Prince Puppy

Meet Prince, the cutest Chihuahua in the West.

Prince is from Mexico and was surrendered in Colorado when his family realized he was an escape artist that was soon to be run over in a yard with no fence.  Within the week he was home with me and my own pups.

Needless to say, little Prince has found a perfect (temporary) fit with us.

Baba Ghanoush and him are best friends and it's hard to imagine Prince not staying with us. In just a short week little man will be flying to South Carolina to live in his permanent home with my mom.  Until then, Prince, we will cherish you and that cute little face.

Life in the Foothills

In October we were given an opportunity to house/cat-sit up in the Foothills overlooking Fort Collins.  As we settled into our temporary Bingham Hill residence I noticed a few patterns.  One were the deer, a cute little family of three that would often show up around dusk to feed around the back deck.

Despite coming in to feed near the house, even in the courtyard, they were still skittish and would keep their distance.  I like it when deer are like that, friendly but not so use to humans. It also means the permanent residents of this home don't feed the wildlife and truly do keep wildlife wild.  

The sunsets and sunrises were beautiful, the sparrows plentiful, the deer photogenic, and the views went for days but I must admit, it's nice to be home.  I live down  there somewhere under that light pink sky.  It's not as scenic as the foothills but it's nearly perfect with it's plentiful bookcases, un-made bed, and dog hair.

Bird Murals in Fort Collins

Fort Collins is a fun and vibrant city full of life and art.  As I was walking down a seemingly boring alley near downtown I couldn't help but pause as these beautiful images jumped from the transformers and utility boxes.  I love all things birds but these works of art are more than that, they are just beautiful.  They take a hum-drum part of life and make it alive.

I recently read an article about murals and it even included a photo of one of Fort Collins bird utility boxes: http://heartfeltassociates.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/paintbrushes-ready-seven-reasons-to-make-a-mural/

I think murals are definitely used well in Larimer County, as you see them throughout Fort Collins and Loveland but I would love to see incorporated in other areas.  I definitely think its a nice way to bring the community together, create beautiful art, and make life a little more vibrant.

The Yard Showdown

Name: Baba Ghanoush

Alias: Noushy, Nukey, Baba

Age: 1 year old

Interests: Yard sprinting, Daisy, playing, snow, leaf jumping, snuggling, the outdoors

Hates: Fireworks, gunshots

Name: Daisy

Alias: Douzel, Daisy-mae, Daze

Age: 8 years old

Interests: Eating, chasing squirrels, eating, napping, eating, going to the office, eating, travel

Hates: Squirrels

Name: Yard Squirrel

Alias: Evil thing, Squirrel!, Devil

Age: Unknown

Interests: Bird feeders, tail-flicking, berries & seeds, taunting dogs

Hates: Dogs (or is it love?)

Date: Almost Everyday

Show: Dogs versus Squirrel(s)

Winner: Squirrel - Every.Single.Time.

Urban Gardening

Life begins the day you start a garden. ~Chinese Proverb

August provided a change of scenery for our little family, a move across town, a new garden to love.  As we settled into our new home in the Campus West community of Fort Collins, we were most excited about the little garden that gives.  Tomato plants brimming, basil, mint, and strawberries ready for harvest.  Truly it was a delight of the senses and a welcome surprise for two tired movers.  

The garden also provided us with flowers, butterflies, bees, and the sweet smell of herbs.  Last night I spent the afternoon dimming to dark as a Wilson Warbler fed on insects in the garden. We were fretting the move but this little garden has made the hard work worth it!  

There's a certain comfort that comes from eating food out of your own garden, making your own minty mojitos, and inviting friends over to share the bounty. Everyone should have a garden or at least a few plants.  I'm glad we've found a new home with a perfect garden space. 

There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling. ~Mirabel Osler

Sharp Point Drive White-Cheeks

Sharp Point Drive off of Prospect in Fort Collins, CO has a series of ponds easy viewed from the sidewalk.  We dropped by in the early part of the year and saw a variety of ducks and geese.  The pond on January 3rd was peaceful and fully of Mallards, Widgeons, and a few Pintails and Goldeneyes.  The flock of white-cheeked geese were mostly Cackling but a fair representation of Canada Geese were also mixed in.  Above you can see the size difference between a Cackling Goose in the foreground and a Canada Goose right behind it.

A few days later, the temperatures dipped in the single digits.  We went back out to see how the flock was managing and they were keeping a tight pack.  The Cackling/Canada Geese were huddled on the edges of the open water.  The number of duck species had dwindled but one Common Merganser was seen and a few American Widgeon were present.  As the grey sky turned to darkness, more geese were flying in but we decided our birding time was complete.

We'll be back to check out these ponds throughout the year.  I'm excited to see what may show up!  If you're in Fort Collins, it's a short stop off I-25 and very close to Edora Park.  It's definitely one of my top spots in Fort Collins.

