Our spring snowstorm arrived on schedule, and I am so grateful that I'm retired.
I hated commuting on snowy, icy roads.
Terry and I were warm and cozy even though the power went out for a bit.
Spring Snow ~ Can you spot the deer hunkered down in the center?
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 6, 2025
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
One week later it was 80ºF at lunchtime.
Such is springtime on the high plains of Colorado.
Cottonwoods Leafing
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 9, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
This month, I've been out and about enjoying all the springtime sights ~
like the water skippers I first saw as a small child on a calm pond.
They delight me every time I spot them.
Water Skipper ~ Gerridae
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 9, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Baby black-tailed prairie dogs are so cute, and I look for them every spring.
These five raced for their burrow, the moment they saw me inching closer.
Baby Black-tailed Prairie Dogs Running for Cover
Red-tailed Hawk Park
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 11, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Old Man Cottonwood is still surviving, many years after he toppled over.
I'm always wary when I walk around massive cottonwoods.
They are under stress from our severe drought in recent years,
and so many huge limbs and trees have come crashing down.
Old Man Cottonwood
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 2, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Peek-a-Boo! I see you!
Over the years, I've gotten very good at spying mule deer in secluded spots.
Their adorable, exceptionally large ears give them away.
Muley Deer
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 9, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Sometimes the mule deer are easy to see.
They like to lie down on the lawns around houses adjoining the park.
I came upon four bucks behind a fence on such a lawn.
I tried to get closer for better photos, but the biggest male began to make
distressing, growling sounds I've never heard from a muley before.
He was also standing up, unlike the other three.
I beat a hasty retreat. 😂
Three Bucks
(The one on the right is likely a "button" buck because his antlers haven't emerged yet.)
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 9, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
The Big Growling Buck
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 9, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
While we were in Hawai'i, I missed part of a nearby project on Sampson Gulch.
The existing basin has been enlarged, and flood control channels have been added.
It's so frustrating that I haven't been able to learn more about this project,
because it's really interesting to see the work that's happening.
Samson Gulch Catchment Basin
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 11, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Samson Gulch Catchment Basin
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 11, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Installing More Flood Controls Features Farther Down Sampson Gulch
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 11, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserve
From the massive to the tiny, we live in such a fascinating world.
A Bee Pollinating Chokecherry Flowers
Along Sampson Gulch
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 11, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserve
Like this mourning dove sitting patiently on her nest above our garage door
while I swept our front porch. She didn't move a feather!
Little Mama Mourning Dove
Our Home
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 11, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserve
“Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.”
Look at the wonders all around you. It's a magnificent world!
Like thisI'm linking to Gillena's Lunch Break, Nicole's Friday Face Off, Tom's Aloha Friday, and Debra's She Who Seeks.
Have a great weekend!
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com
Copyright ©2026 – All rights reserved.
My next post will be IWSG Day
Wednesday, May 22nd. 🤞
On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Dear Louise, your photos are absolutely stunning! I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead, dear friend.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you enjoy them, Linda! I hope you have a great weekend too. Much love to you!
DeleteDear friend Louise !
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful,delightful and uplifting post ♥️👌🥰
I enjoyed every bit of it! Your commentary makes the views poignant 🤗
I am glad you are back and enjoying your gorgeous season to fullest!
Oh snow looks awesome and I hope rain follows it to cherish the plants and trees🤞
I completely agree with you that we should keep it in mind always that life is too short to waste in worrying about things we can’t control. Taking some time to look around all the blessings bestowed upon us and paying gratitude is best way to heal from chaos of the world.
I spotted the deer only because of it’s long ears and it made me chuckle 🤭
Growling deer can be mom or dad possibly as according to personal experience only they get disturbed when someone tries to get close to their children. Very nicely captured all 👍
I felt for the old tree , it makes me sad that he and his co existents are starving for the rain 😞
I hope and pray for lots of rain which can refill them with life 🙏
I share your childlike joy and excitement while looking at water 🤗🥹♥️
The dove hatching her eggs look so cute 🥰
We to have dove nesting in our climber and she gets restless when we we go to the sink fixed under the climber and sometimes flies off and returns back when we are back to our room. I feel bad disturbing her !
Keep enjoying your blessings dear friend ,sending love and prayers ♥️
Thanks you for your lovely comment, Baili! I just returned from the gym where I showed my trainer Julie the photos of the deer. She knows a lot about deer, and she told me that the smallest one with no antlers was likely a "button" male. That means its antlers hadn't started growing out yet. Either it was younger or had dropped its previous antlers late. She said that a doe wouldn't be hanging out with three bucks like that. I love learning new things! Julie said that the biggest buck didn't like me getting too close, so he growled at me.
DeleteI love Old Man Cottonwood. I've been visiting him for twenty years. I missed his vibrant reddish-purple male flowers this year when Terry and I had those bad colds. I missed the pretty greenish-yellow flowers of the female cottonwood too. Cottonwoods are dioecious, which means that they are either female or male, and they depend on the wind for the male trees to pollinate the female trees. Late next month the park will be full of the seed-carrying cotton fluff that the females release. Sometimes there is so much cotton fluff that it piles up in small drifts. Nature is amazing!
I check on Mama Mourning Dove every day . There will be a mess to clean up when she, dad, and babies are gone. But birds need homes too!
Love and blessings to you and your loved ones, dear Baili! ❤️🌺❤️
...and I thought that we had crazy weather, you folks take the prize! Old Man Cottonwood is a work art in its old age! Louise, take care and be well and merry!
