Saturday, June 21, 2025

New Wildflowers - New Projects

 


Guitar Music

YouTube Channel:  Oufa Acoustic



Today...
as I took Bandi out to her forest bathroom...
I decided to take more photos of the flowers which are blooming all around my home.












I have an internet friend who thinks these might be wild strawberries.

I don't know...
but I know if they are...
they won't last long.

The other day...
I saw a rabbit near them.

I am also seeing and hearing many more birds.

This was my first spring and will be my first summer here...
so I am in for new experiences with, both...
the flora, and the fauna.








I really like these flowers...
although I have no idea what they are.



I received my 6 x 30 foot outdoor UV protectant and waterproof carpets
(waterproof rubber backing).

I will use them to cover my wooden outdoor decks.

These two will cover the third floor deck...
but I will have to arrange them for full coverage by overlapping them...
cutting them to match the post footings...
ensure there is adequate overhang and stapling them to the deck board ends
(we sometimes have bursts of relatively high winds)...
and silicone caulking anywhere water may leak around the post footings...
and on the overlaps.

But...
as I needed some tools to complete the installation...
I decided to head into the nearest town (Cripple Creek)...
to go to the ACE Hardware store.

I first decided to get myself a burger to eat.

I am trying different restaurants in town to see what they have.


I decided to try one on the far side of town...
inside of a minor casino.



I tried their half pound cheese burger.

I will usually order a cheese burger or tacos whenever I try a new restaurant...
to test the seasoning and the quality of the food in general.

This was a good old all American cheese burger.

Not only was it inexpensive...
but it was a very good burger...
as were the fries.

------------------

After perusing the local hardware store...
although they had the basics...
I wanted particular items I couldn't find there.

So...
once I got home...
I ordered what I desired from HomeDepot in Colorado Springs.

They will deliver the items to my front deck by the end of next week
(It is from where I had ordered the outdoor carpets).

And so...
this particular project, as well as another one I wanted to do...
has to be put on hold for now.

But...
tonight...
I will be hooking up the electronics for my home recording studio.

And tomorrow...
I have one more tree to cut down...
the one I had earlier decided to not cut down
to protect a Japanese Maple I had wanted to plant in its shade...
but, I had later found out the particular strain of Japanese Maple I wish to plant...
does best in full sun...
and so...
I will be cutting it down and sectioning it...
and I will be hauling up and stacking all the wood by the road.

This will be it for the tree cutting for this season...
as the wood chipper is coming next weekend.

------------

I was also thinking of triking up to the mountain top for the sunset this evening...
but today is cloudless.

It is just one big blue sky overhead.

And so...
I will just start on completing my home recording studio early instead.

----------

I keep finding myself going to sleep later and later.

I am thinking of installing blackout blinds in my bedroom
(I will be able to see outside just by opening them up).

I am nocturnal by nature...
I always have been.

I love the night.

It is cooler and more surreal...
and I have more energy and I am much more creative in the dead of night.

Where I used to live...
I used to go to bed just after sunrise...
and wake up a little before sunset.

That is the cycle I feel best operating in.

But...
it may be another few months before I complete that project.




Monday, June 16, 2025

BBQ / Lake George / 11 Mile Canyon Reservoir

 


Relaxing Guitar Music

YouTube Channel:  Prayer Pray


I had a load of laundry in the wash...
and as I waited for the cycle to end...
Bandi and I just relaxed on my bed (our bed :)...
with the windows open.

It was in the mid 60s F (18.3 C)...
and there was a fresh mountain breeze blowing about 5 - 10 MPH.
I also had the kitchen and one of the great room's windows open...
which had allowed a gentle cross breeze which filled the house with its coolness...
and freshness.



My bedroom is Bandi's favorite room.
She loves to relax on the bed...
and on me.

Whenever she hears a noise...
she will rush over to one of the windows to investigate.




As it is Spring...
there are birds chirping in the trees.

Bandi would look in the direction of the chirping...
but after a while...
she realized that they weren't intruders...
so she just relaxed on the bed and enjoyed the cool breeze.





This is Bandi's view out the side window.
It is also my view whenever I turn my head to the left while in bed.

During Autumn...
this view is particularly stunning.

As we were lying in bed while drinking in the mountain breeze...
I suddenly got a craving for BBQ.

So...
I decided upon a BBQ place less than 30 minutes away.

It is near Lake George...and 11 Mile Canyon Reservoir...
which lies 11 miles west of the town of Lake George (where the BBQ place is).

I stopped in to eat BBQ before Bandi and I continued on to Lake George...
and then on to 11 Mile Canyon Reservoir.





I had a delicious pulled pork and beef brisket combo plate.

The meat was succulent...
and the BBQ sauce was so mouth watering.

This will be my go to BBQ place from now on.


Just before leaving...
I gave Bandi some water to drink.



This was Lake George.






I continued beyond the small lake and headed West along a country backroad.




There was another small lake for the nearby residents 
on the way to 11 Mile Canyon Reservoir.



I drove on until I reached the southernmost shore of 11 Mile Canyon Reservoir
(I had been there once before).



The countryside was just so peaceful.

As I drove...
I belted out slightly out of tune vocals to my favorite songs.

The temperature here was 20 degrees warmer than my home...
but, I didn't use the air conditioner 
as Bandi was loving having half her body out the window as I drove.




The southernmost section of 11 Mile Canyon Reservoir in view.






This is how far out the window Bandi loves to hang out of it when I drive...
but she usually does this on the driver's side rear window.


There are many coves along the shoreline of the reservoir.


I drove past the southern portion all the way until I rounded the northern most portion.




This is how Bandi loves to ride in the car...
halfway out of it.

She just loves our country drives...
with the wind in her face.



There were some Pronghorn Antelope near the road.


I drove around the northern most section of the reservoir to reach a different road 
going back to the town I had just come from via a southern entrance road.


I then headed back to the town to catch the highway back home.



We were almost back to town here.

Once we got back home...
Bandi went back to lie on our bed...
and went to sleep.

Not only from the excitement of our trip...
but her insistence to stand the whole way...
with her body half way out a window must have also tired her out.

------------

Although I love to plan things out in life...
I also love the freedom to be spontaneous whenever I get an urge to do so.

This is just one of the privileges of being comfortably retired...
being free to do whatever I please...and whenever I please.

I will be visiting many more places in the future...
as the weather has warmed.

My elder sister and her husband are planning to visit sometime soon.

I will be sure to take them to some of the beautiful locations around here.

--------

As I am finishing this article...
I realize how tired I am from my little country drive.

I am going to open up my bedroom windows
and enjoy the cool mountain breeze as I watch a movie until I get sleepy.

Yes...
life is good.




New Wildflowers - New Projects

  Guitar Music YouTube Channel:  Oufa Acoustic Today... as I took Bandi out to her forest bathroom... I decided to take more photos of the f...