Day at the Beach

Steady spring runoff from Mt. Herad keeps the stream flowing nicely at Great Sand Dunes National Park. From our Memorial Day weekend visit.

Circles in the Sand

Drying from an overnight shower, the top of a dune at the Great Sand Dunes National Park shows circles while water flows down Medano Creek and into the San Luis Valley. The snow-capped peak of Carbonate Mountain is in the distance.

A Free Garden

Inscription reads: The Garden of the Gods. Given to the City of Colorado Springs in 1909 by the Children of Charles Elliott Perkins in Fulfillment of His WishThat It Be Kept Forever Free To the Public

Barn Owl

Nearly rehabilitated, this adult Barn Owl was rescued and treated at the Nature and Raptor Center of Pueblo, CO.

Pueblo Depot

Beautifully restored historic train station, the Pueblo Depot dates back 125 years.

Royal Gorge bridge on a snowy afternoon

Just a few hardy tourists crossing the Royal Gorge bridge during a late-January snowstorm. This would be the last measurable snow to fall along Colorado's Front Range through mid-March.

Trail along the Arkansas River

From our hike up the Front Range Trail below the Pueblo Reservoir in late January. An unusually snow-free mid-winter in Colorado.

End of the Road at RMNP

In Rocky Mountain National Park, looking north from near where Trail Ridge Road is closed for the winter.

The view from Wondervu

Snow on Saturday, sunny on Sunday. Looking west from Wondervu on Coal Creek Canyon Rd. as the road drops into Gilpin County, CO.

Winter sun on Bakken rig

Mid-afternoon on a cold December day at a drilling site in Ft. Berthold, ND. From when this photo was taken in 2011 to today, oil production on the Ft. Berthold reservation has increased five-fold.

Speedster at Red Rocks

This handsome, early 1950s Porsche 356 Speedster was spotted near the Red Rocks amphitheater in Morrison on a warm July evening.

Just passing through

While trotting through the neighborhood today, this guy took a wrong turn into the neighbor's driveway and stopped to get his bearings. The coyote (canis latrans) can be found in all parts of North America, even apparently, New York City.

Look inside antique service station

A tour of the Vehicle Vault in Parker, CO, includes this wonderful collection of antique oil cans, equipment and signage.

Morning view of Mt. Evans

An hour after sunrise on a chilly winter morning.

Sloans Lake Vista

This view of Foothills and Mt. Evans greet Gordy and I on our morning walk. Chilly, clear day on tap.

Gordy leads the way

Gordy blazes the trail for Robert, who was visiting for the weekend. A vigorous hike on another perfect autumn afternoon at South Valley Park in Ken Caryl.

South Valley Park at Ken Caryl

Late summer hike through South Valley Park on one of the last warm days of the season.

Dakota sandstone outcroppings are from the same geologic formation as those at nearby Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Collbran vista

Vista looking north from Collbran, CO.
Warm summer afternoon enjoying a snack and the wonderful view.

Sunset clouds reflected in Sloans Lake

A walk around Sloans Lake provided this view of downtown Denver at sunset.

Gordy at apple blossom time

During a tour of the backyard apple grove, Gordy stops to provide his take on global politics.

Look Sharp in a Caddy

Another from my visit to the Fourney Museum in Denver in February. 

This beautiful 1960 Cadillac Eldorado featured the following as standard equipment: power brakes, power steering, automatic transmission, dual back-up lamps, windshield wipers, two-speed wipers, wheel discs, outside rearview mirror, vanity mirror, oil filter, power windows, six-way power seats, heater, fog lamps, Eldorado engine, remote control trunk lock, radio with antenna and rear speaker, power vent windows, air suspension, electric door locks, license frames, and five whitewall tires. Technical highlights were finned rear drums and an X-frame construction.

See the model year listing for this car on Wikipedia.

1936 Cord Model 810

One of many rare and beautiful cars from the pre-WWII collection in the Fourney Museum of Transportation, in Denver. On display are a nice selection of Honda motorcycles from the 1960s and 1970s, several Volkswagen "bugs" and Karmen Ghia models and, among the train collection, the "Big Boy" locomotive, one of the largest railroad engines ever built.