ReplyDeleteAloha, Tom! Yes, Old Man Cottonwood is a work of art. I have hundreds of pictures of him which I've taken over the last twenty years. This spring the park rangers sawed off a couple of his dangerous limbs. I was surprised, because OMC is well off the trail. I suppose I'm not the only person who wanders around exploring everything. 😂 The rangers have sawed limbs off quite a few trees. There is one section of cottonwoods where I enter the park, and I tiptoe through it holding my breath. Some huge limbs and trunks have crashed down and more are going to follow. Just don't squash me please (or anything else). 😂. I am back to my old self which is great. I hate being out of commission. Happy weekend to you and your Sweetie. Oh, are you familiar with Delta Blues Brother? I discovered him on YouTube, and he delivers raw delta blues for sure!
Delete"Some People Age...Some People Grow by Delta Blues Brother:
Deletehttps://music.youtube.com/watch?v=37eWKNdSVfc&list=RDAMVM47rF0hbLjzw
Thanks for the new Piney Creek photos -- haven't seen any for a long time!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Debra! I am so glad to be back roaming along Piney Creek. There is always something to see. I hope you've had a great week. Here's to an even better weekend, my special friend! ❤️🌺❤️
DeleteI heard that there was a spring snowstorm in Colorado. Yup, I totally get why you are glad you didn't have to drive in it. Those prairie dogs are adorable. When my daughter was little we took her to the National Zoo in Washington. Of all the animals there, she adored the prairie dogs. When I see them I always think of her. Thanks for giving me that good thought. And I enjoyed your other photos too. Have a great Friday Louise.
ReplyDeleteErika, I'm delighted that your daughter adored the prairie dogs at the zoo and that my photo reminded you of her. I never tire of their antics, and they truly are a keystone species. I hope you have enjoyed today. Have a lovely weekend!
DeleteYour quote gives me goosebumps! What a perfect statement. Thank you so very much for bringing me so many lovely shots of my favorite place to live! I miss it....yes, even the spring snow storms!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dreaming! Terry and I decided after lots of looking around that Colorado had become home. Fingers crossed, we're supposed to get several days of rain next week. We sure need it! I wish that you still lived close by. We could get together. I miss Boomer too. He's probably crossed the Rainbow Bridge quite a while ago. He was one gorgeous horse! All the best to you!
DeleteI've seen mule deer and don't think I've ever heard one make growling type noises...
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex! I've been watching the mule deer for 20 years, and I never heard one growl before. Maybe he was having a bad day. 😂. I hope your day has been awesome, my friend!
DeleteCan't say I've ever heard a deer growl. That would make me back off too.
ReplyDeleteNot going to fight the nest this year? Just let the dove be in peace?
Blah to the snow. Hate it. Maybe not so much if I didn't have to go out in it, but since I do, blah.
Funny how the prairie dogs all went running for their hole. Giving you their bums lol
It's always great to hear from you, Pat! Your fun sense of humor always brightens my day. Oh, I fought nests on our deck. I chased a lot of lookers off ~ and I can make some pretty fierce growls when I do. Better than a male deer. 😂 I find it hard to eat dinner with a mama bird glaring at me nonstop through the sliding door to our deck. But this little dove chose well, sneaking into a hidey-hole under the eaves by our garage door. Birds are really smart! What shocked me was the mother prairie dog dove in first. I thought she'd make sure her babies got in first. Nope. Here's to no more snow for you this year, my friend! 🥂🍀
DeleteOhhhh boo hoo hoo on the snow. I too commuted to work in heavy snow and I will not live in snow country again. :). These are wonderful photos. The spider is pretty cool. The prairie dogs are so much fun to watch. I really enjoyed this post. Have a nice evening.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nicole! I'm glad you enjoyed my post! Have a great week!
DeleteLovely, lovely photos. It's so nice to see everything happening in the great outdoors right in your neighborhood. I understand it's not a good idea to mess with deer, but I've never had a deer growl at me. I've heard females mew. The deer I've been around aren't mule deer, though--only white-tailed deer. I'm sorry you're going through a long-term drought. Ours is relatively short, but drought is difficult and problematic. Your mama dove looks sweet. All the best to you.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
All there best to you, Janie! 🌺❤️🌺
DeleteWhat a wonderful post! Such glorious deer and wonderful creatures. Those little prairie dogs are the cutest thing I've ever seen! And I love the scratching deer. I'm so glad your snow didn't last long, though I know you need it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeanie! We're getting rain today and for the next several days. Wonderful! Have an awesome week!
DeleteA mama and baby deer jumped past my car during the daytime about ten years ago. I still remember seeing them look back at me before disappearing
ReplyDeleteThey are beautiful and memorable creatures, Adam. I'm happy that you have this lovely memory!
DeleteA reminder that retirement allows the luxury of noticing prairie dogs, wary mule deer and even changing flood channels with the kind of patience hurried life rarely permits.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to enjoy a long and fulfilling retirement, Roentare! I love having exited from hurried life!
DeleteDear Louise, just stopping by to let you know I am thinking of you. And of course I am enjoying your beautiful photos again while I am here. I hope you had a great weekend, dear friend.
ReplyDeleteSnowy May? Oh no.
ReplyDeleteI remember one year we had snow at the beggining of May and it was a distaster - my country is not used to see snow during springtime so far.
Warm greetings from blooming Poland =)
sorry to be late visiting. Your photos are both impressive and overwhelming. The deer, bee, and bird photos were incredible.
ReplyDeleteHappy Spring!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos. The deer are fun to see.
Happy T Day!
Beautiful photos. You live in an enchanted area. I miss late season snows!
ReplyDelete