Images of (a few moments stolen from) lake runs

I've been running around our lake (actually, as I type this I've been not running for two weeks due to schedule and bleh - must fix that). The time change has made it harder, but it's worth trying to get out at first or last light. These low-quality pics don't even do it justice - so gorgeous!

The rest of the weekend that didn't end

I've already mentioned that our weekend of two (now three) weekends ago was pretty packed. Before I went to bed on Saturday, I started on project #2 for the weekend.

This side yard is vastly improved if you just look at the sunset instead.

But if you change your focus, you'll note: a lot of river rock.

Also: a faucet right next to a fence that makes it useless to the backyard.

I suggested adding a faucet for the back side yard. Ray wasn't as into that as you might have thought, so I managed to convince him there was another way.

When Ray was out buying faucets, he also picked up some wood, some mulch, and $20 worth of abused bedding plants (that being what one gets at a big box store, particularly halfway through the summer). I spent Saturday night clearing out most of the river rock between rainstorms, and Ray pulled the fence on Sunday while I cleared the rest, rototilled, and added some actual soil. One looong day later:


Ohh, look, more river rock! Lots more river rock.

Anybody want to haul out some river rock?

The plants in the foreground of last picture are actually raspberries that we pulled out of the old house in October. Fantastically, they survived the move and are now fighting out the mint for supremacy of the side yard (along with a lot of weeds... so very many weeds.. and some moss). The plants in the background are peas - my first successful ones, mainly because our neighbor overwaters and keeps our peas happy. And the plants in the background are the "professional landscaping" we've been mocking - two spyria, two junipers, an ash, and -hah!- more river rock.

Eventually we want to have a nice path coming from the front yard through the gate and then along the side yard. Fortunately, we didn't start on that, since I was expecting Ray to set the gate up very differently from what he did and the path would have been a bit odd with a fence in the middle of it. Regardless, that last bit of river rock in the front is headed out soon if I have any say. Particularly if I can get someone else to shovel it.

I'm also hoping to terrace out this whole slope for gardens - if you look at the drop off from the back patio, you'll see that it's a bit much for playing ball-associated games (unless you like balls in your peapatch), and this being Colorado, the north side of the yard seems to be our best bet for "sun-loving" plants (none of which seem to love 15 hours a day of high-altitude sun in the least). That, however, is a bit more of a project, to say the least. It wasn't happening this weekend.

For the record, I ran away from home and went kayaking the next weekend. Ray and E hung out with our friend Jimmy and did very little in the way of house-related work. It's all about balance around here.

A beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Have we mentioned our view?
Can I add to the long list of reasons I need to use a better camera than my phone?
Bonus points if you can name the peak (looking a little northwest from our house). Or if you can come remove that streetlight.
The next set was while we were affected by the fires south of us. The light wasn't this sienna-esque, but it was pretty dramatic.




Yeah, the view is pretty good.

Have I mentioned the view?

The Flatirons.
Yeah, I'm obsessed with our view. I'll return to the regularly scheduled toddler next post, promise.

Sonrise, Sunset

A few other images from our weekend in Salida.

Serious boater face.
(Crazy Uncle Steve says:"I r serious kayaker. I can has ball now, yes?")
"We're goin' boatin'!" face

And the gorgeous sunset in our campground.

Happy May Day

We (sadly) have not made it to Pearl Street for the flowers, but the University's tulip displays are pretty fabulous. The one thing I miss about the east coast is the riot of flowers in spring, but this year Boulder is putting on its own show. Consider this my May Day basket to you.
The music building (note the sculpture).

The sign for Engineering.
Carlson Gymnasium, just north of my building.

Happy May Day!

Signs of Spring

The red-breasted toddler is first spotted on the playground after working hard at daycare.
He makes his own unique song.


Lo, it is a happy one, for spring is coming, the weather is warming, and he will return to the grounds of play.

Chicago Trip Report - Part 2

More fun in Chicago - I mentioned the gorgeous architecture.  We could see a lot of it from our hotel room the first night (Mom, skip this pic).

Apparently this one was in a movie - the spiral parking garage at Marina Towers.

Closer-up.
I saw my favorite when I was headed to dinner, and sent Ray and Eamon to get pics for me:

Boulder

It's hard to get great pics of Boulder's flatirons (particularly with a cameraphone, on a bus!). They're so gorgeous some days, and the pictures just don't match up. But winter is coming (yeah, whatever, 22 inches of snow last week, it's been 60+ since), and there have been some pretty days. I thought I would share.



May all of your chilly days be beautiful ones!

And now for something ..not completely...sort of different.

I spent a day at the Denver Federal Court this month. Only in a professional capacity- one of my coworkers was an expert witness and couldn't be there to hear the opposing expert's testimony, so he asked me to fill in. One day in court, and both the procedural aspect and the utter disregard for science almost did me in. Not sure how Laura and Brad deal with this at all. More patience? (Turns out one of the attorneys I was working with was from Dayton - I found out after the fact and didn't get his name, though.)
Anyway.. not really the point. On my way out of the parking garage, I was treated to a different view of one my favorite (okay, two of my favorite) buildings in Denver.

1999 Broadway and the Church of the Holy Ghost. One of Denver's tallest skyscrapers, surrounding this gorgeous church. If you know the Denver skyline, this is the building that is outlined in green at night.

I love the juxtaposition of old and new. I love how the skyscraper was built around the church.

More info here.


The building is even cool from above: in the google view, you can see the skyscraper in the right hand corner and the church in its shadow (on my more poetic days, this seems metaphorical).

View Larger Map
I was in the parking garage over there on the left, and spent my day at the Federal building (the big U-shaped building on the top.  I wonder how many people in those two buildings never notice the view?