A Colorado Rockies Game as a Guest of the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank 6 Apr 7:47 PM (yesterday, 7:47 pm)
My husband and I were invited to attend one of the Colorado Rockies' opening weekend baseball games against the Athletics this past weekend at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, through a raffle that The Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank sponsored.
It was a special T-shirt giveaway to the first 15,000 ballpark guests!
Please click on to enlarge the photo collage.
We saw placards on our way through the ballpark for many other giveaways and theme days ahead for the season.
I took these photos of our foothill neighborhood as we began our drive to Denver, and as you can see, it was a cold day with some icy snow that fell overnight. so.....
...it was nice to know we were going to a private suite within Coors Field, and be part of a group of cornea donor families and cornea recipients.
I was a cornea recipient in 2015, which granted me the miracle of good sight in an eye that had become clouded and scarred from an infection. You can read my story on this post. Every day I say a prayer to thank and honor my donor for the gift of sight.
The private suite was very warm and comfortable with a wonderful view of the baseball field. We were also able to sit outside if we wanted, or stay inside and watch from the window or on the large TV screen.
We saw a Golden Glove award ceremony that two Colorado Rockies players won--Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar. The Rawlings Gold Glove Award is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances. It is awarded at each fielding position in both the National League (NL) and the American League (AL). The Gold Glove is widely considered one of the most prestigious defensive awards in baseball.
While the game progressed, all the guests in the suite enjoyed complimentary food and snacks that The Rocky Mountain Lion Eye Bank had the suite's catering provide.
It was exciting to see the Rockies perform a rare triple play in the second inning! It was only the fifth triple play in their history as a team.
Sadly, the Rockies lost the game to the Athletics, but it was an exciting game nonetheless!
During the game, my husband and I were touched to hear the stories that some of the donor families told us of their loved one's donation. I also told them of my gratitude to have had my full sight restored through cornea donation.
All in all, it was a memorable evening full of meeting and sharing with donors and recipients, during an exciting baseball game, in a warm, comfortable suite with good food.
April is National Donate Life Month
My husband and I are signed up to be organ, eye, and tissue donors through our state driver's licenses in the Donate Life America program.
More than 100,000 patients are estimated to be waiting for a transplant. Give hope and help save lives by registering your decision to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor at your local DMV, on RegisterMe.org.
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A Drive through Glenwood Canyon to Vail, Colorado 30 Mar 8:41 PM (8 days ago)
In last week's blog post, I showed a drive we took last September from the westernmost part of Colorado on Interstate 70 East, through Grand Junction and Palisade, Colorado--click here-- to read that post. This week, the journey continues as we drive east and pass through Glenwood Canyon to Vail.
As my husband drove, I took photos of the scenery.
Although there was a rough road along Glenwood Canyon since pioneers days for horses and wagons, the final link of the construction of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon has been hailed as an engineering marvel! Construction through Glenwood Canyon began in 1980 and was completed in 1992. As you can see in the photo above, the highway going west at a narrow portion of the canyon is elevated, while going east continues to traverse along the river. Great care taken to incorporate the interstate improvements into the fragile canyon environment while leaving as much of the flora and fauna intact as possible.
Please click on the above photo 2x to enlarge it to read the information about Glenwood Canyon's I-70 road construction.
A few years after we moved to Colorado, my husband and I spent our anniversary in Glenwood Springs. On the way home, I saw this sign for Hanging Lake. I asked my husband if we could stop at this trailhead, as I saw many beautiful photos of the area on social media and wanted to see if we could hike up to Hanging Lake.
It took us--mostly me--two hours to hike up the steep trail to Hanging Lake and another two hours to go back down, but we did see this magnificent lake and the spectacular waterfall, which was another 200 feet above it!
You can read more about this experience at this link
We passed beautiful scenery...
...and ranches along the drive.
We continued driving east, gaining elevation...
...and began to see fall foliage.
Soon, we approached Vail, which is at 8,150 feet (2,480 m) above sea level.
Vail is home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado. The town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the numerous events the city hosts annually
The mountains surrounding Vail were ablaze with golden Aspen trees!
In October, these mountains would be full of snow, but in September, they were displaying full fall glory!
I blogged about the 10th Mountain Division and Camp Hale in this post.
Seibert, with other former members of the 10th Mountain Division, returned to Colorado after World War II with the intention of opening a ski resort. During training for ski troopers at Camp Hale, he bivouacked on Vail Mountain and identified it as an ideal ski mountain. By 1969, Vail had developed into the most popular ski resort in the state.
Seibert, with other former members of the 10th Mountain Division, returned to Colorado after World War II with the intention of opening a ski resort. During training for ski troopers at Camp Hale, he bivouacked on Vail Mountain and identified it as an ideal ski mountain. By 1969, Vail had developed into the most popular ski resort in the state.
We continued driving east across the Rocky Mountains towards the Denver area, anticipating another two-hour drive to return home.
We had a wonderful vacation and enjoyed seeing this part of Colorado again during the fall, and it was fun to take you along with us in this reminiscence!
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A Scenic Drive Through Beautiful Mesa County, Colorado 23 Mar 6:22 PM (15 days ago)
Last fall, my husband and I drove Southwest to Durango, Colorado, where we took a round-trip ride on the historic Durango to Silverton Railroad (click here to see that post). On the way back towards Denver, we decided to drive a bit north to pick up Interstate 70 in Grand Junction, Colorado. As we drove east, we saw the most amazing scenery!
Grand Junction is located in Mesa County in Colorado. It is the most populous county in western Colorado, and the 11th most populous in the state.
The topography of this county was so unique!
Mt. Garfield reminded me of an Egyptian Pyramid!
Mt. Garfield is the high point of the Book Cliffs, east-northeast of Grand Junction, and overlooking the town of Palisade. The mountain was named after President James Garfield a year after Garfield's death. The mountain's geology is composed of Mesaverde Group overlaying Mancos Shale.
Every summer residents of Colorado looks forward to buying the large ultra-sweet peaches.
I shared many of my favorite Paliside Peach recipes in this post.
Palisade lies on the north side of the Colorado River, 11 miles (18 km) east of Grand Junction,
The river was flowing fully last fall and was a beautiful shade of blue.
I was in awe of the scenery!
The contrast between the bright blue sky and the large stone mountains was so beautiful!
As we continued driving east we approached Glenwood Canyon.
Glenwood Canyon is a rugged scenic 12.5 mi (20 km) canyon, and its walls climb as high as 1,300 feet (400 m) above the Colorado River. It is the largest canyon in the Upper Colorado.Eight years ago, my husband and I drove to the Glenwood Canyon area for a few days to celebrate an anniversary. We hiked over 1,000 feet high to visit Hanging Lake--click here to see that post--to this day it is one of the most magnificent places we have seen in Colorado! We are so happy that we accomplished that hike on a whim.
There are many more places we would like to visit in Mesa County, Colorado, and hope to return there in the near future to see the Colorado National Monument area, and perhaps be able to pick a few peaches from a Palisade peach tree!
