June 30, 2003
Morning mist
The weather has been humid recently (at least for Colorado) so we have been having cool, misty mornings. I love to see the clouds wrapping the hills around our house. This photo was taken in color, but the lack of light makes it look like black and white.
June 29, 2003
When humans faced extinction
This BBC article describes research into the possibility that homo sapiens nearly became extinct 70000. (via Mitch Wagner. )
Fruit Stands and Farmer's Markets
Here is a National Directory of Fruitstands and Farmer's Markets. Colorado has a short growing season, but according to the chart I found through this website, the Farmer's Markets are open mid-June to mid-October. (via Life of a one man IT department. )
Sun Flower
Driving my niece to Denver International Airport yesterday, I noticed a lot of sunflowers. They are not quite out here in Colorado Springs, but I think this flower may be related.
My niece got safely home. I didn't realize I would be allowed to escort her to the gate (since she is under 18) which led to an embarassing episode at security. I had a Leatherman tool and a Swiss Army knife in my purse. It was a bit involved, but they allowed me to give these items to a supervisor and I picked them up on my way out. I thanked everyone involved, since I know it was a hassle for them to keep track of personal items I should have left in the car.
June 28, 2003
Kissing Camels
I took this photo on Wednesday. On the left, the photo shows the rock formation known as The Kissing Camels.
Yesterday, my niece and I spent a quiet day at home, until we left in the evening to join Jack at Outback Restaurant for dinner.
More Cascading Style Sheets
The Cascading Style Sheet Cheat Sheet has examples and syntax. css Zen Garden: The Beauty of CSS Design has a variety of styles. The Layout Resevoir has basic layouts. Quick Reference Mozilla Sidebars for CSS2 and HTML 4.01. (via Eric Meyer. )
June 27, 2003
Cloudy Skies
The skies were quite cloudy while we were at the Garden of the Gods on Wednesday. Fortunately, the severe weather held off until we left the park. As we were driving down Garden of the Gods Road, I assured my niece that the clouds were the wrong color for hail. Five minutes later, we saw a brief flurry of pea-sized hail.
CSS Samples
I was looking for good tutorials on CSS techniques and came across this site with CSS samples. The Web Design Group also has a list of tutorials. The CSS Shark has yet another tutorial.
June 26, 2003
06/26/2003 05:46:00
Please view some of my most recent photos in Fotolog: Garden of the Gods , Summer flowers , Another photo from the Renaissance festival , Colorado Renaissance Festival , Closeup of yucca bloom
Garden of the Gods
My niece stands in a slot at the Garden of the Gods yesterday. She was very impressed to find that people are allowed to climb on the rocks, with permits, of course. We saw quite a few technical climbers. We overheard two teenaged boys asking a ranger if there was any place to climb without "ropes and stuff" and the deadpan ranger replied, "yes, but you need permits and stuff."
June 25, 2003
Green Mountain
My niece went with me when I walked the dogs yesterday. Here she is standing in front of Mount Herman.
elainehome.jpg On the way back, she took this photo of me. Our house is in the background.
June 24, 2003
Fotolog
This Boston Herald Article discusses the online phenomenon of Fotolog, which I have been using as an annex for this weblog for a few weeks. My sister, after seeing my fotolog, started her own .
Outside of a Dog update
Kate has made one of her occasional updates to Outside of a Dog, her book review weblog. Since we seem to have fairly similar tastes in light reading, I always greet her reviews with enthusiasm.
Stampstruck
Stampstruck, an Oregon rubber stamp store, has a fine gallery of rubber stamp art.
Bead Store
Yesterday, after we spent the morning playing with horses, I took my niece to Old Colorado City. My niece does beading, and I took her to the bead store nearest Creative Impressions , a rubber stamp store. This photo was taken there. My niece said it was the best bead store she had been to. Then, on the advice of a Creative Impressions employee, I took her to another nearby store, Bonnie's Beads, which was even better.
June 23, 2003
Renaissance Faire
We had a good time yesterday at the Colorado Renaissance Festival held in Larkspur. We watched several of the shows, at a variety of food, and did some shopping. I bought myself a journal at D'Vyne Writes. My niece bought herself some earrings. Here, she gets hugged by Maggie, being held by Mother Goose .
June 22, 2003
E 470 Toll Road
I had forgotten the extortionate tolls on E 470, which I took when I went to pick up my niece at Denver International yesterday. The novelty of being almost the only car on a freeway was not worth five bucks to me. And I didn't seem to save any time over the way back, when I took I 70 to I 25. Of course, if I 25 had been in its occasional state of grid-lock.....
