Our microscopic tree this year. Samson, the new young Tom-kitty, is feared as a potential tree assassin, so Laurel went with this smaller 'symbolic' tree.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Samson and Ms. Kitty
Sampson, the suspected Christmas tree would-be-assassin, is on the left, helping Ms. Kitty keep that corner of the bed from floating up off the ground. They are tireless in providing this valuable service.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Tracks, Trees and Sun
Cross-eyed stereo pair of wintery hillside. (If you cross your eyes until the two images fuse into one in the center, you'll see the scene in 3D. Clicking on the image will, as always, provide a bigger and more detailed image.)
Giant's Eye View of Front Range
Cross-eyed pair of front range, showing El Dorado canyon and the distant snow-capped peaks of the continental divide. Shot with about a 200-meter parallax to give a giant's eye view of the depth. (Best to click on the pic for a bigger view).
Poles and Plants
Cross-eyed stereo pair of power poles (very few of these left nowadays) along the southwest edge of Standley Lake.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Begining to look a lot like Christmas
Halloween came and went with a few jack-o-lantern decorations, then we had faux leaves and a cornucopia through Thanksgiving. Now that December has rolled around, Bruns Manor is sporting a bit of Christmas decor.
Not meant for man to know
One of those things that people of the masculine persuasion were not meant to understand - a small shelf whose sole purpose appears to be the support of some painted letters which are arranged to spell "Apple". Don't get me wrong - I like seeing it. It's just not something I'd ever think of doing. Anyway, you can also see the top of the Christmas tree in the mirror.
Presidential Ornament
This tasteful, multi-colored plastic and stamped aluminum ornament is said to have come from the White House itself. Whether from the gift shop or discreetly lifted from the first tree, we do not know (or aren't telling).
Angel from on high
The sunburst halo, extra piece of flowing cloth, the prehensile steel wire helping her grip the treetop - all are the signs of a true angel.
Angel's Back
I'm sure the manufacturer must have done his homework before crafting this piece, so it must be safe to conclude that angels do, in fact, have bar-codes.
Our Christmas Tree
The whole tree, complete with loose ornaments for the cat to play with, so she doesn't have to knock any off.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Zebralawn
I'll never understand why people buy and use drop spreaders for fertilizing their lawns. Though in fairness, this colorful display of lemon-lime stripeyness only became apparent as the weather got cooler. Still, a broadcast spreader is less expensive, easier to use (IMO), and gives an even feeding. At least this hapless suburban farmer didn't go over it again a second time at right angles to the first pass - that ends up providing a festive plaid look.
Hobbit Hole
This prarie dog made its hole under a sage. Probably keeps his home smelling prarie sweet.
Road to El Dorado
A dirt track pointing more-or-less in the direction of Ed Dorado canyon, which is in that gap where the front range mountains dip down and touch the ground, revealing the snow-capped peaks of the continental divide.
Love Life
A picnic-bench philosophy that's hard to argue with. Though the cannabis leaf makes me wonder if the love of life they're feeling is perhaps a little forced. Then again, the glass of shiraz in my belly argues persuasively that it might not be.
Didn't Get the Memo
Dude, see what everyone else is wearing? You must not have got the memo about the Fall dress code.
Inspiration for Roger Dean?
The edges where the lake undermines the shore give rise to these fantastic shaped miniature landscapes that somehow remind me of the psychedelic artwork of Roger Dean.
Sundog
He came running then stopped, posing just long enough for this photo, then ran off, resuming his original mission.
Waterwall
It'll be fun, someday, when smart materials allow us to create walls that exactly mimic the ripples of a lake coming to shore but vertically, on the wall.
Dried Lakeweed
Don't know what to call this - a tangled mat of seaweed? I don't think "lakeweed" is right, since that term applies to a specific plant (water pepper). Whatever. I like the jumble and wonder how hard it would be to untangle the whole mess.
Timing is everything
Sadly enough, for this tenacious bindweed sprout - its timing couldn't possibly have been any worse. But then again, it also ended up sprouting below the high-water mark, violating the first law of real estate - location...location...location.
Front-Row Seat
The small bench appears perfectly positioned for a solo audience to grand cloudscape dances. (One of the many cool things about Colorado is the awesome variety of clouds we get, owing to the unusual airflow after passing over the mountains).
Life on the Edge
This cottonwood has the mixed fortune of having grown right next to the high-water mark of the lake, causing it to spread huge, trunk-sized roots sideways.
First Ice
Here it is, the middle of November, and we're only just now seeing temperatures low enough at night to start icing over shallow water.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Hippie and Dwarf
It's interesting that the Woodstock icon has become a part of costume lore on a par with witches, goblins and dwarves.
Halloween Decoration
Some people decorate the outside of their home for Halloween and some set out decorations on the inside. Laurel set this metal Jack-o-Lantern and some fall leaves on the kitchen counter, along with some decorative gourds and a wicker cornucopia.
Blaze
Mike's cat, Blaze, impeccably dressed in her favorite Halloween costume, showing her sly look.
