.m. and the big trip began.



Basically it was all day on planes, but things went smoothly, and I was in my hotel (the Lands Inn) in Homer by 8:00 p.m. Alaska time (midnight Eastern) after a sixteen-hour journey.

Tuesday
I awoke in the pre-dawn to the sound of wind and rain (sunrise was not until 9:07 a.m.). At 7:00 a.m. our group got together for breakfast. Nice group of people--six of the ten participants had been on past photo workshops with our leader, Artie Morris, a world-famous bird photographer. We had an Aussie, a Brit, and a Russian, with the rest being Americans coming from various states.

We then spent the remainder of the morning looking at past Homer eagle slides, discussing what to expect, and recommendations as to what to shoot. We had a group lunch, and then mid-afternoon headed for the boats. In just a few minutes we were in eight-foot seas and 30-knot winds. No worries, though, as there was room for the six of us and our gear to fit inside the cabin, and the ship and its captain were well-made for these waters. After about 20 minutes the waves calmed. It was chilly on deck but tolerable, as everyone was appropriately dressed. For about three hours we shot eagles in flight along with the always-present gulls. Great fun.











Late afternoon we motored home in much calmer waters, docked, unloaded, and returned to the Lands Inn. Three of us met for dinner (I had the halibut, which was excellent, complimented by a local ale) and talked photography. Back in my room, I edited shots for an hour or so and then went to bed. Great day.

Wednesday
Yikes! The weather was still a “challenge” with high winds and big waves, but no rain. My room was 20 yards from Kachemak Bay, and you could hear the sound (often “roar”) of the waves most all the time. Here is a morning view. At 9:30 a.m. we headed for the boats, stopping to shoot eagles and the occasional otter and other bird species. We returned at noon and then did the same routine in the late afternoon. Here are a few pics from the day.



















Thursday
Following a similar pattern, we made a morning and an afternoon boat cruise.

Headlights

I’m writing this at 6:15 a.m. on Sunday morning, and I need to pack to take the “adventurous” drive back to Anchorage. I’m riding along with Aussie Mark, and we hope to get some good photos along the way. Hence, I don’t have time to finish all the shots from the entire week as I usually do, but next week I will publish the pics from Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Should be fun....

Tags: Homer, Alaska, Bird photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

While Janny stayed in Apopka and helped Auntie with remodeling, I flew to Seattle on Sunday to run a services account management session for a client of my business partner Service Strategies. Upon my return to Orlando/Apopka, we packed up on Thursday and returned to Pine Island. Between unpacking, re-setting up my office, staying abreast of my consulting business, and preparing for next week’s trip to Alaska, I didn’t have much time for pictures. However, I did get one shot of Jerry in flight.



Nonetheless, I’ve selected a few of my favorites from our Motoring Across America ’11 for you to look at.

Headlights

Alas, Motoring Across America, at least our summer trip is over. However, I plan to keep posting the blog as long as I have something of interest to share. For example, I’m flying to Homer, Alaska, to photograph eagles. I’ll have some action shots for you next week.

Have questions or comments--send them in.

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Jerry, Mitzy and Friends
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

After a wonderful stay, we finally left Michigan, taking the last of the Indian Summer weather with us. We headed south and east on back roads until hooking up to I-69. Normally we avoid interstates, but to save time we took them the entire trip back, going through Louisville, Nashville, Chatanooga, Atlanta, near Tampa then over to Auntie’s place.















Raptor Center
On Saturday, Auntie, Jan, and I went to the Avian Raptor Center to view the birds of prey and watch the Harris Hawks during the falconry session. Just a great place.

Pups Across America

Headlights

October 16-19: Visit Auntie in Apopka (Orlando area)
October 20: Arrive back on Pine Island
October 24-31: Alaska

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Pups Across America, photography, Bird photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Chilly Mitzy and Poetry Pups
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Devils Tower National Monument



I took the Pups out pre-dawn into the brisk 41-degree morning. Soon Jan and I drove the two miles to the Tower Trailhead, stopping to view a really big porcupine making his way up a hill. By 6:25 a.m. we were working our way up the trail that goes around Devils Tower. We were the only ones there (so we thought), which was totally opposite from the parking lot of the evening before when it was crowded with tour busses, motor homes, and cars full of tourists. We thoroughly enjoyed the easy 1.3-mile trek, stopping often to take pictures and watch the red squirrels gather pine cones for the upcoming winter. As we listened to the birds and critters we heard another noise, and looking up we saw three climbers halfway up the hill. We later found out that they had scaled the Tower the night before, camped on the peak, and were now making their way down--probably trying to avoid arrest!. Just a wonderful way to start the day.





Busted
When we drove back to camp, a brown note was on our windshield. Just as I pulled it off and before I could read it, up came the serious-looking camp host, decked out in full National Park attire. He ominously told us that our dogs had been barking non-stop for the two and a half hours we had been gone (actually it had been 65 minutes, but no sense arguing with an official of the law no matter what their lowly rank), and it was against regulations to leave them unattended. He also said that several of our camping neighbors had complained (it was Sunday morning you know), and he could hear the racket all the way across the campground. I apologized solemnly and vowed it would not happen again. Over the next hour, Jan and I apologized to all our neighbors. However, they all said they either hadn’t noticed or hadn’t cared. It seemed that a ranger driving through camp got all worked up and sounded the alarm. I really wish we had heard them though, as I guess they started to howl like the big savage canines they are and it set off coyotes from all around to start howling--could have loved to have recorded that. To give you an idea of how the Kids can howl, here is a 20-second movie, “Pups Gone Wild.”



I spent most of the rest of the morning finishing up last week’s blog, editing pictures, and planning out the next steps in our RV adventure. Jan did some painting and, of course, met several of our neighbors, all nice people with their own unique life stories to tell. Here is the “mini RV” of one of our neighbors.



Cowboy Poetry
Just like when we camped at Vega State Park in Colorado, by coincidence, our stay at Devils Tower occurred at the same time as their annual Cowboy Poetry event. We walked down and enjoyed the poetry of an 85-year-old local woman and the singing and joshing of a bunch of old cowboys and ranchers who belted out old cowboy songs. They were quite good actually. Here are a few pictures, including some young cowboys jostling on the grass.













Country Ride
Late in the afternoon we took a country ride (bumpy dirt roads, of course) to the Black Hills National Forest, and at Jerry’s request, we took one more trip to Prairie Dog Town.





Monday: Labor Day at Teddy Roosevelt National Monument
I took the pups out early to a much warmer morning. While I was away, Jan started getting the coach ready to go, and after breakfast we left the campground promptly at 7:57 a.m.



Stopping at the entrance to the park to get our mandatory picture of the park sign for the blog, we turned left on 24 and drove to Hewlett. We passed through the little town of Alva, population 50, and on through Alladin, where the posted sign said that there were 15 residents. At least according to the map our road turned into Wyoming 34 and we continued on east, turning north at the 85 junction. Soon we were in North Dakota, and we stopped for lunch in the coach at the tiny visitor center at Bowman, where I got my official state map and other information on what North Dakota had to offer. At Belfield we fueled up and then turned west on I-94 for the 15 miles to the entrance of Teddy Roosevelt National Monument in the town of Medora.



We set up camp, and late afternoon we drove the 36-mile scenic route, seeing a few wild horses and prairie dogs.



Tuesday: Wild Horses, Bison, and PDs
Returning from my morning Pup walk and within 100 yards of BERT, we spotted two wild horses, a stallion and a mare. I quickly took the Pups back to the coach, gathered my camera and tripod, and then returned taking pre-dawn pictures of these equines eating grass and small plants with purpose. I stood out there for 45 minutes taking photos and admiring this handsome couple.





After breakfast we returned to the 36-mile scenic route. In the early morning we had much better luck finding critters. In fact, we saw well over 100 bison, sometimes quite up close and personal. We had to stop a few times to let them cross the road. We also had great luck with the wild horses, viewing 50 or more during our trip. Of course the highlight for the Pups were the hundreds of prairie dogs.













Really Big Trucks



After working a few hours it was time to move on. While I worked in the passenger chair, Jan took us east on I-94, then north on 85. Here you would have sworn that the Really Big Truck Convention was going on with long trucks, wide trucks, and a vast assortment of really big trucks heading in all directions carrying equipment and supplies for energy and agriculture. I never saw so many signs saying, “Oversized Load” or “Wide Load.” At Walford City I had Jan turn east on 23--big mistake! There may have been concrete or asphalt below us, but you would never have known it. For close to 30 miles we shared the rough dirt paths with more really big trucks through a construction maze. Finally, we stopped and camped at the Van Hook Resort, in New Town, ND. Long day.

Wednesday: Lake Metigoshe



I worked till 10:00 a.m., and then it was time to head out. We took 23 east for about 50 miles and then took 83 north, passing by Minot. At Highway 5 we went east to Bottineau, north on a county road for six miles, and east again on 43 for six miles to the entrance of Lake Metigoshe State Park. We found a site, and set up in this picturesque setting. This very popular park was mostly empty (post-Labor Day), and we enjoyed the solitude. The weather was just about perfect, and we ended the day with a nice campfire.



Thursday: Peace Garden
While working on the computer in the wee hours, I suddenly heard a noise. I opened up the door and heard stereophonic howling--the coyotes were at full yap. This made me a little more careful of the Little Ones when I took them out a little later. This was followed with Jan and I hiking on the Old Oak Trail, a pretty walk through the woods.

