The many colors of Colorado

Grey!! Green and Red!! My friend Victoria is out for a visit and she has yet to see Pikes Peak..ok it peaked out for 10 minutes yesterday and 20 today! We are having fun exploring Colorado Springs between the rain drops. There is a local street festival in Historic Old Colorado City (that is what the sign said..redundant don't ya think?) called Frontier days. Pretty much the same as most street festivals I have been to...food, arts and crafts vendors etc....with a few exceptions. We managed a hike this AM before todays T storms and got to see the Thunderbirds flying overhead! I am not sure if it was a memorial day celebration or practice for graduation...they were flying with one missing from formation so I am going with Memorial day celebration somewhere.

Here are a few pics from the past few days!



This local artist built these in his front yard. Suffice it to say his neighbors were not too thrilled. He has passed on but the crowds still show up to view the sculptures in his yard.




If you look closely there is a magpie alighted on the beak of the metal bird. I think you can enlarge the picture by clicking on it.

The Thunderbirds flying over head

Vic and Carla at Helen Hunt Falls

I guess there was a bit of wind with the recent storms??



They ask for donations and you can place a push pin in the state you are from...Vic is from MA!

Erosion from the storms out here is unreal!!!

Frontier Days Festival
in Historic Old Colorado City


Chick Fil A cows dancing to Thriller at the festival??? There are somethings I just don't ask.

Home made rootbeer and cream soda. (bottles can be refilled.)

Banjo and harmonica playing street performers.

Sign is a little detailed don'tcha think???

Some interesting rides for the kids!

Pikes Peak trying to Peak through the clouds

Can anyone identify this for me? purple? what? yes they are flowers...but I don't know what kind.

Do you see Pikes Peak? Its there behind those clouds....maybe later....

A bloomin Yuca!!
ok it will be blooming soon!!

A Scrub Jay
(Vic and I can read signs well...we don't know the birds out here either!!)

The buffalo at Garden of the Gods.

Where did April go?

I have settled back into Colorado Springs and most recently have been busy looking for a new car. I have finally decided on a 2007 Ford Escape and I know I want 4x4 V6 with a sunroof...Hybrid? yeah too expensive so why not get the gas guzzler version!?! Now to find it!!

Thought I had found it but its not a 4x4!! Who makes an SUV that is not 4x4??



April was spent getting in a few more ski weekends in the mtns before the snow got too mushy. I celebrated the last weekend of spring skiing at Copper Mtn with their big weekend bash. I even broke down and bought used skiis at the end of the season..now I can't wait until next Winter! Need to be near mtns!!

An old Gold mine in the snow on the way to Monarch Mountain.

Skiing on the continental Divide trail at Monarch!!


Last weekend of Skiing at Copper Mountain





Copper Village

I broke down and bought a helmet for skiing...it works great! I didn't fall!! : )












We drove back through Southpark, Co on our way back from Copper Mountain.
Yes as in the Cartoon.. creators were from University of Co and grew up here.

Then we drove through Alma and stopped at the AL Mart.. yup... the Almart.
Alma is the highest town in the US at 10,578 feet. Ok Winter park stole the title in 2006 when they claimed the ski area as part of the town. So Alma is the second highest now.



The General Store even had Red Rider BB guns!!!!

I planned Easter dinner and it snowed so I only had one person and myself eating a meal for an army..Suffice it to say we had lots of leftovers.. Ham in every meal for a week!!! : )

An attempt at an Easter Cake!! I love the whipped cream and chocolate cookie cake!

The Pineapple looked better!

Then some friends and I have started heading to the Irish Pub on Tuesday nights. They have a runners group that meets every Tuesday. I have been walking the 3 mile loop. My knees and shins really don't like running! Then they have a free spaghetti dinner after the run... of course the Guinness is not free but its available... only 800 people there 2 weeks ago..actually only 500 the week it was threatening rain!! Oh yeah that was Cinqo De Mayo. We went for Mexican after the walk!

REI in Denver has some good free courses coming up. I hope to get up there soon for some of those. I have been up a few weeks in a row now to train with a friend of mine who is doing a triathalon in June. I have been swimming with her.

Also made it over to Garden of the Gods a few nice Sundays after church...appropriate don't you think?

Kissing Camels

A geologic non conformity

A Colorado Tow truck???? That is a chain between the vehicles!