Birthday in Colorado

My cousin recently had a birthday in Colorado and we decided to drive down there and spend it with her and her husband. It may seem crazy to drive that far to say happy birthday in-person but,

some people are just worth it!

On the way down we thought we had the perfect antelope picture as we slowed on the freeway, and just as we slowed they all turned around and headed away. How many antelope backends have you taken pictures of?

We met at the Welk by Ranahan resort in Breckenridge Colorado where we were able to swim, hot tub and have dinner together after the long 2 day drive. The timing could not have been better because the aspen trees were in full flaming color all around us.

In the little town of Fresco right next door, there are all kinds of coffee houses, eating places and lots of bike paths going all over. We rented bikes and went for a beautiful ride around the Dillon reservoir together. It was an absolute blast for a long afternoon of bike riding! The bikes were rented from Rebel Sports, ski-board- & bike shop in Frisco, CO and it was the best $40 spent on the vacation.

If you ever get a chance to rent an electric-assist bike, do it! It makes riding for miles easy, as you are able to click into different levels of assistance modes for hills. It does not take away all the work of riding, but it makes it much more enjoyable.

Magical Aspen Colors

aspens at Breckenridge — aspens near Breckenridge

One of the most solid memories for me as a child are the Fall magical aspen colors on the hillsides. Magnificent! I am 60+ years old and have finally been able to time a family visit trip back there, during this magically colorful event. I was born and lived in Lakewood Colorado and the mountains till I was in 4th grade, which is when we moved to Hawaii. I had the gift of many many weekends in the rocky mountains with my Grandparents (Mom’s side) exploring mines, beautiful rocks, fishing and camping out.

Experiencing these splashes of color across the mountains and valleys had a much larger effect on my emotions that I had expected to experience.

Hwy 6 A Basin — Near Arapahoe Basin Hwy 6

Memories of loved ones gone so long ago came right up into my face. I could see their faces, hear their voices and remember the frying fish over the campfire. It took my breath away.

I loved the trip and took many pictures that I am sure will become paintings in the near future in the studio.

As we drove north on our way back home to Washington state tears rolled down my face and my heart must of cracked as I said goodbye to the family I was able to experience again.

What Wildflower is This?

wild flower 02 — Unidentified wildflower

Does anyone know what wildflower this is? Honestly, I have been unable to find out what kind of flower this is and would appreciate any help from people who may know.

I apologize for the focus being on the ground instead of the petals but am still putting this image up to help identify it.

wild flower 03 — What wildflower is this?

Pete and I were installing the underground dog fence along the upper elevation of the property when we saw it. If anyone out there does know where to concentrate my search it would be greatly appreciated by me. If curiosity killed the cat I’d already be dead.

Lovely Lilacs

Lilacs

A beautiful scene of lovely lilacs greeted me this morning. It was bathed in sun rays showing off the blossoming lilacs in the garden. An amazing alluring scent wafted across the garden which drew me closer to admire the delicate lavender petals.

We are so lucky to be living in the Inland Northwest in the “Lilac City” of Spokane, WA! Spring is celebrated here with a “Lilac Parade” honoring veterans. Followed by, “Bloomsday” a 7.4k run on the first Sunday of the month of May. The China flu pandemic was postponed to September 2020. This long walk makes me get up and get into shape each spring.

Every year thousands of runners/walkers complete this for the coveted secret Bloomsday shirt each year. I wonder if the shirt design this year will reflect the fact that there will be no lilacs in bloom as we come back down the hill into Spokane? I have done this course at least 15 times, and have the shirts to prove it! As an extreme introvert, a crowded event like this is completed only to prove to myself that I can survive as I walk a good 7-1/2 miles up and down hills in a choking group of strangers. Then, I quickly retreat back home to recuperate in quiet solitude with the garden, forest and dogs. Whew.

Lilac Love is Widespread

I was born in Colorado and have distinct memories of my grandparents stopping in to visit us. Grandpa would have a handful of lilacs in his hand to give to Mom, and their scent would fill our house with smiles.

Lilac (syringa) is a prolific blooming bush with conical shaped groups of four leaf petals. The lilac flower has meanings and symbols associated with it, with more specific meanings for each color of the species. My bush is associated with first loves, being the light lilac shade .

Excerpt from: https://www.flowermeaning.com/lilac-flower-meaning/

….
Lilac: This lighter shade of purple is associated with one’s first love or the first time one feels love for someone.
….

Fishing Gene

A fishing gene definitely exists on my father’s side of the family. Here are a couple of pictures that show this. I don’t have a lot of pictures of fishing with my Dad’s side of the family.

Here is my Grandma on my Dad’s side. She was named Gladys Rafferty, and is pictured here with Ruby, who is her sister and sister’s husband, Joe Lockert. Isn’t that a humongous trout or a salmon? Hmmmmm what do you think it is?

Gladys Rafferty with her sister Ruby and Joe Lockert in Lemmon South Dakota.

Joe and Ruby used to send us venison sausage for Christmas when we lived in Hawaii. Joe liked to hunt, and the sausage was really good.

Don Schultheis was fishing in Hawaii in the 1970s.

My Dad with an Aku he caught on a boat trip, out of fisherman’s wharf in Honolulu. He enjoyed the day but said it kind of made him seasick cause the seas were a little turbulent. We had fresh sashimi that night.

Fishing Genes from Mom

Val fishing in Colorado mountains 1960s.

I come from a long line of Fishing Genes from Mom’s side of the family. Really. We have a fishing parasite along with a strong love of the outside. We embrace a meditative state as we lure our dinner into the frying pan. I have proof of this through generations of photography.

Sedilla Pyle in the 1960s Colorado Rocky Mountains looking at the aspen.

