Shivers Once Again - Sky Watch

At high altitude, the end of July
signals colder temperatures.

Mist swathes the mountains.
The wildflowers are setting seed
to begin a new cycle.

Evening arrives earlier.

As the sky glows a goodnight,
we light a fire in the fireplace.

Temperatures begin falling into the 30's.

Lately, the bluebird skies of early morning

fly away by midday.

Clouds hang low.

We have alternate storms of
hail, sleet, and rain mixed with snow.

In the forest,
the Twin Plant gathers moisture
and grows profusely.

The Russula Paludosa thrives
in the wet fungal soil.

But, the flowers in my garden
shiver in the cold.

After their brief bloom,
they will soon sleep for another year.

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Shade, Shimmer, Shape - Denver Botanic Garden - My World

Find relief from summer's heat.

Smooth black pebbles
flow like water
under shady trees.

Canals mirror lacy reflections.

Languid forms swim just above a dark depth.

Water sprays and ripples.

Pale beauties float

or hover in silhouette.

Petaled perfection,

even when hot,

or sculptural,

or blushing like Betty Boop,

can take your mind off the heat,
so you

Keep your cool!

View shadow and shape and shimmer
in Denver's Botanic Garden...

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Denver Botanic Garden in Summer - Sky Watch

One of my favorite places in Denver
is the Botanic Garden.

The gardens are under renovation
but still provide an oasis
in the heat of the city.

When the sky is blue
and the summer sun hot,
enter through this arch.

(All photos enlarge for best effect.)

Feel the cooling spray from the fountains.

Watch the changing reflections on the ponds.

The flowers welcome the heat.

They raise their faces to the sun.

Even the vines climb skyward.

However, we humans
need a bit of shade.

If we follow these colorful pillars,

stopping briefly to admire
the pink Echinacea flowers,

we'll find the perfect spot
to watch the sky, admire the sculptures,
smell the flowers, and think cool thoughts.

This small shelter,
in the shade of the trees,
is just right for enjoying
the summer skies
over Denver's urban garden.

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This, That, and Scat - My World

The mountains of Colorado,
are a paradise for hikers.

Last week my friend, Helen, and I
took a 10 mile hike from my house
to Continental Falls.

Helen discovered a "new" old trail
on the topography map.

We were awed by the solitude
and the unimpeded views
of distant peaks.

Here, a dead wood "sculpture"
dances on the ridge.

We climbed on a rocky path
through a canopy of aspens.

Occasionally, we had to skirt obstacles.

Our destination was this ribbon of water.

We could hear the cascading roar of
Continental Falls when we
were miles from it.

We passed by old mining ruins.

A local story tells
of an old miner who died in this
cabin one winter.

When they found his body,
his cat was also found,
frozen on the windowsill.

We hiked past rock walls.

Wildflowers

grew everywhere in profusion.

When we came to the end of the road,
we found a path.

When the path disappeared,
we bushwhacked.

We enjoyed the hike, the scenery, the friendship...
and then - a surprise:

Near my house on the return trip,
we came upon this scat on the side of the trail.

We measured it against Helen's size 9 1/2 boot
and decided it was about a foot long.

We believe it's Mountain Lion scat.

You just never know what you might encounter
or discover when you hike in the wilderness.

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Poppies - Mellow Yellow

I'm grateful for Poppies!

They self-seed,
or maybe I throw some
bought seed out
onto the snow in September.

They are some of the first to
bloom in my high altitude gardens.

They look like papery suns
waving in my front yard.

They're good companions to
the Pansies and Columbine
in the back garden.

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A Wish for Skywatch Friday

Wherever you are,
when you take a walk,

I hope you can find quiet spots to rest.

May the sky frame something beautiful for you.

Perhaps in a yard or field,
sunny yellow will make you smile.

There might be some rushing water.

Or, just perfect stillness,

revealing something
vast and grand.

Perhaps you'll find a path to follow
which seems to lead to the sky.

Where you can take a long view
and feel your place on this Earth.

If enlarged, you can see Grays and Torreys Peaks,
both over 14,000'.

A note about the bear tracks
going out our driveway in the first picture:

On Tuesday evening, around Midnight,
a bear tried to break into our garage
which is directly under our bedroom.
The commotion only lasted
about 5 minutes, but it was scary.

We think he smelled the cantaloupe
rinds in our garbage can.

In a short time, he did some major damage to
our heavy wooden garage door.
Luckily, my husband's loud yell scared him away,
though he wasn't a bit fazed by the outdoor spotlights.

We used bleach on the garbage can to eliminate odors,
so, hopefully, when he visits again,
he won't want to come inside for a Midnight snack!

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