tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49050104590772322252024-03-13T06:35:18.753-06:00Romping and Rolling in the RockiesA blog about my mountain biking, snow biking, hiking, and dog adventures in the Front Range of Colorado Rockies. I explore the natural wonders of the Front Range through these adventures. I also tell you about the antics of my two dogs, a 5 year old chocolate Lab named Shyla and a 10 year old black Lab named R.KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.comBlogger4381125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-90542366853241695162022-11-16T09:37:00.003-07:002022-11-16T09:37:30.004-07:00Brilliance Cottonwoods in brilliant colors in a desert canyon.I have come to realize that the overarching theme in almost all of my nature photos is that there is brilliant light in the most inhospitable places. That is a metaphor for there being a glimmer of hope even in the darkest times of life.This is one of my favorites from the year.KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-24210856497859171662022-10-23T09:10:00.002-06:002022-10-23T09:10:21.180-06:00A pair of Golden Eagles vie for a Deer Carcass A mountain lion killed a deer in a gully near our house. Our ever faithful sniffer, Shyla, found it the next morning. Most of the meat had been consumed overnight.During the next day, a Golden Eagle claimed the carcass, much to the dismay of the Magpies who had been feasting on it. The Magpies don't give up easily, and they tugged on the tail feathers of the Golden Eagle to try to make him KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-29861328671309830382022-10-21T11:20:00.001-06:002022-10-21T11:20:11.435-06:00An IntruderYesterday was a rough day. We have a closed gate on our driveway with "no trespassing" and "beware of dogs" signs on it. We have a very reactive dog (Hachi) , and we don't want a stranger to meet him. For the second time this week, a person opened the gate and drove down our half mile driveway that is posted with those same signs repeatedly. The guy yesterday then walked around our house looking KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-91636470139965243342022-10-16T08:39:00.002-06:002022-10-16T08:39:47.101-06:00Home in AutumnThis is home. The house will be a natural wood color by next fall but that doesn't matter so much. The land is what is really home. I've been posting on IG (https://www.instagram.com/kb_rockies/) and FB (https://www.facebook.com/KB.Rockies/) regularly over the past year. I am going to share the photos from those posts here because some people don't do those sites.I feel as if I am slowly KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-28693298303632937922022-10-11T07:44:00.001-06:002022-10-11T07:44:12.959-06:00The beauty and the painA juxtaposition of brilliant aspens and a hovering black cloud. I soon was pelted with hail. Life is a study in contrast between the beauty and the pain. KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-31987490064884561212022-09-30T17:59:00.002-06:002022-09-30T17:59:54.909-06:00Autumn updateIt's been a few months since I last posted. I've been busy with lots of things, including trying to save a wetland that I think of as "Tiny's Water Hole". I found out about construction plans to bulldoze it to oblivion, and I decided that it was my calling to make a difference. Saving it is still a work in progress but I'm optimistic that it will still exist when the construction is over. I will KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-1949825589097763542022-07-15T08:53:00.003-06:002022-07-15T08:53:40.048-06:00Hachi Update and Thank you!Thanks to all who offered support for Hachi yesterday. They figured out a super sedation protocol, and Hachi had a full exam from our behavioral vet. He's recovering well although he's still a little subdued and confused. Thanks so much for lifting my spirits yesterday.Here's a photo of him from our most recent trip to the desert. We are giving him the best life that we know how to give him. For KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-89116909411751332082022-07-14T09:03:00.003-06:002022-07-14T09:03:27.365-06:00The Hachi ChronicleI have not written a "Hachi Chronicle" recently. I'll be honest - it's partly because things have not gone as I hoped. We've been working with trainers on trying to help Hachi feel okay around strangers - with the goal of him being capable of receiving vet care more easily. We seemed to be proceeding well until about 6 weeks ago, and our trainer even touched him during a session. Then, a KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-20061948143856253592022-06-29T08:43:00.003-06:002022-06-29T08:43:30.858-06:00Wordy WednesdayFeeling some blues. One of the repairs to my shoulder from surgery four months ago has probably failed. The decision about what to do is obvious to me. No more surgery on it. This photo fits my mood.I do know how grateful I am to have this river running past my house. Its sound and sight is so soothing.Time to head outside and ride my bike along side this water.KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-47823997895597068662022-06-27T07:38:00.000-06:002022-06-27T07:38:02.224-06:00Caught by a stormA couple of days ago, I climbed up high on my bike. The route was forested so I couldn't see the clouds building over the Divide as I pedaled. When I popped out above treeline, the flowers, the water, and the threatening sky were stunning. I took a couple of quick photos and fled downhill away from the storm. Alas, I couldn't outrun this one. I ended up huddled under a small spruce tree as hail KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-26536075542565631452022-06-24T07:38:00.001-06:002022-06-24T07:38:03.048-06:00Happiness in a stormA theme in my life over the past few years has been learning to see the beauty even when I'm scared by a storm. I'm sorry for being so inconsistent here but I've needed time. I'm finding my way but