Hiking, fish,hummingbirds, and summer beauty

Flash, flash goes the summer, whiz, whiz goes the time. Enjoying the magnificence. Weather's been great and in the "monsoon" season of afternoon rain showers most days. Good for all things.

Big animal sightings, although sadly I was not the witness. Neighbors saw a moose! on Ohio Pass, and another neighbor a large bear on their side of Star Mt. I've got eyes peeled and camera ready.

Naughty Flap

On other animal news, Flap has been wandering around the house, how nice I thought, until I realized she ate 95% of my almost ready to bloom daylily buds. Sadness, as it was going to be a big show this year. At least she can't reach my hanging baskets.

Questions have arisen on the crazy Rufus variety of hummingbird. They come a month later than other varieties, and leave first (late August)and are wildly aggressive,rust orange in color, and take over the feeders. Oh, can't we all just get alonggggggg.

The stocked trout pond is now being used and the first phase of the creek restoration just about complete. A wonderful transformation for sure. Mark is still feeding those fish (in the pond) and catching loads, throwing all back, but then it seemed we should actually keep and eat a couple. Completely what the pond is for, in contrast to the creek (trying to keep that catch and release). This baby was 16" long and really really fat. Fed the two of us and was yummy.

CB is really busy with all our vacationers. Festivals happen every week and we dodge in and out to visit the farmer's market and eat lunch or dinner here and there. Local cherries happening now which I love, next Palisades peaches. And I hasten to say, "local" means not exactly right here - Hotchkiss or Paonia that is.

Hikes continue, and what was a quick walk through the woods has become a hike around Star Mt. and Carbon Cr. Trivia for you, our highest point neighbor on the "other side" is 2.5 miles away from us. Crazy right, we can actually have different weather patterns happening. We are 5 or 6 miles a trip now and gulp, getting closer to scheduling the 14,000 ft climb. Which is 5 miles round trip, just 2,000 vertical UP.