Stupendous fun had with our Charleston family

 What a fabulous whirlwind visit we had with Tiffany, Chris, Penny, and Juliet. They hadn't been at Star Mt. in the summer for a long time and they made sure to cram in every single thing possible in that short week.

Judd Falls hike

Not part of our group but soooo Crested Butte

Secret Stash of course

Montanya - finally Chris got to visit

Oh the Crested Butte fun. Shopping, farmer's market, and lots of eating.

Yup that's a steel drum. I'm learning to play and the girls picked it up instantly.

So much to do around the house inside and out. Walk in the woods with Granddaddy, s'mores, driveway games, and music practice.

Emerald Lake picnic and reenactment of  Chris's proposal 15 years ago!

The girls were intrigued by the caves you can see out our living room window. A fun hike ensued.

Mushroom hunting. It's that time of year here. Just a few samples of probably 30 kinds. Many are not edible and the orange ones are as you might expect very poisonous. We had fun but did not find any of what we were looking for - marvelous chanterelles. We'll try again in a couple weeks.

Fishing in the community pond. Success for Penny!

First time horseback riding at Harmel's. Great place for young first timers - they know just how to make kids feel comfortable. What a grand adventure the week was for everyone. Til next time...

Wonderful visit with our Texas family

 Great family visit with Paul, Sherry, and Katie. A good time was had by all in spite of the almost everyday late pounding rain. The rain has saved our summer and everything is blooming and very green. Everyone just planned around the late day weather change. Also there were Olympics as a distraction. Avid watching every day...

Our one and only night out on the patio. At least there was one!

The wild and funky town of Crested Butte. Cannot miss it. Of course there had to be farmer's market action, ice cream, and a bit of shopping. Sherry supports the duckie race every year but has yet to win.

There was a lot of fishing that happened with Paul and Sherry in many places but it's nice to have some fun at our community pond. Some nice size trout in there.

Mariposa Lily

Still lots of blooming and creatures around. These are baby marmots (groundhog). I think they look a little like meercats - right? There's been an explosion of marmots around all summer. And nice to see the elk out and about with their babies. They have left Star Mt. and moved down the road a bit. Marching towards late summer here and quickly.

Marble, moose, and Crystal Mill

 

Great trip had with friends Steve and Kim to inaugurate their newly purchased jeep. We picked a good day with lovely weather and almost no people. Crystal Mill is quite the tourist attraction and it can be somewhat of a zoo.

Great barbecue as usual

Always a fun trip to see the tiny town of Marble (famous for their marble that is the Lincoln Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) and the very photographed Crystal Mill. It's a medium in difficulty jeep ride up to the mill and we wandered around the general store and surrounds. Mark instructed our friend Steve in fly fishing and he had great beginner success. A pile of brookies were caught and taken home for dinner. I believe there is much fly fishing and jeeping in their future.

Beautiful drive and breathtaking peaks. It's worth the two hr drive over.

Last but not least, a moose sighting on the way home - first this summer. A good size female on Ohio Pass. She pretty much ignored those of us who jumped out of cars to take photos. 

The continuing magic of the mountains

Summer is flying by too fast. Aaugh.... Waves of wildflowers are blooming and dying away making room for the next group. Lots of people visiting enjoying the summer activities: everything from mountain biking, fishing, river rafting, photography, painting, camping to hiking, and I know I've left out many. We've had the start of our company visits which is such a joy. We love sharing our special area with those we love.

My lovely friends Cheryl and Mary visiting from Naples and Cleveland. We all do watercolor painting together in Florida over the fall and winter months. We are normally a group of 4 but one could not make it this time. Patty we missed you!

Painting sessions and sightseeing, very relaxing - what more could you ask for?

Had to go to the farmer's market in CB of course. A lot of other people had the same idea. It's always been a great place to find wonderful produce, organic breads, flowers, jewelry, and art. Great people and dog watching too.

There's always a bit of craziness in Crested Butte. We watched the owner of this beaten up bus get out and write an invitation to draw on his door. Mary jumped right in. I believe that's a first.... 

The lovely rain we've had is producing mushrooms. These are pretty spectacular but unfortunately not edible.  We have visions of lovely chanterelles to come. Thanks to mushroom hunting neighbors we know what to look for so hopefully in a few weeks we'll have some luck.

This was the early morning sun two days ago. Smoke haze from the wildfires in California. It's since blown out of here. So sorry for all who are in the middle of the danger.

Wildlife continues to amaze. We knew there was a great horned owl around via evidence on the deck (poop) but got a rare sighting when it landed on the railing two nights ago.