Hummers, elk, green, and joy to spring

photo courtesy Mark

Okay, big delay in posting - sorry. Time just got away from me after I got back from CO Springs. Successful trip - Mom's second eye procedure went well. What terrific things can be done these days! She has dramatic improvement in sight - I highly recommend this procedure to those older folks who might be in need (cataract removal + lens implant). And Dad continues to do well - happy at home with wonderful hospice people checking in.

The blooming and greening up of everything is more by the day.  Snow, rain, sleet, sun - you just don't know what's next around here... This truly is the weatherman's dream - good reason for being wrong all the time!

Now this is an amazing shot that Mark took. The elk was just outside our fence early, early morning. It's the first time I could tell it's a pregnant soon to be mama. They're so skittish, you can't get close enough to see anything. Not many around Star Mt. right now, but if the pattern holds, a pile of mamas to be will show up in the next couple of weeks to have their babies in our woods.

Mark again

Hummingbirds here in mass. No Rufus yet (the wild-tempered orange ones) but should be soon. Better stockpile sugar soon...

Mark again - early glacier lily

Made it back to CB. Still quiet but restaurants have started opening at least for dinner. Holiday weekend coming up. Hope everyone has fun plans.  The news really is Ohio Pass is open - early!  Makes up for last years 10 days late. Still snow of course on the pass, but beautiful.

And the larkspur are popping out... so no cows til the bloom is done.

Family visit, wildlife, and sweet baby green trees

Very nice quick visit with Lisa and Charles. It's a hop, skip, and a jump from Santa Fe to Star Mt. so we are thrilled to have them visit anytime.

Went into CB for lunch -of course most places are still shut, but Brick Oven was open with happy staff. Haven't been there in years, but we all agreed the pizza was great. Secret Stash, watch your back!

On the way back home discovered a fox den right by the road on Ohio Creek. This mother is tired, kits maybe big enough to venture out to hunt on their own?

The start of the wildflowers is here, way early of course. The first lupine.

Deer out and about. I was the intruder on my woods walk. Lots of elk too for days and days, but suddenly no sightings. They have their own mysterious schedule - they leave about now and then come back(or a different group?) to have their babies in June. As for the deer they just gather here in good numbers, have their babies and stay until late fall. We'll be looking out for Flap and her twins to return.

Green, green emerging everywhere - the aspen are mostly out now. Some of the passes are opening, but not Ohio Pass yet. Not sure why really, the snow is gone, gone except on the highest peaks.

future milk producers

We visited the farm to pick up eggs with Lisa and Charles. Animals out and about - combo beef cattle and the dairy herd pastured together
Mark is back to Detroit this week-we'll meet up on Friday. Still with our crazy schedule...
I leave tomorrow for CO Springs to visit my parents for a few days, and help out after Mom has her second (and final) eye procedure. Truly a miracle of our modern world - removal of a cataract and implanting a lens that restores vision. Amazing time to be living! And Dad is happy to be home and doing well, even gained some weight - that's wonderful home cooking I think.

Napa part deux

Finishing up posting our Napa trip. We did a awful lot in a short time. Back at Star Mt. and a completely different world. Awaiting the mixed case of wine we apparently decided we couldn't live without.

Morimoto was great, very pretty, and we both had the tasting menu (7 courses) which gave us a window into the wide variety of fresh, fresh seafood he has to offer. He only comes to visit his Napa restaurant once a month - busy with his Mexico and Hawaii places.

Oooh the vineyards, the restaurants, the over eating! 

Napa

Well, here we are in a little piece of paradise - Napa. It's been quite awhile since we've been and the growth is dramatic even with the big slow down in economy. There's even been a castle constructed while I was away. Castello Di Amorosa - 850,000 bricks brought over from Europe. Goodness what the rich will do for hobbies...

















This is a fast trip considering you could stay a month and not see everything.






Flowers from the girls, champagne from the hotel, darling room with outdoor patio- what's not to like! Went to an old favourite Mustards Grill - still fantastic, and Bouchon for our anniversary dinner, also fantastic. Big time chefs certainly deserve their reputation. Morimoto tonight- Mr. Iron Chef, I'll let you know how it is.






More wineries today, and yes, of course we've bought some wine. Will use the handy dandy shipping place just down the street to send it back to Star Mt. I thought we'd resist- ha,ha.