At 8:00 a.m. the family loaded into the car and we drove the three miles south, 16 miles east, and three miles north to the North Dakota-Manitoba Canada border to visit the International Peace Garden. This joint collaboration of two governments is just a marvelous place to visit. The tranquil 2,300 acres include lakes, formal gardens, sunken gardens, memorial gardens, woods with hiking trails, a campground, a chapel, a 9-11 memorial, a museum, café, and more. Yes, it is a little isolated, but worth the visit. Check it out at www.peacegarden.com.













I worked the rest of the day while Jan did some more art--see what you think.



Friday: Minnesota
Jan and I took the Pups out for an early morning romp, and Jan found a live dragonfly partially iced over in the grass. Jerry was very interested in giving him a smell, while Mitzy tried to eat him! Luckily Jan saved him.



After computer work, and a Swedish Skype, we pulled out of Lake Metigoshe State Park for a 300-mile trek around 10:00 a.m. We took 43 east to 3 south down to Rugby, where we picked up 2 for the rest of day’s travel through Devil’s Lake and Grand Forks. At Grand Forks we stayed on 2, passing into Minnesota going all the way to Bemidji, where we camped for the night at the Royal Oaks RV Park.

Saturday: On to the Porkies



We were on the road at 8:00 a.m., back heading east on Highway 2 driving the 100 miles of Midwest prairie through Duluth and on into Wisconsin. After stopping for lunch (I had the special) in the little burg of Poplar, we stayed on 2, passing through Ashland and Hurley. We again crossed state lines and came into Ironwood. We stopped at the Michigan Visitor Center only to find it closed on weekends (great marketers those Michigan recreation folks). Not to worry, I had done my research online early that morning and had a good idea where I wanted to take us. So at Wakefield we turned east on 28 for just a couple of miles, and then turned north on County Road 5-9 for 16 miles through a canopy of just-starting-to-change-color trees. We turned into the Porcupine Mountains State Forest and found a huge campsite, not more than 50 yards to a bluff overlooking Lake Superior. Jan cooked over the campfire, and we ended the day watching the sunset over the big Lake.

Pups Across America

Headlights

September 11 to 24: Michigan TBD
September 23-October 7: Markin Glen County Park, Kalamazoo, MI
October 8-15: ???
October 16-31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1 to ???
??? to ???
???: Back on Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Wyoming, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Great Pyrenees and more
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Day of Rest (and Work)
Quiet day around the campsite. Did some walks (able to capture this handsome marmot) and I worked on my Sarasota project.







Late afternoon we did our normal drive looking for Kodak Moments. We took 40 west turning north on Elkhead Road down to Elkhead Reservoir State Park. We toured the facility by the lake then exited the park northbound on a gravel path under a cloudy sky and occasional drizzle of rain. No sooner had we turned the first corner when Jan pointed out a really big bird sitting on a fence post. I was driving and turned around on the narrow gravel road, fully expecting the bird to take off…nope, he was still there! Reluctantly he let me capture a few images before heading up the mountain for another perch. Within 100 feet we found another of this species sitting on the same fence and once again I took a few photos. I assumed she (larger bird) was his mate (sharing the same habitat). Later, back at camp we confirmed via our reference books that the two birds were Ferruginous hawks. I took advantage of the soft light for a couple other landscape shots.









Continuing up to Corral Gulch Road, we wound around and spotted several deer, grazing cattle, and horses. About a mile from Hayden, we were treated to the sight of a mature red fox in excellent condition shoot across the road in front of us.

Sitting at our campfire in the evening, I heard Janny say, “Alex, look!” I turned to see a stunningly vibrant rainbow, and quickly headed into the coach for my camera. Thirty seconds later I returned, however, the brilliance of the colors had diminished greatly. As I was standing there, disappointed in not getting the shot I wanted, Jan again said, “Look!” as she pointed overhead--a Golden Eagle flew directly over our camp. No time for a photo attempt, but an impressive sight nonetheless. Quite the day.

Monday: On to Steamboat Lake
Another quiet morning at Yampa River State Park. I took the Pups on a walk, and then got to work while Jan readied BERT for travel.



At 10:53 a.m. we left the gate, heading east on 40 through Hayden and Milner. At Steamboat Springs we turned north on 129 and the further we drove up this winding road, the prettier it got. At the Clark store, we turned north on 62 as Google Maps directed. I thought it funny that there was no brown sign indicating a state park was this direction, but I asked Jan to turn anyway. Within minutes our paved road turned to gravel. We pulled over and called the Visitor Center (luckily AT&T was strong). I explained my plight, and the guy on the other end of the line got a chuckle out of Google sending us the wrong way. He said, “Yes you can still get here, but you are on the scenic route.” Jan drove the bus about 20 miles and hour around the west side of the lake on the road less traveled. For the next 50 minutes we drove through hills and valleys covered with wildflowers with mountains acting as the backgrounds of our vistas. We pulled into our campsite and quickly set up. A great view of Hahns Peak was out our door.



The evening ended with a big storm with lots of thunder and lightning.



Tuesday: Strolling through a Bouquet of Flowers
I took the Pups out early into a dark morning with big black clouds overhead.



After making our best guess that no big rains were close by, Jan and I walked about 50 feet to the trailhead of the Willow Creek Trail and started on our way. The trail cut through the meadow along the lake, and we went up and down, over and around amidst summer flowers of every variety, shape, and color. Jan said it was just like walking through a bouquet o flowers--appropriately stated.











On the trail was a ripped open bag of sandwich meat (nothing remaining but the plastic) and the unmistakable print of a bear. I guess some camper was a little sloppy with food security. Field birds chirped and sang along our three-mile trek and this Song Sparrow was kind enough to pose.

I spent the majority of the day working on my Sarasota project along with preparing for my Chicago trip next week. Late afternoon the four of us piled into the car with Jan driving and me on the passenger seat holding my camera, a Schnauzer, and occasionally a Rat Terrier.

We first drove south on 129 for just a few miles and then turned left at 209, a dirt road that took us through some ranches before ending at Pearl Lake State Park. Here we drove through the park and through the campgrounds with their great views of the lake from the primitive sites. Then we drove back, turning north on 129 past our park. At National Forest Road 486 we turned west and took the trip back to Hahn’s Lake. The weather was getting interesting with occasional sheets of rain, and some impressive lightning and thunder that reverberated throughout the valleys. We saw some deer and wildflowers. It was a drive I’d recommend.





As we drove home a quite impressive rainbow formed, reaching across the entire valley, starting at a ranch house and ending on a mountain (or vice versa, depending on your point of view).

Wednesday: More Beauty



When I arose it was a chilly 45 degrees; cold enough for me to go to the closet and hunt my medium-weather jacket. I walked the Pups down to the marina where I let them go off-leash, as no one else was out.

By 6:30 a.m., Jan and I were in the car, retracing our tracks back to Pearl Lake. We parked at the trailhead and hiked Pearl Lake Trail through the forest along Pearl Lake. As the day before, we were surrounded and sometimes immersed in summer wild flowers. The trail was narrow and overgrown and we were soon soaked after the first few minutes. We walked over the dam and continued along till the trail ended. We took pictures along the way, including one of this jogger (she had a Pup but he didn’t make the blog!).











Back at BERT, I spent the day working on the Sarasota project.

Thursday: On to State Forest
It was a chilly 42 degrees when I walked the Pups down to the marina. When we got back, Jan and I drove to the Visitor’s Center for a hike. The trail we had chosen was closed, so we improvised and took the other end of the Willow Creek trail. I had an 8:30 a.m. Sweden call, and then I worked on my Sarasota project. After a 1:00 p.m. call with a Services Strategies client, Jan turned the bus and the adventure continued. We took 12 south, picking up 40 east at Steamboat Springs. At Muddy Pass we picked up 14 and headed NE, going through Spider and Hebron and on up to Walden, where 14 merges with 125. As we headed north through town, I noticed that the sign only said 125, and no 14. About five miles north of town I confirmed my fears--I had missed the turnoff. Consulting with Janny we pulled over and attempted to make a wide swing to turn back around. Note that there is always risk in this type of maneuver because when towing a car behind a motorhome you cannot back up. Well, you guessed it, Jan cranked BERT as tightly as possible, but the end result was that we completely blocked the highway, unable to move ahead. I jumped out and started to unhook our car, nervously glancing in both directions on the lookout for traffic. Luckily in this country traffic is light, however we did hold up a semi and a few cars for a short time. I would have completed my chore faster, but people kept coming up offering to help! After this small adventure, Jan and I drove separately the last 30 miles of Thursday’s journey. Back at Walden we found the sign to go back to 14 east (later I went into town to retrace our earlier steps and felt exonerated from my navigation error--there was no sign indicating the 14 turn). Looking on the map I saw the familiar Colorado dots, indicators of another scenic byway. So we made our way to State Forest State Park through more gorgeous Colorado scenery.

Moving Up in the World
Since our stay at Highline Lake (4,500 feet) we have been gradually moving up: 6,000 feet at Rifle Gap, 6,300 feet at Yampa, 8,100 feet at Steamboat Lake, and 9,100 feet at State Forest. At these altitudes you have to remember to let air out of your SleepRest mattress the higher up you go, be careful of shooting ketchup bottles from the frig, and you have to wait a little longer for the gas to reach the stovetop.