06/22/2003 07:49:00
Most days, I upload a photo to Fotolog. Here is a list of my most recent photos: Closeup of yucca bloom , Early light , Early morning mist in Colorado , Nature plants a rock garden , Is this allium?
Dawn Deer
On my walk yesterday morning, before the sun rose, I surprised two deer, and managed to get a shot of them silhouetted against the lake. Since they were too far to be illuminated by the flash, I didn't really expect the photo to turn out even this well.
June 21, 2003
It's True....
It's true....you never forget how to ride a bicycle. Yesterday, I met Jack at Criterium Bicycles. He had cycled there on his lunch hour to leave his bike for a tune-up. Before I took him back to work, he asked a sales person what size bike would fit me. She showed me one and told me take it out on the Santa Fe trail, which runs right by the shop. I rode for a whole three minutes and felt quite chuffed that I managed to do so. I had been thinking of getting a serviceable used bike. However, modern bikes have so many comfort features, I was quite tempted to buy the one I tried out. Next step: we are going to rent me a bike from Criterium and take it out on the trails for a few hours.
First Sun
My first sight of the sun on this day of the summer solstice, 2003. Since a hill blocks the point the sun rises this time of year, I walked up to the plateau to the north of our house for this photo.
June 20, 2003
Freeware Timer
I decided I wanted to be more mindful of how much time it takes when I web surf, so I downloaded a free ware timer from gonebowling.com. This tiny, but nicely designed, program stays in front of everything else on the computer screen, and can be set to countdown hours and minutes. Right click on the time to get a menu from which you can select the control panel. You can drag it around the screen if it gets in the way of something.
From the north
Have I mentioned recently how green everything is this year? I took this shot of our place on Thursday. After the droughts of the past few years, the verdant green continually astonishes me. The white flowers are yucca plants.
June 19, 2003
Ren Faire
My niece is coming to visit, and I think we may go to the Colorado Renaissance Festival. It has been four or five years since we have been to one, and we always have a good time when we go.
Herb Garden
My sister, who lives in Southern California, sent me this photo with the note Here's a picture of my herb garden that is growing well now that I have beaten the earwigs!
Somehow I don't think my herb garden is ever going to look like this.
June 18, 2003
06/18/2003 05:45:00
Please view some of my most recent photos in Fotolog: Is this allium? , Looking south to Cheyenne Mountain , Sunset over the front range , Another poppy , Garden lake.
Mt Herman in June
I took this shot yesterday when I walked the dogs. Contrast it with this photo that I took last December.
June 17, 2003
Jack's notes
Jack wrote these notes to one of his sisters who could not attend his party this weekend. I've changed the names to preserve an illusion of privacy.
As you may know, I had been planning on celebrating my 50th Birthday/25th Anniversary with a trip to Ireland and to play a round of golf at Ballybunnion on my birthday. And I invited anyone who was interested to join me at Durty Nell's by Bunratty Castle for the birthday party. When I mentioned this on the Cruise last year, J--- said she would come over and join me for the Golf and Drink, on my birthday. As you also know, Elaine got laid off in December and we put our Irish trip on hold. But, J--- still wanted to play a round of golf with me on my birthday and the following day was her birthday so she would come out on the 13th and C1-- would come out on the 14th (C1-- had to get ready for midterms and couldn't make it out on the 13th). T1-- decided to treat me to dinner at Jack Quinn's, a local faux Irish pub, to make up for my lost Irish trip. So, I could have a virtual trip. In the meantime, I had gotten new hardwood floors installed in the week before my Birthday. The last finish finished curing on the 13th. It was sort of a birthday/anniversary present for Elaine (and myself.)It was a complete surprise, this weekend. I actually had a decent game of golf with J---. We played Patty Jewett, a local municipal course that has lots of room for error. I walked into Jack Quinn's after golf, expecting to see T1-- and D---. When I walked into the back of the place I saw someone who looked a lot like Dad, not all that surprising in an Irish bar. Then I saw someone who looked like Mom sitting next to him. The surprise was starting. I looked at the rest of the table and saw P1-- and S--- and P2--. And T1-- and D--- and A--- and J1--. Boy, was I surprised. After I sat down and got a beer, J2-- and J3-- showed with their brood. And Elaine came in shortly thereafter. It was a great birthday celebration.D--- sacrificed so much to keep the surprise. That morning he came out to my house to help me move some heavy furniture back into the house. He gave no indication that he had three or four strong young men waiting back at his house. But, we got the furniture in, on top of our new hardwood floors.Saturday, D--- and J2-- and S--- and P1-- joined C2--, J--- and myself for a short round on the nine-hole course at Patty Jewett. No one told me that I was supposed to let J--- win (this was evidently noted in