FALL in capital letters

So I thought I'd missed it, the glory and spectacular sight that is fall color in our mountains. Miss Aubrey was by far more important. How happy I was to find color not even at peak when I returned. It's an interesting season, with a lot of varied color, more oranges and reds than usual. Since endless supposed experts make up the reasons for leaf color on any given year, I'm throwing my own in this year - drought. With very low snow pack last winter and the normal level of summer rains also below normal, I think stressed aspen make for grand color.

Some big local news, for us anyway. Our alma mater, which had already changed to a university a few years ago, is dropping "state". Now just Western Colorado University. And an alumnus just made a gift of $80 million dollars to build a new computer science and engineering school on campus.Little Western State College of Colorado has come a long way...

With haying done the cattle have been released back onto fields to eat the close cropped grass. Our cattle have not been taken out yet by the rancher - 2 weeks to go. In the meantime elk are bugling early morning as it's mating time, coyote are howling. owls whoo hooing at night, and the deer are inside our fenced property every day grabbing the last of the green grass and plants before it's all gone. A lot of hunters are in the area as well. Gotta be a little careful where you go at this time of year. A no hunting year for Mark - too many other obligations, next year hopefully.

This is also the time of year that we have a lot of spectacular rainbows. Something about perfect conditions for refracting light.

Time has gone by so fast. In a matter of a few weeks we will be closing up the house and back to Florida for the winter. Mark has not been here nearly enough and his last two weeks at Star Mt.starts next Sunday. Hoping there will still be some color for him to view.

Temps are dropping in the 30's at night now and snow is just around the corner. Everyone is praying for a good snow year.

he's right below my window - beautiful animals

This clever red fox took advantage while I was away visiting Aubrey. After I got back I saw him making a beeline for for my rain buckets. They are full of water with a screen on top pushed down by rocks to keep chipmunks etc. out. He figured out how to knock the whole top off and had been coming to have a snack probably every day. No hunting involved - the lazy way. All put away now - end of season.