State Forest State Park is my kind of place, 71,000 acres of rustic beauty complete with mountains and meadows, rivers and lakes. Lots of critters (proclaimed the Moose Capitol of Colorado), scenic drives, and great hiking trails everywhere. I’m really glad we stopped.





Friday: Early Calls and Flying Hawks
I had a 7:00 a.m. phone call with my Chicago client, and since there was no AT&T or Verizon signal at our campground, I left at 6:30 driving the 20 miles on 14 north to the entrance to the Owl Creek ranch that had four bars on each device (iPhone and MacBook). Since I was only a few miles from Walden, I drove into town to fuel up our Element then returned to camp.

I worked on my Sarasota project in the motorcoach, and then later in the day we packed up for a family drive. We took 14 north to Walden where we took 12 west, past the Walden State Wildlife Area, eventually hooking up with 7 north then 7A north to the Lake John State Wildlife area and Lake John. From here we took 5 south to the Delaney Butte Lake State Wildlife Area, and then on past an unnamed/unnumbered road out through the valley. We could see for miles with mountains on all sides corralling us in.







Since it was prairie country we encountered several hawks on barns and bales and posts. The first was a Swainson’s Hawk standing on this hay bale. The second was a Rough-Legged Hawk, sitting on this fence post waiting for a meal opportunity. The flying hawk with the attitude is another Swainson’s Hawk.







Jan drove us until the public road ended, and then we retraced our steps back to Walden. Here we drove 125 south about five miles where we took the Wildlife Auto Tour through the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge.



We just saw birds, but lots of them, especially ducks on the numerous lakes and a hundred or more white pelicans. We drove back to Walden once again to take 14 south. Here we went past our campground and up to Cameron Pass, 10,278 feet. Bull moose had been spotted there the last couple of weeks. We saw no big guys, but did see a cow and her calf. From there we headed back into the state park and drove the minutes of narrow, rough, steep, dirt road through the forest up to the Agnes Lake trailhead (we really have to get a Jeep). Past 6:00 p.m. and getting chilly, we decided against hiking, as we had not dressed for this activity. We drove back down and returned to camp after a big day.

Saturday: Moose Hunters
All of us were in the car and out of the campground by 6:05 a.m., and by 6:10 we saw a moose, a big bull about 50 yards parallel to the road we were on. That was the good news; the bad news was that it was way too dark (even with a tripod) to take any pictures. Reluctantly, we traveled on, going to Cameron Pass. When we saw only a cow and no bulls, we decided to head back and see if the bull we had spotted earlier was still within viewing range. After some careful scouring, we found him, but he had meandered much further away. I set up my tripod by the side of the road anyway and got a few long-distance shots. (Man it was cold. I have to remember to take gloves.) I only got one shot that shows the profile of the big guy. The lighting wasn’t the best and I had to crop it a lot, but it shows his profile and the large rack of his maleness well.



Next, we went back to Cameron Pass one more time with luck finally shining on us. There was a mature bull grazing away in a flower-covered field. Even with a tripod and using a high ISO, the shutter speed was low, but I stood out for a good 30 minutes firing away while Jan and the Kids watched from the warm car. Here is a shot of Mr. Moose.



Back at camp, we had breakfast, and then the four of us walked to the Ranger Lakes trailhead and hiked around the four lakes. Another gorgeous setting with the only other humans being a couple of fly fisherwomen.



Back at BERT, I spent a few hours developing a proposal for my Minneapolis client. We then went for our afternoon drive, first stopping off to shoot out my proposal and catch up on mail past the KOA, then east onto 41 to check out that countryside. From there we went back north on 14, turning west on the road to Rand, on through the Owl Mountain State Wildlife Refuge. Not finding a way to circle back, we retraced our steps and stopped off at Gould for dinner at The Drifter’s Cookhouse, (www.drifterscookhouse.com). This is a must-stop place if you are in the area. A great couple owns it, and the help provides good service in a comfortable atmosphere. Absolutely great food, and they have cabins complete with moose as well as a few RV sites. Next time we are in this area we hope to stay there.

Pups Across America

When returning from our Lake Pearl hike, this ranch dog, a Great Pyrenees, greeted us by the end of his lane. By his looks, I don’t think he sleeps on his master’s bed--maybe not even inside!

Headlights

August 21-28: Boyd Lake State Park
August 29-31: Parker, CO
September 1-15: Heading north and east
September 23-October 7: Markin Glen County Park, Kalamazoo, MI
October 8-15: ???
October 16 to 31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado State Parks

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Sunrise Pups
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Chasing the Sunrise





Upon rising, and while the water is heating for coffee, it is my normal habit to check the weather and forecast online. Although the temperature has risen each day to the low 90s the last week, each morning started in the very pleasant, light-jacket mid to high 50s. This morning, however, it was already 72 degrees at 4:30 a.m. with the promise of quickly heating up. Thus, I decided to walk the Pups quite early, when it was still an enjoyable task and not a bothersome toil. Thus, we were on the Highline Lake Bluffs trail about a half hour before sunrise, my favorite time to be outdoors. With clouds in the East, the colors started to roll in; pastels at first, transitioning to different orange hues, to bold reds and various combinations. Within 30 seconds the pre-sunrise scene you just viewed may have morphed into an entirely different composition.

The Kids seemed to have as much fun as I did on our walk, including a rabbit chase that I was able to at least catch a glimpse of with my camera. You’ll notice that “fast-as-the-wind” Mitzy is the lead chase Pup, hot on the trail--and the tail--of the bunny, with Jerry bolting from the back.



After breakfast I helped Jan pinch-hit for our camp host colleagues, and then I finalized my preparation for my Boston client and tackled some other lingering chores.

Monday: Quick Trip to Boston



Being it was to be a short trip, I left Jan carless and drove to the Grand Junction airport. I took the 6:35 a.m. flight to Dallas, and after a short layover hopped another flight to Boston. I detest driving in Boston, but the cab fare to my hotel and to my client would have been ridiculous, so I rented a car. Had a quiet evening including a nice soaker tub.

Tuesday: Boston
My “what it takes to build a services business” session went very well, and by noon I was back in my rental car arriving at Logan airport in time for lunch. Here I treated myself to a lobster roll and a glass of Sam Adams--there are some benefits of being in Boston! After a couple a flights and a short drive, I arrived back at camp by 9:30 that night.

Wednesday: Rainbows and Computer Screens
Today my hike around Highline was gorgeous. I couldn’t decide which of these two rainbow shots I liked best, so I included both. Which one do you like best?





I spent the rest of the day behind the computer screen, qualifying a new piece of business, giving feedback on a new online course I’m developing, and making and returning calls.

Thursday: Good-bye to Highline
Busy morning! I took the Pups on one last hike around the lake, and after 40-some days of looking, we finally saw the deer herd.



(Note that none of the shots I took this week at Highline had any saturation added--that’s just how awesome the light was those mornings.)

Upon returning I helped Jan get our motor home, BERT, ready to roll, and then headed down to the visitor center to put on a selling webinar (over the phone and Internet) for a couple hundred people in cooperation with my friend Hank from the Professional Services Journal. As soon as the session was over, I walked back and Jan and I finished up preparation for leaving. We said good-bye to friends David and Marjorie and wished them good luck with camp hosting (the new camp hosts replacing us appear to be quite the Butt Heads!).



By noon, Jan was driving, BERT was purring, and the Pups were alternating sitting on my lap, standing on the dash, or sleeping on the sofa. We had a gorgeous 70-mile drive, taking our time through Loma, onto I-75 east past Grand Junction and Palisade, turning east on 85 then east again onto 330. We meandered through Molina, puttered through Plateau City, climbed through Colilbran continuing our upward voyage into Vega Lake State Park.



Golden Eagle
About three miles from the Vega Park entrance, as we turned a corner, Jan and I both saw a large animal of some sort on the side of the road. Within seconds we made the ID—Golden Eagle! As we approached, this very big guy gave us a dismissing look, and then slowly beat his huge wings a couple of times and was gone. I had my camera on my lap, but there was no time for an attempted picture, but the experience was exhilarating. After checking in we got set up and sat outside overlooking the lake and watched the day come to an end.

Friday: Deer Galore
The first thing after coffee, we all piled into our Element and drove back from the park the way we came in hopes of finding the Golden Eagle. No luck this time, but we saw dozens of deer on our way down and back. Instead of returning to BERT we slowly drove around the lake looking for critters. Just before turning into our campground, Jan spotted a young buck on the edge of the forest chomping on leaves. He was not afraid of cars and he let me take several pictures of him less than 30 feet away.



Back at our campsite we had another cup of coffee, then leaving the Kids to finish their breakfast, Jan and I took off in the car once again. Our plan was to take an access road, Forest Road #262 (also called Park Creek Road) for the mile and a half into the Grand Mesa National Forest for some hiking. We slowly crept along the rough dirt road, but the heavy rains from the night before created a fast-running current across our path. After studying the possibility of proceeding, prudence stepped in and we retraced our tracks. Here is a chipmunk munching the top of a tree.