the memos coordinating the surprise that I hadn't heard about. She came in a strong second.) But I did have two very good days of golf. Afterwards we headed back to T1--'s for a barbeque and Dad and J--- went to airport to pick up C1--. And there were M1--, P3-- and M3-- waiting for me. C2-- said that was the last surprise. Although I was wondering, because there was a car with Washington State plates parked across the street. (P1--'s car it turns out.) M1-- had some CD's waiting for me, including a album of whale songs which she said I would play under the vents so I could share it with those way up on the top floor. (Personally, I remember listening to whale music for a couple of weeks and then moving on. I didn't realize it had made such an impression upstairs) And some Jimi Hendrix and some Chicago. It is so nice to have brothers and sisters to act as my portable memory. I certainly learned a lot more about my youth this weekend than I remember.C1-- arrived while we were getting in a fast game of Cataan and wouldn't allow me up into the living room for a while. When I did get up there, she gave me a brief recount of the past 50 years in alcohol, mainly wine. There was a bottle of Chicago Blues (born), some Georgia Moonshine (grew up), some wine from the Greg Norman Estate (golf), that I should not worry about being Stu Pedasso wine (say that name real fast), it's not "La Fin du Monde" (an ale), some Boone's Farm (evidently Mom remembered that as my drink from my teen years), some Celtic Crossing liqueur (the Irish link), some cognac (I don't remember the connection with that), and various ciders and brews labeled 'jack' And she ended with a Sauterne that was bottled in 1953. Now all we have to do is decide when to drink it; now? or should we wait another fifty years?P3-- told some howling lie about how I led him into a bee trap (they were yellow jackets) in Georgia and no one let me win at Cataan. All in all, a good birthday weekend.Sunday we had people out at my place to see our new floors and to have a spaghetti dinner. Those that weren't leaving in the morning showed up and ooohed and aaahed over the floors ,and enjoyed the views and the spaghetti. M2-- called just as Dad arrived so we were able to wish Dad a Happy Fathers day, (And J2-- and P3--.) T2-- wished me a Happy Father's Day so I told her I wasn't a father. She replied that I was married and that was almost the same thing. Then people slowly drifted away as they had to reach their distant destinations (T1-- rode her bike home, but it's downhill most of the way for her.) Another good day.
June 16, 2003
Weekend
It has been a very full weekend. As I noted yesterday, Friday, to celebrate Jack's birthday, we met at a downtown Colorado Springs bar called Jack Quinn's. Jack thought it would be a small group, and was surprised to walk in and see first off a man who looked a lot like his father. Then he saw that a lot of other people looked familiar as well.
Saturday, we had a barbecue at the house of my sister-in-law. Fortunately, there were no gag gifts. We think we got everyone in this photo.
Sunday, everyone who hadn't already flown out came to our house and admired our new floors and green valley. I was too busy playing hostess to take any photos. Jack fixed his excellent spaghetti sauce. I made strawberry shortcake which turned out quite well.
My youngest niece
All together now: awww..... My youngest niece is nine months old. She is a pretty happy go lucky kid, except when faced with stairs going down. She knows how to crawl up stairs, but at nine months has not yet mastered the art of turning around and crawling down backwards.
The Julia Project
The Julia Project: Government drone by day, renegade foodie by night. Too old for theatre, too young for children, and too bitter for anything else, Julie Powell was looking for a challenge. And in the Julie/Julia project she found it. Risking her marriage, her job, and her cats' well-being, she has signed on for a deranged assignment.
Julie is trying to fix the 536 recipes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
in 365 days.
June 15, 2003
Eowyn Challenge
The Eowyn Challenge is an online discussion group challenging its members to reach a fitness or health goal by the opening of the Return of the King movie in December. (via Anita's LoL )
Jack's cake
Jack celebrated his fiftieth birthday on Friday. As a surprise, four of his siblings that do not live in Colorado flew in briefly, as well as his parents, to join the three siblings who in live in Colorado. There were several nieces and nephews there as well. Since Jack is the oldest of twelve, we are used to big family gatherings. The photo on the cake is Jack when he was fifteen or so.
It has been very wearing keeping this a secret for the past few months. I kept being afraid I would say something and screw up the surprise.
June 14, 2003
How to Fold a Paper Crane
It took me years of studying obscure diagrams in origami books before I figured out how to fold a paper crane. It might have gone faster if I had seen this demo of how to fold a paper crane. (via What is a Tiger Bunny? )
Yucca
In late spring in Southern Colorado, one of the most dramatic wild-flowers is the yucca. The white flowers are like pale flames against the green of the hills. Most of the rest of the year they are just these large spikey plants that you don't ever want to walk through.