Laurel helping get Mike ready
Mike is a very tall 15-year-old who, despite Laurel's scolding that he's really too old to be going out, still went trick-or-treating with his buddies.
Trick-or-treat
In the US, children dress in costume and go door to door saying "trick or treat", expecting candy. Just for fun, we gave out 12-ounce cans of Coca-Cola. The little kids eyes really light up when they see that instead of a small piece of chocolate.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Stone Swirl
One of the artsy stacked stones with carvings on 'em that're supposed to look like they're done by aboriginals...with power tools.
New bench concept
Looks so much more comfy than those traditional wooden-slat benches. Complete with seat-belts, too, in case we get an earthquake.
Beeman Park
I never found Beeman Park. But since they're still building, perhaps it's yet to come. Nevertheless, they have banners exalting it.
High Security
Must be an insurance thing. I've never noticed much worth stealing on construction sites. (Though I suppose someone building something might make off with a truckload of lumber, but still...)
Plant Map
A map that allows one to locate whatever particular species of shrubbery one is curious about. The only poisonous one I spotted was Digitalis Obscura, but I bet a botanist could spot a few more. Surprising the Five Parks developers didn't vet the list of plants to be sure they're all safe in salads.
Contorted Filbert
This central park of the Five Parks development has a small arboretum, with plaqued plants that allegedly grow here. This is the first time I've seen a "contorted filbert", though. They also have a corkscrew willow that looks a bit deformed, though not as obviously as this poor fellow.
Main Street, USA
Materialization of the Five Parks Main-Street Disneyopolis tract-home concept. I like the look, but wish they had a bit more space between them. And I don't get what's with these people parking their cars on the wrong side of the road, British-style.
Mailboxes
In an odd juxtaposition of small-townishness meets modern postal reality, Five Parks appears to have provided individual mailboxes in the familiar shape of those used by rural residents, but has bolted them onto a common frame, just like the anonymous silvery NBU's that most neighborhoods have nowadays.
The Depot
Part of the small-town, main-street, Disnefied ambiance that the marketeers of Five Parks have created is The Depot. This would be cool if Five Parks were actually served by light rail, as some commuter-oriented developments are nowadays, but the "Depot" appears to be more of a small-towny-flavored rec center.
Now you know
This small park, with the quaint playground and nice horizons, is one of apparently five in the Five Parks subdivision.
Nice spread
The view from Russell Park looking NE reveals a ranch house surrounded by colorful windbreak.
Mystery Mounds
I just can't figure out what they're building or growing that would require them to create all these mysterious mounds of dirt. It'll be interesting to see what it turns out to be.
Playground
Quaint little playground set that appears to be much less lethal than the monkey-bars, teeter-totters and large swing-sets I recall as a kid.
In the round
Round touristo snaps self-portrait in convex side of the burning-ray-of-death playground piece.
Unintended side-effect
The concave side of this mirrored dome faces South-East, allowing the sun to be focused into a little burning ray of unintended evil as it passes low in the afternoon sky. You can see where some pebbles have been heated enough to melt larger pits for themselves, and the sun traces lines that correspond to cloud-free afternoons as it precesses lower into the autumn sky. I bet the first time little Billy burns his precious fingers on that molten plastic, this feature of the playground is coming out. Too bad, really. It's sort of educational.
Nice moss
In addition to their bright choice of flowers, I found myself taken by the pools of green moss between the flagstones on the left. Moss is a little unusual in this semi-arid climate.
Ring of bad taste
This little "attraction" consists of concrete poured in a spiral with a concrete faux tree stump in the center proclaiming it "The tree of knowledge & the ring of stone". Never mind that it's all concrete, rather than tree or stone, and never mind that the tree of knowledge appears to have been cut down or that the "ring" of "stone" is actually a spiral of concrete. This little attraction has absolutely nothing going for it. I can't believe that a new housing development like Five Parks, whose whole shtick is trowelling a sort of Main-Street Disney Mythos over their otherwise pretty ordinary tract homes, would commit the cash and dirt to make this visual catastrophe part of their development. Must have been an art project for the developer's daughter or something.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Entrance to the Dry Creek Trail
This entrance to the Dry Creek Trail is about half a block away from Laurel's house. I decided to walk down to the Standley Lake Library this morning. They don't make days much nicer than this for walking.
Rain totem?
Colorado is a semi-arid region, averaging just 15.4 inches of rain per year. Perhaps they hope this raingirl will attract more?
Happy
Most dogs bark as I walk past. This fella just popped up and looked enquiringly as I snapped his pic.
Dogs walking man
This guy was constantly juggling leashes from hand to hand as these three pooches went every which way, mostly ignoring his commands to stop or go or stay. It was pretty clear who was walking whom.
A bridge
A bridge over the raging creek. (Seems like overkill, with the creek spanning all of a meter across, but it's a nice bridge).
Every day is flag day
These folks have a splendid Tudor-style house in a lovely yard and appear to fly the flag all the time.
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