June 2010 Free Wallpaper Calendar

Here we are on the cusp of the sweet month of June. The high country of Colorado will be mostly open to travel once again and I can not wait to get up to the "rare air" and shoot some scenery! But first I will be traveling back east to Ohio to take care of some family business. I will be gone until sometime the week of June 7. In the meantime, please accept your free June 2010 wallpaper calendar. See you soon in June!

download your free desktop wallpaper calendar for June 2010 here

Easy Instructions
After clicking on the above link
you will be at my Flickr page. Simply click on
"Download the Original size"
at the top left of the page.
The file will then download to your desktop!

Etsy Buy Handmade JulieMagersSoulen

Railroad Brakeman

Last summer we took a day trip to Georgetown, Colorado to experience riding the old steam locomotive train of the Georgetown Loop. The historic Georgetown Loop Railroad is a narrow gauge train that was completed in 1884. The three-foot wide track covers the two mile distance between Georgetown and Silver Plume, and gains an astounding 600 feet in elevation. The scenery was spectacular especially when crossing the Devil’s Gate High Bridge.

Besides the breathtaking scenery I was fascinated with watching the train's brakeman go about his activities. The brakeman's primary job was to assist with braking the train when the engineer wanted the train to slow down. His duties also included making sure the couplings between the cars were secure, and signaling the train during switching operations. Remember when you were a kid and waved at the guy in the caboose and he waved back. The brakeman did that too. Who doesn't like this guy!

Brakeman
The railroad brakeman in his colorful blue shirt and jaunty conductor's hat represents a bygone era of the Georgetown Loop Railroad.
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Train Signals
The brakeman of the narrow gauge locomotive signals the oncoming train engineer at Georgetown, CO.
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North American Wild Turkey

Now I know all of you are thinking what the heck is she doing talking about turkeys. It is not even anywhere near Thanksgiving. But springtime on Stellers Ridge is turkey time! The North American Wild Turkey believes that living here in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies is turkey heaven. Every spring they gather together in large groups to party down. The girls try their best to ignore the puffed up "gobblers," cackling amongst themselves that so and so is a jerk. But he keeps strutting and puffing and one by one they fall for the guy. Now tell me. Who could fall for a face like that!! It must be love.

Hen Party
A group of hen turkeys ignore a male turkey intent on their attention.

Hey Baby!
A young hen turkey investigates the large male turkey.

Turkey Trot
A male turkey struts his stuff after a fresh spring snow to attract a hen.

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Mountain Bluebell Snow

It is amazing that flowers and snow go together, but in the Colorado Rocky Mountains they are spring companions. When the heavy winter snows finally melt away the earth begins to awaken and the flowers burst forth from their winter slumber. The season is short and the flowers do not hesitate. Mountain Bluebells are among the first. The inevitable spring snows are heavy and laden with nourishing moisture and the bluebells are once again completely buried. But undaunted they emerge from the melting snow into the warm sun over and over.

Bluebell Snow
Mountain bluebells dangle above a fresh spring snowfall in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
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Verdant Spring

It has been a long winter in the Colorado Rockies. But the earth is awakening slowly. Tiny snow drop flowers the size of a baby pea are usually the first to emerge from the blanket of pine needles. Along the dirt road I see tough little dandelions with their buttery yellow flowers. Unlike a suburban home owner I welcome the cheery little blossoms that pop up where ever a cow has munched and walked. This bright little succulent with its chartreuse colored flowers was the only bit of color along a stretch of road on a morning walk a few days ago. I do not know what it is called but the brilliant bright color stood out as a harbinger of spring in the mostly dull brown landscape. So I decided to call it "Verdant Spring". Has she finally arrived in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado?

Apparently not. I woke up this morning to almost a foot of heavy wet spring snow. The grape hyacinths of a couple days ago are totally covered. But the snow will be melted in a few days, and they will again poke up their royal blue blossoms. Cheers!

Verdant Spring
A macro photo of an early spring succulent with exotic looking yellow green flowers is one of the first plants to emerge in the northern Colorado Rockies.
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Here is a look at the entire plant. Does anyone know what this is?

Etsy Buy Handmade JulieMagersSoulen

Graceful Resilience on Mother's Day

When you live in the Colorado Rocky Mountains you expect spring snows. I have long ago given up the notion to run outside and cover my freshly emerging spring flowers. They have to be tough! Grape hyacinths fit that bill perfectly. They gracefully bend low under the weight and then when the sun emerges to melt away the spring snow they slowly stand up again. They remind me that part of being a loving mom is graceful resilience with just a sprinkle of toughness. Wishing all you Moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day!

Snow Grapes
Deep royal blue grape hyacinths bend low under the weight of a fresh spring snow in the Colorado Rockies.
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Etsy Buy Handmade JulieMagersSoulen