Nature Notes

Taken from the car window looking up.


We traveled from Cody Wyoming to Bozeman Montana over the beartooth pass. It is not a drive for the faint hearted. The road is like a sidewinder, narrow and curvy. The snow leaves a lot of pot holes. It is also the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. These pictures were taken the first part of June and as you can see there was still a lot of snow.

I have been out of touch because I was kidnapped by a restaurant owner in Montana. The tourist business is just starting and said owner was over worked. He gave me my chain gang uniform and sent me into the pit. My feet flew and my pulse raced as I rushed to keep the dishes bussed, the water glasses full and the paper napkin rings off the floor. I sneaked away this afternoon and rushed to my computer to send an SOS. Please send sweatshirts, Montana is cold. I need an umbrella. It has been raining and raining. A masseuse would be nice, every bone aches. I have to make this quick, dinner starts in an hour and I will be A.W.O.L. The punishment makes me shudder just to think about it. I will keep you up to date on my Montana adventures whenever the slave driver gives me a few minutes off.

This is something I found in the mountains of New Mexico. I think it is part of an old pump. Any other ideas. HRT

More Ruby Tuesday

Roughing It to Luxury

I sit here at a cherry wood desk, mug of herb tea in hand, typing on my computer. The bed I just crawled out of has 400 thread count sheets and the frig offers three choices; water, crushed or cubes. There are two 32" televisions, one in bedroom and one in living room. I can choose my own programs and not listen to sports noise, the choice of the man of the house.

This sure beats the bed of leaves I slept in on previous nites. Not to mention the hot shower I had this morning required no quarters pumped into slots. A hot breakfast of bacon, eggs, and hashed browns did not include smoke stinging eyes and no scrubbing of pans with cold water from a mountain stream.

How did we come by such luxury? I used to have a good job that required travel and I racked up reward points. Yesterday,the man of the house insisted he had to see game seven of the NHL. I called my rewards programs till I found a free night.

Don't get me wrong. I love camping. It is wonderful to wake up to birds singing, blue skies and a beautiful sun dawning to greet a new day. I take great pleasure in sitting in the outdoors and sipping tea or hot chocolate, and nothing beats the smell of bacon and pine trees mingling. Boss loves being able to run around and chase or look for creatures. Time takes on new meaning as you sit and just watch nature happen. Living in the outdoors you get away from the bombardment of mayhem we call news. These are the joys of camping.

It's a good thing I feel this way because it's back to camping tonight.

Playtime In the Woods

Boss dove into the leaves. He raced and bounced around the campground and returned with wet feet and his snout covered with mud. He was so happy and carefree. There were so many smells, so many sounds. He lifted his nose turning in each direction as he savored the wind and decided which scent seemed the most promising.
A nearby pile of boulders looked interesting and he decided to explore the big rocks. Scrambling over and around he sniffed each area carefully. He was the ferocious hunter stalking his prey. A small chipmunk scurried out of his hiding place and ran off into the woods. Unknown to Boss Mr.Chipmunk has run the other direction.

Mr.Squirrel and his mate sneaked down the tree ready to grab a snack. Boss spotted their decent and rushed over to the tree barking and squealing. Mr. Squirrel and lady raced back to the safety of higher branches. Boss clawed and jumped trying to climb the tree after his prey. The squirrel family stayed put chattering and laughing at the furry mad creature that could not reach them. A shower of pine cones came raining out of the tree. It may have been the wind but I think the squirrels were throwing them at Boss.

We packed up and left the camp ground around 10:00. My errant child did not want to leave his boulders but finally gave in and got into the truck. A little later we looked back and he was sound asleep, no doubt dreaming of squirrels and chipmunks he could catch. Want to meet Boss go here. More Boss hunting.

Nature Notes Thursday.

Green Cost Green

Colorado is beautiful, everything is so green. Meadows have waving green grasses dotted with yellow flowers. The quaking aspens shimmer a light green in the sunlight. Stately evergreens are a bold dark green as they rise majestically up from the forest floor towering over the other vegetation. Streams, rivers and lakes flow and nourish all this greenery. But there is a price to the beauty. Here is a comparison between home and Colorado.

Item * Home * Colorado
Gas * 2.30 * 2.70
Sports Bar Hamburger * 6.50 * 10.00
Rum* 10.00* 20.00
State Park * 10.00(showers included)* 20.00 (no showers)
House * 200,000 * 7 million

Now I admit that house was in Telluride so that may be skewed but the rest was pretty average. I am going to come back to Colorado when I have more green in my pocket.

Ruby Tuesday

This is a trumpet vine it climbed the Italian Cypress next to the house. It is about twenty feet up the tree. Nature will always find a way to flourish

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Unplugged

The technology of the universe does not work in the mountains. My phone keeps reading searching for service. AHHHH I am not connected, out of reach,out of sight, out of mind. Rifle Colorado population 8,000 has a library with internet service, so here I am with less than 15 minutes to write a post. Boss, Man of the house and me having fun. Will tell all adventures when I return to civilazation.

Nature Notes Thursday

These are more oleanders in our back yard.

A Camping We Will Go

I love to travel, see new places and new people. Even traveling around the state is always exciting to me. But the price of hotel rooms is out of sight. The solution carry my hotel with me i.e. tent and camper shell. Hey it's not the Hilton but at least I can see something besides the walls of my house. The above will be my traveling luxury nest for the next few weeks as I explore the west. See you in Colorado. More camping here and here.