Waterton Canyon

09/25/2012

0 Comments

 
On Labor Day weekend, the hubs and I rode our bikes into Waterton Canyon. It's a 6 or 7 mile dirt rode that goes up a canyon into the foothills. As you ride along the river, there are beautiful views and usually you can see some wildlife. This year, two bear cubs have been spotted along the road. We were hoping to see those guys but no luck. We did, however, see a lot of bighorn sheep up close and personal. Love these sheep. It was just before the start of mating season, so they weren't too frisky yet. This was a mama with some of her girlfriends and kids. (Yes, I know that isn't even close to the proper wording for them.) She started chasing me up the road and kind of freaked me out. I think she knew that and was taunting me.  
I love my zoom lens. It got up close and personal to some butterflies.
We rode to the top of the canyon where the resevoir is, and there were a lot of bighorn sheep hanging out at the top. Some of the big daddys!
It was beautiful at the top with the water spraying out from the resevoir. I've never been to the top before.
This guy was stunning, and then he started walking toward us so we backed off quickly.
You can see where their horns get dented from fighting each other for the females.
Overall, it was a beautiful and fun afternoon!
Add Comment
 

Fota Wildlife Park, Ireland

07/08/2012

1 Comment

 
One of the random things we did in Ireland was go to a wildlife park near Cork. We weren't too sure about going, but we're really happy we did. It was incredible. The wonderful thing about the park was that generally the animals weren't in cages, which made for some pretty incredible pictures. Most of the animals had small electric fences around their large "enclosures," and the various monkeys were separated from each other and the humans on islands. I'm assuming they don't like water or they would have been all over the place. This wildlife park was unlike anything we'd ever seen, and it was money well spent. I took about 300 pictures while we walked around, so here's just a few of my favorites.
There were a lot of zebras and giraffes, pretty typical for any zoo.
The zebras and giraffes had a lot of land they could roam around in, but these three were hanging out right next to each other.
The skittish animal next to my husband is called a mara, which is a South American rodent, like a guinea pig. These were wondering around the place.
There were beautiful peacocks wandering around, too.
I loved these white ducks (although my husband says they're not ducks). Whatever they are, they were absolutely beautiful.
This mama and her baby made my uterus clench. Sorry for saying uterus.
I could have spied on them all day, but we had to go to the cheetah feeding!
For the cheetah feeding, they strung these rabbit pieces on a tether that went around the enclosure. Then the cheetahs would race after the food, providing entertainment for the crowd and exercise for the cheetahs.
Get it!
This one was a little lazy and wouldn't take it off the tether once he finally got the rabbit.
No. It's mine!
These were beautiful animals, and it was so fun to see them in action instead of just laying around their cage.
More giraffes.
The kangaroos were not in any sort of cage or enclosure. We could have walked right up to them, but I've heard they can break bones when they kick you. We stayed away.
Wheee says the spider monkey.
This guy was just hanging out. For all those times you wish you had another hand...just get a tail!
This is the wild teenager having fun on the ropes. The mama and her baby are in the background.

If you're ever in Ireland, check out the wildlife park on the south end of Ireland near Cork. You won't be disappointed! There's so much to look at...just don't forget your camera! 
1 Comment
 

Big Horn Sheep and Updates

04/01/2012

0 Comments

 
It was a beautiful weekend in Colorado. Both days were in the 80s, and it was so nice to be outside all weekend. Today was especially beautiful. Look at that sky. I have yet to see a sky bluer than the one in Colorado. Must have something to do with the altitude.  

The hubs and I went "hiking" in Waterton Canyon, which is a beautiful canyon that goes through the foothills. The Platte River runs through it, and people love to walk/run, ride their bikes, and ride their horses through it. It's been closed for about 2 years because they've been dredging the dam in the canyon, trying to get silt and ash out of it from previous forest fires. Of course, about 2 weeks after they finished (and did a poor job), there was a fire, and more ash definitely fell in it. You know what they say...

Waterton is home to bighorn sheep, which means that dogs are not allowed since they are considered predators. When we were walking along the road, we saw a big herd of the sheep up on the foothills. They're so majestic! Here's a few pictures. Make sure to look in the rocks, and you'll see quite a few of them. I cannot wait to get a "grown up" camera so my pictures are better and clearer.
As an update to previous ramblings posts, the fire is contained. Also, I should be waking up to rain/snow tomorrow, so it'll be out soon. Yes, it goes from 80 to snow. Does that happen elsewhere?

I'm on week 9 of my running program, and I ran 30 minutes today. First time ever! If you started the program, keep with it. It gets better! At the very least, you'll be proud of your accomplishments.
Add Comment
 

    The Family Ramblings

    Here's a peek into my life outside of food.