The first photographs are of Sedilla, nicknamed “Dillie”, who is my maternal Great Grandma. She had a habit of outliving her husbands, so her last names were numerous including Oxendine (maiden name), Canniff, McKibben, and then Pyle. She fished wherever she lived, these are pictures of her and her kids fishing in Colorado, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.

Billie McKibben fishing with Sedilla Pyle.

What the heck kind of fish is this?

Billie McKibben with Dorothy & Gus Nethery was Dillie’s children so the fishing gene gets passed on.

I guess there were no fishing limits back then…

Sedilla all bundled up in her folding chair while fishing Colorado.

Stopping for a family, cool feet dipping, during a long Colorado mountain drive with Sedilla, her sister Beulah, and her daughter Opal Kilpatrick.

Honestly, I remember Grandma pulling over cause she saw someone fishing. She’d casually ask them what they were using for bait, and ask if they caught anything.

Opal Kilpatrick 1960s Colorado, getting ready to fry up another delicious dinner at her house in Denver Colorado.

This woman could cook a rock and make it taste delicious. Fishing is a weekend-long event where we would drive up to the mountains, picnic, camp, fish, and hike. I loved it. It is probably why I feel so free hiking in the mountains still.

Fun in Snow

Kids know how to have fun in snow.

You can make forts to protect yourself from snowball fights.

Perfect the art of throwing over and over.

Or, simply be the teenager who tries to nail a brother at every given opportunity.

Dogs and Kids in Snow

Snow Favorites

Dogs and Kids in Snow always is fun. Hurley did not forget his kids or their favorite snow “ball” game. When the snow came, they were all outside having fun and he jumped up over and over and never tired of chasing every snowball thrown.

Hurley Isaac Ben 05 Hurley Isaac Ben 03 How many team members are that dedicated to catching a ball? Especially, when the ball continually dissipates into a million pieces, every time you catch it. Dogs are truly the most dependable friends and never hesitate to have some fun.

Hurley and Ben 2 Hurley and Ben 01

Golden Doodle

Hurley is a Golden Doodle (half golden retriever and half poodle) who loves snow. When we got him he was skinny and loosing all of his hair (more than half his coat). After getting him checked out at the vet, we paid for an allergy blood test and found that he was horribly allergic to many things (17). Look at all the red boxes on this graphic of his test results.

After first getting really overwhelmed… the vet said, “First pay attention to eliminating allergens with sensitivity numbers over 200, especially in food. Many times doing that will greatly improve things avoid others if you can.

Foods to Avoid:

Corn, Rice, Peanut, Oat, White Potato, Green Peas.

The vet gave us a list of food sources that cost anywhere from $4 for each meal or more. Whew! Fifty dollars or more a week for food is just not affordable for us. Hurley is generally a great dog, but we are not millionaires. Pete checked out the internet and found a solution on www.chewy.com. This brand “Victor Dog Food”, suited our needs perfectly and at a good price. Further information about this dog food is available at the Your Dog Advisor .

Before we did the allergy test, I was beginning to think that maybe we were dealing with some horrible disease that was going to claim him in the near future. He had ear infections over and over. There were itchy sores similar to “mosquito bites on steroids”, wherever his hair had fallen out. Nothing seemed to improve, with salves, and medicine for his ears. He was constantly dragging his body on walls, handrails, to scratch and was always licking his paws and chewing for itch relief.

Eliminating his worst food allergies by getting him food without those items in it. We have seen a transformation as he improved incredibly and amazingly fast. He is now a whopping 120 lbs. (from a sickly 80 lbs.). Things have greatly improved since we found out what Hurley is allergic to. We have to limit his portions now to stop weight gain. His hair is thick, fluffy, and soft and he loves to go roll in the snow outside because I think he is a little too hot. Here is Hurley outside loving his roll in the snow.

Hurley Loves Snow 01 — Hurley Loves Snow

Hurley Loves Snow 02 — Hurley Loves to Roll in Snow

Goldfinch Bird Visits

A beautiful American Goldfinch bird (yellow) has been visiting in and around our garden this year. He seems to enjoy the flowers & berries in the garden. I have been unable to get a picture of him because every time I would notice him I wouldn’t have my camera with me. Darn! That little phone camera is absolutely useless in getting a good enough shot of a faraway flying munchkin, only producing a blurry speck in the sky to see. More detail is needed to be able to identify what a new bird species is for me, but I had my trusty real camera, Nikon, with a decent lens when he showed up yesterday. I got this and used this picture to find him in our reference book and we do have beautiful birds here.

No Longer a Mystery Bird

Peter and I have, “A Field Guide to the BIRDS of North America” by Michael Vanner. This great reference, lets us discover what we are looking at. Following is the info on page 252 quoted. Get this book if you like to look at birds.

American Goldfinch
(Cardulelis Tristis)

Common across most of North America with the exception of the far north, the American Goldfinch is a familiar visitor to bird feeders with its striking plumage. It is gregarious and will often mix with other birds in large feeding flocks. It breeds relatively late in the year, building a small tightly woven cup nest of grass and plant fibers high in a bush or tree. This holds 3-6 plain blue-white eggs which are incubated by the female for 2 weeks. The young can fend for themselves 12-17 days later and juvenile birds are brownish with dark wings and tail. It eats mainly seeds, but will also eat berries and insects. It shows a particular fondness for thistles, which it eats and uses to line its nest.

Thistle absolutely loves our place, and we are constantly at war with those voracious thorns. I am never sure if we are just losing a battle or if we have already lost the war. Weeds, weeds, weeds. Thistle is a never-tiring foe. I fully understand why he loves it here so much.