A Familiar Dilemma

Why does this only happen when you're in a hurry? In this case, the train was literally at least a mile long. It was endless! In fact was so long that the driver in front of me finally made a U-turn and went back the other direction, and I followed suit.

Dead, but Not Really

I was at Palmer Lake on Saturday afternoon to take some family portraits, and since the lake is frozen and all the trees are bare, I employed some tall grasses along the shoreline to help camouflage the starkness of it all. This was just a test shot to gauge the light, but I might as well put it to good use on the blog! These grasses look dead, but they're not really. They're just dormant and will green right back up again in the spring, just like clockwork.

Murmuration

I photographed some family portraits in Palmer Park on the evening of July 29th, and as I was getting ready to leave I noticed this sort of murmuration of birds in the sky. Can you see them, above and to the left of the tree? They swooped and soared, undulating in a beautiful and intricate dance. I know that such a phenomenon is normally associated with starlings, but I don't believe that's what these birds were, and it was a very small flock. At any rate, it was beautiful and mesmerizing. I wish I'd had a video camera with me but even so, it just a wondrous thing to witness on a beautiful summer evening.

And now, for your viewing pleasure...

A New Footbridge

Palmer Lake is getting a new footbridge over the railroad tracks, which will give everyone easier access to the lake. I know it seems silly, after all for all these years everyone simply walked over the tracks, but you'd be surprised how many people get hit by trains every year doing just that! Besides, it'll make going to the lake much easier for cyclists and folks in wheelchairs.

Skywatch Friday

Sunday's moonrise over County Line Road. We were in a hurry, so I took this from our moving car (Pat was driving). I thought it came out pretty well, considering. We live in such a pretty place 😊

For more Skywatch Friday pictures from bloggers all over, click HERE. Have a great weekend!

Palmer Lake

Palmer Lake is a picturesque little hamlet a few miles north of Colorado Springs. It's part of an area generally known as the Tri-Lakes, which also includes Monument. You can see that it's a pretty place! I've only blogged about Palmer Lake once before (with pictures by my friend Jennifer), so last week when Pat and I had a rare idle afternoon ahead of us, we decided to drive up there and take a few pictures. It was a great way to spend some free time. The lake was refilled recently, after a few years of depressing emptiness. It's been restored back to its natural charm, and the waterfowl are just beginning to rediscover the place. So are the anglers! I didn't know this, but there's also a Frisbee golf course right next to the lake, a donation from the Palmer Lake Restaurant Group. A handful of teenagers were playing a round while we were there.

It's nice that the residents of Palmer Lake finally have their lake again. If I lived up there, I'd spend a lot of time just hanging around in this spot with a good book and a camera.

There were only a few ducks on the lake, and no geese. I think it might be another couple of years before the waterfowl return in full force.

Nice view to the south! In the foreground is the disc golf course.

A little bit of local history for you :^)

The Awake the Lake .5K

My good friend Jennifer got to take part in this fun event yesterday, the Awake the Lake .5K. I usually don't work on Sundays, but yesterday I broke my own rule, so I asked Jennifer to take a few pictures for the blog since I couldn't go myself. The event was created to benefit Palmer Lake, which is situated in a pretty little town of the same name, just north of Colorado Springs. The lake is an interesting part of our region's history, tied in to the railroads, and in recent years it had gone dry (believe me, it looked depressing in that state!). Lately, however, it's full of water again, thanks to the efforts of Palmer Lake residents. The .5K (yes, that's .5, not 5) was a tongue in cheek "athletic" event to raise money and awareness for the cause. Half a kilometer is a little under 547 yards, so these "competitors" didn't even break a sweat.

In Jennifer's words:

"About 700 people signed up to walk or run the .5k. There was a choice of courses: obstacles (you had to walk over a log -- see killer action photo), or no obstacles (except the donut stand). Sasha the dog/bumblebee finished the course and earned herself a treat, too. After the race, everyone crossed the street to enjoy root beer or real beer at O'Malley's - a very well known biker watering hole."

Thanks for the great pictures, Jenn! It looks like I missed a fun time!

Some cute little Broncos fans. I love it!

Cheerleaders from one of the local high schools.

Some O'Malley's patrons riding past.

Palmer Lake looks MUCH better with water in it!