Rocky Mountains reunion

For several months Mary Lou and I made plans for a family reunion on the occasion of our 56th Wedding anniversary. We chose to locate it at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado. This was also the site of our 50th anniversary gathering. We had stayed there in past years with our children, where we enjoyed a great variety of activities for visitors of all ages. 

We reserved five cabins for five nights to house us as well as the anticipated 19 guests-- our three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandsons, along with their loved ones and Mary Lou's brother Ray. We held our breath up to the last minute, hoping that all would be willing and able to endure the hardship and stress of flying and driving. It all worked out beautifully. 

The weather was fine, with cool nights and warm days. Four of the cabins were clustered together along a ridge with beautiful views of snow-capped peaks and verdant valleys:



As luck would have it, a scheduling glitch caused the facility to relocate our own cabin about a quarter mile away from the others, down-slope in a woodland. Note the bear-proof waste container at the door of our "Aspen" cabin:



This turned out to not be bad at all, as we enjoyed a measure of solitude and we also were spared the duty of hosting the evening gatherings which the younger crowd kept going until well after our bedtime. I was out exploring very early every morning, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the wilderness. Just outside our door, two bird houses were attached to tree trunks. One was quaint and rustic:



It was occupied by a pair of Mountain Chickadees with at least one nestling as well as a fledgling:

 



In the other bird house, aptly-named Violet-green Swallows were busy bringing in nesting materials:







Another pair of swallows nested in an abandoned woodpecker hole in an old Aspen:



Mule Deer roamed near the cabin. The bucks were in velvet:



A small doe eyed me cautiously from a grassy opening, her generous "mule" ears outlined by back-light:



Pygmy Nuthatches were abundant in the Ponderosa Pines:





Slate-colored Juncos (Gray-headed subspecies) sang vigorously from treetops. Like this one, a fair percentage of the small birds were banded, thanks to the active research which is conducted at the YMCA:

 



A Ruby-crowned Kinglet appeared briefly and displayed its namesake headdress:



A Hairy Woodpecker foraged on an Aspen which showed distinct scars from a bear's claws:



Colorful Cassin's Finches were busy finding food among the Aspen leaves:




An American Crow spied on me from a high perch...



...while another ventured into the shadows, where my murky photo needed tuning which brought out some vivid background colors:

 

Our daughter's "Byenbye" cabin became the center for gathering and entertainment. We returned there after a a nature walk with some of the younger crowd:



One of the granddaughters sighted a Mountain Bluebird atop one of the cabins along the way:



This is the "Byenbye" Cabin. Its deck proved to be a great spot for nature photographers:



Granddaughter Mary (and younger granddaughter Cari) captured some excellent shots of wildlife and scenery. I am encouraging them to start their own photo blogs:



These are my photos from the deck. I must admit that several taken by the youngsters are better than mine! A Green-tailed Towhee put on quite a show:







The YMCA prohibits hummingbird feeders because they attract bears. The Broad-tailed Hummingbirds found many inconspicuous tubular flowers to provide them with nectar:





We drove up above the treeline on Trail Ridge Road. Among the furry residents of the alpine tundra were a chipmunk which appeared to be blowing "bokeh bubbles"...



...and a Hoary Marmot:





In the distance, a small herd of North American Elk browsed near an ice field:



Nearer, two elk walked along a ridge:



A Clark's Nutcracker was almost out of camera range:



Of course I must show off more of our grandkids. Here, our granddaughter Cari leads a pony carrying great-grandson Jayce:



Graci takes aim at the archery range while her sister Cari nocks her arrow:



Granddaughter Rachel displays her beautiful smile:



Her sister Elizabeth was afraid of heights but conquered her fear by riding a full-sized horse for the first time:



Grandchildren Mary and Glen return from a trail ride:



Now that I have bored you with "grandpa talk" I will let you see all four generations of the Schneider Clan (with Mary Lou's brother Ray also in the photo)...



...and, of course, a special vintage rendition with our eight grandchildren:




My only "reflection" this week is that from a rainbow, which also refracts and disperses light. This was the first earthbound rainbow I have ever seen, at 5:00 PM on June 13, 2016. It is an  iPhone 6 photo enhanced by layering 3 different exposures for HDR effect. This rainbow appeared suddenly during a brief local downpour. We were above it looking down into the valley:





= = =  = = =  = = = =  = = = = =

Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to GOOD FENCES by Tex (Theresa). 

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Today's Flowers Friday by Denise

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue
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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display
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Grand Canyon wildlife

We continued our twelve day multi-generational journey in a 31 foot RV from Sedona to the south rim of the Grand Canyon, an easy 120 mile drive that took less than three hours. Near the entrance to the National Park, our granddaughters were excited to see an Elk grazing along the road. 

After securing our rig in an ideal location at the north end of Grand Canyon Trailer Village, we wasted no time taking the ten minute walk to the Visitor Center at the very edge of the Canyon. The children wanted to see the IMax introductory film, but the projector was broken. We talked to a Park Ranger who told us that California Condors had been reported at Hopi Point, so we planned a visit for the next day. We lingered at the South Rim to observe sunset from nearby Mather Point. 



The ever-changing play of colors on the rocks to the east was beautiful, but the clear sky to the west plunged the foreground into shadow and lacked the interest that would have been provided by a few clouds. When the sun went down it was as if someone had simply turned off the lights.

In my haste to eliminate the large number of 25,000 KB RAW outtakes among those that had filled two 32 GB compact flash cards, I inadvertently deleted that day's only bird photos, of two Scrub Jays that posed in a dead tree near the Visitor Center.

The next morning I set out on my first walk in the woods adjacent to our RV. The first bird I saw bears a close resemblance to the Boat-tailed Grackle, a Florida species. It is a Great-tailed Grackle, feasting on a pine nut.

 

I walked a more few yards, passing a staff parking lot when I realized that a very large (12-point) bull Elk was staring me right in the face. A second smaller one was just behind him. I froze and snapped a few shots, then they both ignored me, moved along the edge of the lot and resumed browsing on tree branches. Soon, a third bull joined them.  





I continued down a dirt path through the mixed pinyon-juniper and Ponderosa Pine woodland, keeping an eye on the Elk who followed me erratically among the trees along the path. 



Our camp was at about 7000 feet elevation. Although nighttime temperatures had dropped into the high 30s (F), the sun was quickly warming me up, and I stood silently for a while in the shade of a thicket of Pinyon Pines. Suddenly, I was surrounded by the wheezy squeeze-toy calls of a flock of a dozen or more Pygmy Nuthatches.





The nuthatch calls seemed to attract a few hummingbirds. From the cricket-chirp sound of their wingbeats I could tell that one or more were Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. However I think this one represented the Black-chinned species.



An Ash-throated Flycatcher also responded to the commotion.



A harsh, strident call revealed the presence of a Steller's Jay.



The pattern of white stripes on the Steller Jay's head varies gradually, being more sharply defined in the eastern part of its range and absent from birds in the northwestern US.



Mountain Chickadees appeared, as if out of nowhere.



On the way back to the RV, I did not see the Elk again, but a Violet-green Swallow roosted in a tree just long enough for me to take its picture.



A shadow of a large bird passed overhead and I looked up casually, ready to dismiss it as a Turkey Vulture. But no-- it had a white band on its tail. It was a Zone-tailed Hawk, known for its ability to hide in a flock of Turkey Vultures, making it easier to surprise smaller birds, mammals and lizards that constitute its prey. 





Our granddaughter Graciela has already stolen my thunder by writing about what happened just a bit later that morning, so I will stop here!