Watercoloring

Signing up for a watercolor class was easy. Getting the message from the teacher we’d paint outdoors was both exciting and scary. I’ve done less than 10 painting in my life, and in the past 5 years only coloring book images. Out in the open sounded way more visible than I’d anticipated.

With just six in the class we carpooled up Mount Evans to Echo Lake, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_Lake_Park arriving at 10am the air was chilly and there was a breeze. Hiking around the perimeter of the lake looking for a protected spot the breeze grew stronger.

After setting up the wind changed directions and drawing and holding our paper down at the same time was a problem. A fisherman at the next the next turn in offers his spot with wonderful bushes breaking the wind.

Janet is a wonderful teacher because she breaks everything down into little steps and gives advice with liberal does of praise. We spend the morning drawing. The first sketches to catch the essence of the scene are just a bunch of squiggled lines. Then we draw the scene again concentrating on light and dark values. Finally we draw a contour of the scene on our watercolor paper.

Now the sun is high and the wind calm. I try to figure out how to paint in 10,000+ feet altitude where the pain dries as quickly as I apply it in the bright sun. The teacher comes over and drowns the color blocks I have. Wow, would never have guessed I could use so much water. I’ve been dry coloring instead of water coloring and didn’t know it.

Families walk the lake and stop to watch and talk. A couple’s young kids ask to look up close. They ooo and aaahh at each with big eyes.

At the end of class I take a deep breath as my turn arrives to share my work. I have a lot to learn, but that’s okay. I had fun and want to do more. For now I’ll just label my work so everyone knows what it is.

Bear

Last week we decided to look for a puppy. Both boys wrote in their journals at the end of school they wanted one during the summer so they could spend a lot of time with it. This week Tad and I are asking ourselves, “Why are we looking for a dog?” But of course that hasn’t stopped us.

At first our search was the local shelters. Unfortunately there were no puppies and the younger dogs they had didn’t like cats. We looked for a Labradoodle, but there were none available locally, and the ones from breeders started at $1,000+. Next we thought about the Siberian Husky Justin had seen and wanted. Researching on the Internet and asking all our friends changed our minds. The idea of a big hyper dog with dog hair falling off in buckets didn’t sound appealing.

We decided not to try a new breed. If Labs are the best dogs in the world, why should we?

Our 12 year old chocolate lab is hard to see at night in the backyard so we didn’t decided to go light—the lighter the better.

The woman we called in nearby Morrison was happy to hear from us The puppies had just turned 6 weeks old and she was ready for them to have new homes’ with a houseful of puppies and two toddlers she was r-e-a-l happy to hear from us.

We didn’t tell the boys when we finally located a dog so when we loaded them in the car they had no idea where we were going. The only female not spoken for in the litter was not perky as the woman had told us, but extremely active. The largest, lightest, most laid-back dog is what we left with. We decided almost immediately to call him Bear—he looked like a fuzzy honey colored bear.

The vet told us Bear was 100% healthy and the cutest dog she’d ever seen. As the proud owner of a new puppy we believed her completely.

For Grant’ birthday we surprise the boys by driving up to Elitch Gardens and telling them we had season passes.

Elitch is an amusement park on the outskirts of downtown Denver that was originally independently owned, then owned by Six Flags, and now independent again. The park is small with visual similarities to Six Flags. The teenagers that work here are cheerful and talkative to everyone.

We spend the day on rides until the boys get dizzy enough to stop for a while and have food. We sit eating pizza and corn dogs under a canopy next to a roller coaster that sling shots riders forward and then backwards high in the air. This is the first official “thrill” ride Grant has become hooked on. I can see him becoming a roller coaster connoisseur, trying different types of coasters. Good thing Elitch has a good selection.

When end the day in the water park. The huge wave pool is fun and the water feels wonderful after slow cooking on the asphalt sidewalks. The lazy river turns out to be worth the wait and gives us a chance to see the slides and other water rides we will come back to check out.

Snow in June

Midway through June we're enjoying the snow falling in Breckenridge. Peak 7 and 8 are between 13,000 and 14,000 feet. The tops are still white and with a light snowfall covering the ground the illusion of winter continues until the sun comes out.

On our third day the sun fully replaces the snow and sleet. A bright blue sky with few clouds frame the peaks. We hike Peaks trail through the woods. There aren't many flowers yet, but lots of green. The mosses are electric green, full of water and soft to the touch.

The city has helped nature by building bridges over streams, adding drainage pipes to keep trails dry, and mounding dirt for speed bumps so mountain bikers won't go too fast downhill and spin out.

We see a young squirrel with lots of gray and black fur. Only a few birds are visible, but we can hear some in the tops of the pines.

We tour a closed mine and get the feel for how horrible working all day underground would be. Donkeys were taken down to pull the loads and never saw the light of day again. Kids work full shifts right along with the men. And the men used sledge hammers to tunnel through the rock either individually or in pairs. The life expectancy of miners was short and the fate of the women that waited up top was to find another miner to marry.

