Independence Day 2026

Wishing everyone a safe and reflective Independence Day! 

Two hundred and fifty years is a testament to an idea: that liberty, though constantly tested, is always worth striving for. Leaders and administrations come and go, but the true heart of America has always lived in its people: the communities that lift each other up, and the brave service members who answer the call to protect our home. Today is about honoring our journey, and keeping the promise of freedom alive for the next generation.

Update: My sister and niece joined us for a takeout breakfast, and a warm day of playing Pokemon GO, starting in downtown Littleton and then meeting up with a Pokemon friend at a less busy location in Gallup Gardens by the library. We had an impromptu Japanese Beetle catching session at the Memorial Rose Garden… beetles to be delivered to their chickens! We finished up the day with a rare dinner out. 

Missing Maine

It’s a beautifully temperate 77° Wednesday morning here in Littleton, although it is quite smoky. It will be warmer later… forecast to be 91°. Here’s our view of the smoke-obscured foothills.

Our smoky view of Pikes Peak, which is usually visible just over the trees on our south horizon. Tongue in cheek… no, you can’t see it, and I can’t either. 

The retired meteorologist that I follow on Facebook is experimenting with using Centigrade for all his temperature measurements… so for the metrically-oriented (do I even know anyone like that?), our high is heading for 33°C. And out in Maine, where we would have been today, and for the 4th, were it not for my earlier medical issue, it’s currently 30°C at the Wiscassett airport, but only 22°C at Harpswell, which is closer to the cool breezes of the Atlantic ocean. 

Boo. Sad to be missing my cousins. I’m using my souvenir mugs from a previous trip for my morning lattes, during this period when we would have been there.

Flag Day 2026

Happy Flag Day! I had to look it up: Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the Stars and Stripes by the Second Continental Congress in 1777. It is the perfect day to proudly display your US flags, as it specifically honors the history, ideals, and symbolism of our national banner. In fact, the U.S. Flag Code explicitly lists Flag Day as one of the most important national holidays for displaying the American flag.

• Historical Significance: Celebrates the June 14, 1777, resolution that established the 13 stripes and 13 stars as the official flag of the United States.

• National Unity: It serves as a dedicated time for all Americans to honor the unity, liberty, and sacrifice the flag represents.

• Official Observance: While it is a national observance rather than a federal public holiday (so businesses and mail services operate normally), it is widely recognized by communities nationwide.

Memorial Day 2026

My mom, dad, and uncle all served and survived, but many of their comrades did not. Today, I am honoring the fallen heroes who served right alongside my family and gave everything.

 

Mother's Day 2026

Wishing a wonderful Mother’s day to all my mom friends! 

Groundhog Day!

We enjoyed our Groundhog Day! We started with a fun breakfast out at Syrup City Park, took a nice long walk around City Park and past the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, spent some frivolous time browsing around my favorite Marczyk’s grocery store, and finished it off by watching Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in their Groundhog Day movie. Fun!

Chandeliers and Cow Art at Syrup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Pavilion at City Park

 

 

 

Flicker in a tree at City Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Mastodon outside the Denver Museum of Nature and Science

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, of course, the classic groundhog scene in the Groundhog Day movie! 

Lazing Not Freezing

And *this* is how to spend a subfreezing 9°F Friday morning, with light snow drifting down!

First Walk of 2026

This wasn't our usual day to get takeout breakfast, much less "dine out", but we decided to do something special on our New Year's morning -- breakfast out and a fun walk somewhere we haven't been in awhile. 

So... off we went to the highly popular Urban Egg restaurant for a somewhat different breakfast. They had some cute wreaths outside the kitchen. I love their cinnamon swirl pancake!

After breakfast, we went for a walk, starting at the nearby George M Wallace park in the Denver Technological Center (DTC), and venturing along that trail much farther than I've ever gone. 

Shiny leaf on the frozen creek. It's amazing to me, how much effort it took, to capture this simple little photo. When I brought the camera down lower to capture more of the frozen creek in the background, the bright sun completely washed out the colors, and everything came out in various shades of charcoal. 

