Showing posts with label Daily Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daily Life. Show all posts
Monday, March 10, 2025
Saturday, June 01, 2024
Trail 7 - "Easy" Elk Meadow Park
Hiking in the Rockies on a sunny spring morning? It's typically enjoyable. Elk Meadow Park trails are no exception. The park is a hilly area within the Rockies, just past the town of Evergreen, CO.
There's actually a lot of interconnecting trails in a somewhat complex layout. This requires you to know where you are going before you get going. I walked on the course identified as Hike #7 in the book 60 Hikes within 60 Miles from Denver and Boulder. Fortunately, there are trail signs that tell you clearly on to which trail you are about to walk. Some portions of the trails involve modest climbs that would make me rate the hike closer to "moderate" than "easy".
Various courses along the trail system allow you several options to walk in circuits rather than in-and-out. I like the idea of hiking in a circuit. Although there is plenty of shade during the hike, there are also significant areas under direct sunlight.
Even though this is mid-Spring, I didn't see all that many varieties of flowers along the trails, but there were a few. However, while exploring the trails, I ran across a few birds, and a coyote off in the distance. No name sake elks, though.
Thursday, May 30, 2024
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Trail 43 - Fall of the impending Winter
It's been while since I went for a hike at a location covered in 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder. I made it to Hike #43 from this book, South Boulder Creek Trail from Bobolink Trailhead. This is a fairly flat trail with a very slow incline. The trail is unusual, in that it splits between a paved path and a gravel-and-dirt path for a short stretch. The paved route is intended to support cycling, though cyclists were using both routes.
The trail follows fairly close to the right bank of the South Boulder Creek throughout the northern half of its length, and the left bank for the Southern half. The creek flows south to north.
Near the trailhead, there's a lot of shade on the unpaved route, but most of the trail is in open space. Wear sunscreen, as there's very little shade. Additionally, the trail crosses both South Boulder Road and US Route 36 via underpasses.
Even for Midautumn, the vegetation was surprisingly brown with empty trees. It's pretty for Fall and Winter, particularly with a blue sky and the Flatirons as a backdrop.
Given the time of year, I didn't expect to see much wildlife. Even still, there were some curious cows in one of the fields. The hike was enjoyable and leisurely.
One warning about the creek. Apparently, there's a New Zealand Mudsnail infestation. So, there's signs at several locations warning hikers (and their dogs) not to go into the creek (to make sure they aren't accidentally carrying this little invasive critters to other places in Colorado).
Monday, October 16, 2023
A fox just moseying along the road on a dog walk
A fox just moseying along the road. Joie got her chance to bark at this suburban intruder, from a safe distance.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyZfPkQMbDr/
Friday, September 15, 2023
DVD from Netflix25 at the end of an era
#DVDNetflix25 at the end of an era from a company that literally changed society twice within two decades. (DVD.com was the best way to bypass the streaming wars.)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxBIAKfLz50/
Thursday, September 07, 2023
Monday, May 01, 2023
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Sunday, April 23, 2023
Saturday, January 07, 2023
Thursday, January 05, 2023
Wednesday, January 04, 2023
Thursday, December 22, 2022
It's not often...
It's not often that Allie and I talk about a movie we've seen at the theater for days afterwards, but that's exactly what's happening for both movies Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis. Maverick is a fun thrill ride and Elvis is a fascinating biopic. (From facebook post in July.2022.)
Saturday, July 30, 2022
George the Welder
On a whim, I decided to get myself Krispy Kreme today. I drove to the one nearest to my home. As I approached the entrance to KK, a mother opened to door for her young son while holding her baby and bady bag in her left arm. Then she did something rather strange. While juggling her baby and baby bag, she actually attempted to hold the door open for me as well. I was like "Thank you, but I should be holding the door for you" as we exchanged smiles. I politely reached over her to hold the door for them, and then again for the inside door. She then took her son to check out the donut making machinery while I went to the counter to order my donuts.
I got a warm and gooey glazed donut, along with a raspberry-filled donut, and a milk.
As I left the counter with my order, I decided to sit in the dining area. After quickly devouring my glazed donut, I then pulled my raspberry donut from the bag to eat it. That's when I was approached by a tall man, a gentleman. He was wearing a rather colorful and intricately patterned shirt. His hair and beard were long long since white, his face weathered, his stance slightly crouched, and his demeanor friendly. I hadn't noticed at first though. My face was down in my phone, playing a tired but engaging game.
This gentleman approached me and got my attention by mentioning the fact that we were both eating raspberry-filled donuts. He then asked me if I fish or hunt. "I don't." He asked how long I've in Colorado. "It's been a few years. How about you?" I asked with expressive interest.
This sparked a conversation that lead to him asking if it OK to sit down at my table. "Of course!" Our conversation continued. He asked, "what do you do for work?" I replied with "software design", knowing full-well he wouldn't have the first clue what that is. However, I answer this sort of question forthrightly and directly as a matter of respect. As expected, he didn't know how to progress with that topic, so he just took the opportunity he needed to talk about his life, his father and family.
As we talked, I caught a glimpse of the mother as she was grabbing a table for her family. She give me knowing expression, like she briefly sympathized with me for getting roped into my situation.
Well, it turns out this gentleman has seen a few things in his long 88 years. He has a sister that is 94. He moved to Colorado in the 50's from Chicago. He was a welder. He was in the Air Force, though I'm not sure if he was a welder in the Air Force, or not. He mentioned how he was on the basketball team for the Air Force that won a championship. I inquired about this further, thinking he might be someone I could look up later. However, it turns out it was a league made up of the various squadrons, not college. His team was the only team to have a black player. It's my impression that he felt the need to make an excuse for this fact by saying the black guy was the only other member of his squadron willing to do the required daily run of four miles. If so, it's interesting that he felt the need to make such an excuse. He was clearly proud that he was a part of the championship team. I'm guessing that others at the time felt like his team cheated by accepting a black guy in the team? However, my impression could be wrong; maybe he had other reasons for mentioning this fact in this manner. Either way, this makes me question, what excuses am I making now for something that will be perfectly normal in 30 years?
He talked about his time at Rocky Flats (backup link) working on equipment for the production of nuclear bomb triggers, I presume as a welder. This was his segue to discuss a particular incident that lead to multiple diseases that he now suffers. I'm not going to talk about specifics of the incident or his resultant diseases, other than to say some incidents at that site are public knowledge and can be read about separately. However, hearing his first hand account solidifies concerns over the defunct Rocky Flats facility.
We talked about other things too, but I did more asking than telling because I can see he was man facing his own mortality and seeking to share his experiences. He just needs someone to listen.
His name is George.
Thursday, July 28, 2022
Sunday, July 24, 2022
Friday, February 18, 2022
Sunday, November 28, 2021
This will soon be the closest I've ever lived to an In-N-Out Burger location
Coming soon to Thornton, CO:
Look who's moving to the neighborhood!
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