Denver B-cycle

Rented a bike from Denver B-cycle and rode around downtown.  Passed the capitol building on one end of town and crossed I-25 bridge on the other.

I'm a travelin' man

Third day on the new job and already on my first trip.  Actually that is much longer than my first trip with previous employer.  Almost exactly 8 years ago I was on a flight to California my very first day of work.

This trip has me right in downtown Denver.  I'm staying at a kind of funky Hilton Doubletree called the Curtis.  It is directly across from the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

Revisiting backyard bent oak tree theory

A tenant in the five-plex next door informed me that he saw four baby raccoons in the tree last night when he was coming home from work.

I commented that the mother must be close by.  He said she was hanging out in my backyard.

So a combination of the squirrels pulling and taking the support strings and the weight of raccoons are now the theory of why the tree is so bent.  Not sure what my options are.

Yay - rain

Two mornings in a row with rain showers.  My garden and yard and water bill are very appreciative.

Annual Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness trip

Starting off from Sawbill Outfiitters on Sawbill Lake.  July 13.

Portaging over a beaver dam

Typical campsite activities...reading and fishing and relaxing

Female or juvenile merganser ducks.

Having fun in the lake...lots of swimming

Day trip to Frost Lake with a sandy beach

Day trip past "face rock"

Julie with all our eggs intact

Jenny on rock on rock

Sitting on the rock on the rock

The rock on rock...red circle is the little rock that is holding the bigger rock on the giant rock...the blue circle is the trunk of the tree somehow growing out of the giant rock

Day trip...fern rock

Julie in campsite

Getting ready to leave in the rain

Back at Sawbill.  July 16.

Part of our gear (tent, rain fly and tarps) spread out at Jenny and Andrew's cabin to dry.

The other part of our gear.

It was a fantastic trip.  Left from Sawbill Lake on Friday, July 13.  Our destination was Cherokee Lake, a beautiful lake with enormous boulders, rock walls and mature trees.

The weather was forecast to be sketchy with high probability of rain.  We lucked out for the most part.  No rain until Monday when we paddled back to civilization.

The pictures tell the visual story but what you can't experience are all the different birds we saw and heard.  Saw several loons, various types of ducks, seagulls, bald eagles doing aerial acrobats and an osprey.  Heard so many song birds it was magical.

• Had a fun encounter with a frog.
• The flies were irritating but manageable.
• The mosquitoes won out as we had to take shelter in the tent every evening.

Frankie

Hard to believe but Frankie was a kitten once.  His favorite toy is still the sparkly fuzzy ball.

(Bent) Oak Tree

I was originally just going to post the following picture of a squirrel on the oak tree with a caption that I get what I deserve for planting an acorn-producing tree in my backyard.

But he following day it was apparent that something had happened to the oak tree -- it was bent over rather dramatically. The pictures don't really show the full extent so I've drawn a red line to show the curve.

straight

bent

bent

And the mystery of what bent the tree continues as the twine that was being used to support the tree against the predominately west wind has disappeared.

UPDATE - Tuesday evening:  When I came home this afternoon, the oak tree was swaying wildly...AND I KNOW WHY!?  A squirrel was pulling on the twine support!! The squirrel was gathering up the twine and had a huge mouthful.  So I think it was a squirrel pulling on the twine support that caused the bend in the tree!

Another scorcher

102.3 @ 3:30pm....ugh

Update: 102.9 @ 5:15pm

07/07 update: heatwave finally over!

The 4th at Crystal Lake

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, JT, Linda and Chad for hosting a wonderful July 4th gathering at your home on Crystal Lake.

Linda and Karen cruising the lake.

Capt'n JT

The stars and stripes waving while the gathered watch the neighbor's incredible fireworks.

Record high

The heat and humidity just won't quit.  That's 101.8 at 4:03pm.  It was still 90 at 10pm.

Mosaic stepping stone

Amy gave me a mosaic stepping stone kit back on my birthday.  Now that the weather is warm, I got it assembled.

the parts

the design

freshly set in wet cement

completed and cured

Wizard of Oz sing-a-long

Another live action movie sing-a-long event. So much fun. So much laughter. So much good food and drink.

Hosts Linda and JT with tin man from Jackie and Ace

Dorothy, Auntie Em and Toto, too.

Dorothy laid low by the tornado.

House and ruby slippers prop.

Glenda greeting Dorothy in Oz

A member of the Lollipop Guild

Scarecrow

Apple tree fight.

Cowardly lion.

Carriage ride in the Emerald City.

Seeing the Wizard (or was it the Witch?)

Wizard curtain prop.

Finding the real Wizard behind the curtain.

Professor handing out the awards to Scarecrow and Lion.

Dorothy back in Kansas.

Cast and Crew.