The longest day of sunlight has arrived, and the sunny days of Colorado shine on me almost every day. The days fly fast here at Trail Ridge Store in Rocky Mountain National Park as tourist season is ramping up! But our snow is melting and hiking in the higher elevations will soon be more accessible. Most of our co-workers have now arrived from their homes: Taiwan, Poland, Ecuador, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, California, Oregon, Alaska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Missouri and Colorado. We're getting to know each other, and appreciating our diversity.
Here's what's new in my daily life:
- saying goodbye to one of our van drivers from Ohio with a beer tasting party,
- receiving rhubarb from a friend at the Estes Park Farmers Market, and transforming it into rhubarb custard bars for sharing with friends,
- witnessing seven elk calves with their moms passing within 50 yards of our housing,
- seeing a bear and its cub on our way home down Trail Ridge Road,
- hiking to Gem Lake, and then continuing on Black Canyon Trail,
- attending worship at Rocky Mountain Church,
- beer tasting in Loveland,
- learning geology lessons at Devil's Backbone, and enjoying Carter Lake County Park,
- adventuring the Wild Basin Area and its waterfalls: Lower & Upper Copeland Falls, Calypso Cascades, and Ouzel Falls,
- enjoying sculptures in Loveland,
- driving to the west side of RMNP, and seeing elk, three solo moose, a mama with its calf, pikas, two ewes and marmots,
- meeting childhood friends (Mike and Robin Leaf from 4-H days, and Terri Boumeister from my confirmation classes) from 45 years ago at the store,
- eating elk brats at a picnic with colleagues,
- admiring countless wildflowers peeking out in this beautiful weather, and
- enjoying Colorado.
Enjoy summer!
Amy
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