A cluster of small white five-petaled Fendler’s Sandwort flowers with yellow-green centers, some with red anthers, rising on slender stems among pointed buds, tan seed husks, and grasses at Loveland Pass, Colorado.

Red-Tipped Stars of Loveland Pass

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Whenever I reach higher elevations, I am always surprised by the wildflowers I encounter. When Keith and I were in Colorado last month, we drove a few passes. Loveland Pass, elevation 11,990 ft (3,655 m), was one of those. So, … Read More

Rocky mountain creek flowing toward the viewer between dense shrubs and willows turning yellow and gold, near the Snowflake Trailhead in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Where the Creek Leads

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Lens-Artists Challenge #418: Memories Memories have an interesting way of playing with our minds. Big or small, they stay vivid when they play an important part in our lives. That was true of this short, scenic trail in Breckenridge. We … Read More

Low-angle view of a Leafy Aster with several lavender, yellow-centered flowers and orange spent seed heads, rising from golden grass in a Colorado meadow with pine trees and cloud-covered mountains in the background.

Lavender Stars of the High Country

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Colorado in late September is about more than fall colors. Under cloudy skies, we set out on a short hike along the Lower Salt Lick and Sunrise Trail Loop. Although the trail runs parallel to Interstate 70 in places, it … Read More

Black Jeep Wrangler parked on a dirt road beside golden and green aspens under a stormy sky on Boreas Pass Road in Pike National Forest, Colorado.

Mountain-High Colors

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On the second day of fall 2026, Keith and I traded our hiking boots for a scenic drive. Of all the places that came to mind, Boreas Pass rose to the top. We had driven a section of it back … Read More

A small waterfall rushes between large dark boulders on a mountain creek, with a fallen branch in the foreground, tall pines behind, and a patch of yellow and orange shrubs lit by sunlight.

Steeped in Color: Forest Bathing on Colorado’s Willow Creek Trail

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Last week, I shared a single photo from our first full day in Colorado. Today, I’d like to take you a little farther along that trail. We hiked the Willow Creek Trail in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, part of the … Read More

Morning sun forms a small starburst through tall cottonwoods in green, gold, and orange fall foliage along the Blue River in Silverthorne, Colorado, with a rocky riverbank and an empty bench in the foreground.

First Light of Fall on the Blue River

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I traded our backyard deck in Texas for Silverthorne, Colorado, this week, and the mountains wasted no time making the trip worthwhile. When I opened the blinds on the morning of September 22, the light was almost surreal. The fall … Read More

Black steam locomotive No. 488 with red passenger cars parked at a rail depot under a blue sky with scattered clouds.

Weaving Through History

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Today, I want to reminisce about our 2010 vacation in New Mexico. We’ve always enjoyed the state’s historical sites and cultural traditions — enough that four years later, in 2014, we came back to Taos to get married. But I … Read More

Ponderosa pines stand in a golden meadow at dawn, with hazy blue mountain ridges and soft pink clouds in the background near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

Summer Daze, Mountain Mornings

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Lens-Artists Challenge #406: Summer Daze Anne sets up this week‘s Lens-Artists Challenge with a fact the whole country (and the world?) seems to be experiencing. She wrote, “My goodness it’s triple digits Fahrenheit… Heat waves come and go during the … Read More

Black Diamonds of the Wild

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Black is beautiful. When it comes to black in wildlife, that saying is spot-on. The American black bear (Ursus americanus) you see above was photographed at Big Bend NP, near one of the park’s busiest and most popular trails, the Lost Mine … Read More

Is the Grass Always Greener?

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Lens-Artists Challenge #366: City Mouse/Country Mouse This week’s challenge prompted me to take a good inventory of whether I’m a city mouse or a country mouse. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, it originates from an Aesop’s fable. Tina brought … Read More

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