Spring Time in the Rockies

Yesterday, Saturday May 17th, we traveled to Red Feather Lakes, CO to further investigate several details that we needed before Tim and Brenda's wedding July 11th. While we were in that part of the mountains, we decided to go to a family-favorite camping site - not to camp, but just to see what condition the road was in, and do some hiking. It was about 70'F and clear blue sky - a perfect spring day in the Rockies. You should have been there!

I took this picture of the family standing in the gazebo behind the Chapel in the Pines www.redfeatherchapelinthepines.com/, where Tim and Brenda's wedding will be on July 11th.

After we were done at the chapel, we drove higher into the mountains north of Red Feather Lakes Village. On the way there, Brenda's keen eye caught sight of this cow moose. Can you spot it? Though you could never tell from this picture, we stopped and watched long enough to confirm the huge head and strange mouth of a moose. They are known to be in the area, but we usually don't see them. There are also mountain lions, bobcats, deer and elk in the area.

The kids were begging to go hiking, so Rowen, Jeff, Jason and Emily left the others in the car to read, while we walked ~1/2 mile to Creedmore Lake #1, then around the lake and climbed on the kids favorite rocks in our mountains...

Here they are, doing what they love to do - climbing all over these rocks on the west side of Creedmore Lake #1.

Almost to the top of the mountain in the first picture, with the lake!
View of Creedmore Lake#1 from the top

Some maps of the area where these pictures were taken; all the same area, with increasingly wide areas.

Red Feather Lakes Village, CO

Garden Planting Time!

On Friday 16-May-2008 we were finally able to get our 2008 garden started. It has been a cold spring here in northern Colorado, with frost several nights per week up until now. Finally late last week, we suddenly began summer, with daytime highs in the upper 80's(F) and nights in the 50's - so we quickly got the garden in. You will see in the first picture that the lilacs are still in bloom, but nearly done.

We planted romaine lettuce, radishes, carrots, zucchini, 16 tomato plants, 4 double rows of bush green beans, sweet and hot peppers, onions, 2 types of cucumbers. Last year we re-planted spearmint, after my cousin Katie Gafford shared several roots with us. It is coming up wonderfully! We look forward to frequent mint tea this summer.

In the pictures below, you'll see that Jeff gained some more experience with the roto-tiller, Brenda enjoyed helping, but didn't want to get her shoes dirty ;-)), and we all enjoyed working together on it. Jason also helped a lot, but nobody got him in a picture.

You all come to see us this summer and share with us the fruits of our harvest! Or, perhaps you'd like to help with canning all those tomatoes and beans in August and September!







Now we just have to water it every other day, weed it, and enjoy the harvest!