Garden of the Gods, Part Two

Pikes Peak (at left) through the Siamese Twins

So it ended up that we went back to Garden of the Gods. We just didn't see the whole thing, and honestly? Had we more time, we could've gone back ANOTHER day - because we didn't hit all the trails we would have liked to have hiked. 

This time, we hit the Siamese Twins and saw the "gates" a little more up close. This was the time we finally saw wildlife (aside from the humans!!) in the park. 

We found deer right off, saw a great little lizard, and a Stellar's Jay. We also saw "wildlife" in the way of humans who are pretty much incapable of reading a "stay off the rocks" sign. Too many kids were clambering up onto formations where the signs clearly said to stay away. And too many parents were just...oblivious. 

And while I, too, did some yoga poses, I wasn't an "Instagram Yogi" like this one gal... But I digress...

One of the things that caught our eyes was a cliff-climbing class. Holy Moley... I jumped off a 7,000 foot Alp, but I don't think I would ever scale a cliff. There were a nice group of folks who were going to try this. The rest of us just watched. 

We stopped by The Trading Post again, because The Kid wanted a t-shirt, which he never ended up buying. But I got a wedding jug for Hubby. We went into Old Colorado City for lunch - an absolutely lovely BBQ place called Front Range BBQ. I had the rather unenviable task of choosing between a plethora of options for BBQ. 

I wanted it all. 

I ended up with a fantastic pulled pork BBQ and baked beans. Kid #2 had quite the appetite, but again -- I was still a little "meh" on eating. I did chug down the iced tea. 

After lunch, we walked the "arts" area, in the heat (heat for Colorado, that is -- there was no breeze in Old Colorado City). Went into a "British" shop. Lots of kitsch for The Royal Wedding, very little Dr. Who, and no - I didn't buy a thing! 

Maybe my overall issue while in Colorado was dehydration, in spite of the fact that I felt like I was drinking water by the case-full. We started out with a 12-pack of water at the beginning - Hubby sticking a cooler in the car as we left. And by this time, we'd also bought another 24-pack, and were almost half-way through that. I'd say we went through 3 - 4 16-oz. bottles each, per day. 

Kid #1 suggested we find Palmer Park. So we did. We mainly drove through it, which gave me even more experience with blind turns, foot-hill driving and the occasional switchback. It's got lots of pull-offs, and so we took some pics that gave us a really stunning view of the city. 

Did I show you the Kissing Camels? If not, here it is. It took me a minute to spot it. But after that, of course -- that's all I could see! 

The day was a bit hotter than the past few days. I noticed that I was still having a bit of a time breathing. Kid #2 was still watchful and still making sure I hadn't "keeled over." 

I noticed that I was a lot more cautious this time, too. I really need to get new hiking boots; there was a lot of loose gravel, too, which didn't help. But I'm thinking the soles of my hiking boots need updating. Now, either I can re-sole them, since the tops are still good, or I can use them around here, and next time I know I'm going to do some serious hiking - yeah, even at Starved Rock - I'll invest in some new ones. 


"Where the deer and the antelope play..." Well, we only saw these little guys. And one of them was piddling... who knew that deer peed like female dogs?

You learn something every day. Also, Garden of the Gods isn't a state park. It's a CITY park. There's no admission. No parking fees. It was given by a local businessman "for all the community." I love that. 

I have faith that this park will be around for a long, long time. I have faith that the people of Colorado will stand their ground and keep this space open and available for everyone. I have to have faith, because today's news has been making me sick. 

I'm hoping that these pictures give people a chance to breathe and pause and notice that there's beauty here. 

In all the ugliness, regular people are talking about things that they'd normally avoid. Regular people are calling their representatives, emailing, texting, posting on their social media pages (the reps, I mean) and making noise in the hopes of changing the evil that's clouding our nation. 

I have to have faith that regular people won't let us descend into a scenario reminiscent of Nazi Germany and the horrors of Hitler. I have to have that faith. Otherwise? It's something I can't even wrap my mind around. 

Is this the ultimate test of our democratic republic? Maybe. Maybe this is our cosmic wake-up call. 

What is this bird???