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The Perfect Landing 16 Mar 6:54 PM (22 days ago)
Mt Blue Sky
This month, my husband has been going for Cardiac Exercise Rehabilitation in a cardiology center in our Colorado Front Range area a few times a week, following the coronary bypass surgery he had in January. He's been doing well and building up stamina and strength as he continues to heal. I often accompany him, and sit in the center's lounge and read a book.
One day last week, after his exercise session, we decided to go to a restaurant at the nearby Centennial Airport for lunch, called The Perfect Landing. We heard they had a delicious menu and a nice view of some of the takeoffs and landings of the local air traffic.
We weren't disappointed! It was exciting to watch the jets and smaller planes take off or land while we dined.
My husband had the Corn Flake Crusted Crispy Walleye Fish on a Baugette (top photo in the collage), and I had the Maine Lobster Roll on a Portuguese Split Bun (bottom in the collage above) Both were
delicious!
My husband has been advised to eat a Mediterranean Diet post-op. and we have been eating that way very vigilantly, so this was a rare treat and the first time we dined out since his surgery.
A view of the distant Rocky Mountains from Denver International Airport, east on the Colorado plains. Quite a different view!
The local deer have been enjoying the warmer days that we've had lately.
Relaxing in the sun and dreaming of Spring!
PS: Thank you to all who commented on last week's post about my attending the PBS Antique Roadshow last May! See that post on this link. I received the following information follow-up this week about the three episodes that will be shown soon and the special antiques that the appraisers discovered:
| "Catch the episodes when they air on Rocky Mountain PBS! Airing Mondays at 7:00 PM from March 24 to April 7: March 24: Premiere episode featuring a 1954 Marilyn Monroe military defense ID photo, a ca. 1970 Panama hat, and an Andy Warhol Golden Shoe collage. March 31: Roadshow strikes gold in Colorado with amazing finds, including Paul Revere Jr. silver tablespoons, a 1942 DC Comics promotional Superman figurine, and a 1974 Sam Gilliam June 5 acrylic painting. April 7: Final episode, filmed at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms, featuring a WWII WASP archive, a historic fire helmet & parade hat, an Olympic collection spanning 1956–1968, and a $400,000 treasure!" |
Wow! A $400,000 treasure! I wonder what that was!
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I Attended the PBS Antique Roadshow! 9 Mar 5:36 PM (29 days ago)
Please click on the photo to enlarge it.
Last year, my daughter and I were excited to hear that the PBS ANTIQUE ROADSHOW was coming to the Denver Botanic Gardens in the Chatfield Farms extension in Littleton Colorado! To attend the show, we entered a ticket lottery and kept our fingers crossed that we would receive tickets. Happily, my daughter won two tickets! Naively, we thought we would be sitting in an audience like many of the television shows we attended in New York, but when the tickets arrived we were told we had to bring an antique for evaluation to be admitted. That led to a search throughout our possessions as neither of us collects antiques, and we did not think we had any valuable family heirlooms. Finally, we both found something we thought might be interesting and looked forward to attending the show.
The day of the show taping was May 29,2024, on a beautiful spring day. The TV airing of the show will begin this month.
The location was perfect!
Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Farms is an extension of the Denver Botanic Garden.
It is managed in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is a 700-acre native plant refuge and working farm located along the banks of Deer Creek in southern Jefferson County. Chatfield Farms is home to historical buildings dating back to the 1800s, 2.5 miles of nature trails, and numerous wildflower gardens.
My daughter and I were happy to have had the experience of seeing how the PBS ANTIQUE ROADSHOW was conducted and viewing many of the wonderful objects that others brought to be appraised, As we walked toward the exit we spied a lucky someone being interviewed under the trees. The episodes showing the Antique Roadshow in the Denver Botanic Chatfield Farms on Littleton will be aired on PBS on March 24, 2025-hour one, and also on March 31, hour 2, and April 7, hour 3. To see a slideshow of photos from the Littleton filming on the ANTIQUE ROADSHOW website click here.
When we arrived there was already a long line of people waiting to enter.
When we entered the grounds we saw that tents were set up throughout the farm, serving different purposes.
We entered a triage tent where we showed the items we brought. We were told what categories our items were classified as and were given a map to show us where to queue up next.
We waited in the "Decorative Arts and Silver" line, as I had an object determined to be of that nature. The line was very long and it took us over two hours to slowly advance to the tent. Many people had umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun. We enjoyed seeing what items others on the line brought and conversing with those around us. In a few instances, a film crew took videos of the line and asked us to cheer for the camera.
All the QR codes displayed on the placards are still functioning if you'd like to see the information they lead to on the ANTIQUE ROADSHOW website.
We were finally close to the appraisers' tent!
This is the object I brought to be appraised. It is an Eastern Orthodox religious icon that once belonged to my maternal grandmother, who had immigrated from Ukraine in the early 1900s. Although it is a dear possession for me for that reason, the appraiser unfortunately told me it did not have great value otherwise.
Guests with interesting or valuable antiques were directed to various filming locations where they would be interviewed and told by another professional appraiser what their items were worth. That is the most exciting part of the televised show, to see what treasures were discovered, and how much the experts said they were worth!
The next line my daughter and I waited on was "Sports Memorabilia," and, thankfully, that line was much shorter!
This is what I brought--a signed photograph of Mickey Mantle, a famous New York Yankee Baseball star from 1951–1968. When I was twelve years old I wrote a fan letter to Mantle, as he was one of my favorite baseball players and I was thrilled to get this photograph as a reply. I kept it all these years! The appraiser was a very nice man who was from the NY area and he liked the photograph very much, but he told me that there are many "fraud" photos and other signed things in the sports memorabilia world. And that I needed to have to signature authenticated through a service such as Beckett, experts in doing this. He said with certification I could probably sell it to a collector if I wished. My daughter brought her collectible, a Yankee Baseball player Derek Jeter's rookie card, and he gave her the same advice.
My daughter and I were happy to have had the experience of seeing how the PBS ANTIQUE ROADSHOW was conducted and viewing many of the wonderful objects that others brought to be appraised, As we walked toward the exit we spied a lucky someone being interviewed under the trees. The episodes showing the Antique Roadshow in the Denver Botanic Chatfield Farms on Littleton will be aired on PBS on March 24, 2025-hour one, and also on March 31, hour 2, and April 7, hour 3. To see a slideshow of photos from the Littleton filming on the ANTIQUE ROADSHOW website click here.
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Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs 2 Mar 5:29 PM (last month)
A Beautiful view of 14,107-foot (4,299.83 m) Pikes Peak from the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.
As I have written in my past few blog posts, my best friend Rosemary visited us last March from Brooklyn, New York, and we spent a few days showing her our favorite Colorado sites. We went to Red Rocks Amphitheater, and walked along giant red rocks onto its stage, drove along the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway through canyons and mountain valleys, spent an afternoon admiring the beautiful snow-covered mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park, and on our last day together we drove down to visit the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.
As Garden of the Gods is a National Natural Landmark and is one of our favorite places to visit I have blogged about it many times, as you can read in sequence on this blog tab. We always begin with a visit to the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center to enjoy its interesting exhibits.