Red Rocks Amphitheater as seen from Mt. Falcon Park near Morrison, CO.

Winter afternoon shade

Near the end of a bright, sunny and very cold day in January, the sun sets over the mountains to the southwest as seen from Sloans Lake.

Sloans Lake Flyway

Produced this seasonal greeting card from an photo I took at Sloans Lake last year.

Mt. Evans snow capped

Two days of cold, snowy weather and Mt. Evans is fully capped.

Sundial landmark in Denver

This sundial, familiar to Denver residents, is located in Cranmer Park, in the Hilltop neighborhood four blocks east of Colorado Blvd. The sundial pole, or gronom, points at polar north and the stone is perpendicular, making it parallel to the equator. 

Our tour guide at Rifle Falls

For our first visit to Rifle Falls in western Colorado, Gordy agreed to be out tour guide for the day.

Watching the Dragon Boat races

Overcast skies didn't keep the crowds away from this year's Colorado Dragon Boat races. What remains of the old main building at St. Anthony Hospital is in the background, about half way through its demolition.

Highway to the mountains

Memorial Day 2013 motorcycle ride along CO 14, the Poudre Canyon Highway, toward Walden. This is the approach to Sheep Mountain in Larimer County, not far from the Wyoming state line.

Rest stop at Walden, CO

Memorial Day weekend, I went for a ride across northern Colorado and saw this: bright yellow Union Pacific caboose on display at the rest stop a few miles east of the Park Range mountains.

Temple in Paia, Maui

Interesting temple on Balwin Avenue in Paia, on Maui, HI.

Waves crashing

At the Keanae District, a peninsula along the northeast coast of Maui, Hawaii. We found this while on the "Road to Hana."

Harvester and drill rig

This ancient International Harvester combine harvester sits abandoned in a field near Mandaree, on the Ft. Berthold Indian Reservation in western North Dakota. Oil rig in the background is drilling into the Bakken.

Geese fly over

Some stay for breakfast while other Canada geese gain altitude on a crisp fall morning at Sloans Lake in Denver. Maybe they'll keep heading south?

Graffiti at 2 miles above sea level

No matter how many times I visit Loveland Pass, I'm always impressed by the spectacular view. Too bad somebody thought it necessary to tag the marker post.

Geese crossing

Brought the camera to Sloans Lake Park last week to get the first snow on Mt. Evans (in the background); got this pair of Canada geese instead.

Young dancer at Mandaree Pow Wow

This year's annual pow wow event in Mandaree, ND, featured this young dancer as he made his way into the community center during the Saturday Grand Entrance.

Watching over a foal

A family of horses near Mandaree, ND, keeps an eye on a newly arrived foal on a hot afternoon in July.

Site of 10th Mountain Div. camp

The site of what was known as Camp Hale, near Leadville, CO. During World War II, Camp Hale was where the Army's 10th Mountain Div. was garrisoned beginning in 1942.

Notch Mountain overlook

North of the Turkey Creek bridge on US 24 between Leadville and Minturn.

Fenced in iris

From a few weeks back, this iris shows off its colors from a spot along the backyard fence.

Apple blossoms

The remaining apple tree in the yard overcompensated with these perfectly white blossoms. In a week, they'll be gone.

Barker Reservoir below Nederland

Still frozen after a week and a half of above normal temps.

Northwest Denver Historic District

The area was nominated for this designation by Allen's brother, Casper D.

Winter sun on drill rig

Afternoon at a rig operating on the Ft. Berthold Reservation. The rig is drilling for oil in the Bakken formation.

School bus at sunset

On a recent trip to the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, I saw this school bus silhouetted by the setting sun.

Arches National Park icon

After a long hike up a sandstone face, visitors rest near the most famous of the landmarks at Arches NP near Moab, UT. It's called Delicate Arch.

Monument Valley icons

From our trip through Utah last month, the Left and Right Mittens and Window butte at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in Utah.

View from the office

A warm, sunny morning looking southwest from my office. That's the Four Seasons Hotel at the left and Sports Authority Field at Mile High in the center. The Rockies, with some snow on the peaks, are in the background.