Our forest is happy this summer. We have gotten so much rain that the trees are smiling. I really think I can hear the trees giggling in delight when the rains begin. Of course along with most of our rains come nasty lightening so it's not as relaxing as one would think. The other night we had an amazing storm. It started with the moon behind the clouds lighting them up like frosting. Then came the lightening and it was scary. Many close hits. The ground rumbles for what seems like forever and I just pray for a downpour so no fires will occur. It rained like I'd never seen it rain and in the morning you could feel the dampness of the forest and the smell was of clean wet pine. Beautiful!
Earlier in the evening we had visitors. Many in our community have been watching a Mama bear and her triplets. Last night I looked out the door and thought - that's no turkey. It was Mama and the babies. I jumped up and ran to another window and took a picture. The one baby came right up to the fence! I ran upstairs and out onto the balcony and took more pictures leaving the dogs inside of course. It was an amazing sight to see and to be so close. The babies have grown a lot in the past couple of months. Mama however, looked a bit haggard but I guess watching after three little ones does a Mama bear in.
The bucks are in velvet as its known. I think it looks really soft and wish I could touch it but then that wouldn't be possible so I'll just continue to imagine the feel of their antlers.
So I thought it might be fun to add a bit of history to the blog. The community is knows as Santa Fe Trail Ranch for obvious reasons; The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Independence, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico and into
Colorado. In the 1820s–30s, it was also sporadically important in the reverse trade, carrying foods and supplies to the fur trappers and mountain men opening the remote Northwest, esp. in the Interior Northwest: Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana—connecting via mule trail (trapper's trails) to points north to supply the lucrative overland fur trade.
There is a beautiful tree along one of the main roads known as the "cross tree". I've been told that many travelers back in the 1800's would tell each other "we will meet you at the cross tree". It was a meeting point along the trail in southern Colorado.
As always in this blog there is a Max and Oliver update. The fur boys are just fine and photogenic as always.
Happy summer from the forest!!
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