The "Kissing Camels" Formation
This is a photo of Rosemary and me at the Balanced Rock formation, which is at 6,286 feet (1915.9 M) elevation in the park. Doesn't it look like the rock could topple over at any minute? It is a favorite photo spot for all visitors.
A close-up
There are so many beautiful rock formations in the park
We enjoyed stopping to admire many views during our visit.
Please click on the photo above to enlarge it in order to read the placard.
We stopped briefly in the nearby town of Manitou Springs to show Rosemary the iconic mineral springs.
Please click on the photo above to enlarge it to read the placard--March is Women's History Month!
Manitou Springs is an interesting and historical town--I wrote a blog post about it a few years ago which you can read here.
It was time to drive back to our town where we were going out to a goodbye dinner with Rosemary as she was flying back home the next morning. We wanted to show her so much more, but it will have to wait until her next visit which will hopefully happen very soon!
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Rocky Mountain National Park in Winter 23 Feb 7:17 PM (last month)
When my friend Rosemary visited us for a few days from New York early last March, my husband and I were excited to show her a few of our favorite local Colorado sights, We began with Red Rocks Amphitheater, then a drive of the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, and today I'm showing our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park.
The weather was cold and windy, but the sky was bright blue except over the snowy mountains.
Mountains produce clouds and we certainly saw that scientific fact in action on the day of our visit.
We drove up Trail Ridge Road, which is the highest continuous road in the United States, but it does not stay open towards its highest elevation of 12,183 feet (3,713 m). That portion is usually closed from October to May.
We had a good view of Longs Peak - the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, at 14,256 feet (4345.22 m).
More clouds were being made!
We usually visit RMNP in the fall, but the snow of late winter defined the shape of the mountains and the vast forests so beautifully!
We drove along Trail Ridge Road as far as we were able.
We stopped to take photos at different pull-outs along the way
Please click on the photo to enlarge it to read the placard.
Rosemary was excited to see her first Black Billed Magpie, who perched on a pole to rest.
Surprisingly, we did not see any other wildlife during our visit. In the past, we often saw deer, elk, and an occasional moose or black bear.
The mountain views were so majestic!
We finally reached the giant snowplows and the end of the passable road, as the rest would be too treacherous a drive until it was opened in late Spring.
We drove to a few lake areas but the trails around them were too snow-covered to hike.
Please click on the photo above to enlarge it to read the placard.
It was the end of a perfect day!
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A Winter Drive on the Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway 16 Feb 9:33 PM (last month)
When my dear friend Rosemary visited us from New York last March--see my last blog post--we drove north from our visit to Red Rocks Amphitheater to Golden, Colorado, and then west on US 6 through Clear Creek Canyon. The canyon road runs parallel to a portion of Clear Creek, famous as the location of the most intense early mining activity during the Colorado Gold Rush of 1859. When we reached the town of Black Hawk we turned onto the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway that runs 55 miles along the foothills and valleys along the Front Range with views of the Continental Divide. Established in 1918 it is Colorado's oldest scenic byway.
We have driven this scenic byway many times in the past--you can see some of those posts on this link.
The beautiful views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains along Peak to Peak never cease to take my breath away!
The Peak to Peak Scenic Byway passes through Allenspark, Ward, Nederland, and Rollinsville, in addition to some smaller communities along the way.
Our final destination was at its terminus in Estes Park where we were going to enter Rocky Mountain National Park.
Please click on the photo to enlarge it
We stopped briefly to look at an informational Placard about the Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway.
Soon we approached the town of Allenspark and St. Malo Chapel on the Rock completed in 1936. This small, stone Catholic chapel is open to the public.
The Chapel on the Rock is located at Camp St. Malo and the chapel’s official name is St. Catherine of Siena Chapel. The chapel is framed against the majestic Mt. Meeker – 13,911 feet. In 1999 Boulder County designated the chapel an Historic Site.
We stopped to visit the chapel. An interesting fact about the picturesque chapel is that Pope John Paul II prayed at the chapel during his visit to Denver for World Youth Day in 1993; he blessed the chapel afterward. The pope later hiked in the surrounding woods and spent some time at the Saint Malo Retreat Center.
We stopped again for a few moments at this scenic viewpoint of Longs Peak-- at 14,256 feet (4345.22 m) it is the highest mountain peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.
As we approached Estes Park we had a nice view of the famous Stanley Hotel in the distance. A stay in this haunted hotel was the inspiration for Stephen King's novel The Shining. My husband and I stayed in the Stanley for a special anniversary and I think I might have captured a ghost in one of my photos--click here--to see that post.
We finally arrived at Rocky Mountain National Park! It was a windy and cold day but I wanted to show Rosemary one of our favorite places in Colorado. More about our visit in my next blog post.
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A Winter Visit to Red Rock Amphitheater With a Dear Friend 9 Feb 6:49 PM (last month)
Last March my good friend Rosemary visited us from New York, as her daughter had a business trip to the Denver area, so she decided to go along with her to visit us. My husband and I were thrilled to show Rosemary some of our local sights for the few days she was in Colorado. First, we showed her some of the red rocks that are in our Littleton neighborhood. (All photos in this post will enlarge if clicked on)
Click on the photo collage to enlarge.
We then drove to Morrison, Colorado, where the iconic outdoor Red Rocks Amphitheater is located, nestled among red rock formations in the Colorado Front Range foothills. My husband and I have attended many concerts in Red Rocks since we moved to Colorado, and I've blogged about it many times. Most days it is also open for visits to its Visitor's Center Museum and many surrounding hiking trails.
On this visit, we decided to take one of the trails to sightsee the scenery.
The elevation of this area is 6,391 feet---1948 m---so the views east show the Colorado plains and the mile-high city of Denver in the distance.
Looking even further east I could see the iconic white triangles of Denver International Airport in the distance.
We enjoyed all the sights along the trail...
...until we wound around to steps leading up to the amphitheater's stage area.
There we could stand on the stage and see the two giant red rock formations on either side of the seats, which are named Shiprock and Creation.
Driving out of the Red Rocks Amphitheater Park area we passed many more beautiful natural red rock formations that were formed around 160 million years ago!
Rosemary was amazed by all the beauty of the red rock area, and we were looking forward to showing her more of our favorite places--see more in my next posts.
PS: Thank you so very much for all the kind comments on my prior post about my husband's surgery. He continues to do well and is getting back more of his strength all the time. I'm happy to be back blogging again! I missed you all!
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Update!! 2 Feb 1:41 PM (2 months ago)
We had a few weeks to prepare as my husband was otherwise in good health so his surgery was scheduled after the holidays, which was ultimately better for many reasons, as we avoided the "quademic" of three respiratory viruses and the GI norovirus was prevalent during the holidays Being prepared mentally also helped in his recovery. He came through his 6-hour surgery well and spent five days in a cardiac ICU before going home. I am an RN, so I felt capable to taking care of him at home at that time.
Our local hospital had this uplifting mural by the elevator bank--click on the photo to enlarge it to read the scripture.
The views from his hospital window were gorgeous and also uplifting!