Christmas decorations near and far -- at first, we thought the sun was reflecting off the bulbs, but then as we got closer, we realized they were still powered on.

Interesting-looking dried plants in a marshy area -- my phone says this is Pentanema Squarrosum…?

This Sumac seed pod was standing out by itself, just asking me to take a picture. 

Cute goat nibbling on old Christmas tree

Partially frozen over pond by the creek in Orchard Hills Park

Gadwall ducks in a small pond by the creek in Orchard Hills Park

The creek in Goldsmith Gulch, with some interesting clouds in the distance

Happy horses in this field

Delightful blend of subtle colors… my phone says this might be Oregon Grape

Conifer tree with the sun peeking through the clouds just above… puts a cheerful spin on the gloomy sky

Relay (movie)

Peaceful sunset to end a quiet Monday, as we wrap up the year. We watched the movie “Relay,” which was a bit of an adrenaline rush. My interest was piqued by the use of pseudo-teletype technology — using a third-party operator as a voice mask to stay anonymous. It’s a clever bit of realism; because the operator just reads the text provided, the caller's true voice and identity stay completely off the grid. I doubt the required level of anonymity would be achieved in real life, as I’ll bet those services are required to keep a log of all their calls.

Happy Valentine’s Day! We’re having a quiet Friday here. It’s relatively temperate, starting at a chilly 23°F, but with a forecast high of 55°. 

Beginning of decorating

We started decorating the house for the Christmas holiday today. The kitties have been paying close attention to all the changes. Here’s Rufus exploring the tree skirt. 

Bean checking out the nutcrackers

Rufus getting in the way in the kitchen

Rufus in an ornament box

Christmas tree with lights in the breakfast nook

Christmas tree closeup - needles and lights

Christmas tree in the front yard with lights and snow

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving 2024! I took “the girls” out to a Thanksgiving buffet, at the Garden Terrace Café, in the Inverness Hotel, about 20 minutes from here. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner! And no cleanup! No leftovers, either...

Freaky Friday

I hope you have a safe and fun Friday the 13th! It’s the first Friday the 13th of 2024, seen as one of the most unlucky days of the calendar year, a “spooky” reputation it earned centuries ago, although I had a positive experience on this day during my childhood, so I've always thought of it as a lucky day for me. This year will see the date occur twice, with the next one in December.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Independence Day! Please treat your pets especially well today, as many have a rough time with the legal and illegal fireworks. 

Our kitties got through the first round of fireworks ok… but after several days of illegal fireworks in nearby neighborhoods, they were over it, and getting skittish and on alert.

Finally caught it

Well… crap. A few days after we got back from Yuma and San Diego, Jennefer got sick with a sore throat, and a few days after that, I also got sick. We tested positive for COVID-19 about that time. Likely from the unmasked guy with obvious symptoms in the same row as us on the plane. 

We pretty much lost our holiday to this virus. I’ve had the worst of it, even relapsed a few days after Christmas, and am still feeling pretty lousy. It doesn’t feel life-threatening; more like a bad flu. Hoping for some relief soon. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing everyone a safe and thankful and fulfilling and Happy Thanksgiving day! 

 

Darn it, we forgot (yet again) to listen to the KBCO broadcast of Alice’s Restaurant all the way through. So much for our wannabe Thanksgiving tradition. We did manage to catch the last few minutes of it… but Jennefer says "that doesn’t count."

We tried something a little different this year… we lost track of the turkey (haha - referring to the image above), so we made an afternoon reservation for Thanksgiving dinner at Inverness! 

As the time to leave approached, Jennefer was having a bad day, and didn't feel like eating, so the three of us were sad to go to dinner without her.

Halloween at the Gardens

Chilling and snowy 19°F Sunday evening outing to see “Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns” at Hudson Gardens. Lots of fun lighted displays to enjoy - some animated, some smoke effects, many different areas with special themes. Good thing we dressed warmly!