Birthday 40

I am a very blessed girl to have such amazing friends who put so much effort into surprising me for my 40th birthday. :)

It's going to take a ladder and a lot of effort to get all that down before the next Fire Marshall visit.....

I went back over my now 10+ year-old blog and deleted a lot of posts - particularly very old ones that had pictures or links that didn't work anymore.  It was interesting to look over them again - I relate less to the "self" who posted 5+ years ago than more recently.  I write a lot less now here - just don't feel a need to "share" as much - but post a lot more photos - the blog is in many respects now serving as a hiking/birding photo journal.  Back when blogs were new, they were social, but FB etc. largely took over that role.  Looking at some of my old "birthday" posts, I think I'm in a good place at 40 -  happier in many ways than I was at 30 or 35.  Thankful to God for blessings and hoping for continuance of the same.

Painting with a Twist Birthday party - Tonya, Bill, Angela and Matt, Sam, me, mom, Albert, Mark, Stacy, Beth, Irma, Andrea, Laura, Rose

Mt. Rosa with Fall Color 9/20/14

Looking at last year's photos, I think fall came a week earlier this year.  We hiked Mt. Rosa from the forest service road, about 4.5 miles round trip (runtotal 134 miles).  Ending elevation 11,504 ft. We saw the great color at the Penrose-Rosemont reservoir from the summit, and since it is situated right near the start of our forest road, we then went down to the reservoir to get a closer look.

reflection

Pikes Peak - maybe similar to Pike's view when he summited Mt. Rosa

Penrose-Rosemont reservoir fro Mt. Rosa

Cheyenne Mountain

After I posted, Google "auto-awesomed" the above photo and here is the result.

Mt. Rosa from the reservoir

Fall Bird Count Fountain Creek Nature Center 9/13/14

40 or so people counted birds at the park today.  I was in a group of 6 ladies covering areas 1, 2 and 3A - from Willow Springs ponds down to the old beaver lodge.  One notable bird was Black and White Warbler.  We also had Ferruginous Hawk and American Coot which are a little unusual based on historical count data.  Barn Swallows are still around, but to our shock, in the North Pavillion we discovered a nest with at least two babies nowhere near fledging - I hope they make it.  Saw some Domestic Geese and a black and white rabbit in Area 1 that I'm thinking may be someone's thrown-away pet.  Hope it makes it, too.  Osprey was exciting to see.  Lots of Wilson's Warblers and a sizable group of Yellow-Rumped and quite a number of Western Wood Pewees.  Lots of Downy Woodpeckers and Flickers.  One Flicker was sitting just right in shadow that we all had to give it a double-take.  

The young Cooper's Hawk below was back at the Nature Center - it was sitting in a little tree by the feeders eagerly spying on potential meals.  Many of little birds didn't seem to pay it much attention, although the Chickadees put up a bit of fuss.  Two blue-gray gnatcatchers flew right into its tree and only after getting there and having the Cooper's take note of them did they seem to notice it - but they didn't leave, they just repositioned themselves to keep a better eye.  Also at the center a Nighthawk came out in the day - I'm speculating the cold last night maybe kept him less active than usual and he went out at day to make up for a missed meal.

When it was facing away it looked like an all-black bird with a white patch, then facing this way it took binoculars and watching/hearing it call to get all in the group to be sure they were really seeing a Flicker. :)

The cheeky young Cooper's Hawk sitting at the bird feeders right at the Nature Center entrance.

FCNC 9/11/14

Went birding around Fountain Creek Nature Center today - good birds were Osprey and Plumbeous Vireo - good looks of those. Didn't take many pictures.  Count is Saturday and was kind of just seeing what we might see in preparation for that.