Thank you to all for your encouraging comments and messages, etc, on social media! It is good to be back on my blog and I now hope to be able to return to a regular weekly post.
Please take care of your heart and make sure to see a doctor if you have any cardiac symptoms. Modern medicine is a miracle!
Blogs I link with:
Mosaic Monday, Hello Monday, Through My Lens Monday, Hearth, and Soul Link Party, Anything Goes Monday, You Are the Star Blog Hop, Nature Notes, Home Matters Linky Party, Ducks in a Row, Good Random Fun, Tuesdays With A Twist, Talk About It Tuesday, The Happy Now Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday on a Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday 2, Wednesday My Corner of the World, Wonderful Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Skywatch Friday, Generic Link Up, Fantastic Friday, Saturday Sparks, Saturday Critters, Sunday on Silverado, Sunday Photo
Merry Christmas 2024! 8 Dec 2024 6:35 PM (4 months ago)
- My 2024 Christmas tree!
A few holiday vignettes are displayed throughout my home.
I participated in a fun Christmas wreath-making class, and my wreath is now hanging on my front door.
The Grinch and Santa Claus made a surprise appearance on horseback in my neighborhood!
Santa Claus returned a week later for photos at a community holiday party. The event featured music, hot chocolate, cookies, crafts, games, and a horse-drawn sleigh ride!
Our grandchildren kept us busy with fun holiday events--an elementary choir performance, a Middle School Seussical Jr. Musical performance, a basketball game, and a high school "Holiday Collage" program with choir, band, and orchestra entertaining us with beautiful music for over two hours!
Remembering the true "Reason for the Season" is the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
Alleluia!
I'm going to take a break from blogging for a while. I'm not sure when I'll be back because my husband is going to be scheduled for surgery soon, and I want to focus on caring for him completely.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!
Wishing all my blog readers a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2025!
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Mosaic Monday, Hello Monday, Through My Lens Monday, Hearth, and Soul Link Party, Anything Goes Monday, You Are the Star Blog Hop, Nature Notes, Home Matters Linky Party, Ducks in a Row, Good Random Fun, Tuesdays With A Twist, Talk About It Tuesday, The Happy Now Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday on a Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday 2, Wednesday My Corner of the World, Wonderful Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Little Things Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Skywatch Friday, Generic Link Up, Fantastic Friday, Saturday Sparks, Saturday Critters, Sunday on Silverado, Sunday Photo
Circle of Light Photo Project 1 Dec 2024 7:17 PM (4 months ago)
In September I was invited to a reception at the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank located at the University of Colorado Hospital campus for a reception for photographers, as one of the photos I submitted for their annual "Circle of Light" photo project had been selected for display.
The Circle of Light Photo Project, hosted by the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank, is an annual art exhibit of photographs taken by people whose sight was restored through cornea transplants. Cornea transplant recipients take photos of things they are grateful to see after receiving the gift of sight from an eye tissue donor.
The photo that was chosen out of a sampling I submitted this year was the one above-- a view in the San Juan Mountains in SW Colorado of the Durango to Silverton Train ride my husband and I took last fall--click here--to see that post.
I was a cornea transplant recipient in 2015--you can read my story in this blog post. Every day since I have been so grateful that a donor's cornea has restored my gift of sight! I was legally blind because of cornea dystrophy in my right eye before the transplant and now having 20/40 vision and normal depth perception has been such a blessing.
The Lions Clubs have long been active in service to the blind and visually impaired and began providing support for eye banks more than 60 years ago. Today there are over 60 Lions eye banks in nine countries that provide the "Gift of Sight" to thousands of men, women, and children. If you are looking for an excellent charity to contribute to this holiday season, donate to your local Lions Club or the Lions Club International, to help them continue their work in alleviating blindness.
Approximately 90 photo entries were submitted by cornea recipients for this year's Circle of Light show. “We invited our staff to vote for their favorites,” said Jenn Venerable, the community and professional relations manager at the Aurora eye bank, and 19 images were ultimately chosen to be in a traveling exhibition in both large poster-size reproductions.
It was so nice to meet some fellow photographers at the eye bank reception, including the mother of a cornea transplant donor. She told us that although she suffered from losing a young son in an accident, she was comforted by the knowledge that two other people had their sight restored through her son's donated corneas.
The photos were also reproduced in smaller framed and matted 8 X 12 photos.
As I learned at a past seminar about donation, giving a part of yourself upon death is ending your life with a comma, and not a period. You can help someone else to see, or survive with a vital organ. What better way to honor life?
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Apple Frangipane Tart 24 Nov 2024 9:06 PM (4 months ago)
I'm sure almost everyone in America is busy this week preparing for Thanksgiving dinner!
One of my favorite desserts to make on Thanksgiving, to go along with the traditional pumpkin pie, is an Apple Frangipane Tart. It begins with a shortcrust pastry, then a layer of frangipane, which is an almond custard-like filling, and then thinly sliced apples placed on top.
I first learned to make frangipane from participating in an old blog challenge called "Daring Bakers" in 2009 where each month a baking challenge would be posted and participating blogs would make the suggested product and post their results on their blog. Two British bakers challenged us to make a delicious Strawberry Bakewell Tart. I really liked the frangipane layer and felt it was a wonderfully elegant addition to a fruit tart.
Apple Frangipane Tart
I use my favorite shortcrust pastry as it can easily be made in a food processor:
1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (96g) Almond flour
3 tablespoons (23g) all-purpose flour
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute on medium speed.
Stir in the two flours, egg, and almond flavoring. Mix until just combined.
Pasta Frolla (Tender Crostata Pastry)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon or 1 small orange—or a little of both (about 1 tablespoon)
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons total) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and zest in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse briefly to combine. Distribute the butter around the bowl and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg and egg yolk and process until the dough begins to clump together.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and gather it together into a ball. Form the dough into two disks, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each disk tightly in reusable or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until well chilled (overnight is fine). Remove the dough from the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before rolling it out
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon or 1 small orange—or a little of both (about 1 tablespoon)
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons total) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and zest in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse briefly to combine. Distribute the butter around the bowl and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg and egg yolk and process until the dough begins to clump together.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and gather it together into a ball. Form the dough into two disks, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each disk tightly in reusable or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until well chilled (overnight is fine). Remove the dough from the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before rolling it out
Roll out the dough and place in well greased tart pan that has a removable bottom. Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake the tart shell in a 400-degree oven until the edges are beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights and continue baking until the center is golden, about 10 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and let the tart shell cool completely.
Frangipane layer:
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, at room temperature1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (96g) Almond flour
3 tablespoons (23g) all-purpose flour
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute on medium speed.
Stir in the two flours, egg, and almond flavoring. Mix until just combined.
Apple Layer:
3 to 4 tart firm apples I like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith2 Tablespoons sugar
Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin half-rounds, and toss with a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Assemble the Tart:
Make the crust, blind bake, and cool as described above. Then lower the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the frangipane filling and spread it into the cooled crust.
Place the sliced apples over the frangipane filling in a circular design overlapping to fill the entire top of the tart pan. Sprinkle sugar over the apples.
