Loving it.

Wonderful rainbow over the mountains this morning. Hopefully you can see in the photo. Always think it's a lucky sign...
The neighboring ranchers moved cattle today. Normal traffic jam here. Never thought I'd live in a place that this was normal.
The deer are in our yard in ever increasing numbers. They are very serious about eating, something about the approaching fall. The babies have all lost their spots and are more gray than brown. Flap has been around a lot too, but always by herself. A little sad I think, maybe there'll be a baby next summer - Flappie?
The elk are sneaking back in. They were elusive before, but are extra shy now. I'm waiting for the elk bugling to start. The frisky males should be noisy soon.
Mark's jeep trip yesterday was a success. He went with a group of guys and a caravan of jeeps to Jones Mt. (Continental Divide) to hike down to a lake to fish. Mark caught the only fish - a gorgeous red colored cutthroat, but everyone had a great time anyway.

Bouncing fun in the mountains

Great jeeping day yesterday. A long and rough ride, but drop dead gorgeous views. We went up Cement Creek to Italian Creek up to Italian Mt and then over to Taylor Reservoir. We learned about a lapis mine (now closed) on Italian Mt. with our last company (Ralph, Janice, Duane) at a jewelry store in Crested Butte that specializes in lapis. Lapis is found only in three places in the world: Crested Butte, Afghanistan, and Chile. We couldn't see where the mine actually was, but I searched the ground at the base of the mountain for blue stone anyway. No luck there...
It was a huge circle of bouncing around and took 6 hrs from start to finish. We were vastly outnumbered by dirt bikes and ATV's the closer we got to the Taylor side. I don't see the attraction, but people do seem to love their ATV's. The photo is of a woman experiencing the joys of driving through a mud puddle. Her family group showed up where we had stopped for our picnic lunch. Whoo hoo mud!
Our cowboys showed up at Star Mt. to look in on their cattle. They hog tied a steer down our hill - don't know what they were checking on, but seemed satisfied and moved on to look at all the others. It's too early to take them out, last year it was the end of Sept before they herded them away. Our newest neighbors finally got their fence in, we know they're relieved - we all like these cows, just from a distance...

Seasonal quirks

Deer everywhere, half gray & half still brown - hence a bunch of pictures. The babies have grown so much this summer, a good sign for winter survival. Flap has been around as well, but avoids the petunias. Wow, I didn't think I was that scary... Coyote are out in greater frequency during the day wherever we go. Some seasonal reason I'm sure, just don't know what. And the ground squirrels have disappeared as they did last late summer. We've been told they go underground earlier than the chipmunks - don't understand that one either, it's not even freezing temps at night. I'm left with this photo, courtesy Mark - this is one of the ones who decided he owned the deck.
Fishing report: slow, although getting better, and still a fair amount of work according to Mark. The kokanee salmon are starting to come up the Gunnison and have been seen in Almont already. They are catch & release only until the end of Oct, when there's a big giveaway at the hatchery after they've spawned.
Having ignored the Gunnison farmer's market all summer, and frequenting the Crested Butte one, finally went today. It's smaller, but still good. My Thistle Whistle organic farm was there, so we bought a few things, including dragon tongue beans - we'll see how that goes...
Also picked up eggs at the farm. The dairy cows were being milked, the turkeys were running around, and a different sight - a group of people including kids plucking the feathers off of chickens under a tent. I guess these will be part of Sept's mixed meat pickup. Boy, those kids are getting a different education than me, the city girl.

Entertainment everywhere

Snapshot of a day on Star Mt. Yesterday morning, while on my walk through the woods with bear spray & camera, Mark had visitors, coyote, 4 of them jumping around outside our bathroom window. Two adults and two youngsters - we think they're probably part of the original den down the hill. Footnote: the day before, as we returned from Santa Fe, I picked up the newspapers laying on the driveway, and realized that something had peed on the plastic wrap. Yuck. Coyote I think, what was that about?
Lonely hanging hummingbird feeders. Mark is still holding out on taking them down. Only an occasional bird is coming by, everyone else seems to have fled to Mexico...
We went into Crested Butte to have dinner with friends and see a bluegrass band we loved from last summer - Infamous Stringdusters. Fun concert other than some non-paying slightly disruptive standees. (seats were all sold out) The group is super super talented - highly recommend their cds.
On the way back home on a very dark, dark night sans moonlight or street and house lights, we avoided: two young coyote, two porcupine, and crept back in Star Mt. hoping the cows had gone to bed instead of standing in the road.
This morning sipping a cup of coffee, gazing outside at the beauty of the hills and mountains, we realized something was awry. Two cows had managed to squeeze inside the gate. All hands on deck - out out you cows.
The deer are still out everywhere, but their color is changing. It was a surprise last year, but we know to expect it this time. They go from brown to gray - mother nature knows all...

Santa Fe fun

Took a few days to visit Santa Fe. So much fun and we got to see Lisa & Charles in their new place. They have just relocated from Texas to Santa Fe. Wow - a giant move. If you haven't been, Santa Fe is a wonderful city with a potpourri of art, local crafts from native americans & mexican influence, great architecture (it's 400 years old), and fabulous restaurants on every corner. We'll be visiting them a lot!
Did some shopping, and somehow I purchased nothing for myself, all for the house. And a strange assortment it is: old saddle, Indian bow & arrow, wool Mexican rug, and a separate set of arrows. Okay, our bedrooms have themes, there's a method to the madness...
Shopped downtown which is always amazing, and went to a new area called Madrid which was close to the bed & breakfast we were staying in. Crystal Mesa Farm - an amazing place that Lisa & Charles found.
After all the fun it was great to come back home to Star Mt. Our hearts are here after all...

The last heartbeats of summer

This is our traffic here. Sooo typical, and everybody waves. Gotta love it! The slow pace of life is awesome...
Our company has come & gone - boo hiss. It was a great week and the last day everyone went in different directions from Crested Butte (Ralph & Janice) to volunteering time at the art center in Gunnison (me), to enjoying and solving the world problems at home base(Mark & Duane). Weather was fabulous all week, thank you, and now the crisp air of fall is descending rapidly. Our cows are now fat and obviously love Star Mt. grass. They are here for another month and then, well, it's destiny.
Picked up our weekly eggs at the farm. The goats greeted me as I drove down. Not sure what they're contributing to the process other than eating down the weeds. Very cute though... You know there is a goat movement in different parts of the country to rent them to eat down the grass & weeds instead of horrible non- environment friendly mowers. Wow is all I have to say. We're in good graces there I think, with no mowing whatever at Star Mt.
Last tidbit - local airport was shut down temporarily when the Gothic RBML scientists checked luggage with vials of potassium chloride. Oooh, FAA wasn't sure what this was - well neither am I, but evidently harmless and in small quantities for science experiments. Just a blip - wish I had been a fly on the wall when the men in hazardous uniforms showed up in itty bitty Gunnison. airport.

Wish everyone was here!

Sorry this is a little late, as usual, we've been moving fast with our company. Mark & Ralph went fishing while the rest of us went to Crested Butte. Shopping (Duane a little less enthused) and lunch (Duane more enthused) on another gorgeous day.
Jeep day - while Duane opted to stay & relax at the house. Yes, he brought his guitar - quite the talent. The rest of us went to Emerald Lake for a picnic lunch and then over Paradise Divide. Spectacular and lots of laughs...
Dinner at Le Bosquet - great as usual. 33 years and still going strong. It's a delight to have Ralph, Janice, & Duane around. Fun had all around. Only small blip - fishing is hard according to the boys(although Mark caught an enormous brown today). Clearly off season right now.