However, our backup plan was a good one, for we hiked the two-mile Vega Trail through an Aspen forest. We saw lots of pretty foliage, flowers, and mushrooms. The pretty but poisonous baneberry was everywhere along with a number of other plants that I couldn’t identify. This is bear country, so Jan carried our bear spray as we headed up and down the narrow overgrown trail that was covered by a thick, dark canopy. We saw no critters, but heard the noise of one very large animal along our way.

As an aside, Vega State Park is at 8,000 feet--it takes a little while getting use to the altitude.







After lunch, I spent time doing business. While I was working I asked Janny to go and find a spot where there was both a good AT&T and a Verizon signal. She came back a couple hours later having explored a large portion of real estate. Taking the Kids, we retraced her steps, driving the 11 miles back toward Collbran, stopping at Gandhi Park. Here I rejoined civilization (I guess), checking for voice messages, downloading e-mails, and responding to those messages requiring immediate action.

In the evening, Jan built a fire, and we sat around watching the activities of the lake and the campsite, smelling the pleasant odors of campfire cooking, and hearing the sound of thunder in the distance.

Saturday: Hungry Hummers, Marmot, and Another Eagle Sighting
I stood outside at dawn, watching the sky colors and the reflections on the lake. I took the Pups out early, down to the boat launch where they could run loose and stretch their little legs.

Hungry Hummers
As soon as we had set up camp the day before, Jan filled our hummingbird feeder and set it on our picnic table. Within five minutes (no kidding) we had a flock of hummers lining up to eat--reminded me of the opening of a new restaurant on the Island at 5:00 p.m. Blue Hair Special time!

By Saturday morning these petite, glutinous avians had devoured the entire contents of the feeder, a concoction of one cup sugar and four cups of water. Jan quickly went into action and filled up the feeder again. These live missiles were so ravenous that one was trying to feed out of the bowl that Jan was using to fill the feeder. Once refilled, we counted 15 hummers either eating or awaiting their turn. Here is not a great shot, but it sure shows the excitement at our picnic table.



A little later the four of us hopped into our car and made the circle of the lake, seeing the occasional deer and admiring the fields of summer flowers. I also took a shot of our campground from the other side of the lake.





At 8:00 a.m. we pulled into the Vega Lodge where we had breakfast overlooking the lake. From there we finished our circumnavigation, stopping to shoot yellow-bellied marmot at their digs. Cute little fellows.







Once back in the coach it was time to work. I’m fortunate in having lots to do, but it was really hard to get motivated to sit at the computer with a setting such as we have! Anyway, after stalling for a while downloading pics, I got to work on my Sarasota project.

Later in the afternoon we decided to go back and look for the Golden Eagle. Jan was driving, I had my camera set up for action on my lap and WHAM! There was the big guy surveying his territory, sailing on the wind over the valley. Jan let me out of the car and went to turn around while I followed this lord of the sky with my viewfinder. I probably got 50 shots off before he vanished from view. The first shot (18 megapixels) was what I saw in my camera, the 35mm equivalent of 640mm (or about 13X if you were looking through binoculars or a spotting scope). I severely cropped the second shot (2.5 MP) just to show a little more of what he looked like. Yes, the light was not the best and he/she was a long way away, but I got my first Golden Eagle photos! I was (and am) one happy camper.





Cowboy Poetry
By sheer luck, we chose to camp at Vega State Park during their annual Cowboy Poetry event. Attendees brought finger food to pass around (Jan made hot wings), and we all sat around on picnic tables and camping chairs listening to local artists playing cowboy songs, followed by readings by cowboy poets. It was really an enjoyable time. Here are a few pics from this event.











If you want to see more cowboy poetry pics, click here.

Pups Across America

Headlights

August 7: Vega State Park
August 8-11: Rifle Gap State Park
August 11-31: Exploring Colorado
September 1-15: Heading north and east
September 23-October 7: Markin Glen County Park, Kalamazoo, MI
October 8-15: ???
October 16-31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Highline Lake Park, Vega State Park, Colorado, Bird photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Action shots of the Kids
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday through Thursday: Hanging Around Camp
We stayed at the campground the first five days of the week. Every morning started with a walk around the lake, and most days I walked around the campground looking for photo opportunities. Jan did most of the camp host duties, Mitzy got a summer haircut as you will see in the pics, the young hawks were out and about playing, and I was lucky enough to photograph a hummingbird nest right before the two young ones left the next day.







I spent a lot of time on the computer doing work for a Swedish client, a client in Boston, preparing for an upcoming webinar, and working on my Sarasota partner project. Thursday evening our neighbors, David and Marjorie, took us out to the Feedlot, a steak house in Fruita, for a very nice meal.

Friday: Monument and Dinosaur



It was a pleasant 55 degrees when I took the Pups out early in the pre-dawn. By 6:05 Jan and I were out of the campground, and by 6:30 we were walking down Otto’s Trail in the Colorado National Monument (sadly, dogs aren’t allowed). It was a pleasant hike with a great view of the canyon, but since it was not a long trail and it was still early, we walked part of the Coke Ovens Trail, spent some time admiring the view from the Artist Points lookout, and then slowly drove back through the park looking for Desert Bighorn Sheep. Alas, no big critter sightings today.



Leaving the Monument we decided to stop at Dinosaur Hill, the location of the 1900 dig that led to excavating over six tons of dinosaur bones that were re-assembled as the very impressive display at the Chicago Field Museum that is still there today. We took the trail that walked around the hill showing where the excavation took place, all the while enjoying the views of the Monument, Grand Valley, and the McInnis National Conservation Area.

After a great breakfast of Jan’s, I spent the rest of the day working--spending time on my projects mentioned earlier.

That evening Jan made an outstanding dinner of grilled ribs, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes, and key lime pie with fresh whipped cream that we shared with David and Marjorie.

Saturday: Handsome Hoot and Wild Horses
Once again I took the dogs out very early, intending to take another hiking trail in the Monument. Just as I was leaving the campground, I saw two hawks chatting with a crow on the side of the road. I pulled the car off the road and spent the next half hour watching the two young Cooper’s Hawks taking lessons from one of their parents. What I observed was a lot of chasing each other from tree to tree, screaming at decibel levels ranging from loud to alarming, and, the most fun to watch, lots of hopping up and down one after another, each hop two to three feet, complete with the spreading of wings coupled with ferocious looks (my assumption is that this was training time--practicing the skills required for capturing prey). Great fun.

Back in the car I decided to bag the hike and scout around the park for some photo ops. Hence, I walked over to the group camping area along the tree line where Baby Hoot seems to enjoy warming himself in the sun in the early mornings. I did not spot him in the area I expected, so I decided to continue on a tad. Just as I was ready to give up, I located that big rectangular shape positioned in what appeared to be a perfect location (eye level, warm sunshine in his face, great background, and the possibility for me to get close). I gave him a morning greeting and kept up a quiet chatter as I slowly approached, one step at a time. I was able to get off a few shots before a loud noise scared him off. I’m quite pleased with image. See what you think. Sometimes persistence does pay off.



My plan was to work most of the day, as I have a lot of things going on, but an attack of laziness struck as I fired up the computer after breakfast. After several minutes of procrastination, I yielded to my internal strife and we jumped in the car for a quick get-away. We drove east on I-70 exiting at the Cameo exit past Palisade, where we headed north past the power plant onto dirt roads that headed off the beaten path into the 30,000-acre Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property of rugged canyons called the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Canyon. As the name implies, a herd of wild horses roams this large area. Although the odds were slim, we were hoping to get a glimpse of these equine beauties. As we proceeded north, the “road” got narrower and rougher. Our Element did an admirable job, however, we soon reached some areas impassable except for a four-wheel drive vehicle with lots of clearance. Reluctantly we turned around and headed back to more civilized terrain, but it was sure worth the effort.

Deciding to take a different route home, we turned off of I-70 west onto Highway 6 at Palisade. This is fruit country, and soon our back-road tour took us through dozens of orchards where peach harvesting was in full swing. We stopped at a local orchard where we picked up some fresh peaches, preserves and, after a quick taste, some local wine. Nice stop.



David and Marjorie were on camp host duty, but since they had personal issues back at their home in Montrose 80 miles away, we volunteered to substitute for them. The Pups were thrilled, as they enjoy nothing more than riding around on the official camp host golf cart, sitting smugly by our side, occasionally growling at a dog or a kid they don’t care for.

Pups Across America

As regular readers know, I enjoy taking action shots of the Kids. Here are a few more to look at.













Opinion Poll
As you can see, Mitzy has two sides to her “look,” fluffy and sleek. Which do you prefer? Drop me a note on which version of this pretty pup you like best and why. Interested in your thoughts.

NOTE: From Thursday afternoon, August 4, through Monday, August 8, we will have limited Internet and telephone service--please be patient, we will respond when we can.

Headlights

July 24 - August 3: Wrapping up our stay at Highline State Park
August 4 - 7: Vega State Park
August 8 - 11: Rifle Gap State Park
August 11 - 31: Exploring Colorado
September 1 - 15: Heading north and east
September 23 - October 7: Markin Glen County Park, Kalamazoo, MI
October 8 - 15: ???
October 16 - 31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Rearview Mitzy and Hanna Pug
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Peace and Quiet

As a change of pace, the four of us decided to walk around the park instead of taking a trail. It was interesting to see things from a different perspective. We saw a doe and her fawn, and of course the usual cacophony of the meadow birds.