Place tart in a 350-degree oven and bake until apples are soft and edges are slightly browned -- 45 minutes to an hour.
Remove and allow the tart to cool. Shake powdered sugar on top or brush with heated apricot jam for a glazed appearance.
Store the tart in the refrigerator between servings.
Some scenes of Thanksgiving at my house from the past!
Enjoy the preparations and your family gathering on Thursday and give thanks with a happy heart!
"To make a glorious day complete,
To make each hour full and sweet,
To thank the Lord for a life worth living--
That is the real and true Thanksgiving."
~ Abigail Falk
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Clash of Seasons 17 Nov 2024 6:13 PM (4 months ago)
The first snowfall usually comes early every fall in Colorado. This fall, Denver’s September weather was the warmest recorded since 1872, according to an analysis from the National Weather Service in Boulder, and Southern Colorado hit new heat records in early October. The biggest factor for early-season snow is elevation, with the high Rocky Mountains and towns receiving their first snow earlier than the lower Colorado Front Range.
We finally had our first light snowfall on November 4th; the latest I remember having since I moved West 11 years ago! It made all the fall foliage look even prettier with a mantle of white.
Our next snowfall on November 6th almost broke a record! Denver International Airport and the southeast metro, including Highlands Ranch and parts of Aurora, saw around 20 inches of snow over 36 hours, almost tripling the November average of 7.3 inches.
We measured 24 inches of snow in our backyard, but the air temperatures soon rose and it began to melt very quickly. The moisture was very welcomed, as we had been in drought for most of September and October.
My husband and I had fun watching a squirrel forage for food in one of our trees. He found some tree seeds and spent the morning devouring them.
Our neighborhood mule deer are still in their rut season and there have been more bucks than usual roaming around our yards, undeterred by the snow.
Something exciting in our area is that a few large elk have settled in our neighborhood during their fall migration. All the photos above are neighbors' photos shared on our neighborhood Facebook page. I haven't personally seen them yet, but hope to!
"When I no longer thrill to the first snow of the season, I'll know I'm growing old."
~ Lady Bird Johnson
We hope for more snow this week--how has your weather been?
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Cycling Without Age 10 Nov 2024 8:55 PM (4 months ago)
Last week my husband and I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a "trishaw" bicycle ride in Hudson Gardens in Littleton, Colorado with volunteers in an organization called "Cycling Without Age Littleton." They provide free rides locally by appointment. We signed up through a neighborhood senior resourse called "Aging and Unstoppable," which we attend once a month, hosted by a Senior Real Estate Specialist, Kali Hepker.
Information about the organaztion from the CWA Littleton website:
"Cycling Without Age is a movement started in 2012 by Ole Kassow, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ole wanted to help the elders get back on their bicycles, but he had to find a solution to their limited mobility. The answer was a trishaw--and electric three wheel and cart bicycle --and he started offering free bike rides to the local nursing home residents. Ole felt everyonre should feel the wind in their hair/'
He then got in touch with a civil society consultant from the City of Copenhagen, Dorthe Pedersen, who was intrigued by the idea and together they bought five trishaws and launched Cycling Without Age, which has now spread to all corners of Denmark, and since 2015 to another 50 countries around the world." www.cyclingwithoutage.org
Our driver, Lisa, ensured we were comfortably settled in our trishaw, making sure our seatbelts were fastened and covering us with a blanket. Lisa is a retired school teacher from Iowa who moved to Colorado two years ago to be closer to her two daughters. We enjoyed a delightful conversation with her as she skillfully navigated the streets.
My husband and I are in our early 70s and are still able to ride bicycles ourselves. However, it was enjoyable to sit back and take in the sights this way. I want to use my blog to encourage everyone who reads this to check if there is a local chapter of Cycling Without Age. Consider signing someone up who would enjoy a ride, or perhaps even volunteer as a driver yourself.
From Hudson Gardens, we enjoyed a beautiful view of the foothills. As shown in this photo, our neighborhood, situated in those foothills, experienced its first snowfall of the fall season the day before.
Hudson Gardens is always a favorite place for us to walk, and it was beautiful in its autumn splendor.
If you'd like to view the garden in its summer glory, click on this link which will show two posts about the garden from earlier times.
Workers were taking down the Halloween displays from the annual " "Magic of the Jack O'Lanterns" event. We enjoyed attending this a few years ago with our grandchildren.
Next, Lisa went outside Hudson Gardens to ride the bicycle path along the South Platte River Park. South Platte Park protects two-and-a-half miles of the South Platte River along with the surrounding riparian (streamside) habitat of cottonwood forests and wetlands
We had views of the river as we rode beside it.
The Littleton Cycling Without Age volunteers provide almost 1,000 rides a year. To view a short PBS video about the Littleton Cycling Without Age Organization -- click here.
If you live in the Littleton, Colorado, area, and would like to schedule a ride for yourself or someone you know, click here.
To donate to this wonderful 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization click here for further information.
Thank you, Kali, for arranging this wonderful outing, and to, Lisa, at CWA for a very enjoyable ride!
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Happy November! 3 Nov 2024 8:16 PM (5 months ago)
Happy November!
Our fall season has been warmer than usual and I have enjoyed the autumn beauty in our area.
Our unusually warm summer and extended mild fall meant our potted fig tree produced the most figs we've had since moving to Colorado eleven years ago!
When fall arrives, we move the tree into our garage, where it goes dormant until spring. We water it about once a month to prevent the roots from drying out, and it thrives.
Even my wild cosmos flowers did well this year!
One of our favorite activities this fall has been watching our grandson play on his high school soccer team.
They had a very good season!
We always see many deer outside our windows
. They often decorate our lawn!
One day a buck who unfortunately had a wrapped rope swing around his antlers showed up in my backyard. I called our neighborhood open space ranger who told me they were aware and that Colorado Parks and Wildlife came out twice to try to free him, but every time he ran away. The decision had been made that as long as he could eat and walk it was best he was left alone.
A week later he showed up again, and it seemed the rope had unwound quite a bit and was dragging...
...and when he got up I could see it was wound around a hoove!
He could walk, but he had to keep his head lowered to do so. I called the ranger, who said he would contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). Thankfully, the rope was eventually cut, and he could walk freely again! There is still some rope on his antlers, but that will fall off when he sheds his antlers in early spring.
Overall, we had a wonderful October, and now I look forward to the possibility of welcoming our first snow this week!
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Salida, Colorado 27 Oct 2024 7:07 PM (5 months ago)
On our last day celebrating our special anniversary, we left the Mt. Primcton Hot Springs Resort to drive to the nearby town of Salida for dinner. Although the resort had a wonderful restaurant, we wanted to enjoy a drive along the scenic Collegiate Mountains located in the Sawatch Mountain Range. The Sawatch Mountian range includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at 14,440 feet (4,401 m) elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies. Salida has the nickname "The Heart of the Rockies," as it is beautifully nestled between the Sangre de Cristo and Sawatch Mountain ranges,
All photos in this post will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on
As you can see the drive along the Collegiate Peaks is beautiful! We passed many ranches and were entertained by the formation of clouds bringing precipitation to the distant peaks.
