The Traveling Kiwi

This morning we went to the Swetsville zoo, a sculpture park with all the exhibits made from old pieces of engines and farm equipment. An eccentric place of wonder and imagination. I loved the dinosaur of tomorrow with its engine, wheels and little driver in the mouth.

Posted in Uncategorized

Last time I was here in Rocky Mountain National Park it was the last part of the journey to Fort Collins and I was towing Hobbit Home through hail and torrential rain. This time the sun was shining and although the temperature dropped from 85 to 62 as we made our way up the mountains it was a whole different experience.  We saw chipmunks, ground squirrels, elk, pika and eagles. Joe ignored the signs and gave a squirrel an almond which allowed me to take some great close ups. The squirrels cheeks got fatter and fatter as he madly shoved the almond pieces in before the chipmunks could get them. We didn’t get close to a pika but we watched one climb a bush a tear leaves off then scamper to a hole in the rocks to store them. The photo of the pika is one we saw sunbathing on the rocks.

Posted in Uncategorized

We headed back to Fort Collins, stopping the night in Glenwood Springs for a swim in the hot pools. We had been in the pool for about an hour when an electrical storm blew over, they recommended everyone get out of the pool as there was forked lightening right above us. Many people packed up and went home as it started to rain. 10 minutes later it was all over and we had a wonderful time with lots of space in the pool. The campground was right on the river and the railroad tracks so we could see rafts floating past and every couple of hours a train….. all night…..

Posted in Uncategorized

Another Dinosaur place, this time its the Dinosaur Journey in Fruita just outside Grand Junction where we are staying. They had a place where you could actually participate in a dig but it was too expensive, instead the kids covered each other up and excavated live bodies. Dinner at a mexican restaurant close by had dinosaur chicken nuggets, will the dinosaurs never end arrggghhhh!!!!

Posted in Uncategorized

After we left our exploration adventure we headed to Moab for lunch and to fill up on water. Interesting place I would like to explore with more time and in cooler weather. There were not alot of people about and I am sure its only the crazies who head into this part of Utah in mid summer. So on to Arches National Park, the plan had been to get there late in the day and take photos with the sun coming in on an angle to the cliffs. Unfortunately after sweltering all day a storm came in about the same time as we got to the park so the skies quickly became gray and dark and the wind picked up scouring me with red sand every time I ventured out of the car. Even in this weather the part was spectacular and I am hoping I get the chance to return and really see it all.

I have not tried to straighten any on the photos taken on my new fish eye lens, I will at some point but for now they are more fun the way they are.

Posted in Uncategorized

Long story and lots of photos today. We set out from Grand Junction nice and early planning to look for dinosaur bones at a live dig that Ori had given us directions to. It was off the beaten track and we knew we would be away from main roads but we didn’t know how far off and what we were in for. We found the Japanese Internment Camp road and followed the track from the foundations of the old buildings. Not knowing that the rainstorms had washed away the track we were looking for we kept going until we found the first left in the dusty gravel road. The road quickly became a four wheel drive obstacle course with steep uphill climbs on sheer rock with parallel gouges in the rock for grip. I decided to get out and document the progress and scout ahead just in case there was nowhere to turn around. We drove for miles in open desert following a path meant for bikes. We eventually came to an area we really couldn’t go any further. The temperature outside was getting up past 107F and we didn’t have alot of water left. So we convinced Joe ( who was happy to slog on even though it was obvious we were lost and he had two passengers too scared to stay in the car)  On the way back out we decided to take a detour over a river wash that had no tracks on it and found ourselves 3 hours later at the place we had been searching for at the beginning.  We headed up the steep mountain track by foot. The path was cut in two from the runoff and no vehicle could have made it -not even a bike. We got about 1/2 way up and the heat was too much. Back in the car we decided that we would explore this area when it gets cooler, like mid winter. The scenery was amazing, each direction you looked there was a completely different landscape. On one side mountains the distinct turquoise blue of the Morrison layer ( where the dino bones reside)  Ahead the back of arches national park with its distinct red monoliths, to the right rocky outcrops and tortured trees, behind us stoney desert. Definitely a place to explore, but with lots of water and food and a four wheel drive built for the desert. Monty served us well but we were stretching its capabilities.

Posted in Uncategorized

Who goes past a sign that says Colorado National Monument and actually thinks there is anything there worth seeing – they really have to change the name of this place, it it breathtaking. Glorious red cliffs and canyons, balancing rocks, twisted trees, cliffs sculptured by the winds into soft curves, it really is worth a visit.

Posted in Uncategorized

More dinosaurs – now I definitely know more about dinosaurs than I ever needed to. We went to Dinosaur Ridge just west of Denver and saw dinosaur bones still in the rock and a rock face with  dinosaur footprints. We have a very happy 10 year old who has decided he is going to be a paleontologist.

Posted in Uncategorized

We spent the first couple of nights at Owaissa and put the fox food out hoping to see the blond fox and her kits. What we saw was the blond fox and her black fox friend. Black foxes are rare and apparently they have not been seen for years. I tried to take photos but the light was poor and the foxes were alert and quick to move if they heard the slightest sound.

Posted in Uncategorized

Joe’s 10 year old nephew Jakob arrived from Cleveland to spend a little over two weeks with us. He loves dinosaurs so we planned to spend the time searching for dinosaurs and fossils. Day One we headed to Woodland Park, Colorado, to the Dinosaur Resource Center. An excellent collection and well worth the visit, we thought at this point we now knew more about dinosaurs that we would ever need to but little did we know it really was just the beginning.  We went further into the mountains to Florrisant Fossil Beds and unearthed a few fossils of our own. It was fun, like a treasure hunt. The best one we found was only part of a leaf but very satisfying.

Posted in Uncategorized