It was a busy camp host day, but Jan did the whole job as I was doing work on a report for a Swedish client. Because of the size of the documents involved and the slowness of my Internet, I had to drive to Fruita a couple of times and “borrow” the Internet signal from the La Quinta motel (oh, the challenges of roughing it :’>>>).

If you have read the blog before, you know that I’ve been watching and photographing a young owl, but I have not been happy of the quality of the shots. I’ve made it a personal quest to get at least one decent image of this handsome young avian while at the park. Jan had been doing some scouting for me, and when I returned to camp she informed me that Little Hoot was on a low, unobstructed branch, with a good background. I grabbed my camera and headed for the tree. Finally I got a decent picture! Yes, patience is a virtue. See what you think.



Jan also had been scouting a male flicker, and here is my first shot of this guy.



The weather here gets a little wild at times, bouncing from hot and dry to wet and wild, with lightning and strong winds. For example, early this evening the winds came up and the camper’s tent across from us came down, and within ten minutes of the occurrence they were packed up in their car and out of the campground.

Monday: Close to Home
My 6:00 a.m. European phone appointment was a no-show, so after scanning the papers and drinking coffee, the four of us went out for a hike. Here is a shot of a morning storm in the distance.



The neighbor’s cattle were out so I took advantage of this photo op and snapped a few close pics of the calves.


.
Several small planes in the area regularly fly over the park. Here is a shot of a red one.



The rest of the day was quiet--doing more work on the computer and helping Jan now and then.

Tuesday: Ain’t Flying Grand? (Grand Junction to Grand Rapids that Is)



At 5:15 a.m., with coffee and Pups in hand, we were out into the dark heading for the Grand Junction airport. My flight to Salt Lake City was smooth, and I took a few shots through the scratched glass of some interesting patterns with my pocket camera.





The first 80 percent of the flight to Minneapolis was going well, but as we were just entering our landing pattern, our friends in the tower decided to put us in a holding pattern because of some growing local storms. After 30 minutes they diverted us to Sioux Falls, where we stopped for fuel. The weather eventually cleared as it always does, and we made it to the Twin Cities. I missed my flight, but my good friends at Delta got me on the next plane and I was in my hotel in Grand Rapids by 8:30.

Wednesday: Grand Rapids Client



I spent the morning working with my Grand Rapids client, helping them with their services strategy. On the leadership team was my old client and friend, Bruce. We had kept in contact every now and then, but we hadn’t seen each other in 20 years. The good news is that we are still the handsome devils we were back then. :’>>>.

After a really good session, I took a cab to the airport, but instead of flying back to Grand Junction I flew to Denver. While I was in the air, Jan and the Kids drove across the state and then picked me up from my flight. We drove the 30 minutes to Parker, where our grandson, Austin, his parents, and his pug greeted us.

Aaron had a great meal ready for us, and then we went outside to watch a lightning storm over the Rockies. Wonderful day.

Thursday: “Grandpa, Do You Want a Dog in Your Room?”
I had a conference call with a Sarasota business partner about a new venture we are working on. They are great people to work with, and I’d told them that I was visiting my grandson and also that I was working from the guest room. So, it came as no surprise that during the call they heard a young voice say, “Grandpa, do you want a dog in your room?” Gotta love it.

After wrapping up the call and taking the pups for a run, the Little Man was getting anxious because we promised him a trip to the water park. Hustling up, we passed through the entrance at 10:45 to be greeted by several hundred youngsters along with their parents and grandparents. Like many other parts of the U.S., it was hot, so people were attracted to the water like moths to a light. The sound of splashes from the flowing water and yelps from the youngsters combined with the smell of suntan lotion and the sights of sliding/running/swimming kids. Austie had a great time, and for close to three hours he played and played and played.









Friday: Playground and Aquarium
The day started with a nice Pup walk, and Austie helped me herd our two Kids and the boisterous Hanna Pug pup. If Jerry is likened to a thoroughbred, and Mitzy to a ranch pony, then Hanna Pug is a war horse, running straight ahead no matter who or what is in the way. She has a habit of escaping out the front door and running as fast as her stubby legs will go down the street and out of the neighborhood, mobilizing parents and kids alike in the chase.

Because another hot day was predicted, I took the Little Man down to the playground early. My job was to watch him play, and try to capture a “non-posed” picture or two when he wasn’t aware.





Soon, however, a five-year old Emily took a liking to Austie and soon had him doing her bidding. It was interesting to watch him because he obviously was unsure how to react to this flirtatious young female. Here is a shot I like of the two of them.



After lunch at Austie’s house, we’re in the car heading downtown. After 30 minutes we were in the impressive Denver Aquarium, exploring the exhibits and checking out the fish and other water life, plus spiders, snakes, tigers, and all other sorts of creatures, including mermaids. It was obvious Austie really liked this place, as he ran from place to place, coming back frequently to check out the tarantulas.









This was a big day for everyone! Back home I downloaded pics and caught up on work while Jan “re-built” Austie’s room. Later we hung outside in the neighborhood enjoying the cooling temperatures of the early evening.

Saturday: Drive-By Shootings



After saying goodbyes, we loaded up for a scenic road trip. From Parker we took I-25 north to 470 west where we stopped off at Chatfield State, as we wanted to scout it out for future camping. This is one big park and looks like a great place to camp (loop D) as there is lot’s to do, and it is close to Austie’s place. From there we got back on 470 west turning on 285 west. We drove through Jefferson and down to Fairplay stopping along the way to buy some of the best elk jerky in the West. Jerry heartily agreed, sticking his nose all the way into the package, gulping his piece, then looking longingly at the bag when I put it away. The drive was really pretty, but when we picked up 24 west near Buena Vista and headed NNW on this scenic byway, the quality of the vistas picked up a couple of notches. As we drove, our most common comments were “wow,” “jeez,” “look at that,” and so on.





Drive-By Shootings
When traffic is sparse or when pullouts are abundant, Jan goes very slowly or stops or pulls off for Kodak moments. However, when the opposite scenario is in place, drive-bys are required. Now, shooting out of a moving vehicle at 30 to 75 mph on curvy roads hanging partly out the window, trying to frame shot when the car is in the one-right position while keeping other cars and poles and trees out of the image is a challenge. However, is it a big enough challenge? Oh no, our dogs love to peer out the window, so when I anticipate an upcoming photo op I have to sneak the window down in hopes that both dogs won’t be on my lap, feet on the door and heads pointing at the desired image. This challenge is magnified when the Pups hear Jan shout (which happens often) when we are in picturesque locations. At the sound of her heightened voice my lap is full of dogs, my “window of opportunity” small, and my odds of a good pic diminished. So keep in mind that for the few drive-bys published in this blog, there are scores more with ears and noses that didn’t make it.

At Bailtown we took 82 west, the Independence Pass Scenic Drive. Still lots of snow in this 12,000-foot route and the scenery was wonderful. Not the kind of road we would take BERT on though, often being narrow and sometimes in poor shape. In addition, vehicles were limited to 35 feet in length, eliminating the possibility altogether. This route took us through the manicured and majestic Aspen and up to Basalt, where we stopped for some delicious Chinese. Then it was back on to 82 through El Jebel, Carbondale, then on to Glenwood Springs where we picked up I-70 west and headed back to camp at Highline State Park. After unpacking we ate popcorn while watching a Netflix flix and went to bed early.





Wonderful week.

Pups Across America

Here is a rearview mirror shot of Mitzy hanging out the window as she loves to do, plus a shot of Hanna Pug from one of our walks.

Headlights

July 24 - August 3: Camp hosting at Highline State Park with a side trip or two
August 4 - 7-11: Rifle Gap State Park
August 8 - 31: Exploring Colorado
September 1 - 15: Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan?
September 11 - 25: Visit Kalamazoo, MI friends and participate in Ribarama
October 16 - 31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Denver Aquarium

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Sandy pup and new scarves
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Peace and Quiet
I awoke to the soothing sound of rain on the roof. I was prepared to take the Kids on our usual hike, but the sound of distant thunder changed Jerry’s mind. Therefore, I took both of them back to the coach and went back out to look for birds. Basically a quiet day made up of work, camp hosting, and hanging out.





Just for fun, here is a shot of Janny’s breakfast the other day.



Monday: Gateway Getaway



Leaving Janny to run the camp host show, Mers and I left Highline State Park, drove through Fruita and Grand Junction on I-70, took 50 east, then took 141 south for the 42 miles to Gateway (you may have guessed by now—another scenic byway!). We passed through a dozen miles of road construction, but the following scenery was worth the wait, as once again we were surrounded by red rock structures that looked as though they had been carefully sculpted by hand--a really big hand. The town of Gateway is similar to many others in Western Colorado, however, after passing through this rustic village we came upon a large, pristine, very modern compound--a conference center complete with lodging, restaurants, and our main destination, a world-class auto museum. We arrived a few minutes after 10:00 a.m., their first visitors of the day. There were only about 50 cars, but each and every one was fully restored to its original glory. Just a pleasure to walk through the Cords, Dusenburgs, early Cadillacs, and on and on. The paint jobs and detail were phenomenal.