June 13, 2003
06/13/2003 04:28:00
Please view some of my most recent photos in Fotolog: Garden lake , Water plant , Ravine , Bonsai tree , Denver Botanical Garden
Rock Garden
Rock garden from the Denver Botanical Gardens. Rock gardens please me with their informality and naturalness.
June 12, 2003
Scientific American Sci/Tech Web Awards 2003
Scientific American lists good science websites in its Sci/Tech Web Awards 2003.
Floors
In the finest tradition of vanity publishing, here is a photo of our new wood floor. This was taken in the living room. The shadows are from the window which looks out to the west. I've also uploaded a photo of our new kitchen floor. The floor installer recommended that we stay off the floors for three days, but at least the workers are no longer here.
Mozilla Related Blog updates
Mozilla Related Blogs lists the update times and is a good source for finding weblogs that talk about Mozilla, Firebird and Thunderbird. I haven't tried the latter two yet, because I am fairly comfortable with using Mozilla for both my email and web browsing.
June 11, 2003
Peonies
Most of the peonies were past their blooming season when we were at the Denver Botanical Gardens on Sunday, but there were a few scattered here and there.
June 10, 2003
Red Flower
I took this photo at the Denver Botanical Gardens on Sunday. In our own small garden, I mulched around some more plants yesterday and started studying how to deadhead petunias. The dianthus are doing well, and so are the herbs, but I am not too sure about the alyssum.
June 09, 2003
06/09/2003 21:58:00
Please check my most recent photos in Fotolog: Denver Botanical Garden, Dianthus, Shelter, Dawn landing, Dawn sky.
Denver Botanical Gardens
Yesterday, I met some friends in Denver and we went to the Denver Botanical Gardens. Several of my friends were members, and got the rest of us in as guests. One person joined as a member before we left, because she was so impressed. I probably would have joined myself if it wasn't an hour a way from home.
June 08, 2003
Petunia
Since stuff seems to be surviving both my novice attempts at gardening and unseasonably chilly weather, I took this photo of a petunia from our garden this morning. Marn, winner of a the diarest.net Best Journal award, has an entry about her view of petunias .
June 07, 2003
Night Cat Books
Night Cat Books showcases the work of book artist and teacher Karen Veni. (via RSM's New Surf City Links )
Mount Herman
Mount Herman, Colorado, as the first light of the sun hits it Monday morning. I was out early that morning, so I could get my walk done before the floor installers arrived. I love walking in the very early morning, and don't manage to do it often enough.
I was happy not to see snow this morning, but it is very cold and damp. There is a little snow mixed in the rain right now, but my plants seem to be doing okay.
List of Lists
A List of Lists points to an awesome and constantly updated collection of freeware and shareware programs and utilities.
Code of the West
A Denver Post article reports that the El Paso County commissioners have adopted a Code of the West
stating that city services aren't available in the country. We live in a rural neighborhood in El Paso County and are used to the variety of wildlife but I suppose some newcomers might be surprised.
June 06, 2003
Sunrise
Today is supposed to be sunnier than the past few, as shown in this sunrise. Tomorrow we are supposed to get more rain, so I will try to get my rosebushes planted today. The new wood floors are looking great, but the dust from the sanding is everywhere.
June 05, 2003
View
I took this photo from our front porch. I can't get over how green everything is this year after the severe drought last summer. Drought is still a concern, because the resevoir levels are still very low around the state, so the rain we got yesterday was quite welcome.
June 04, 2003
Purple Flower
Yet another unknown wild-flower.
Most of the new oak flooring is down. They should finish that today and then do stage one three stages of sanding and finishing. I will take the dogs and spend the day at a friend's house.
June 03, 2003
Wild Rose
On my walk Sunday, I found these wild roses growing in the small valley that is so difficult to reach. I was hoping to see them, because I haven't found them growing wild anywhere else around here.
June 02, 2003
Steep Slope
On my walk yesterday, looking for a different variety of wildflowers, I went to a small valley that I don't often visit. It requires going down a very steep slope with slippery sand and gravel footing. The dogs scampered on down to the bottom, and then turned to watch me sliding cautiously down. Poor things, they only know how to use two legs, you know.
Easy Thumbnails
Deb, of Sugarfused, left a comment asking me what software I use to make my weblog thumbnails. I use a freeware program called Easy Thumbnails, by the same author who wrote the editor that I use the most, Notetab. I like Easy Thumbnails because it has a command line interface that I can call from another program, as well as an interactive mode.