Estes is the best-es

It's a rare weekend when Todd and I get to go anywhere together.  His work schedule in the summer and fall requires him to be in the field pretty much every weekend.

We had an opportunity to get out of town a couple weekends ago to Estes Park, Colo., for my friend Molly's wedding reception and Todd was able to actually make it happen!

I think the last time I was in Estes I was maybe in junior high and Todd had never been there.  I made reservations at a cute little cabin and we loaded up the dogs and took off!

Truthfully, we didn't walk around downtown as much as I was hoping, but it's only because we were having too much fun at the reception.

And after the reception...

The next morning we had a little photo shoot with the dogs at the cabin before getting on with our day...

Me with the dogs...

Todd with the dogs...

Next...breakfast downtown Estes then the famed Stanley Hotel...!

It is absolutely stunning inside the Stanley.  Here's Todd in the hotel lobby...

Todd and I outside the Stanley with the Rockies behind us...

Game warden Todd with elk just roamin' the hotel grounds...

I asked Todd if it sort of made him crazy that he has to put so much effort into hunting an elk in fall and here they are, lounging at a glitzy old hotel right out in the open.  He said yes...

Come on, now...you know you shouldn't chase wildlife! haha...Doesn't Todd's pose look kind of like he's playing air guitar...?

On to Rocky Mountain National Park!  We had to wait only a little bit at the entrance...

Another elk! This guy and a partner actually stopped traffic as they lollygagged across the road...

About 35 miles out there is Wyoming...

More wildlife!  A young moose...

Another young moose closer to the road.  Unlike his elk buddies above, this one didn't care so much for the cars pulled over to watch him...

On the other side of the park we stopped in the town of Grand Lake for lunch...

And stopped again in Walden, Colo., for a snack.  The funniest thing...that store behind Todd is called Island something or other and was pumping Hawaiian sounding music out on to the street...

After this it was a straight shot home.

Mountains, scenery, fun with friends...  what a great weekend, huh?

BEAR!

Until last October I'd never seen a bear in the wild.  After years of waiting, it finally happened as I was coming out of Yellowstone with my coworkers.  There, on the side of the road, was a mama and its cub.

Amazing!

I had a second siting last weekend in Teton National Forest as I was coming home after a weekend in Jackson, Wyo.  

A car was pulled off to the side of the road which generally means there's wildlife of some sorts about.  I noticed the guy had a video camera pointing across the road so I slowed down to take a look.

And there they were...another mama and her cub!

This was the distance they started out at, which looks farther than it really was...

They ate, the baby played, then dug, then played some more....

A pretty lil' picture of the mama foraging...

Eating and playing...

A bit of video I took on the fly...

Rigby & Lulu - an average morning in the yard

Here's Rigby.  Handsome lil' puppy, isn't he...?

Here's Lulu.  Cute lil' girl who really seems to love herself some water.  Here she's wallowing in the wet grass as the sprinklers run...

She hadn't seen the sprinklers on before and thought they were her drinking fountain, popping up just to bring her water...

She couldn't get enough.  She's been that way since we've had her: a water drinking addict...

Still drinking.  Actually, I think she tried to bite it here...

Check out that tongue!  Slurp, slurp...

Rigby doesn't understand this behavior.  He'll immerse himself in a river past his armpits just to get a drink of water, but he doesn't like sprinklers, or hoses, or showers...

Lulu is fascinated with water...

More Rigby...

Lulu joining her big brother.  She likes to be next to him all. the. time...

What's that...?

And that...?

Ah, typical.  Mr. Calm and Steady and Miss All Over the Place...