I'm not there yet. Perhaps I'll never be but I sure have learned a lot in the journey.KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-33359809968776897822022-06-23T07:48:00.000-06:002022-06-23T07:48:04.119-06:00Thankful Thursday There's no place in the world that I'd rather be. The wildflowers are popping and the birds are singing. KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-79584350566312074952022-06-22T07:46:00.004-06:002022-06-22T07:46:57.696-06:00Almost Wordless Wednesday - Stunning Red FlowersAs I rode my bike in the desert, I scanned the landscape. This bunch of paintbrush flowers stunned me. I saw it from a long distance, parked my bike, and headed onto the desert floor to see them closer. The red against the white sand was brilliant. It was a testament to how being present in the moment sometimes shows you the beauty in the world around you.KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-64311344893302653002022-06-17T08:47:00.002-06:002022-06-17T08:48:41.165-06:00A Miracle - Tiny the Black Bear Appears at Lab ValleyI've been following the biggest black bear I've seen, who I dubbed "Tiny", for years. I spotted him with a cam near my old home in April. Then, he disappeared from that area. He's an older bear so I began to suspect the worst. I said to the Runner that I was so sad because I thought that Tiny might be gone. When I said "gone", I meant dead. Young and hulking male bears have moved into his KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-56692979869532023782022-06-08T11:09:00.002-06:002022-06-08T11:09:16.592-06:00Almost Wordless Wednesday - Sandstone Castles in the DesertAt sunset in the desert, there's a hidden expanse of slickrock where we love to relax. In the distance, we can see K's Rock - which looks like a series of red rock castles from this angle. Sights like this one take my breath away. KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-27021813146575567212022-06-03T02:00:00.001-06:002022-06-03T02:00:00.316-06:00A long and restless nap by a bearA big male bear lumbered in front of my camera. I assumed that he was scent marking and would be on his way soon as I watched the first few seconds of video. Wrong! Next, he dug a day bed in the thick carpet of pine needles. Finally, he lay down to sleep. He spent six and a half hours snoozing restlessly.Check out the very condensed video!
KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-74911988061960918182022-06-01T08:27:00.003-06:002022-06-01T08:27:28.034-06:00Almost Wordless Wednesday
A storm was fast approaching on the horizon as I hiked in a wash deep in Utah's red rock desert. I felt the wind pick up and the air get colder. I began to hustle toward camp and our LabMobile. Then, I noticed a brilliant clump of Paintbrush at my feet. I stopped to appreciate it despite the threatening storm.
Perhaps this is a metaphor for how to live life.KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-82742634167111632962022-05-27T07:32:00.003-06:002022-05-27T07:32:45.159-06:00A tenacious treeA tenacious little tree. I wonder how long it's been fighting for its life atop this wind-swept cliff. The only dirt it has is a bit of sand in a crack between the rocks.Amazing.KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-26291428097758374212022-05-25T08:14:00.004-06:002022-05-25T08:14:42.408-06:00Wordless Wednesday - Even the desert blooms in May KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-87681277745597467712022-05-22T08:08:00.003-06:002022-05-22T08:08:53.381-06:00Sunday Snow JoyWe are in the midst of a May winter storm cycle. We had cement-like snow fall to the tune of about 10". It was 15°F this morning. A hummingbird in torpor appears to be frozen to the side of the house next to our hummingbird feeder. We're watching to see if he survives when he thaws. It's supposed to snow more this week amidst below freezing temperatures. Our pups love it much more than the KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-8519009237178211462022-05-20T08:37:00.003-06:002022-05-20T08:37:16.498-06:00Peaceful mother mountain lion and her kittenA serene moment of life with a mother mountain lion and her kitten.
KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-34901290236376948882022-04-29T02:00:00.001-06:002022-04-29T02:00:00.289-06:00Winter Travelers on a Mountain Lion PathLast week, I made my way to a trail camera that sits next to a seasonal stream. I was shocked to see that it was not running. Last year, it ran from when the snow melted until September. This year is different. Water is going to be of paramount importance to our wildlife. I hope that some sources keep flowing.The animals kept flowing along their trail throughout the winter. It's a trail that is KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-11314995217253330552022-04-28T02:00:00.001-06:002022-04-28T02:00:00.334-06:00Thankful ThursdayI am thankful for the joyful play that our pups love. It snowed this past weekend, and the dogs were ready to romp as soon as it stopped. Shyla has cultivated this playful friendship with Hachi since he was a young pup. Their happy play fills our hearts with joy.KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-36443933285085005422022-04-27T02:00:00.029-06:002022-04-27T08:30:34.601-06:00Wordless Wednesday - Song dog in spring snowA beautyReady to pouncePounce!KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4905010459077232225.post-71209240697755767672022-04-26T02:00:00.001-06:002022-04-26T02:00:00.279-06:00A mama mountain lion with three young kittens!Last week, Shyla and I checked a trail camera that is pointed at an area where male mountain lions like to scrape. I was overjoyed to discover that a mother mountain lion with young kittens had visited the spot.She had triplets, and they were about 4-5 months old. They are look exceedingly healthy!Check out the video!
KBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16885661679762446456noreply@blogger.com11