Family visit and playing in the white stuff

I'm back! Way overdue but somehow didn't find a minute to sit down and do a post the second week. Arrived back at our Naples place last night, or correction, early this morning - 1:30am. Air travel is not so fun theses days.

Star Mt. community property across the road - icy sheen

Our two weeks in winter wonderland went very fast. The last week especially as we had company, Paul, James, and Katie - loved having you and missed you Sherry!

Montanya Distillers

Now there's some snow for ya.

Their windows covered up

Love this quaint remade miner's cabin

Mark and I did manage a dinner at our favorite, Soupcon, and a pre-dinner rum cocktail at Montanya. Both places were very busy but food and drink (Maharaja of course) were excellent.

Elk sighting! These were a very long way away courtesy my wonderful zoom lens, close to Almont on the way to Crested Butte. You'll notice these are either female or youngsters. Males go on their merry way in the winter.

I continued to snowshoe almost every day and watched the slow emergence of the top of our fence. That's our driveway in the top photo. Even with above freezing temps the whole last week it will take quite some time for all that snow to melt.

Teocalli

Oh the beauty of the mountains. The ride into Crested Butte is always stunning.

CB - they hauled the giant piles of snow away.

Normal sights here - on the right a guy dressed for Red Lady Ball

A town full of characters and never ending celebrations. This was for,at least I think, Red Lady Ball, an annual celebration to support the efforts to keep Mt. Emmons (Red Lady) mine free. Outrageous works as long as its red. Until the next party...

And some shopping, eating, and of course coffee at "the" place. Spring break for both Texas and Oklahoma made for crowded everywhere.Tiny town for all that action.

Sandhill Cranes. They only come for a few weeks, just passing by, but it heralds spring a comin'. Their call is quite unique - a trumpeting, rolling sound, and when hundreds are calling, it's something to hear. They are big, 4 feet tall, with a wing span of more than 5 feet, and can live 20 years or more.

The other big sign of spring are calves being born. It started just before we left and its always quite a sight to see little wobbly creatures wandering in the snow next to their mothers.There are hundreds and hundreds born in the next few weeks. Keeps the cowboys busy.

A last dinner before family went away. Lots of skiing and snowboarding happened, even a day on Monarch. Next time you must come Sherry!

A last sunrise before we left. Keep well til we get back. It will look quite different in June when we come.

Winter brilliance at Star Mt.

We have descended upon the white dazzling world of Star Mt. Wow, what a contrast coming from Florida. We arrived in gorgeous sunshine and brilliant sparkling snow everywhere. And then the "little" snow event hit. Our problem, as in our community, is we are geographically set right in an area that has major winds frequently so even when the snow is not severe the winds cause major snowdrifts. Mark had to immediately get out our big snow blower that has sat ignored in the garage with us gone. Thank goodness it started right up.

It's been an unbelievable winter here. The mountain areas are 131% in snowpack and Gunnison County is 149%. Denver, that big ole metro city, in contrast had the lowest moisture level in history. Denver gets its water from the mountains so it's a good thing so much snow fell. The mud season is starting to show and what a mess that is. We will miss the vast majority of that and not sorry.

What amazing views we have right out our living room window. Oh these mountains...

Yippee snowshoeing! The woods were calling. There was not a hint of animal life nor any noise just pristine snow. It was so quiet I could hear my heartbeat. Which was at a fast pace given the altitude and activity. We have so much snow around the house I literally had to guess where the back gate opening was. The fence is totally covered and I walked over the gate to get out.

My track goes by markers that I take note of. Bear claw marks from some unknown time period and the squirrel house entrance- looks like a big living room in there. I'm missing the enormous red tail hawk nest we had every since we bought the property, that was abandoned and exists no more.

Second snow shoe trip out there were quite a few animal tracks jumping in and out of mine. Fox, mouse, and something I didn't recognize but small. You may remember in years past I've seen mountain lion tracks so I have an eye out.

We're only here two weeks so mean to make the most of it. Mark went skiing on the mountain today and we have family coming Saturday for a week. Hurray!

What a magical place this is. Early signs of spring will come soon in the form of newly born calves. The ranchers are busy night and day with all this new life. The greening up of spring takes forever here and we might  be one of the last places besides Alaska to have spring actually show up. In the meantime lots of playing in the snow,something everyone here does as much as possible.

Florida fun with Heather

Gosh, I don't even know what to say after the whirlwind visit of Heather's. It was just marvelous and we thoroughly immersed ourselves in the outdoors and nature. Sorry it was so short. Come back!

We went to the botanical gardens which I've been to only once before. It's quite spectacular and the weather was gorgeous. Amazing plants from South America, Asia, and the Caribbean, among others.

Photographer Heather in action 

Photographer Heather strikes again. Check out her website Heather Lee Marsh Photography

A sampling of the orchids - there were over 1,000 varieties

Next up the beach which we went back to more than once. We're so lucky to have it 5 minutes away.

Fun and more fun. Mark was around although not able to join us - working and busy. We did all go to dinner at a serious steak place, Charred, which was great. Monstrous slabs of beef put on your plate perfectly prepared. And now we leave for Star Mt. for two weeks. What a change that will be! Boots, hats, gloves and white stuff as in snow not sand. Whoa...