Mill Creek, projects, and summer fun

Early morning visit below our deck

We had our first rain in a month last night, only 15 minutes, but anything is welcome (without the electrical please). Please send positive thoughts to all the areas fighting forest fires in CO. Most were caused by lightening. Dreadful year in that regard. My parents, brother and all his family are in CO Springs, so keeping a close eye on their big fire.

this one from Mark's great zoom

We ended Gail's visit with a gorgeous hike up Mill Creek. Not, I hasten to add, the Storm Pass strenuous 8 mile hike, just the easy 2 mile one. If we ever, ever final camp, there are wonderful sites up there, although the cows are there as well sans a fence barrier. Could be interesting...

I am in the throes of putting together a cabinet for the laundry room. The unopened box has been staring at me for weeks, and I have avoided it as long as possible. I ordered this cabinet, I wanted this cabinet, I just didn't want to put together the 150 pieces with 10 pages of instructions(slight exaggeration). Wish me luck.

The newest hummingbird feeder has bitten the dust, so to speak.A suicide fall from the deck onto the ground below. Mark tried to stick it all back together, to no avail. The hummingbirds went extra crazy without it, so I've purchased a new one. What a lot of silliness over these teeny weeny birds.

Photo courtesy Mark

We've seen two elk mommies with their babies. Too far for photos unfortunately, and apparently, we're not having the large influx of elk having their babies here this summer. Stayed higher up? This is definitely an odd year for a number of things, including no rufus (the orange, aggressive hummingbirds), much abbreviated wildflower season, and low water in the rivers. All due to low snowpack from the winter. The normal giant amounts of snow are evidently quite important the year round.

More company coming! Lots of it, including that precious baby Penny, and I'm very excited to see everyone. We did get downstairs furnished and ready for guests. Bring it on...