OK, so I just checked my bird guide. We did NOT see a Stellar's Jay. Actually, I'm not quite sure what this one is. 

But he was quite the character. He let me get sooooooo close, and then, "poof" - he flew off. I thought I got a shot of him in flight, but I did not. 

Anyone? I'm up for a good guess. Mention it in the comments if you know what this bird is.

The little sand lizard was darting across the sidewalk as we passed. I nearly missed him, and Kid #2 missed him entirely. I was able to get him with my long lens. 

He wanted to pose. Or I scared the crap out of him! He held still and I was able to get a bunch of shots. I figured that one or two would be good. 

This trip, I didn't take many pictures with my phone. I'd been having some battery issues, and it's annoying to have the battery suck dry and not have a place to charge it. After I got home, I bought one of those "portable chargers." I thought several times that a solar charger would've worked a treat - seeing as we were in the sun most of the days!

Here are some shots from Palmer Park. You can see we're pretty high up. Lots of scrub land. Several trails, but honestly, after 90% of our day at Garden of the Gods, we weren't very interested in hiking more. And a few of those trails were pretty steep. We didn't want to chance it. The view was a really great 360-degree vista of the city. It was again amazing how far up the foothills we saw homes. 

We left Palmer Park in plenty of time to get cleaned up to meet J.'s dad for dinner. He's a member of the Broadmoor Country Club and so we went there. Nice buffet, pretty facility. A lady helped -- or should I say "helped" -- take pictures of us (she didn't set the flash, and I forgot!). We took some family shots, and I have to get them printed for my mom. She doesn't do "phone pictures." 


This was our last night in the condo, and I'd been cleaning (not that we were slobs) so we set aside the groceries we were giving to the kids, and finished cleaning and packing. It was going to be a long drive, and it didn't help that the power went out about 10 p.m. ... and the way we found out that it was back on was that the bedroom lights blazed on about midnight!

How Can I Help...

So. We've come to an ugly, evil pass today. The "zero-tolerance" policy that's being used to hold infants and children hostage for a disgusting border wall. The "space force" that's being used as a distraction. The "balanced budget" proposal that cuts Social Security and Medicare... All of this smoke and mirrors crap happening. 

Good people, however, are rising up. We refuse to let this become our Kristallnacht. If you haven't gotten involved in helping people register to vote, or contacting your representatives, or working with organizations helping to mobilize against the evil (yes, it's evil, particularly when you broadly brush EVERYONE with the "animals, criminals, infidels" labels that are being thrown around) that's being perpetrated by this administration. So many of these people coming to our borders are coming for asylum, which is a legal process. By treating anyone who's not "us" as "them" and then further dehumanizing them, this country is going down a long, dark path. 

Are you willing to put your money somewhere that'll do some good? If so, donate here: RAICES (Refugee And Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) - based in San Antonio, TX. If you're a little "squidgy" about donating through Facebook (and I can't honestly blame you if you are... you know...), then you can donate here: raicestexas.org if you have a mind to. I just tried to access their website. They are experiencing "higher than normal" traffic. I hope this means that they're getting closer to their $8 million goal. 

Facebook is even waiving fees for this fundraiser. That's something. 

I would urge you to do something. Anything. Preserve your own humanity. 

Random Picture...

So what do you do when your rather large milkweed falls over in a thunderstorm? You go into your "pantyhose" drawer and cut up a pair. 

Come on, I'm realistically NEVER wearing pantyhose again, if I can get away with it! But I kept them. I try to keep a pair for "emergencies," but also I know that anywhere I need to go in a "dressy" mode, I can wear a pantsuit. 

When I found that last night's storm did a number on my milkweed, this was the best solution. Think about it: they're soft so they won't cut into a branch. They're weather-resistant, and you can cut them in any length you need. 

Voila! The perfect plant ties. 

I still haven't seen any eggs on the undersides of the leaves, but it's the first year they've been this big. The dill has also taken off like crazy, so I'm hoping that the butterflies will be back. 

The bee balm, herbs and other flowers are also attracting hummingbirds, which is good because Hubby still hasn't gotten the feeders out. I told him I'd do it, and he said, "I'll take care of it..." Soon, I hope. I know - we have a lot of summer left.