Opening Duck Central

Duck Central (command center for the Estes Park Duck Race) opened yesterday at a new (for us) location in Stanley Village. This photo shows our mascot Quiltin' along with other members of the core committee. We had a few people drop off sold adoption forms and I entered my first batch into the computer. I'll be spending a lot of time there between now and May 3, 2014 - DUCK RACE DAY. Sixty-two worthy charitable organizations will be the beneficiaries of the proceeds from the duck adoptions their members are busily selling. This year you can adopt a duck online at:  http://www.epduckrace.org/   Click on "Adopt Ducks" on the left side of the page. Click here to see our Facebook page.

These are the large corporate ducks, not to be confused
with the smaller "racing ducks."

Each dot on the map represents a town where one or more residents
have purchased a racing duck.

This is my little corner of Duck Central where I enter
duck adoption data. I have my computer, padded
 foot stool, phone, bottle of tea and a comfy chair.

Family Vacation in Florida

gorgeous sunset (one of several)

Wayne and I returned home yesterday after a week on Anna Maria Island, Florida with our daughter and her family. We had a wonderful time together with highlights that included: delicious seafood, key lime pie, fishing, spring baseball, dolphin sightings, time on the beach, a lovely spacious rental house, beautiful weather and just hanging out with our family.

Our airport experiences (both going and coming home) were disappointing and frustrating! Online check-in denial, delayed flights, missed connections, and being bumped from a flight for which we had confirmed reservations made for a stressful travel experience. I won't be flying Southwest any time in the foreseeable future. I'm putting that behind me and enjoying the memories of our fun filled week.

our home away from home

the colorful umbrella marks our favorite spot on the beach

inside our rental house

son-in-law and granddaughter are excellent cooks

Wayne and I, enjoying the beach

sand castles

our daughter and her family

Elk Have the Right of Way

Elk (wapiti) in Estes Park always have the right of way. They are big, fearless, and not always as gentle as some believe. Bull elk have been known to attack cars with their antlers especially during the rutting season. Cows are highly aggressive when their babies are young. They wander anywhere at any time even on the streets and in the parking lots. I took this photo yesterday through a window not far from the supermarket.

Brunelleschi's Dome

On my current reading list are the two books in the photo, Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King and The Baptistery and The Cathedral of Florence by Giuseppe Marchini. King's book relates the history of the construction of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, primarily the enormous dome. The sub-title of the book is How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture and it is fascinating! The second book is an art guide full of photographs and descriptions. As I'm reading King's book I frequently refer to Marchini's book. These books make me want to see it for myself someday.

Talented Young Singers

Elkhorn High School Show Choir
First Place Performance

My darling granddaughter Grace is a member of this talented group of high school students, Elkhorn High School Show Choir. They placed first in their final competition division this week-end. I do so wish I could have been there in person. Grace is sitting on the left of the trio of girls in the center.

Winter Encore

The landscape is brilliant this morning after an overnight snowfall. March is traditionally our biggest snow month and Mother Nature hasn't disappointed us. We've had an unusually large number of birds at the feeder including a pair of acrobatic downy woodpeckers who refuse to pose for my camera. I see a variety of animal tracks crisscrossing the snowscape. From my window they look like rabbit and deer tracks. I'll be at my computer and sewing machine today while Wayne goes snowshoeing in the park.