Red Rock Reflections (2)

This is the same pond from last week, but taken on the opposite side looking back.

Orange Friday

Weekend Reflections

Red Rock Reflections (1)

Taken at Red Rock Canyon Open Space, one of the many fine parks in my scenic city.

Orange Friday

Weekend Reflections

Garden Path

Here are the last of the winter photos from Garden of the Gods - it's part of the path with a cold winter sunrise. It was below 0° F (-18° C) on this morning, but that's why we have good winter coats and gloves in this part of the world.

And turning around, this is what you see.

Orange Friday

Skywatch Friday

Looking Back at Winter

Since it's the middle of summer where I live, with hot weather, it's time to look back to some photos taken in the middle of winter. This is one of my favorite local city parks, Garden of the Gods, on a very cold morning after a little snow. Doesn't it look like a fairytale in the early morning light?

Orange Friday

Scenic Weekends

Shadow Shot Sunday

Beach People

I loved these sunset silhouettes of people on the beach and pier at Pismo Beach in California.

Orange Friday

Skywatch Friday

Sunny Beach Reflections

This bright photo was taken at Pismo Beach in central California last year.

Orange Friday

Weekend Reflections

Peak Moods (2) - Dramatic

Pikes Peak showed its dramatic side this week, so I figured I'd put up my second post in my Peak Moods series. Both photos were taken from our front porch, then cropped and edited to pull out the gorgeous colors.

 The whole sky was dramatic during this sunset!

Orange Friday

Skywatch Friday

Morning Garden

Occasionally on the way to work I stop by Garden of the Gods to catch the early morning light.

It's worth the short detour.

Orange Friday

Green, Orange & Blue

A colorful entry from Red Rock Canyon (a city park) for Skywatch Friday and Orange Friday. I never tire of the blue skies we see 300 days a year here.

Sunset

It's been too long since I've posted a sunset photo, so here's one from our back deck.

Orange Friday

Skywatch Friday

Red Rock Canyon

I'm still catching up on old photos, which is good since I haven't had a chance to take many the last few weeks. This time it's another city park.

But although the rocks may be similar, it's not Garden of the Gods!

It's Red Rock Canyon, a good place to go in the winter since it's low elevation and doesn't hold too much snow. In fact, maybe Socks and I will head down there tomorrow as these photos are already a year old!

Orange Friday

Scenic Weekends

Pretty Views

For Scenic Weekends and Orange Friday, here are a couple more photos from Garden of the Gods, this time focusing on wider views.

The next one has Pikes Peak in the background - the mountain looks much larger but the photo was taken with a wide-angle lens.

It's hard to believe this is a city park. I need to get some photos here next time it snows.

Socks in the Garden

Socks comes with me whenever I hike - here he is sitting on a rock in Garden of the Gods, admiring the scenery.

And here he's fearlessly leading the way.

Camera Critters

Orange Friday

Pets Forever

Sleeping Giant

This Garden of the Gods rock formation is called Sleeping Giant. Can you see him? His head is on the right, facing up towards the blue sky.

Here's another view from a different angle, with Pikes Peak in the background.

Orange Friday

Scenic Weekends

Smoky Sunset

Here are some photos from last Wednesday of a smoky sunset. This time the smoke was from a fire in the southwest part of our state, but it was smoky enough at our house that we kept our windows closed. It made for a bright orange sunset.

These are straight out of the camera, I did no editing of any type. They're for the Skywatch Friday meme.

Summer in Red Rock Canyon

It's time for a Scenic Weekends and Orange Friday blog post, so here are some photos from last August in Red Rock Canyon open space. My shadow, complete with hat and camera bag, is in this first photo, and that's Pikes Peak in the distance.

Now you can see some of the red and orange rocks for which the park is named. And my shadow again!

The park is a geologist's dream.

And in the distance are the main spires in Garden of the Gods, another place about which I've blogged many times.

I hope all my readers have a great weekend!

Winter at Red Rock Canyon

I've posted photos from Red Rock Canyon before, but it's a perfect place to go for a hike in the winter so here are some more. I love the folds in the huge rocks.

This trail winds between a large outcropping and some trees.

The size of this rock doesn't come across in the photo, but look at the trees near its base.

Here are more rocks folded up by the incredible forces at play in the past.

I love the colors - the park is loaded with brilliant oranges, greens, and blues year-round.

It's right next to the city but you feel like you're in the wilderness.

I know it's a long post but there's so much beauty here.

This hike was actually last February, almost a year ago, but I never got round to posting the photos. So here they are for Scenic Weekends and Orange Friday. And this won't be my last post from Red Rock Canyon Open Space.

Glowing Sunrise

A few weeks ago I was getting ready to head out to the office when I saw clouds off to the east that portended a fine sunrise. So of course I had to wait with camera in hand.
And sure enough, that gap between the clouds and the eastern horizon gave us that classic fiery sunrise glow.
And we certainly got an intense glow this time!

All photos are straight out of the camera for Skywatch Friday and Orange Friday.

Siamese Twins Rocks

If you've read this blog for long you know that Garden of the Gods is one of my favorite places to go, and I visit several times every year. Here are some photos of the Siamese Twins rock formation; it's not as well-known as some of the others because you have to hike a few hundred yards to it (it isn't visible from the roads). We start with the trail leading up to it.

And here's the formation itself in the classic Colorado sunshine.

You can look through it at Pikes Peak (this time the sunshine had disappeared).

There are other rock formations nearby.

Climbing without the right equipment is not allowed in this park.

This is an obvious entry for both the Orange Friday and Scenic Sunday memes.

Red Rock Canyon in January

Next week's theme at Tina's PicStory is red, so I'm going all the way back to a New Year's Day hike in Red Rock Canyon. It's also for Orange Friday and Scenic Sunday (if it's active this week).

This is a great winter hike - because of the lower elevation it doesn't get much snow, and any snow melts quickly.

Even though it's within the city it's still full of pretty sights.

And there's even an old quarry to walk through!

I'm sure I'll be back here again many times.