Scenes from a Colorado Weekend

As we continue on our journey of finding 'it,' sometimes we take different paths.....

On some occasions, we wander up into the mountains....seeking refuge from Denver's 'brown cloud' and traffic and noise....up where there are trees, water, and blue skies.  Other times, however, we stay on the plains and look to the WEST....and see the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains in the distance and have more of the conveniences of shopping, farm markets, and culture.

 This past weekend, we wandered into Mead, Longmont, and Boulder....and wound up the mountain sides into many of Boulder's pretty canyons....but first, to get there.  After we got off of the interstate, we started to head west.  Above is a gorgeous shot of the Rockies......this is Mead, CO.....lots of farm land but lots of large acreage properties, too...

I love the white fences and red barns

 We stopped for awhile and just watched the cows and some of them were watching us, too....they were getting water and it dripped from their wet mouths as they lifted their heads from the troughs....they had their winter coats on, too, even though the weekend temperatures were quite mild.

 Some of the pastures had been tilled; others still resting in their Winter's nap time....

 This field was a corn field, now waiting for the next planting...

 Someone with a sense of humor had nailed these bootsto their fence.....there were many of them along this stretch

 And horses in the distance enjoyed the Spring-like day

 I thought this photo was such a story in one shot....nature and US intervening with it all....building, widening, changing....

 Here's a segment of the University of Colorado, Boulder.....it's a huge campus

IBM is located here

A lot of this area is designated as parks and preserved areas....that's awesome

 There are some short tunnels in various parts of the canyons west of Boulder; this area is THICK with hikers, bikers, and outdoor enthusiasts

 Some snowy and icy parts still remain even though our temperatures have been unseasonably warm for January.....if we don't get some snow, there will be drought conditions this summer

 The famous Pearl Street in Boulder, CO   If you haven't been, it's a must see....outdoor street performers, ethnic foods, wonderful shops, and VERY interesting people watching

 You can see that the lower hills have barely a drop of snow....this is NOT a good thing

And you can't tell very well, but this part of CO had been badly burned by fires in the past few years....many lots were for sale where there used to be homes....so sad

 We looked up one street and down another

 We passed serious bicyclists along the highways....

 the FLAGGSTAFF house restaurant is a very famous landmark west of Boulder....I've eaten there once, but it's not my favorite.....nice views, but I thought the menu was rather uninspiring and heavy.  You can click on the link and be your own judge.  I should probably give it another try someday.

 As we got higher into the mountains west of Boulder, there was more snow, but still very minimal

 Remnants of the past...

 Looking, Looking, Looking....

                       And as the sun began to set.....we headed to a cozy place for dinner near the fireplace and were feeling pretty blessed about our lives.....whatever is supposed to be will BE.

                                                  Thank you for coming along on our weekend....