One of the first things a visitor to Salida is likely to notice upon arrival is the mountain with a huge “S” on it. This mountain is Tenderfoot Mountain, but it’s also referred to as S Mountain. There is a road to the top and also trails. Prominently located at the end of F Street — the town’s main street – it is normally adorned with white lights in the shape of “S.” This alternates with a red heart symbolizing the “Heart of the Rockies." At Christmas, the mountain is zig-zagged with 4,500 brightly colored LED lights to form a 750-foot tall Christmas tree. It shines on Tenderfoot Mountain from the summit to the base over Salida throughout the holiday season, from late November into mid-January.
We parked our car and walked to the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, which is 148 miles of river park well enjoyed by rafters, kayakers, and standup paddleboarders. The stretch of Arkansas River in and around Salida has up to 5000 trout per mile so it is also a fisherman's favorite!
Downtown Salida is a certified designated Creative District! The historic downtown is filled with artisans of every genre, including advertising and architecture, blacksmithing and metal, ceramics/pottery, digital media, fiber arts, videography, fine art, graphic design, murals, music, performing arts, photography, sculpture, and writing.
We parked our car and walked to the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, which is 148 miles of river park well enjoyed by rafters, kayakers, and standup paddleboarders. The stretch of Arkansas River in and around Salida has up to 5000 trout per mile so it is also a fisherman's favorite!
The river was lined by beautiful autumn-hued Cottonwood trees.
We walked along the Salida River Trail.
We were amazed by the giant height of the Cottonwood Trees along the river trail and enjoyed sitting on a bench for a while watching the river flow by.
We then spent some time walking around the historic downtown.
Salida has Colorado's largest historic downtown district! Salida was first established in the 1800s as a stagecoach stop and later as a stop-over for travelers on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Downtown Salida is on the National Register of Historic Places.
It has the finest collection of historically significant buildings in the state. Salidachamber.org has the map above with links to all the businesses and restaurants in the historic district.
We enjoyed browsing through antique and bookstores, as well as the souvenir "Five and Dime" store. Along one of the side streets, we saw a very old and weathered piano on display!
There were also many art galleries to browse.
Halloween decorations were on display in many of the shop windows.
We decided to try a highly-rated Mexican restaurant called Casa Calaca. My husband had their triple sampler and I had their seafood mariscada. Both were delicious!
After dinner, we had another scenic drive back to our room at the resort, where we were able to enjoy the hot spring pools again.
It was the perfect ending to a wonderful anniversary holiday!
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Autumn Beauty Along Cottonwood Pass 20 Oct 2024 8:38 PM (5 months ago)
On the second day of our stay at the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort—click here to read about the resort—we decided to drive to the nearby Cottonwood Pass.
Cottonwood Pass is a 56.8-mile stretch of paved, winding mountain road connecting Buena Vista and Almont, Colorado. It summits at the continental divide (at 12,126 ft elevation) and features some of Colorado’s best hiking trails, campsites, and mountain vistas
It's a stunning mountain pass known for its colorful fall aspen groves, and we hoped to still be able to catch some autumn color during our drive.
It's a stunning mountain pass known for its colorful fall aspen groves, and we hoped to still be able to catch some autumn color during our drive.
It was the second time we drove over Cottonwood Pass--click here-- to see that late summer drive where we followed the pass all the way to its end in Almont
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We were thrilled to see that the autumn colors were still vibrant! Bright patches of orange and rust foliage mingled beautifully with the golden aspens.
Clouds were building up and a few raindrops fell at times and we drove along the winding road.
More bright colors!
We passed some very tall aspens and many cottonwood trees.
As we drove higher there were more pine trees and scrub brush.
Eventually, we were above the tree line
We parked for a while at the summit and seeing heavy clouds and sleety snow that began to fall, we decided not to drive further but to return to Nathrop.
We did take the obligatory photo of the summit sign!
Driving back down...
...passing the autumn scenery from the other direction
Passing a lake area as we approached Buena Visita.
A last look back at the mountain peak we just drove down from.
Looking at the mountain range in the distance we knew we made the right decision to turn back, as heavy clouds were in that area and it was probably raining or snowing at the higher elevation. Because of high snowfall, Cottonwood Pass closes for the winter, usually in November, and reopens in May
Later that evening we drove to the charming town of Salida for dinner--on my next post
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Mt. Princton Hot Springs Resort Fun For Our 50th Anniversary ! 13 Oct 2024 7:44 PM (5 months ago)
My husband and I celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary in early October--click here--to see that post. To continue our happy celebration, we decided to spend a few days enjoying the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort in Nathrop, Colorado. We enjoyed this resort four years ago for a day--click here--to read that post, but we did not stay there on that visit, as we also traveled to see other Colorado sights.
Mount Princeton is a part of Colorado's Collegiate Peaks and the Sawatch Range in central Colorado. The mountain stands at 14,197 feet, and one can hike a challenging 13.25-mile out-and-back hike that ascends to a grueling 5,400 vertical feet. Nearby is the 14,269-foot Mt. Antero, which has a 16-mile round-trip hike, with 5,200 vertical feet climb.
The Princeton Hot Springs Resort includes on-site many different accommodation options, from a lodge to cabins and creekside suites, and there is a restaurant, and spa treatments available, as well as fitness and yoga classes for guests/
On our arrival at the resort, we spent the day soaking in the Creekside Hot Springs. The geothermal hot spring water bubbles out of the ground at 140 degrees Fahrenheit and mixes with the cold water in Chalk Creek.
On the second and third days that we stayed at the resort, we enjoyed the Spa Pool. The Relaxation Pool is maintained at a soothing temperature of 90 – 99°F.
We also enjoyed the Cascading Hot Springs which are three Japanese-style cascading pools located in a more private setting next to the rushing waters of Chalk Creek. Constructed entirely from rock and fed by the hot springs, these pools are nestled right into the ground. Each pool offers a different temperature varying from 107 degrees to 101 degrees Fahrenheit.
All of the hot springs are open from 9AM to 9PM. If you'd like to view a short video explaining how the Hot Springs were formed at Mt Princeton click on this Youtube link.
The unusually warm fall temperatures we had this year in Colorado meant that the resort's flowers were still in beautiful bloom!
We ate at a casual restaurant called Simple Eatery, where I enjoyed the freshly caught trout and mixed vegetables, while my husband had an Elk Burger that was on a handmade pretzel loaf bun. Both meals were delicious!
On our way back to the resort we saw a beautiful bright sunset! It was a wonderful ending to a perfect day.
In my next posts, I'll show our drive to the summit of a mountain via Cottonwood Pass and our visit to another charming nearby town south of the resort--Salida.
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Our 50th Wedding Anniversary! 6 Oct 2024 6:23 PM (6 months ago)
This past weekend we celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary!
50 years of love and shared blessings with my best friend!
We had an early family celebration in September at a local Italian restaurant.
It was a perfect celebration!
The night of our anniversary, we treated ourselves to an exquisite dinner at Barolo Grill in Denver.
We can understand why this restaurant is considered one of the best Italian restaurants in Colorado!
