Stupendous summer in the back country

It's gone all quiet here, at least in the visitor department. We had a grand time and Mark was able to take off a little time to fish and shoot guns - at an indoor facility here, ha.

oh yes, paella

Everyone's first time with Mark's paella - big success!  He just wouldn't put on his chef chili pepper pants, darn it. And Katie is doing a much better job with my camera's selfie feature than I am.

Chilly - 55 degrees in July!

Had to hit the CB farmer's market and Mcgills for breakfast. Had to wait for a table, of course, and then elbow our way through the throng. The days of the quaint little market apparently are long gone. There was even an Aspen jeweler who showed up at a booth last Sunday. What??

The above photo is courtesy of my new camera's 40x internal zoom. Pretty amazing stuff. I'm a long way away from the Anthracites.

So a little correction is necessary. I caught this buck (there are two, but the other had just rounded the corner) eating the daylilies as I came back from my morning walk. As you know I 've laid the blame for any illegal munching squarely on Flap's head. Not quite right apparently. I've scared Flap off I think, since there's been no sign of her after our heart to heart. Three weeks! Apologies and now come back.

And we are trying to coexist with all the creatures here. I'm losing the battle with the chipmunks and ground squirrels eating up my flowers on the deck, Paul, Sherry, and Katie saw a bear asleep in a tree overlooking Coal Creek Grill in CB, drawing a big crowd who were to look only until said bear ambled away, and Mark is checking on the restart of the destructive beaver activity in the creek. At least we know who to call in this last case, Mark found "Trapper" last year who makes his living doing this. (Also writing a book about it on the side - just published!) People certainly do interesting things for jobs here with a definite outdoor theme.

Mark flies back to Florida Saturday and not back for three weeks. Lots of company still planning to come and go for the next two months. Great stuff but the summer is flying by too quickly. Stop I say!