After a highly enjoyable walk through, we talked for a few minutes with the manager. He was a local, and took great pride in the area. He shared some facts and folklore, such as how the Sundance Kid went from being an enforcer for the land barons, to how he robbed his first bank at Telluride riding a thoroughbred horse that he “exchanged” for another after the robbery. After listening to his story we decided to take the big loop back home instead of retracing our steps as originally planned.

So around noon we continued south on 141, driving through some very tall, very impressive canyons. We stopped and viewed the remnants of a flume built inside many miles of canyon walls to haul large quantities of water for the gold mines. It seems that to attach the flume to the canyon walls they lowered Chinese workers over the side and down the wall in rope baskets. Yikes!







We passed the sign showing where the uranium town of Uraven existed before the government completely unassembled everything and covered it up (both figuratively and literally). At Natursa we turned east on 145, passed through Redvale and stopped for lunch at Norwood. Then back on the scenic byway to Placerville where we turned east on 62. At Ridgeway we picked up 550 north, then at Montrose we turned on to 50 taking us back home. Big trip but a very nice trip.

Tuesday: Viva Las Vega



Mers departed early for her return to Michigan. After a hike around the lake, I worked the rest of the morning. Right before noon it was time for another road trip. Loading up the Kids, we took off heading the same way we had gone to Grand Mesa a few days earlier, exiting I-70 at exit 49 and heading east on 65. Instead of continuing on to Mesa, however, we took 330 through Molina, Collbran, eventually ending up at Vega State Park. A beautiful drive up a couple of thousand feet from where we started.

We oohed and aahed the whole trip with the intensity increasing as we drove around the park. Mountain bluebirds everywhere and the wildflowers out in mass and in full bloom.











I was unable to get a decent shot of a mature bluebird with its vibrant blue coloring, but got a shot of a young one.



Immediately upon returning back to camp, I got online and booked the first four nights after our planned departure from Highline.

Wednesday: Rifle Shot



After hiking and working in the morning, it was time to check out another possible camping location. We took I-70 east through DeBuque and Parachute, exiting at Rifle. Here we made our way north on 325 with our first stop being Rifle Gap State Park. The reservoir here holds back an enticing body of crystal blue water, and within minutes of our arrival we knew we wanted to camp at this modern park as well. We took our time driving around, checking out the campsites, and exploring the swim beach, boat launch, and visitor center.



Four miles north and 2,000 feet higher, is Rifle Gap’s sister state park, Rifle Falls. Named after the falls it contains, this older park is made up of a more primitive campground, caves, and trails. We decided that when we camped at Rifle Gap we would do some day-trips here for trail hikes. Should be fun.





Big Load
As everyone who has traveled the interstate has seen, there are plenty of really big trucks hauling really big loads on the road. Therefore, it was interesting to see this 18-wheeler and its Tonka Toy load!



As we made our trip home, the skies got darker and darker and the lightning strikes increased. Seven miles from home we pulled off the road with a southern view looking over the Colorado Monument. The dark skies darkened further, the lighting bolts increased in number and size, the rain started coming down, and the wind increased—up to sixty-mile-per-hour gusts. Jerry sat shaking in my lap as the rest of us enjoyed the show.

Thursday: Kestrels, Hawks, and Owls
Young Hawks
I was up quite early working, but a little after dawn I was standing on the road looking up at the Cooper Hawk nest. I was not disappointed, as soon I saw three bird outlines hopping and jumping from branch to branch. One stayed still for a while, and I enjoyed watching this youngster.



Young Owl
Next I walked around to owl country, and the youngster did not disappoint, sitting on a low branch and looking toward the sweet east light.



Kestrel Pair
Walking through the campground, I spotted this pair of Kestrels--cute and little, but fast and deadly, these two appear to be permanent residents.



New Hike



Jan suggested a new hiking route and I concurred. We checked out a new trail, enjoying the views, watching the Pups sniff and romp, and getting some nice exercise besides. Out on a barren tree we spotted a Red-Tailed Hawk, apparently looking for breakfast. Apparently he was not a welcome visitor to this territory as several smaller birds attacked him on his perch.



I spent most of the rest of the day working on the computer doing projects.

Friday
Colorado Monument Hike
Since the Pups couldn’t go on our hike, I took them out early in the chilly air. I also checked on the baby hawks and the young owl. Soon Jan and I were in the Colorado Monument once again, heading out on the Alcove Nature Trail. After completing this easy one-mile jaunt, we toured the rest of the monument before heading back to camp.

Horsethief Canyon
I worked till mid-afternoon, and then it was time for another road trip. Back close to the Fruita entrance to the Colorado Monument we turned west into Horsethief Canyon, a wilderness area run by the Bureau of Land Management. We traveled this gravel round for about ten miles, checking out the trails and vowing to return early in the morning to avoid the heat.

Saturday
I was out at 5:00 a.m. trying to capture a good shot of the full moon from our campsite. Nothing worth publishing so I took the Pups out for a quick walk.

6:00 a.m. Skype call with Kevin to start to wrap up our assignment with the Swedish company. Always a lot to do at the last moment.

Soon Jan was up and we took the Kids out on the Great Blue Heron Marsh Loop for a short hike. Very pretty, but a dozen or so very busy spiders (the kind that jump and bite) had cast webs across the trail, so we kept a close eye as we walked along.

The rest of the day was devoted to working on projects, and camp hosting.

Pups Across America

Here are pics of David and Sandy along with Jerry and Mitzy sporting their new Cabella scarves that Mers bought them.

Headlights

July 17 - 19: Camp hosting at Highline Lake State Park
July 20 - 23: Visiting our grandson Austie in Parker, CO
July 24 - August 3: Camp hosting at Highline State Park with a side trip or two
August 4 - 8: Vega State Park
August 8: Exploring Colorado
September 4 - 10: Camp with Scott and Deb in Northern Michigan?
September 11- 25: Visit Kalamazoo, MI friends and participate in Ribarama
October 16 - 31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See you next week.

Tags: Colorado, Bird photography

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Pics of the Kids at their best
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Colorado National Monument
By 6:00 a.m. all the Alexanders were entering the Colorado National Monument in our car, only about 15 minutes away from our campground. Jan was driving, and I was in the co-pilot seat, camera on my lap along with one to two pups depending on their mood and what we were sighting. Our hope was to spot and photograph Bighorn Sheep, but I knew our probability was low as the entire herd within the park only amounted to 50. Yet, within 10 minutes we came across a yearly male, munching along the side of the road. He was oblivious to our car and me hanging out the window with camera pointed at him, and I got in several shots before he casually strolled away walking right past us.





We had a great time winding up and down the monument road, enjoying the canyons and rock formations--during our first half-hour in the park we only saw two other vehicles. By 8:30 we had traveled the 26-mile road through the park and had developed quite an appetite. Of course Jan already knew her way around Grand Junction, and soon we were down on Main Street selecting a restaurant with outside seating. After a great Mexican breakfast we re-traced our path re-entering the park the way we had exited. The Visitor Center was now open, so we went in to check out photo spots and hiking trails. When I asked about critters, the lady said that the last Bighorn sighting was over a month ago. We felt even better about our rookie success. Just as we were leaving the park Jan let out a yelp--she had seen a big ram move rapidly from the top of a mesa down a steep hill then disappear--she scored a double.



Monday: Dinosaur Diamond Scenic Byway
After getting up early and working for a few hours, the four of us took a three-and-a-half-mile hike around Highline Lake. We were joined by scooting rabbits, flitting birds along the marshes, and an occasional Great Blue Heron making his way across the lake.









Mid-afternoon I got tired of work, so we took a road trip 70 miles north on highway 139 through the desert, up through the mountains, then back down through the desert culminating at the town of Rangely. This stretch of road is part of the 650-mile diamond-shaped zone of Colorado and Utah that contains loads of dinosaur fossils. It was a very nice trip with lots of pretty contrasts from the lush green on some of the valleys, the variations of pinks, tans, and browns of the hills and mountains, set upon a vibrant deep blue sky accented by the occasional bright-white clouds.

Tuesday: Avian Alert
Got up very early, working on some projects, then all four of us went out at 6:40 a.m. and walked Highline Trail again.

Mid-morning, Jan interrupted my work for an “avian alert.” The momma Great Horned Owl and her “daughter” (we think she is a female as she is almost as big as her mother and female owls are larger than males) were both sitting in a tree about ten yards from our coach. They were hunkered down as an upset robin was buzzing them and a furious Cooper’s Hawk was conducting fly-bys coming within inches of the owls.







Inquiries of others who had observed what had happened earlier said that the momma owl had snatched and ate another bird, probably a young robin, possibly a baby hawk.

Anyway, it was quite the campground event with many people taking time to get a close-up view of the owls. Of course the kids were the most curious and the most excited.



Wednesday: Flat Tire and More Sheep
Once again I got up quite early working on business. By 6:30 a.m. we were all out on the Highline Trail enjoying the cloudy weather as we hiked along. When we got back I had a couple of conference calls, but then shifted to an issue of transportation.

