As I entered our clearing, a fat Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel greeted me. He had cheeks bulging with seeds as he gorged in preparation for his winter sleep. These squirrels are the ones that our mother bobcat likes to hunt.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Autumn signs
K and I have seized on this idea that we need to visit the high mountains before either of us is unable to for some reason.
Yesterday, the weather forecast for today looked promising. Alas, when we pedaled up to Hug Hill this morning, we saw that the Continental Divide was already roiling with storm clouds. No alpine tundra for us today.
You can see from the photo above that a few wildflowers are still blooming. Here's one of my favorites. The colors are glorious.
We enjoyed an easy ride together, with K loping easily on soft pine-needle carpeted trails. Then, I headed out to ride a bit more by myself. Atop an exposed ridge with autumn colors emerging, I saw that the storms were stalled over the Divide. They still looked ominous but weren't bearing down on our neck of the woods.
As I turned toward home, a spectacular aspen tree caught my eye. The trees are starting to pull the chlorophyll out of the leaves toward their cores. You can see the leaves turning yellow all except for the lines of green near the veins. Gorgeous!
As I entered our clearing, a fat Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel greeted me. He had cheeks bulging with seeds as he gorged in preparation for his winter sleep. These squirrels are the ones that our mother bobcat likes to hunt.
I also uploaded a very funny photo from the trail camera that's in our clearing. Do you think there's a deeper meaning in it from my horseback riding friends to me? Ha, I hope not!
As I entered our clearing, a fat Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel greeted me. He had cheeks bulging with seeds as he gorged in preparation for his winter sleep. These squirrels are the ones that our mother bobcat likes to hunt.
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As always, great pics!
ReplyDeleteKhyra says the tail is a furry nice sign!
Ha ha ha! If that's a message, I have to wonder what you've done to your neighbors lately!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful and fabulous day for you and K in the mountains! I'm glad you had such beautiful weather. Our autumn here feels so refreshing this year. I love how intensely blue the sky is this time of year, and it looks like it's just as blue for you. I'm glad you and K both got to get out and do what you love!
I love fall in Colorado. The colors nature produces are spectacular. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBOL! And, love the little squirrel!
ReplyDeleteHi Y'all,
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I noticed was the wild flowers in the picture with K. That is certainly one of the most beautiful flowers I've seen.
A horses ass hmmmm...naw...no deeper meaning...it is what it is.
Y'all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
All of da fotos is beootiful today, well except fur da horse hiney, dat is just funny! ;)
ReplyDeleteWoofs and Licks,
Maggie Mae
Yes,,, I think the horse is trying to give a message!
ReplyDeleteWe love autumn,, the only sign of it so far,, is in the evening after the sun sets,, and such a cool breeze... sweeps through the trees.
Its great for sleeping,
Not many color changes yet,, only a few.
I especially love the autumn photos you share,, they just take my breath away.
love
tweedles
I loved all the pics, almost always do!
ReplyDeleteOne of my late Irish mother's favorite lines went: "Why are there so many horses asses when there aren't anymore horses?"
Cheers and hugs,
Jo and Stella
Fall is pretty but I an not ready for it in Washingon yet. We barely had any summer!
ReplyDeleteI sense your wistful passage into the bittersweet days of Autumn. Lovingly captured.
ReplyDeleteWe are starting to see the colors too. What a beautiful ride! Enjoy!
ReplyDeletep.s. I believe Chance is the biggest out of all the pups for the males, while Fiona the runt is the biggest female. She is actually the biggest out of all of our dogs at 84lbs and in perfect shape! By recording their weights and seeing them now, I'd say they're sizes were predetermined when they were younger.
Great shot of the ground squirrel.....and the horse :). lol!
ReplyDeleteI am always so excited about fall, the colors and the smell of the season make me smile! I can't wait to capture it this year with my new camera!
ReplyDeleteYou just never know what those cameras are going to capture! I love the onset of Autumn. I am so ready for a changing season.
ReplyDeleteThat last shot was hilarious..I wouldn't read too deeply into that one!
ReplyDeleteWe're seeing the first touches of fall here...golden hues, the flowers have changed from pinks and blues to golds and purples. LOVE this time of year!
Oh dear, poops! Horses have a true talent for doing that in just the right, or wrong, spot. I enjoyed the picture of the Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel. They do look very much like chipmunks, don't they?
ReplyDeleteYou know, it seems like just a few days ago we were talking about not being able to wait for Spring. Soon, you'll be getting your Winter bike out again.
Designer leaves!
ReplyDeleteI just love the marmots, pikas, prairie dogs and ground squirrels when their cheeks are stuffed with food. They really get me chuckling, especially when they try to chirp with their mouths full!
Horse was just adding fertilizer for next year's plant growth. Good horsie. Hope the baby bobcats make it through the winter.
ReplyDeleteHow did K's most recent culture come out?
Jed & Abby
The colors of that purple flower are stunning.
ReplyDeletePlease, Please, Please go see Dr. Doug Terry, Boulder, adjacent to the Walnut cafe! He is a miracle worker chiropractor with 30 yrs experience working with world class athletes, including cyclists, skiers, runners etc. he can help without surgery. Trust me! Terry Chiropractic Health center...google it!
ReplyDeleteI'm at work and for some reason can't watch the video--I'll look at it when I get home tonight. But I've missed your blog while we were without internet, and my coworker and I have enjoyed looking at them and admiring the change of season and the beauty!
ReplyDeleteThank-you also for the kind thoughts about our new addition!!
It is a beautiful time of the year, and nice to see you still have lots of blooms around. I love the purple and yellow flowers.
ReplyDelete