50 years in love!
Cheers to five decades of love, laughter, and shared memories. May the next 50 be even more beautiful!
Fall Color on Guanella Pass in Colorado 29 Sep 2024 7:43 PM (6 months ago)
The fall season comes early in Colorado's higher elevations. My husband and I know that as September approaches its last days it is nice to enjoy a car drive in the mountains to witness all the beautiful autumn colors at their peak. One of our favorite drives is on Guanella Pass from Grant to Georgetown.
Guanella Pass (highest elevation 11,669 ft or 3,557 m) is a high mountain pass and one of the many scenic byways in Colorado. It is an easy winding 24-mile drive with many aspen trees along the paved road and in the mountains surrounding it.
Our first stop along the way is at Geneva Creek, a tributary of the North Fork South Platte River, to the south. You can see a short video of the flowing creek in the video above.
The sky was a deep cloudless blue and the fall foliage colors were illuminated by strong sunlight.
Our second stop is always by this waterfall located very near the road, where we take a walk around to see all the views.
"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty" ~ John Ruskin
" Wild is the music of autumnal winds
Amongst the faded woods"
~ Willian Wordsworth
I always enjoy seeing this home that is along the way --- imagine living there for all four seasons?
Informational placards at a roadside pull-out--click on them to enlarge the photos and any other photo in this post
We reached the 11,669 ft or 3,557 m summit. We stopped here to take photos. As you can see the summit is above the tree line.
At the summit, hiking trails lead east to Mount Bierstadt (elevation 14,060 ft (4,290 m)) and west to Square Top Mountain, with many other trails connecting to the lower parts of the pass.
Leaving the summit we are soon surrounded by aspen trees again!
"The Heart of Autumn must have broken here, and poured its treasure upon the trees."
~ Charlotte Bates
Another favorite spot where we stop is on the Silverdale Trailhead above Georgetown.
In this short video, you can listen to how the aspen trees "quake" in a breeze!
"Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the Autumn tree."
~ Emily Bronte
It is easy to see why Fall is my favorite season!
PS: My heart goes out to all those impacted by the devastating Hurricane Helene. You are in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
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A Visit to the National Center For Atmospheric Research 22 Sep 2024 5:56 PM (6 months ago)
This past year my husband and I, along with a group of friends, visited the National Center for Atmospheric Research also known as "NCAR," located in Boulder, Colorado. NCAR was established by the National Science Foundation in 1960 to provide the university community with world-class facilities and services beyond any individual institution's reach. It was the National Science Foundation's first federally funded research and development center, managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, "UCAR". a nonprofit consortium of more than 120 colleges and universities. This building was their headquarters, with additional facilities located in Wyoming and Hawaii.
*All photos on this blog spot will be enlarged for easier viewing by right-clicking on them.
We were a group of 9, so we had an NCAR member as a guide for our visit who explained their mission, showed us the exhibits in the visitor's center, and answered our questions.
She explained the NCAR Mission:
- To understand the behavior of the atmosphere and related Earth and geospace systems
- To support, enhance, and extend the capabilities of the university community and the broader scientific community, nationally and internationally
- To foster the transfer of knowledge and technology for the betterment of life on Earth
One of the first exhibits we saw was a model of the NCAR building and its location. The Mesa Laboratory the headquarters of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, is considered by many to be an architectural masterpiece. The NCAR site was designed by world-renowned architect M.I, Pei
Pei was greatly influenced by the Colorado landscape and other architectural marvels to create his design. He considered the NCAR Mesa building to be one of his favorite designs and a major turning point in his illustrious career.
There were many exhibits to observe and read in the visitor's center.
An explanation of Meteorological Optics. They consist of varied atmospheric optics such as the phenomena of rainbows, halos, atmospheric corona, mirages, and sundogs (Parhelia).
We saw actual webcam images of the sun...
...as well as many other fascinating sun exhibits.
We saw many informational placards about weather...
...as well as many hands-on weather exhibits
There was information about the growing concern about air quality and ozone and pollutants.
Did you know that in the US one can go to the website airnow.gov, enter your zip code and the reading of your local air quality will be revealed?
This exhibit of a car fender with a giant icy hailstone on it made us chuckle, as Colorado and other areas of the US can get significant and damaging hailstorms.
More interactive weather displays.
Upstairs we viewed a long corridor of exhibits mainly pertaining to the study of the effects of Climate Change
Click on to enlarge to read the topics being studied
We saw example models of weather balloons and satellites that are adding to the knowledge of the atmosphere, weather formations, and warning systems.
An example of a dropsondes and what it is used for.
Many areas of atmospheric science are being studied and explored ...
Much is being learned about the impacts of our modern environment on our atmosphere...
...and causes and effects of those changes.
Our atmosphere is a blanket around our earth and all of life depends on it! Let's all do our part in caring for and preserving it as best we can.
As the NCAR site states:
"We believe this work is more important than ever. As society struggles to deal with rapidly changing environmental conditions, the need for relevant information and services continues to grow. The hazards of long-term atmospheric and climate changes, air pollution episodes, extreme weather, geomagnetic storms, and related impacts such as drought, storm surges, and wildfires take a significant toll in terms of human life and economic loss."
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Oh Deer! 15 Sep 2024 7:07 PM (6 months ago)
I haven't had the chance to write much about what's been happening in our local area this summer, and now it's almost fall! I didn't plant my usual vegetable and flower garden this summer because we traveled to New York and went on an East Coast Cruise in June. In a way, I'm glad we didn't plant anything because this trio of animals has been hanging out in my backyard almost every day, eating everything. The doe looks thin in this photo because she was still nursing her twin fawns. She's now back to normal weight as the fawns are older, and almost exclusively eat plants.
It has been nice looking out my windows to watch the fawns grow up!
This is another deer trio that has been visiting lately--three young bucks!
They have also been eating all my shrubs!
I know I can spray a deer repellent on the shrubs to deter them, but I don't like to apply chemicals that can affect the birds, insects and bees, rabbits, squirrels, etc, that also visit my backyard, so I've learned to tolerate them munching on everything.
Speaking of wild rabbits...we have many that also eat everything! They had a hard time with the high temperatures this summer and I often saw them sprawling out on a patch of dirt under a tree to cool off. Their poses made me laugh!
To successfully grow any plant that grows, I have found that I need to protect it by surrounding it with chicken wire fences. As a result, a handful of perennials have been able to bloom this summer, along with some vibrant sunflowers. It was nice to see a bit of color!
Fall in Colorado is beautiful, and I look forward to sharing some photos soon.
Be sure to check back!
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A Geology Field Trip In My Colorado Front Range Neighborhood! 8 Sep 2024 6:46 PM (7 months ago)
I live in an area along the Colorado Front Range rich in geological features and natural beauty!
We can hike in many areas and see geological formations called the Permian era Lyons Formation (whitish compressed sandstone area), the Pennsylvanian era Fountain Formation (red rocks), and the Cretaceous era Dakota Formation (sandstone, clays, and shale) which were formed many hundreds of millions of years ago.
