Back at Star Mt. and our first guests of the season

Finally a post from Colorado! The above photo was just after we got there - May 15th. We had three straight days of snow showers and below freezing nighttime temps. Perhaps came over here a tad early...

A few short days in we turned around and drove down to Denver for a long anticipated Sting concert at Red Rocks. My November birthday present from Mark. It was fantastic, sold out with 10,000 strong, and Sting has retained his voice, his energy, and all around moxie at 73. Well worth the trek down.

a rare sighting of an elk (soon to be mama) right at our fence. They generally stay very distant.

Back at Star Mt. things were heating up. Elk and deer everywhere, nervous male grouse guarding their family nests, coyote sightings and howling in the night.

These mountain shots were all taken on May 24. I'm recording the greening of the aspen and the snow on the peaks. They are closest to us in visibility. The trees have a ways to go and the snow is still substantial.

Raven dancing with the Bunny. Bunny has been traded around with kids for 13yrs now.

Our first company of the summer. Lisa, Charles, Layla and Raven came over from Santa Fe, a five hr ride. Layla (10) and Raven (5) are their granddaughters and they all came to get a dose of magical Star Mt.

Lots of fun indoor and out was had. Walk in the woods, s'mores by the fire, and hammock fun.

Mark took the girls fishing at our common pond. Layla caught 5 big rainbow trout and Raven hooked and lost one but caught another in the end and she's only 5. All were thrown back. How great is that for a first time fishing experience!

world famous Pizza

Of course some CB strolling and Secret Stash for lunch. We followed that up with a dinner the last night at Garlic Mike's, a longtime family favorite with all things Italian. A great short visit with family. Come back anytime!

Paris!

 

Paris April trip is done and what a fabulous week it was. I went with Tiffany, Chris, Penny and Jules on their spring break. What a great trip and we jammed in a lot in those days. We rented an apartment in the Marais district which turned out to be a wonderful alternative to hotel rooms. We were in the heart of everything and explored nearby restaurants and patisseries. Each morning Chris ventured off to bring back croissants and coffee for us. Marvelous! The high quality is stunning and we are ruined for life I fear.

First day was a blur after flying all night but we persevered on and tromped all over until we couldn't walk anymore. Popped in and out of stores, cafe stops, and checked out the local grocery store around the corner from the apartment. Even that was fun.

Bo & Mie bakery - visited frequently

And it is Easter soon and the store windows showed it.

Next day the shopping intensity ramped up. Believe it or not we spent 5 hours total at Galerie Lafayette. It's enormous, gorgeous domed ceilings, with wonderful food with a Laduree inside it for special macaroons, coffee and hot chocolate service, and spectacular views from its roof top terrace.

Next day Louvre with a private guided tour. Our guide was excellent and maneuvered us through the madness of the crowds, showing us the most famous pieces of art along with lessor known. A lot of fascinating history while providing a scavenger hunt for the girls. Highly recommended.

Notre Dame was breathtaking. The first photo was a day before we decided to go in. We went early another morning and look, presto, no line. Still of course many people inside but it was easy to see everything.

Paris famous bookstore: Shakespeare and Company. It was an amazing place where you felt like you were time-traveling back to the 1920's and 30's. Many famous authors have visited this place and the lines are long to get in unless you go early when they open at 10am. No photos are allowed inside which was too bad - it's wonderfully eccentric. Someone has though - search online for interiors. 

Montmartre chocolate and pastry tour. Lots of fun and enormous quantities of chocolate, macaroons, crepes, and other sweet treats eaten. (or so it seemed to me). We wandered around the area, had lunch in a park, and generally enjoyed the day.

Moulin Rouge in the background

our food tour guide Olivia

The stragglers in a long line of preschool children out and about

Wall of love in every language

This is a homeless person's abode -I'm sure there's an astonishing backstory.

Hare Krishna who seemed to be everywhere we were

"Sh**t" in French - imagine, a whole store dedicated to it.

Last day - Eiffel Tower, Champs de Elysees, and last shopping. Window shopping only at the high end stores.

Escargot - the girls both loved it and had it multiple times. Amazing!

Last night dinner at Sacre Frenchy's
Sigh...bye bye Paris.