Nature Pics from Colorado

They're pretty, but they're no Jacob! Ah well, I still love the beautiful and transcendent art of photography so here are some nature pics that Nancy and I took on the trip, enjoy!

How to Wear a Hat

I'm just going back through some of our vacation pictures and have noticed a trend in the Oliver men. . .you gotta know how to wear a hat! Here are some cute pics of Adam and Ben showing Jacob how it's done. . .and then he passes it on to Mr. Owl (who he was afraid of at first, by the way, but then he grew on him and hat to pat his head everyday)!

Horseback Riding and Hot Springs

Wednesday morning Adam and I took a horseback ride from Mount Princeton Stables. My horse was Echo and his was Montana, and we were the only two on our 2 hour tour. We rode out from the stables and through some gentle hills and smooth terrain down through the valley and beside Chalk Creek. It was quiet and so relaxing and peaceful. The stable also does sleigh rides in the winter, and we took a picture of two of the Clydesdales that were grazing in the pasture. Beautiful horses, I wish I could ride more often! I knew when I dismounted that I was gonna be sore though --- my legs were shaky and the next morning I actually had bruises on my bum, ahhhhhhhhh!!!

To get over our stiffness we set out Thursday morning and hiked the trail by the Arkansas River in Buena Vista. We saw 4 boatloads of rafters putting in at the bridge and were really tempted to sign up for a trip. Then we heard that one of them had flipped over, because the river is running so high and fast right now, and decided against it. Maybe next time!

That afternoon we headed over to the Mount Princeton Hot Springs for a nice, long soak. It was sprinkling on the drive over and we saw a rainbow across the mountains behind the springs. They have two hot swimming pools that they filter the water into, one at 94-degrees and one at 104-degrees. It had cooled off some and was only about 65, so we finally had a break from the hotter days and decided it was the perfect time to go. They normally let you climb down into the creek where the natural springs are, but it was flooded and closed. It was a fun and relaxing way to end the day!

Fishing - Part II

We woke up early Tuesday morning and headed over to Antero Reservoir to go fishing again. It was a calm, quiet morning on the water and Didi had staked out his favorite spot on the point where lots of fish bite. He and Uncle Phil and Roger had already caught 3 fish when Adam and Ben and I got there. Adam caught one within minutes of his first cast, then threw out his line and caught another (he let me reel in the second one)! It was slow goin' after that, but we had fun watching the gulls, pelicans, and cormirand birds fly around and dive for fish. We stayed for about 2 more hours but it kept getting windier and colder, so we called it a day. All in all, we had 6 fish at about 2 1/2 pounds each and there was PLENTY for a delicious dinner later that evening at Aunt Joyce and Uncle Phil's. They have a house down the road and it was the original "lodge house" for the neighborhood back in the 50s. It has a really cool great room with high beam ceilings and a large fireplace, very grand and rustic. And speaking of dinner --- one of the best ever --- and I am getting Aunt Joyce's recipes for her biscuits and strawberry rhubarb crisp, yum!

Cottonwood Lake, Creek, and Pass

Monday we packed a picnic lunch and rode over to Cottonwood Lake. It's a pretty, pristine place nestled between the mountains and surrounded by pine and aspen trees. We snacked on our lunch and played fetch with Carmen, then drove up a ways to the creek that feeds into the lake. The water in the creek has flecks of gold in it, and when the sun shines down on it, it sparkles. After walking around for a while, we piled back in the car and drove up the windy switchbacks to the pass. The closer we got to the top, the more snow we saw on the ground!!! It was really windy and cold up there, but the view was worth it! There were even kids with sleds and tubes playing in the ice and snow --- in June!!! We hiked up a little ways so we could let Carmen romp in the snow and Jacob even threw a few snowballs!

On the way back through town we stopped and I picked up my very first fishing license! Lookout trout, I'll see ya tomorrow morning!

Buena Vista, Salida, and Four Mile

Saturday evening we drove into Buena Vista to check out the little parks. We took some pictures on the bridge above the Arkansas River, and will probably go back and hike the trails another day. Then we headed over to the city park and let Jacob play on the baby swings and watch the dogs play in the pond. We also bought some DELICIOUS apple rhubarb and cherry pies from the local bakery. I've eaten pie every day we've been here so far --- yum!

Sunday we drove in to the town of Salida for the day and had lunch at the Boathouse Cantina, a cute spot with a nice view of the Arkansas River. The river is up so high that the rafters were having to get out before the bridge because of the low clearance! After lunch we walked across the street to the city park and lounged in the grass in the shade of the giant trees. We had a good time lounging about and watching Jacob crawl and play. I like the picture of him and Adam because you can see his top teeth coming in! One so far and three more on the way!

Later Sunday afternoon we followed Aunt Joyce, Uncle Phil, and Roger out to Four Mile. That's them in the awesome 1965 Land Cruiser about to go through the tunnels! You turn of the main road and go. . .yes, you guessed it, 4 miles. . .to the end of the dirt road and a quaint little spot by a creek with willow, apple, and cherry trees. Hundreds of years ago it was someone's homestead but now all that is left are the rocks from the lower walls of the house. We set up a blanket in the grass in the shade of the tree and enjoyed a very picturesque afternoon. A Mama duck and her duckling floated by in the creek, cool breezes blowing sweet smells from the trees, a short walk down the trail, and Aunt Joyce taught us some cute nursery rhymes for Jacob.