January Color

It's been a dry dry winter here.  Very little snow down here on the plains, but a fairly frigid snap for a month or so around the holidays.  Glad it's warmed back up, but we sure need moisture. 

Couple weeks back, right after New Years, I had the urge to go camping and try out my new aluminum dutch ovens.  Got a nice big one for Christmas and bought another little one to go along with it.  Went down to Pueblo where it's always a couple degrees warmer and camped out and made bread and beef stew.  About the time my bread was ready the ranger came along to check my permit.  Said I was pretty hardy as I was the only camper in the park that afternoon.  I told him I was anxious to try out my new dutch ovens.  I invited him over to take a look as I took the bread off the heat.  He was impressed and I shared with him a piece of hot buttered bread.  He thought that was amazing.  I was impressed myself.  Very yummy as was the beef stew.  Dam, that Bill can cook!

Anyway, the next morning the resident curved-bill thrashers and canyon towhees showed up.  Got a nice picture of one of the thrashers all puffed up against the cold morning.  It was cold that morning.  17, I think it was. 

Went out along Clear Creek the other day.  Really nice day.  Saw some colorful ducks in the creek and in the bit of open water in the pond at the Wheat Ridge greenbelt park.  My favorite are the red-breasted mergansers.  I just love that ragged crest of theirs.