Our Honda had a flat tire, so I diligently opened the spare tire compartment--my plan being to replace the flat with the mini-spare and drive to town for the repair. However, step one in a plan of 14, did not go well. I am not a world champion weight lifter like Jan’s brother Wayne*, but I’m fairly strong for an old guy. However, when I took the wrench to crack the wheel nuts, they did not budge. After borrowing from Dave a more substantial tool, I was able to crack one. As we headed the golf cart down to the maintenance shop to try and find an even bigger wrench, I spotted the solution to my problem--John, the new guy looked like he wrestled grizzlies and won. Telling him of the dilemma, he quickly volunteered to help. Without tensing a blood vessel he performed the entire task, having the damaged tire in the back of Dave’s pickup truck in five minutes. A quick drive to the Fruita Coop, ten minutes to fix it, and we were back in camp where John reversed the process--it’s all in knowing the right folks!

Later in the afternoon with storm clouds in the sky, we decided to head back into Colorado Monument. In 15 minutes we were through the gate and within ten more we had our next Bighorn sighting! The dark blue skies showed the magnificence of the monument at it’s best.

*No joke, he is the world champion in his age bracket at the bench press. He beat the Russians and the rest of his challengers a few weeks ago benching 352 pounds at the World Championship.

Thursday: Janny 911
Jan decided to go for a shorter walk, so she took the Pups her way and I headed out on the big trail. For the first time I came across a flock of Magpies, flitting about as if in a tizzy. I was able to get one shot I really liked. After about 20 minutes into the walk, I felt the temperature drop about 15 degrees or so. Looking up I saw the big thunderboomers I was expecting, dominating the sky in all directions. I quickened my pace, happy that I’d packed a large trash bag to cover my camera in case it rained. I made it back to the far-end of the lake when the rains started. Luckily a shelter was near by so I got under cover, sat down, and called Janny to rescue me. Within 10 minutes we were driving back to camp.





The rest of the day was split working on business and helping Janny with the camp host chores.



Friday
I awoke to a chilly 51-degree, long-sleeve morning and headed out early to get a walk in with the Pups prior to a 7:00 a.m. call. For the first time, I took the Blue Heron Marsh trail that was just gorgeous. I saw my first coyote in the park, a large-framed critter that looked in great condition. From then on I kept the Pups on a short leash.

Back at camp I helped Janny a little, but spent most all the day working in the coach.

Saturday: Heating Up
Up till now, the super-low humidity weather had been warm but quite pleasant. Now, with friends coming to visit soon, things are heating up! Prospects are 100 degrees for the next five days—thank goodness the humidity is supposed to continue to be crazy low.

A big walk with the Kids, then back to work. A very quiet campground as most all the campers are on the lake or picnicking by it.

Pups Across America

A few pics of the Kids at their best.

Headlights

July 3-July 9: Probable trips to Arches NP, Gunnison NP, and other cool places with friends Jo and Mers
July 10-July 19: Camp hosting at Highline Lake State Park
July 20-July 23: Visiting our grandson Austie in Parker, CO
July 24-August 7: Camp hosting at Highline State Park with a side trip or two
August 9: Yellowstone NP and possibly Glacier NP
September 4-10: Camp with Scott and Deb in Northern Michigan?
September 11-25: Visit Kalamazoo, MI friends and participate in Ribarama
October 16 to 31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

Next week should be loaded with pics, as we are going to Colorado National Monument a time or two.

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - Roxie the Boxer and friends
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Last Day in Cherry Creek
Today was a quiet day, a little work and a little play with Grandson Austie. We read a few books, played with superhero action figures, and played at the playground and the beach. In the afternoon his Mom and Dad along with Hanna the Pug came over to chat and have dinner. Here is family portrait of Austie’s clan.



Monday: Up and At ‘Em
By 6:05 a.m. we had broke camp and were headed out the state park gates. Our plan, which proved successful, was to skirt through Denver before the normal rush hour traffic--Parker Road to I-225 South to I-25 North to West 6, then on to I-70 West across most of Colorado. I’m not big on traveling on interstates, but this was just a beautiful trip, up and down, and mountains and deserts. After fueling up at Loma, we traveled north and a tad west a few miles to Highline Lake State Park, where we checked in at the visitor center and were greeted and welcomed by the head ranger, Alan.



Soon we were in the campground and set up at Site 7, reserved for camp hosts.

Tuesday: Rookie Camp Hosts
Highline Lake State Park is an oasis of tall trees, green grass, and blue water. It is very attractive to the desert dwellers within a couple hundred miles who are looking to boat on the lake, relax by the beach on the large lawn, or hang out in the shady campground. Alan gave us a succinct rundown on our hosting duties, but our new neighbors, and existing camp hosts, Margie and David, clued us in on how things worked. When on duty wearing our official state park shirts, we have a walkie-talkie to coordinate with the rangers and the visitor center, and a golf cart to patrol the 31-site campground.

Wednesday: Day Two
The weather since we arrived has been just marvelous--mid-80s, slight breeze, and super-low humidity, just a pleasure to be out and about. Although our core tasks are relatively straightforward--be ambassadors to campers; help register, document, and assist changes as required; keep the camp sites tidy; and sell firewood, ice, and worms--the procedures are a little complicated (well, the paperwork side of things, anyway). We just go along, do what we think is best, and confer with Dave and Margie to keep us straight. Little by little as they say.





Thursday: Day Three
This “job” is quite fun! Almost all the campers are good folks, and it is nice to be of assistance. It is a very family-oriented campground with kids and dogs everywhere.

Friday: Day Four
Keri, another volunteer at the visitor center, is a fellow photographer, and she was kind enough to take me around to where the owls hang out, the hawks and falcons nest, and where the bats reside. I’ve had some fun taking shots of a young Great Horned Owl and hope to get a “just right” shot one of these days.



That evening, while addressing an occasional camper request, we sat around a fire with Dave and Margie and just chatted away over ‘smores--living large in Colorado.

Saturday: Day Five
I have been investing quite a few hours doing consulting work this week, especially preparing a big report along with colleague Kevin for a Swedish client. So I spent the majority of the day hunkered down on the computer, packing, and doing odds and ends for breaks.

Ended the day with a campfire dinner with our neighbors--great way to end a great week.

Pups Across America

Check out a few pup shots from the park.

Headlights

June 19-August 7: We will continue our role as camp hosts at Highline Lake State Park near Loma, CO
September 4-10: Camp with Scott and Deb in Northern Michigan?
September 11-25: Visit Kalamazoo, MI friends and participate in Ribarama
October 16 to 31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments--send them in.

See ya next week!

Tags: Colorado

Contents

Rearview Mirror - Summary of the past week
Pups Across America! - A new pup joins the family
Headlights - Our schedule as to where we will be heading

(Note: click on any photo for a larger image/slideshow)

Rearview Mirror

Sunday: Parked in Paducah
Nice in the morning, but whew, it turned into a hot one! Mid 90s by midday. We headed north out of Clanton on I-6 stopping to fuel up at Birmingham. Back on I-65 North to Nashville picking up 24 West to Paducah. Nice, uneventful trip. After taking five minutes to set up camp at Fern Lake Campground, we took a drive down to “old” Paducah. Lots of old store fronts and homes (at least by American standards), and a drive right along the river, where we viewed an old yellow Lab walking in the water, folks strolling along enjoying the view, and a tugboat pushing along some commerce up to the dock. Worth spending some time there in the future.



Monday: Best-Laid Plans
After thinking through our travel options, I decided to get a little off the beaten bath and take a leisurely ride across beautiful south Missouri—driving through the Ozarks, passing through Mark Twain National Forest, and setting up camp at Branson for a couple of days in this popular resort area. I had work to do and phone calls to make on Tuesday, and although doable on the road, it is easier sitting at my desk inside of BERT. I scoped out potential camping spots and went on both the AT&T and Verizon websites to confirm good mobile signals. We set this plan in motion by heading on 60 West, a flat, straight, four-lane road that soon turned into a still flat, more-curvy, two-lane road. Jan had to slow BERT down a tad and pay a little more attention to the terrain, but it was worthwhile, as we drove through some interesting and colorful farmland. However, within an hour from our start, Jan was confronted with passing over a very tall, very old, very narrow, and very scary two-lane bridge over the very high, very wide, and very muddy Mississippi River. As expected, Jan did a fine job of sharing the bridge with oncoming 18-wheelers and we crossed safely. This was a dramatic view of the results of the heavy rains that had inundated much of the country.

Immediately after crossing the bridge we came to a stop sign. The arrow for 60 West pointed to our left, but luckily we looked ahead on our intended route and about a quarter mile ahead was a sign stating “road closed.” Bummer. With no other option available, we turned right instead, heading to Cairo on route 62, and as the GPS voices like to say, we started “recalculating.” From there we took bumpy I-57 North into Illinois and at Mt. Vernon, we picked up I-64 West. At St. Louis we finally made our entry into Missouri and traveled all the way to Columbia on I-70. Here we set up camp at Cottonwoods RV Park in the hot late afternoon.



Tuesday: Option Two is a No-Go
As I mentioned, I wanted to stay at a campground for a couple days since I had five phone calls scheduled, and it looked like this park in Columbia would work fine…I could work in peace while Jan could take the car and check out this college town of 100,000 people.

Alas, the Verizon signal was poor (I need Verizon so that my MiFi provides Internet access) and AT&T for my phone was spotty as well. Reluctantly, we got back in the bus, Jan driving and me in the navigator chair. My first business call was a no show, so no problem. My second went well as the AT&T signal was strong and consistent. However, as we started heading west on I-70, further and further away from Kansas City, the AT&T signal waned in and out—not at all what their signal map showed! My third call with long-time (and tolerant) friend Bruce was a little embarrassing, as the connection was dropped twice and there were several missed phrases that had to be repeated. With that I decided to reschedule my next call. Bummer.