A nearby national landmark Dinosaur Rridge, which was once the home of many stegosaurus dinosaurs is also a Dakota Formation. You can see a prior blog post on this link where we visited Dinosaur Ridge for another geologic tour by a geologist that we attended.
Our community's historical society hosted a "Geology Field Trip" one day this summer with our members and three residents with scientific backgrounds in geology and paleontology. They volunteered to take us on an educational three-hour tour of our area to learn more about its geologic history. They made a wonderful multi-page handout for each member with scientific definitions, geologic timelines, and definitions which was very interesting and helpful during our tour.
An example of Precambrian Metamorphic Rock
They first discussed the geology of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado
In the southern Rocky Mountains, near present-day Colorado and New Mexico, the Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks were disturbed by mountain-building shifts which produced the Ancestral Rocky Mountains. The uplift formed two large mountainous islands, located roughly in the current locations of the Front Range and the San Juan Mountains. They consisted largely of Precambrian metamorphic rock, forced upward through layers of limestone and laid down in the shallow sea. The mountains eroded throughout the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras leaving extensive deposits of sedimentary rock.
We moved to another area where we examined whitish rock formations among red rock.
Stromatolite formations
We learned that the white-colored rock was a product of the late Permian era of about 250 million years ago, in which a great extinction took place of many land and sea-bound life. In this post-extinction scene along what was then a slimy slimy mounds known as stromatolites formed. The stromatolites were located in shallow and salty pools and were an unlikely partnership of bacteria and algae. The ones in our area are Permian/Triassic era Lykins Stromolites.
A hogback formation
Across from the stromolites, we could see a familiar sight in our area a hogback formation. Hogbacks are a typical regional topographic expression of outcrops of steeply dipping strata, commonly sedimentary strata, that consist of alternating beds of hard, well-lithified strata, i.e. sandstone and limestone, and either weak or loosely cemented strata, i.e. shale, mudstone, and marl.
We now moved to another area and saw a Late Jurassic Morrison Formation where dinosaur quarries are often found, such as those in the aforementioned Dinosaur Ridge. The geologists went over the different combinations of geologic formations in this area which were formed 150 million years ago and the paleontologist held up a dinosaur Apatosaurus bone that he had unearthed on a scientific expedition in Wyoming. We were all able to hold the bone and feel its weight and size.
Finally, visited a creek bed where young residents found a prehistoric Mammoth jaw and tusk in 2009. The original specimens were donated to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, but we were able to hold a model. Look at those giant molars! The Colorado Front Range area has been the location of extinct Ice Age animals and artifacts from later human occupation from 11,000 years ago. We visited an area called Lamb Spring Archeological Preserve a few years ago--you can read that blog post on this link. There, in 1960, the land's owner and rancher, Charles Lamb, was digging a stock pond at the site of a natural spring. He found several large bones that were identified by geologists with the US Geological Survey, as the remains of mammoth, horse, camel, and bison
Our tour guides could have explained more, but our three-hour time limit was up. They promised to organize similar tours in other areas in the future, and we all eagerly expressed our appreciation for all we learned this time and our enthusiasm for taking a future tour.
It seems appropriate that a premier engineering and applied science Colorado School of Mines is located in Golden Colorado. The university has a spectacular geologic museum with samples from Colorado, as well as samples from around the world. We often visit, and if you enjoy geology you can see a two-part blog post I wrote about one visit to their museum on this Part One link and this Part Two link.
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A Joyful Drive Around Manhattan, NYC! 1 Sep 2024 8:25 PM (7 months ago)
A view of lower Manhattan from Brooklyn, New York
Usually, the word "joyful" doesn't usually match well with the phrase "driving around Manhattan in New York City," due to heavy traffic, lack of free parking, and expensive parking garages. However, my husband and I enjoyed a wonderful sightseeing car tour of a part of Manhattan when we returned to Brooklyn, New York after our East Coast Princess Cruise in June. We had spent a few days visiting family and friends in Brooklyn and Long Island, and on this particular day, my dear friend Rosemary wanted to spend the day with us and offered to drive around to show us all the old and new sights we had not seen in quite a while. If you have been a long-time reader of my blog, you will remember I lived in Brooklyn, NY all my life until we moved to Colorado eleven years ago to be closer to our children and grandchildren. The first five years of this blog mainly focused on my life in New York City.
This brand new luxury condominium building called Olympia in Brooklyn faces the East River with sights of lower Manhattan.
We drove over the East River on the famous Brooklyn Bridge.
We're now in Lower Manhattan.
Rosemary and I were happily chatting about many things as we drove along, and all the while, I snapped photos with my cell phone.
Rosemary drove on the West Side Highway where we passed many new high-rise buildings and a new elevated park along the Hudson River at Pier 55 called Little Island (photo in the upper right of the collage above)
We continued driving north on the West Side Highway, passing numerous tall penthouse-type buildings and an exclusive-looking senior living facility. (All photos will enlarge in size for easier viewing of details if clicked on) We drove a bit further north and then traffic became heavy and slow so Rosemary drove east crosstown.
We passed one of the entrances to Central Park
Some of the buildings surrounding Central Park and one of the many horse and carriage rides that can be hired for a tour inside the park.
As we continued driving south on 5th Avenue, we passed many familiar buildings: St. Patrick's Cathedral on the upper left, the Apple Store on the right, Tiffany & Company on the lower left, and Cartier on the lower right.
Saks Fifth Ave on one side of 5th Ave and Rockefeller Center on the other side
In the distance, I could see the Empire State Building. What was that figure ganging onto the antenna on top? Could it be King Kong?? No, it turned out to be a large dragon that was promoting a HBO TV show called " House of the Dragon."
We next passed the large New York Public Library main branch on 5th Ane with its iconic lion statues, Patience, and Fortitude, in front.
The triangle-shaped Flatiron Building in the upper left was covered with netting as it is being extensively renovated to turn it into luxury condos. The New School building is on the lower left of the collage.
Next, we drove through the Greenwich Village neighborhood and passed the Washington Square Arch and New York University.
We stopped to buy some delicious gelato cones to eat and stretch our legs a bit.
We returned to the West Side where we passed more new very tall apartment or condominium buildings in Battery Park and the elite Stuyvesant High School building which requires an entrance exam for admission although it is a public school.
We were very close to the new World Trade Center complex at this location. The largest building in the complex is called the Freedom Tower. It is hard to see it all when one is close up!
We drove east towards the Brooklyn Bridge and I could see the Brooklyn East River waterfront.
We drove across the Brooklyn Bridge again...
Once we were back in Brooklyn, we had a view of Lower Manhattan in the distance, and we passed the large ETSY headquarters.
We treated Rosemary to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Brooklyn. I've missed their wonderful fish salad! She took our photo but wouldn't allow us to take hers because she had tears in her eyes knowing that we were leaving the next day to fly home to Colorado. She promised me that she would visit us in Colorado again soon, and asked us to wait until then to take photos. I am holding her to that promise!
I hope you enjoyed riding along with us in Manhattan in this post! I have a lot to catch up on this blog with what has been happening this summer in Colorado and I hope you'll be back again next week!
Happy September!
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