What I'm Reading

At the moment I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver. Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors and this is a departure from her other books I've read (all fiction.) In this book she touts the virtues of eating home-grown and locally grown food. In my little mountain town, growing my own food is virtually out of the question but not too many miles away, just east of the Front Range, are lots of small farms that grow wonderful produce. Estes Park does have a thriving Farmers' Market once a week during the summer and our one local supermarket carries Colorado grown produce from time to time. I've just started the book but it contains much "food for thought."

Happy Birthday, Rocky!

Rocky Mountain National Park celebrates its 95th birthday today. On January 26, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed the legislation creating RMNP which encompasses 265,770 acres of mountains, valleys, lakes, wildlife, streams, meadows, plants and more. The views are breathtaking and every season has its special beauty.

From my home in Estes Park, Colorado, the town which borders RMNP, I have daily views of several of the park's mountains. It is an important part of our everyday lives. Our family drives, camps, rides horses, takes photos, hikes, skis, snowshoes, picnics, attends programs and explores in RMNP. We love living in the mountains and we love Rocky Mountain National Park.

(The two photos above were taken by me last summer in RMNP. My granddaughter is sitting on the rock and the second is of an annonymous golden-mantled ground squirrel.)

Golden Daffodils on a Snowy Day

I do love winter but these golden daffodils in my sunny window, snowy mountains for a backdrop, make me long for spring. In the meantime, here is a list of delightful tasks to keep me warm, comfy and busy while winter keeps her vigil:

* plan a new quilt project
* drink a hot cup of green ginger tea
* read a good book
* watch an old movie
* doze in my "flower nest chair"
* knit a scarf

Snowy Day in Rocky

Wayne, Mom and I took a winter picnic into Rocky Mountain National Park. We encountered a snow shower then sunshine. Although we always hope to see a mountain lion, the only wildlife making an appearance were two bull elk and a hungry magpie. We stopped by Hidden Valley and saw lots of people sledding and playing in the snow. I hope the snow lasts until the Os come in February.