Painted Brush also called Indian Paint Brush has been blooming thick this summer in mountain meadows and sage-lands alike. It is one of our favorite wildflowers and comes in so many colors it begs the question of which we like best. Todays flavor is orange but that is certainly subject to change.
An even bigger question is do you order a single scoop, a double scoop or….
just sit down at the edge of the meadow and and enjoy the whole carton.
A misty morning sunrise over a leafless forest. Nice way to start the day.
A Comma Butterfly playing a wonderful game of now you see me now you don’t. Photographed along the rustlers gulch trail in central Colorado.
Along the trail the House Wrens song was unmistakable. Moving quickly in the underbrush but appearing just long enough for a quick photo. A house wren is always a great companion while on the trail and that song is unmistakable.
Blue Flax floats, or so it seems, and shines like the summer sun warming the fields in the morning light.
We spotted this Female Common Yellowthroat quickly moving in and out of the bushes while on a morning walk. While we most often see the males perched out in the open singing we very rarely have seen the female out in the open like this. She only stayed for a minute or two then flew off into a marshy area several hundred yards away.
A day spent paddling besides just being good clean fun allows you to see things from water level. Yes, these are birds we see from land, but while floating by in a kayak, seeing mergansers, red-necked grebes and bald eagles from the water provides us with a different perspective.
A common Merganser pair preens while perched on a log.
A Red-Necked Grebe pair courting and strengthening their bond.
An ever watchful immature Bald Eagle perched along the shore. All sighted we can see from land but when seen from the water make them just a bit more special.
We see this butterfly at least once per summer and usually on the same week in mid-July. I am having a difficult time correctly identifying the species. Looks a bit like a form of white or a form of a sulphur. It is beautiful regardless the specific species and we always enjoy finding and observing one on our mid-summer hikes.
A Raven soars below as we walk above.
Freedom to roam is freedom indeed.
While out at a local lake on our kayaks we were treated to a very unexpected sight…a mink hunting crawfish. This guy/gal was working the shoreline and caught at least two crawfish while we watched from out in the lake on our kayaks. We had no idea mink lived along the shores of this lake and have never seen one before. Another reminder that those little moments sure can make your day.
nature has no boss 
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