Shades of Blue

It's hard to believe that colors like this occur naturally around us...magnificent.

It's the fence

Ever since I took this picture (10/06), I frequently come back to it and stare at it.  There's something that draws me to it, but ironically, I've never printed it.  Aspen fall colors are a treat.  If the fence wasn't moving through the image, it probably wouldn't have the same effect on me.  Perhaps I'll print it...

Aspen Leaf

In an attempt to pay closer attention to the things I'm looking at,  I did notice some perfectly round dew drops on this aspen leaf, but I failed to notice the insect on the leaf (under the blade of grass touching the leaf--probably hard to see in this image) until I looked at the picture on my computer...

Poppies

Wildflowers are abloom all over Aspen.  Random clusters of poppies paint the green space and add yet another element of contrast to the landscape here....

Maroon Lake

Most of the shots I've taken and posted of Maroon Bells are oriented towards the majestic peaks.  The other day at The Bells, we hiked up Crater Lake Trail.  This shot was taken from the trail looking back from the Bells and towards Maroon Lake.  While this lake is often in my shots of the Bells, it is typically shown in front of them.  Sometimes forcing yourself to look at something from a different angle gives you an entirely new (and wonderful) perspective...

Good times

Good friends, family, and breathtaking scenery...it doesn't get much better than that.

Brothers

This photo was submitted by guest blogger Gail Weprin who snapped this romantic picture of Stuart and Mike locked in an embrace as they take in the beautiful scenery of Aspen Mountain.

Sky

I seem to be paying much more attention to clouds and the color of the sky lately.  Here is an evening shot of Snowmass Village...

Cody the Traveler

If I snapped a picture every time I looked  at Cody (on the drive out here) and commented on how cute he was, I could have easily snapped hundreds of pictures, just of him.  Whoever is in the passenger seat travels with a pillow on their lap on which both (SPOILED) dogs sleep, unless of course Dillon manages to force Cody off the pillow and into the bed in the back seat.  Here are just a few of the many pictures of Cody...

The Evening Ride Home

One of the best things about driving from Aspen to Snowmass at dusk is the opportunity to see elk and a beautiful sunset...

Summer or Winter?

It rained quite a bit yesterday and once the temperature dropped at night, the rain turned to snow above 10,000 feet.  I love the contrast of the summery green with the wintery white...

Our NEW favorite hike

Our favorite hike (which begins right outside our back door) was unexpectedly changed due to some construction along the way.  Initially we were a bit disappointed because this is our usual hike with the dogs.   We decided to drive to a point past the construction and pick up the trail there.  Because this cut the hike time in half, we decided to continue past our usual destination point in an attempt to extend the hike.  It's funny how our initial disappointment turned into delight as we encountered the most beautiful water fall...I think we have a new favorite hike!

Billboards

One of the things I do to pass the time while we're driving out west is take pictures of billboards...these are two I thought were particularly funny...

Follow The Leader

We just finished our first hike and it's uncanny how much the dogs remember--where the running water is, how to get back home, how to get incredibly filthy.  This is the mandatory foot bath before the dogs are allowed back inside the house.

We're here!

We arrived a couple hours ago, and it's amazing how quickly we feel at home.  This is what we look at as we're driving into Aspen....

Cabo, 2001

My...how time flies....

The Graduate

As wonderful an occasion as Allie's graduation is, what is better is that it brings the whole family together.
Sitting around the dinner table, I couldn't be happier just looking around and seeing them all together.

Are they real?

Summer in Aspen is full of wildlife sightings.  These mule deer bucks seemed to pose as I spotted them on the roadside.  Surprisingly, as common as bear sightings are during the summer, we have yet to see one.  I'm hoping this is the summer!

Countdown...

We're a week away from heading west for the summer.  This is the location (Mt. Daly) of the first scenic "family" picture of every summer season...the end of our daily hike with the pups.  The dogs love this walk because they walk off leash and drink from various streams along the way--they are packing their bags as I'm writing.....