Adventures of an Arborphile: Weeks 4-19--25-14 thru 7-19--25-14

Week 4-19 thru 4-25: Easter Time

Easter egg hunt in the Sage and Pinyon/Juniper

The dusts from Utah blow in and coat the snow, making it melt much more quickly

Aspens still barren

Time for burning ditches

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Week 4-26 thru 5-2-14: The Beginning of Springing

A hidden bird house high rise!

Cochin and Phoenix, two rare breeds - each a day old

The willows are always the first to pop!

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Week 5-3 thru 5-9-14

One week in... growing quickly

We had a true spring this year - more moisture than usual, for a change!

The mornings are still so cold in early May, that irrigation can freeze on its targets if not timed correctly

Vail, snow up high still coming down from passing clouds as they push up against the pass

The last snow of the season - unfortunately timed when all the fruit trees were just blooming... and now months later no fruit!

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Week 5-10 thru 5-16-14:

The neighbor's dogs curious to explore their new chicken friends

The grasses grow!

First time outside for Buffy McOrpington

One of the many great trails that winds in and around New Castle

Holy Dandelions!!!

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Week 5-17 thru 5-23-14:

Dodger cooling off as the sun heats up

Starting to really grow adult feathers

Early morning fog lifts on Red Mountain in Glenwood Springs - this is the view from our headquarters

The elk are still down low in the valleys until it warms up in June and July, when they'll push up into the cooler elevations

RAIN in Grand Junction! At 7 inches a year, a drenching rain like this is uncommon and wonderful

Those fruit trees up higher in elevation were slower to bloom and thus spared the late freezes!

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Week 5-24 thru 5-30-14:

The remains of an emerged lilac ash borer, the slightly less voracious cousin of the dreaded emerald ash borer - headed here soons (first sited in CO last fall)

Great petroglyph viewing all around in Dominguez-Escalante

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Week 5-31 thru 6-6-14:

The cacti bloom!

Moving the chickens outside permanently to their new coop/fenced run - we had to wait for the cool nights to get into the 40s. The run is completed fenced up down and all around to protect our chickens from hawks, cats, dogs, skunks, raccoon, and the like.

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Week 6-7 thru 6-13-14:

The remnants of a recent bear visit

Rockies game in Denver

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Week 6-14 thru 6-20-14:

The Roaring Fork Valley from up on Missouri Heights

Denver Botanical Garden!

Chihuly glass sculptures

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Week 6-21 thru 6-27-14:

Passing Storms

Old Snowmass

Snowmass Village in the distance

We originally selected 8 chicks from a local farm, 4 turned out to be roosters - when they began to cock-a-doodle, we decided it was time for soup. Hard to say goodbye to these gorgeous feathers of Mr. Thunder #2 = Black Copper Maran X Oliver Egger cross

A bull moose at the Maroon Bells

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Week 6-28 thru 7-4-14:

Colorado pride

Viral discoloration on a Norway Maple

This incredible halo shined through the entire burial service for Ela Wlodarski - a coworker said it perfectly: "She's already getting things organized in Heaven."

I have no doubt that's true, but she's still sorely missed and greatly loved here.