It's the most beautiful time of the year here in the Rocky Mountains
when the stately aspen trees quake in their golden finery
and the marshy bushes snuggle under their bright orange blankets.
You never know what you will wake up to here at our cabin at 11,265 feet.
The mountains may be dusted with snow one day
and bathed in golden sunlight the next.
The mosquitos have moved on to warmer climes,
students are back in school
and families have wrapped up their summer vacations
so it's quiet here at the cabin.
We hold our breath and listen for bugling elk.
We've seen their signs but haven't heard any mating rituals yet
which can be pretty exciting.
However we were thrilled to see a moose with her calf close up and personal.
(That post in the lower right corner is our front deck!)
It's perfect weather for being outdoors so we hike abut two hours,
skirting an old 1897 silver mine
then returning to the cabin on a back road that winds through a ghost town.
If you look closely, you'll see stumps scattered on the hillside
where trees have been chopped down for old miners' cabins or mine structures.
The mountain in the distance is one of Colorado's 14ers.
As we walk through the woods, we occasionally view a giant mountain
peeking through enormous green pine trees.
This unusual formation is shaped like a horseshoe.
Breathtaking.
It gets dark early here in October and, with no electricity,
it's darker and colder than you can imagine.
The temperature overnight was twenty-four degrees. Brrr.
Roxy has claimed her favorite blanket to keep her warm.
So sweet. Her nose is usually buried in the blanket.
Soon the narrow road will be impassable with snow depths of eight feet or more.
As total darkness overtakes our little cabin,
we turn on our battery lights and fire up the small propane stove.
(Thank God for propane!)
