June 28, 2017 Continental Divide, Summit County, Colorado

I went with my friend Katy to meet Rosie at the west portal of the Eisenhower tunnel to hike up Straight Creek to the divide over looking Loveland Ski area on the other side. There were fields of flowers above treeline. 

Katy photographing some columbines and a snow melt stream.

We had to traverse numerous snowfields. Difficult walking from steep, hard, slippery sun cupped snow to soft snow we punched through. Katy and Rosie and looking down one of the snowfields.

Looking up the same snowfield. Rosie and Katy taking photographs and overlooking the west portal of the Eisenhower tunnel and I-70 west. 

Fields of flowers top-Looking north, bottom looking south.

Field of yellow flowers looking north. Looking east from the divide over Loveland Ski area, the east portal of the tunnel and I-70 eastbound. The mountains you see are Gray's and Torrey's, two 14er's. 

Katy and Rosie under a trail sign at Loveland Ski area. In the winter the snow would be over their heads here.  Rosie and Katy starting back down. Near the top a fierce cold wind came up, we had to put on fleece and gortex jackets, stocking caps  and gloves and keep moving to keep warm.

We saw this herd of mountain goats including a kid(baby goat). They still have their thick winter coats. Field of flowers looking down into the valley to the trail out.

On the way up with our t-shirts and sun hats, and further up with our stocking caps, fleece and gortex jackets. Rosie and Katy on the way back down.

Millions of flowers today. Globe flowers, marsh marigolds, kings crown, chiming bells, paintbrush and candy tuft. Sky pilot and paintbrush, cinquefoils, pussy willows, the lift at the top of Loveland Ski area, avens, alpine clover, columbines and alpine tundra. 

Multi colored fields of flowers, purple fringe, white flowers, an alpine butterfly and alpine primrose. Campions, spring beauty, butter cups blooming through the snow, old men of the mountain and the sign for the continental divide--13,010 feet! I had trouble breathing that high. We spent most of the winter at a much lower altitude.

June 23-27, 2017 Fort Collins, Colorado

We had dinner at Steve and Ginny's, in their backyard. Jeff joined us. This pine needle basket has been in Ginny's family for many generations. Nice stitching.  Great dinner and a fun time with friends.

Pendants I made. These are all the baskets that are left, they are selling fast!

The next night we had dinner with John G and Mandy in their backyard. Mandy served appetizers on the masterpieces she bought from me. I usually don't like to see food on my masterpieces, but they looked pretty good here. It was good to spend time with them.

I am starting the next masterpiece here. It is a tree patterned after a tree I saw on the beach in Oregon. The next night we had dinner with a group of friends from the fire dept where John worked before he retired. It was organized by Jeff, who also live on the road and we run into him everywhere. It was fun to see everyone.  

The masterpiece after it's first firing, it has way to many bubbles. I drilled them and it is going back in. I also made some barrettes and a desert scene to use in the center of a basket.  We saw an Art Battle going on in old town square. 

I stopped by the test gardens at CSU. There are lots of beautiful blooms. 

June 14-22,2017 Fort Collins, Colorado

I had lunch with a group of old coworkers - old job, we are not old. Kay, Carol, Nancy and I. It was fun to see them. Horses on the bike trail next to the river in Fort Collins.

Sunset. The top part of the masterpiece photo is a stencil I got got from a class I took at the glass expo in Vegas last month. I sandblasted it  on to a piece of blue mirror glass. The middle photo is it without light behind it and the bottom one is it with light behind it.

I now have two turkey roasters and am boiling pine needles in glycerin in them. Hoping to get a years worth of needles done so I don't have to mess with it on the road. The top one in this masterpiece photo is a plate I made last year. It sold to a friend. She saw another one I made with some columbines in it and asked for a remake. The remake so far.

My brother Jerry came up and took us out to dinner, early for my birthday and almost on time for our anniversary. The restaurant gave me some green tea ice cream for my birthday, some of it is on Jerry's plate. Sunset on the way home in Old Town Fort Collins.

Some sights from my evening bike ride. A huge bull snake, grass seed heads and reflections in the gravel pit lake.

Seed heads and a deer on the bike path.

The columbine piece before it's first firing, then after it's first firing on a mold to slump before the second firing. I am leading the blue sandblasted piece. 

A guitar sculpture on old town square. Sunset this evening. 

Two more shots along the bike path along the river. 

Mandy purchased both of these pieces. She bought the left one last year, but wanted me to make one with columbines and trade. So I made the columbine one this year and when she saw both she decided to buy both.

Grass, milkweed blossom with a swallow tail on it, birds on the wire in the sunset and the finished columbine piece. Sunset from our deck.

The future site of the Fort Collins water park on the Poudre River.