Raptor on the brain

Ever since Dennis and I's Colorado trip I keep seeing raptors in everything. We stopped by this rock shop called the Gold Mine in Canon City, as I was buying some rocks I spied this nice piece of red pipestone, thought I could make a couple eagle head peace pipes, which I did. Then after repairing the chainsaw I needed something to try it on. Well I still have from cedar from a tree I cut down at the farm over 20 yrs ago, which is hard to believe after moving a few time and dragging that damned wood around. Anyway I look at it and what did I see another eagle. Now it's on the front of the house. Maybe its because we had two close encounters with red tail hawks in Colorado, that yielded some good pictures. Or like the first one that just stared at us as if it was trying to say something. I guess I should just go with. Like Dad used to " Yeah, keep that we might need for something" I reckon so.

Where the deer and antelope roam

Dennis and I just got back from a week trip to Colorado. And what a trip, 200 miles on the Ranger cruising the Rocky Mountains. First 2 days camping at 10,000' ft in Crested Butte, typical mountain habitat, pine and aspen, no humidity and beautiful weather. Riding the logging roads and trails were nothing short of wonderful. The ATV trails proved to be challenging, but nothing we couldn't handle. Steering on my 150 started getting stiff, so we thought we had a power steering pump going out, but dry u-joints  on the steering column seemed to be the problem, but a little WD-40 and we were off to Buena Vista. At 8500' ft the terrain was much different, high chaparral as Dennis put it. It was like in a cowboy movie, all I could thing of was the cool ambush spot along the trail when the stage coach used to travel the road. Dustier and dryer too. Antelope with great horns and a close encounter with a red tail hawk was the best wildlife along with a few deer. No elk or eagles, damn it. But a  great trip nonetheless, although a GPS glitch and not following my brothers' sage advise lead us to great, great, flat, barren, almost uninhabited Great Plains of eastern Colorado, added another 1 1/2 of driving that we ready didn't need. Coupled with no gas stations for 150 miles we ran out of gas 7 miles short of the interstate. 5 gallons of gas in the back of the Ranger was good, but lack of  proper funnel was another story. Anyway we made it home without incident. It was soon good to get spend some unimpeded time with my brother. Like laughing as a Stellar's' jay that would land on his chair and try eat right out of his hand. Reminiscing about our parents, our brothers, our friends, that's what I'll cherish the most. In life it really is the small things.