New Year's Day Birding

On New Year's Day, after watching Chickadees and Blue Jays in the backyard, we took a few birding stops.  First we went to Lake Loveland to look for Iceland Gull but it was a bust.  On the way back to Fort Collins we had killer looks at a Rough-legged Hawk.  First lifer of the year.  Our last and final stop was at Grandview Cemetery where we found a Townsend's Solitaire that gave us great views on top of a gravestone.  It was a day of white-cheeked geese, robins, starlings, Ring-billed Gulls, and Red-tailed Hawks.  Not so bad for just a few hours of birding and a great way to kick off the new year!

Chilly Evening Hike

Over the weekend Emily and I took the dogs out for a short hike at Pineridge Natural Area.  From the parking lot we spotted two Bald Eagles soaring over Horsetooth Reservoir.  The cold wind picked up and birds were rare so we headed back to the car.  We decided to drive up to the top of the reservoir for a few family photos since the birds were scarce.

2013 has been a crazy year full of big changes. We traveled to Costa Rica, moved to Colorado, we started new jobs, we bought a new car, we adopted Daisy our silly Bulldog mix, we traveled around Colorado, and on Christmas Eve we adopted a new puppy which we named Baba Ghanoush.  Overall, I'd say it was a busy year.  I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for the Lark Family!

Daisy, Eva & Baba Ghanoush at Horsetooth Reservoir

Douglas Reservoir Lifers

Douglas Reservoir

Douglas Reservoir is north of Fort Collins and recently there were reports of a Pacific Loon so Emily and I packed up last weekend to find it.  The access points to the reservoir are on both sides via a long gravel road but the birds seemed to all congregate on the northeastern side which is accessible only by foot paths.  With the foothills looming in the background, we found our first lifer of the day, a flock of sparrows and finches had our lifer American Tree Sparrow.  After identifying all the sparrows and goldfinches, we went in search of ducks and loons.  We found the large group of gulls and picked out a few ducks and then we saw the loon. It was different from the other birds and after making size comparisons and getting the right light we made the ID, our Pacific Loon was in the bag.  It was a great morning birding and even Daisy dog had a chance to explore the reservoir berm with us as well.  Can't wait to see what else Colorado has in store!

Birding our lifer American Tree Sparrow

Neighborhood Park

We live by Troutman Park, a cute little community park with two ponds and a great view of Horsetooth Mountain.  Mostly the ponds only host manky Mallards but sometimes we have a few more interesting residents like this flock of Canada Geese.  

So far life in Fort Collins is proving to be quite beautiful.

Swetsville Zoo

The Swetsville Zoo is right outside Fort Collins near Timnath, Colorado.  This bizarre "zoo" is the work of Bill Swets.  He creates each sculpture out of scrap metal and they are on display for anyone that wants to visit free of charge, donations accepted.  This zoo is filled with whimsical dinosaurs, alien-like creatures, and funny works of art - all fashioned from metal.

The Poudre River flows right by the property and allows scenic overlooks.  Swets has even incorporated the river into his artwork with funny looking creatures hauling in big catches.

The Swetsville Zoo is a nice pitstop of you're traveling along the I-25 corridor or happen to be out near Timnath.  Stop awhile, bring a picnic, and enjoy the whimsy. 

The best part of Swetsville Zoo is the unique local artwork.  It's a breathe of fresh air to see art with such comedy.  

Snow Day

October 18th was our first snow day of the year.  I woke up around 3AM to see the whole backyard blanketed in white fluff.  The snow didn't even last the whole day but it was fun to see and from what I hear, more is one the way tonight.  It should be an interesting winter in Colorado.  I hope I find joy in every snow shower.

Horsetooth Mountain poem

At the horizon

Where rock tooth touches the sky

Birds sing all day long

Horsetooth Mountain Birthday

For Daisy's 8th birthday, I took the day off of work and we hit the Horsetooth Mountain Falls Hike on a early Monday morning.  This little shelter pup was only adopted earlier this summer so I felt she needed a fun day to help celebrate.  The photo above may look like a complacent furball but she had a good hike, waded in the waterfall pool, and slept hard on the way home in the car.

Horsetooth Mountain Park trailhead has a couple of options, the Falls Trail or the Mountain trail.  We took the easier, more gentle one to the falls.  Round-trip it was 2-3 hours long.  The path went up and down and up and around the gentle foothills outside of Fort Collins.  After the first turn from the trailhead the rest of the trip was without human disturbances on the landscape.

There is a web of trails in Horsetooth Mountain Park and you can travel from this park to Lory State Park if you continue down the web.

After a pleasant morning on the trail, the sun broke free and it warmed up.  Daisy and I were pretty thirsty on our return and I was happy to find a water fountain that meets all needs: kids, adults, and dogs.  I'll be back to Horsetooth Mountain and maybe Daisy and I will make this an annual celebration!