Most of the drive all day was with 20 to 30 mile-per-hour winds with the occasional gust of 40, and the day was hot, but the traffic was light and the road was good for the most part. Mid-afternoon I started looking for places to camp, and after many studious minutes I decided to hunt for a state park. At I-70 marker 135 (Ogallah) we turned south on 147 for the 20 miles to Cedar Bluff State Park at Ellis, Kansas, adjoining the Cedar Bluff Reservoir. After checking in at park headquarters, we were told to go to the Wagon Rut Campground and select the spot of our desires. The place looked about 15 percent full and had several gorgeous pull-through lots to choose from, all with water and 50-amp service. After setting up and taking the Pups for a short walk in the windy, 95-degree weather, we spent the rest of the time inside.







Wednesday: Out on the Prairie
About 5:45 a.m. we all headed out for a pre-dawn hike. I had my camera and bear spray (didn’t anticipate any bears, but coyotes and other critters were around), and Jan had the two Little Ones on leashes. We saw deer, rabbits, lots of birds, and a cute toad as we walked along the prairie grasses and down by the shore of the water. The weather was a perfect 70 degrees with no wind. The Pups had a blast running in the sand among the foliage and chasing a rabbit or two along the way. As we ended our trek we met a man and his twin sons who had recently moved to the area from Texas. After our hour-and-a-half walk, we came back in for breakfast. Jan cleaned up while I had a business call. Late morning we back-tracked, heading north on 147 then back west on I-70. It was still windy, but partly pushing instead of pulling us, and it was warm, not simmering hot. Pleasant drive with light traffic.





Sticking to our “off the beaten path” routine, we decided to try another state park, this time in Colorado. Hence, we took I-70 all the way through Kansas and turned right in Colorado onto 385 for 22 miles. We turned right at the Papa’s Bait and Tackle store and drove for four miles on a washboard dirt road until checking in and setting up camp at Bonny Lake State Park. Interestingly, this state park will cease to exist in October. Based upon some old Colorado/Kansas water agreement, they will “pull the plug” on the reservoir and that will end the state park. Kind of sad. However, I bought the last T-shirt.



Mid-afternoon we took a walk around the campground and the park and down to the reservoir. We sat outside in the warm but pleasant weather and I took a few shots of some nesting swallows. Great day.





Thursday: Birds Galore
For the first time on this trip, we had the luxury of staying in the same place more than one night. My morning started with a 6 a.m. business call, but by 7:30 all of us were out in the chilly (can you believe it?) 55-degree weather. We took a long walk across the park spotting a variety of birds from wild turkeys, cedar waxwings, finches, robins, swallows, bluebirds, blackbirds, crows, doves, yellow-headed blackbirds, red-headed woodpeckers, and so on. As we walked and the Pups prowled, we were serenaded by a stereoscopic cacophony of bird songs of all varieties. Jan started a fire and we sat around it drinking coffee and enjoying nature’s music.





I got my work done during the middle of the day, and by late afternoon we were ready to explore again taking a slow drive throughout the park. With both Pups on my lap sticking their heads out the window, it was a little difficult to photograph, but one must make personal concessions when on a family outing.



The good news is that we brought along our bird field guide; the bad news is that it is for the Eastern U.S. Anyone know the name of this mystery bird? If so, please let us know.



Friday: The New “Car House”
I got up early in the noiseless campground (except for the endless melody of our avian friends) to prepare for a morning coaching call with a client. Later after coffee at 5:30 a.m., the whole family went for our morning stroll down to the water and across the prairie. After my 7 a.m. call, we broke camp and were back on the road, this time turning right at Papa’s joint, north on 385, then east on 36 through farm and ranch country for about 150 miles until merging onto I-70 West, then south on I-225 to our campground at Cherry Creek State Park right in Denver.





Soon after setting up camp and preparing for the evening festivities, our grandson, Austin, and his mom and dad, Kelly and AJ, pulled into our campsite. We had a camping birthday party for Austie (he turned four in May), complete with campfire hot dogs and s’mores. Now that is living large. I was quite pleased that Austin said he liked our new “car house.” He has his own man cave (or bat cave depending on what is his latest wardrobe attire) complete with DVD player and headphones.







Saturday
Another busy day. After doing walks and work, we took Austie for his T-ball practice. What a hoot! The Little Man hits the ball well, but doesn’t have much interest in the field! Sorry to have to miss his first game next Saturday.









Back at camp, Jan, the Pups, Batman, and I drove around the park, getting out here and there and checking things out. More walks, a campfire, and all went to bed early after a busy day.

Pups Across America

Check out Austie’s new pug, Hanna, and take a look at a pic of Jerry and Mitzy.

Headlights

June 12: Cherry Creek State Park, Denver
June 13-August 7: We will be camp hosts at Highline Lake State Park near Loma, CO
September 4-10: Camp with Scott and Deb in Northern Michigan?
September 23-25: Visit Kalamazoo, Michigan friends and participate in Ribarama
October 16-31: Visit Kentucky friends
November 1: Head back to Pine Island

Have questions or comments? Send them in.

See ya next week!

Tags: Bird photography

Bird Photos
Early in the week I captured images of a cranky Osprey and a good-looking mystery bird. If you know what it is, please let me know.





6:00 AM Royal Wedding Party
Friday morning Jan hosted a distinguished group of ladies to celebrate the royal wedding. Here are a few pics. Note the bridal veils and tailored hats.





















Pups Across America
Check out “Princess Mitzy” who attended the royal party as well.



Motoring Across America 2011
We are pleased to announce that our motorhome, BALY (along with Mitzy, Jerry, Jan, and yours truly), will be heading off the Island on June 1.

I hope you can join us!

Tags: Royal Wedding

Sunday River Church
About 30 family and friends attended a tree-planting dedication for Uncle Brad at a replica river church being build by friends of the family. Here are a couple pics. If anyone wants to see more, click here.







Ding Darling
Wednesday I went to Ding Darling with some family and friends. Here are a few pics from this excursion.























Baby Eagle
Here is a close-up pic of a few-weeks-old eagle behind the St. James City post office.



Onward to Vegas.

Tags: Pine Island, Bird photography

Sunday
I spent the morning in preparation for my trip, and then drove to the Orlando airport.

Back to Sweden
From Orlando I flew to JFK in New York, then another flight to Copenhagen, and finally a 30-minute train ride to Lund. Here, along with colleague and friend Kevin, we worked long hours on a client project. Friday was a travel day, getting back to Orlando around midnight. Sorry, no time for pics. :(

Raptors
Saturday morning, Auntie and I went to the Avian Reconditioning Center on the outskirts of Apopka. Here for a couple of hours I photographed a few of the twenty “permanent” inhabitants of the center--those birds unable to be released back into the wild. The Center is a non-profit, totally volunteer outfit committed to taking birds that have been injured or abused and rehabbing them back into the wild.













A Little Excitement
While shooting one of the owls, we heard a loud, primal scream followed by a high-speed swoop of wings--a red-shouldered hawk was attacking the owl! He/she must have seen the owl as a violation of territory (owls and hawks share the same geography, but owls rule the night and hawks are in charge during the day). I fired off a few shots and was able to capture this beauty in full swoop.



Check The Center out at www.arc4raptors.org. They are a class outfit that can use everyone’s support.

Pups Across America
"While I was gone, I found out what Jerry and Mitzy do--here they are caught just leaving the Ragged Ass Saloon on PIne Island. Jerry looks quite masculine on that Harley doesn't he?"



Next week I’m on the Island, so I’ll try and get some more shots.

View Larger Map
St. James City, FL > San Jose, CA

San Jose
Most of my week was spent going/being/returning from the San Jose area where I taught a class on services account management. I took my camera but took no pics. :(

Sunrise Cruise
Scott and Deb, Jan’s brother and sister-in-law, came down to Pine Island for their annual visit. Saturday morning we left at dawn for a sunrise cruise of Pine Island Sound. Perfect weather and calm seas surrounded us. Although we saw a couple of dolphins, none were in the mood to follow the boat. Here are pics of Jan and Deb.











Super Moon
Saturday afternoon I drove to Auntie’s house in Apopka. Since I fly out of Orlando Sunday, it made sense to spend the night at her house. We drove off to a new development where we walk our Pups and watched the “once-in-twenty years” big golden moon rise in the East. Quite impressive.



Balloon Caper
While we were waiting for the moon to launch, Auntie and I observed that a big balloon appeared to have been “relocated” from its original place of promotion to hanging on a sign in the development. Although I was totally against doing anything that might shy from being squeaky clean, Auntie was set on swiping the before-swiped balloon. Reluctantly I agreed to assist her and we cut the balloon and about 30 feet of cord free and tied it to the back of our car (it was too big to fit inside). I’ve sworn not to divulge the fate of the balloon, but someone came home to a surprise. Here is a shot of Auntie and the swiped balloon.



Pups Across America
Here is a pic of Sailor Jerry and First Mate Mitzy from the Saturday morning cruise--and a shot of Gato Danny too.







Next week it is back to Sweden—see you then.

Tags: Bird photography, Pine Island