Colorado beckoning...

[Kelaidis]

I know that many of you have jobs and lives and can't join us this next week in Salida (although I have been beckoning you and trying to subtly lure you into coming with my little subliminal subtitles...). I took a walk around Denver Botanic Gardens today, and I have to say I don't think I have EVER seen it so glorious: the reception Sunday night will be resplendent.

But we've had enough cool weather that springtime has been delayed in our mountains, even though the summer flowers are coming on strong. I am appending ten images I took the last few weeks on field trips I've taken to the Medicine Bow mountains of southern Wyoming, on Hoosier Pass in the Mosquito range and in South Park...

I am driving Vladimir Kolbintsev up Mt. Evans tomorrow...and shall take lots more pictures to post later. Meanwhile, check these out and imagine the fun nearly 200 rock gardens will be having next week dancing with the Eritrichiums, as it were, on the very backbone of our continent!

[Hoy]

I would love to be with you!

[IMYoung]

I am driving Vladimir Kolbintsev up Mt. Evans tomorrow...and shall take lots more pictures to post later

All well and good, PK.... I hope you are also driving him back down again.... it would be less than courteous to make him walk, surely? !!

 Have a great time in Salida!!

[Kelaidis]

Yes, Ian and Maggi, I wanted to reassure you that I drove Vladimir back DOWN again! (I don't think he would have minded staying up there: the views were stunning) It was a balmy day up there, and sunny with a few scudding clouds in the afternoon. The Eritrichium were out in force, all demanding to be admired and photographed and wafting a heavenly fragrance. We saw a herd of Bighorn sheep, caught a glimpse of several elk and admired a young Mule deer doe who greeted us by the side of the road, as well as several marmots, picas, chipmunks galore and swaths of flowers everywhere (a wooded slope oozing with freshets still with thousands of Cornus canadensis, pyrola, dodecatheons, Saxifraga odontoloma etc. wrapped the trip for us), got back in time to hear Glen Campbell perform at the Gardens....typical day really! Zdenek and Joyce arrived, so we have a fullish house...

Salida, here we come! (In two days anyway...): Still have a day and a half of catchup at home and drop in visitors, not to mention a reception at the gardens tomorrow night: good weather predicted....yaaahooooo!

[Fermi]

Sorry I can't be there, Panayoti!
Hope it goes really well! Take lots of pics!
cheers
fermi