Winter’s Last Hurrah?

When I open the shades in the morning and gaze out over our deck and back yard, I know that the meteorologists’ predictions were vastly exceeded. Our bench holds more than the forecast 4 inches of snow and our trusted measuring stick confirms that 10 inches fell overnight. This on top of the 8 inches … Continue reading Winter’s Last Hurrah?

Winter Walks

The recent sighting of green leaves pushing through the soil is a reminder that winter will soon come to an end and prompted me to share a few more wintry impressions. Colorado’s Front Range and plains have seen several rounds of snow since December and the entire eastern half of the state is currently out … Continue reading Winter Walks

Pauline Chapel

Last week’s post featured the beautiful Brant and Broadmoor Hotel, and also mentioned the hotel’s founders, Julie and Spencer Penrose. Spencer Penrose (1865-1939), who hailed from a prominent Philadelphia family, had moved to the area in 1892, and partnered with an old school friend, Charles Tutt. Investments in real estate, gold processing, and copper mining … Continue reading Pauline Chapel

Can You Find the Rare Goose?

For bird lovers in El Paso County, Colorado, the new year brought a new bird species that had never before been reported here. Birders who keep track of unusual sightings were in a tizzy when the rare bird alert listed the presence of a Brant (Barna bernicla) at Prospect Lake in Colorado Springs on January … Continue reading Can You Find the Rare Goose?

A Week Full of Surprises

The scene above shows our autumn-attired back yard on October 21. The comparison image below was taken only one week later, on October 28, and reflects the striking difference a mere week had wrought on our fall foliage. As the intervening days came with above-average temperatures in the 60s to 70s F (20s C) and … Continue reading A Week Full of Surprises