Leaving nature we travel into Breckenridge. The stores fill every possible inch of real estate. Shops sell t-shirts, souvenirs, food, and real estate. Buildings are painted brightly and give the impression of Victorian architecture. I find a wonderful bead shop that I will visit again next time. And we close our last day with homemade chocolate candy.

June wanderings

June started with a day trip to Georgetown Lake. Sitting against nature erases the presence of passing traffic with running water and mountains all around.

The mountains behind the lake to the south are a collage of purples. An occasional boat floats past; otherwise the only people seen are the silent fishermen dotting the shore. The city stocks the lake regularly with trout so there will always be someone fishing. Not to mention the town is very small and there really is much to do.

In winter the east end of the frozen lake is roped off and bright orange clones lay out paths for car to race along. Grownups turn into kids as the race with Mother Nature on studded tires.

Across the highway big horn sheep graze on a rocky mountainside. They are hard to see climbing the mountain and blending in with the rocks without binoculars. Park and Recreation has built fort structures to climb, read about the animals and use telescopes for a close look.

West of the lake is the actual town. Victorian design is sprinkled through the city with other plainer brightly painted wooden houses. There are restaurants, ski rental shops, minimarts; everything for the tourist heading to the ski resort that forgot something or just want a snack.

The train at Georgetown is a big attraction advertised in flyers in hotels. The steam engine pulls out from a full size depot and heads past old closed silver and gold mines in the Clear Creek canyon.

After a day of discovering the area we take a country road that runs parallel to the highway to see the houses. They remind me of a crazy quilt with their variety, being built over many years and out of different financial situations.

Summer... already

The first of May we see wildlife return in large numbers. All winter our birdfeeder has brought sightings of deer, occasionally elk, and birds. Now they don’t seem to be just passing through, but hanging out.

We’ve had a red fox limping through our yard for several weeks. I started putting out extra birdseed since it couldn’t run.

On May 3rd our red fox appears with two pups in the boys’ rock fort. Justin had named the fox Jessica a couple of days ago and now we know the name fits. We watch the pups chase each other, attack plants and generally have fun. When they see elk they hide behind the rocks, but their heads pop in and out; they are unable to contain their curiosity. The elk sniff the air in what may be recognition, but they don’t seem to care one way or another.

Walking to the mailbox new flowers appear every few days. White, yellow, purple, blue and pink appear most often. Yellow ones contrast against the bright green lichen. Blue bells grow small and delicate at angles. And the pink wild roses hold on effortlessly to the slopes on our cul-de-sac.

Driving by Evergreen Lake the cormorants have returned, sitting on top of the spillway. Behind the spillway is a local bar that now has a full parking lot of motorcycles…. this is truly the sign spring has arrived. They come every weekend throughout the warm weather. Bikers ranging in age from 40 to 80 ride large Harleys. Some have long white beards.

Our world looks different within weeks. The bare dirt and rock left behind by the snow had bright green spots of lichen to start. Then the ground came alive with flowers emerging from the granite. Now animals and people have joined in the celebration.

Will spring continue?

The air is wet with rain and heavy with the scent of vanilla from the pine trees. For two days we've had rain and temperatures in the 40s and 50s.

Last year we had lots of wet snow that left behind an abundance of wildflowers. This spring has been the typical dry you'd expect in a high desert region, but if the snow continues for a few more days perhaps the flowers will have another good year.

Here flowers are beautiful; looking as if they grow out of the rocks, from behind downed logs, and coming up through course pine needles. Flowers surprise us with a palette against all the greens and browns; mingling with lichen.

Elk and deer eat the new green of shrubs and grass but they avoid many of the flowers that protect themselves by tasting bad, and sometimes being poison.

Walking the boys to the bus the Pasqueflower, named for the Paschal season, is the first flower I see. The outside of the plant is covered in long gray hairs that give it an alien quality until it opens each day to reveal a bright white interior and yellow center.


Prairie Bluebells appear next. Less than a foot tall they are delicate and often peeking out of the debris left under the pines by winter. The leaves are light blue/gray and the stems often lean drawing me down to their level for a better view.


This month white flowers with 5 petals and bright yellow centers appeared on small plants dotting our slopes. Bringing my attention to the serrated leaves their identity, Wild Strawberry, was now obvious.


In the shade of trees, Heart-leaf Arrica, a large bright yellow aster spread around and through branches and logs on horizontal rhizomes. Unlike the long slender leaves of many asters this variety have large heart shaped leaves. Indians used the palnt as a love charm and to heal cuts and bruises.

Hopefully the rain will be enough to keep the flowers around longer. And when summer replaces spring a drive to 13,000 feet plus on Mount Evans is in order. There spring flowers can still be in view in July.