It's Saturday afternoon, and we arrived in Ridgway, CO last Sunday. We will leave tomorrow morning to head back home. We really like this area and have had a great time. Here is one last post from Colorado before we head out. 


We saw two coyotes in this meadow, but they were gone before we could get a good photo. (That happened to us with Elk, Mule Deer, Wild Turkeys, Clark's Nutcrackers, Rabbits, Ground Squirrels, and a whole flock of Canada Geese along our drive.) This is what the area looks like just outside of Ridgway - to the east. But it's really like this in every direction.

Some of the wild flowers growing along the road as we drove up to Owl Creek Pass. 

 

While approaching the Owl Creek Pass, we came upon a mother Marmot with her young. 

And then there were many more flowers.

On the east side of the Cimarron Mountain Range we came to Silver Jack Lake.

Chimney Rock, San Juan Mountains, Colorado. Just another dirt road through the woods.

Dennis in the woods again, by the West Fork of the Cimarron River.

Aspen grove at Silver Jack.

Magpie about to take flight.

Today, we have been on the road for a full week – 3½ days driving up to Colorado and 3½ days in Ridgway. We have been here several times before and it is a great place for us to visit. It is beautiful, fun, cooler than Austin, and has some local friends.

So, here are some more photos taken since we arrived in Colorado.

Clouds over Trinidad, CO.   

 Driving through Big Horn Sheep Canyon

The Arkansas River

 Flowers in Ouray, CO

 Colorado Orange Poppies

Several photos from The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

Gunnison's Mariposa Lily 

Mike in the hot springs pool in Ouray, Colorado. (This is one of our favorites places on Earth.)

Mike on the ski bench at the Gnar, in Ridgway.

 Dennis at The Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Female Mountain Blue Bird - near our campsite

Moon over Ridgway

Hello again. We are on our first “BIG” camping trip since Mike had his broken foot and Dennis had his appendicitis: Two weeks on the road.

We are staying a week in Ridgway State Park in Colorado. It is one of our favorite parks and just north of Ouray, which is one of our favorite towns. We will post more about the Ridgway/Ouray visit in a few days, but here are some photos from our 4 day drive up from Austin.

Always remember to watch for scorpions in the showers.

A Road Runner in a tree. (This is offered to remind everyone that not all of the dinosaurs perished 65 million years ago.)

Three photos of Scissor Tailed Flycatcher. They had a nest in a tree above our picnic table and came and went all evening. But we were unable to see any young.

Scaled Quail.

Bunny.

Golden Fronted Woodpecker

Cactus

Cholla bloom.

Sunrise at Santa Rosa Lake, NM.

Michael and I have certainly seen a few foxes in our lives. But always for only a fleeting moment. This adult Gray Fox was busy eating sunflower seeds at the bird blind and did not care that there were witnesses. Enjoy.

 

After almost five months since the foot surgery, Mike’s post-op boot was removed last week, and we were ready to get out of town for a bit. So, this week, we have taken a three night trip to the Blanco State Park:  About 40 miles west of Austin, Blanco State Park was constructed in the early 1930s by CCC crews who damned the Blanco River and built the basic park structures. Although designed as a state park, it is only about 4 blocks south of the old courthouse and right in the middle of town. Nevertheless it feels very rural and is surrounded by farms and wildlife.

It’s an easy getaway for us and a very nice little park. We wanted something nice and easy. 

 Gulf Fritillary Butterfly

 Male Painted Bunting and a female Cardinal

Gray Fox

 Gray Fox after eating

 Three Baby Turtles

 Old 24

 Mother and child

 Mexican Hats

 Black Throated Hummingbird

 Eastern Pondhawk Dragonfly

 Queen Butterflies

 Black Swallowtail Butterfly

 Engelmann Daisies

 Dennis

 Mike

 Egyptian Gosling

Egyptian Goose

 SNAKE ! ! !

 Black-crested Titmouse flying off the handle