HEY, I'm talking hair!

Whew! The 2 day marathon in Vallejo is o-vah! My hair is officially wearing the look that I hope, as the Scotts say, will 'see me ooot (out)'. I wrote a while back that while in Colorado I was told about a new style (system?) of 'braiding' hair called Sister Locks. So that's what I was doing all weekend, getting my hair done by a nice lady, Lana, my new 'hair consultant'. She was sweet enough to let me just stay at her house for the entire braid-a-thon, saving me the (1.5 hr drive) between Fair Oaks & Vallejo on Saturday night.

The entertainment while getting my hair done was a marathon of movies, from I am Legend & Good Luck Chuck to The Bucket List - 5 movies in all. The Bucket List the most thought provoking. I'm now formulating my own bucket list (things I want to accomplish/enjoy before I kick it). I was insufferably pleased to realize I've already crossed several things from 'Claire's Bucket List', such as seeing Alaska, birding Yellowstone & the Florida Everglades, seeing a Blue Whale and getting my birding life list up over 500. V. cool. On the flip side, some things on my list are doomed to failure. For example, my Mr. Right must have died in Viet Nam or more likely, last week in San Francisco, he married Mr. Right.

Ok, back to my hair. Here's a smiggin of a photo immediately after my hair was done. Notice how very fine the individual 'Sister Locks' or 'braids' are. Again, cool.

Fresh Locks
It's going to take a while for the hair to settle in and not look drastic. What with my pale scalp and dark hair, my head looks like a checkerboard just now. I'm thinking 'scarf' - at least for a month or two.

Best Laid Plans

Our week was up at our Denver Inn. So, after a final breakfast we headed northeast, up, up, up to Estes Park - which is not a park, but is a sleepy little town just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. We found our motel easily enough and then went exploring. There were loads of beautiful elk, the males were only just beginning to grow this year's antlers.

Ready for his close-up


The littlest Rocky Mountainaires


Rocky Mountain Pastoral Scene

On day one we mostly drove around enjoying the sights. On day two, we were off find White-tailed Ptarmigan, one of the critter that I wanted to visit Colorado to see. Ptarmigan live above the timber line Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans - there was NO WAY we were getting that high up onto the mountain.


For the Rocky Mountains, winter is only just bundling up and moving along to make way for spring. All the wildlife looks a bit haggard; the elk need brushing and the Rocky Mountain Mule Deer - well it has to be said, they're just a mess.


For mercy's sake, anyone got a brush handy???"


More 'grooming challenged' wildlife
We toured Rocky Mountain N.P. for two days before deciding 'It's beautiful but it sure isn't any Yellowstone'. Ok now, that's SPOILED for you. Really - it is beautiful, though. I'm happy to have seen it. Anyway, on our way out of the park we spotted cars piled up, which means there was wildlife a'foot! We checked out the slopes by the road and could just barely make out a critter on the cliffs above.


A Rocky Mountain Bighorn Arse -dead center in photo

Yes! Through an ennsie space in the pines we could just about almost spot a stray member or two of a herd of Bighorn Sheep. I got out the 'big guns' (my camera w/telephoto) and waited for the sheep to move through the open space. Mind; none of this required me to do more than turn off the car engine and sit (in the car). Yes, Big Game Hunter Claire, the laziest camera hunter on the planet, was ready to very-nearly-almost stalk her quarry.

Barbara was patient. We sat for maybe twenty minutes and the sheep butt above was the best shot of the series.

Then Barbara did the UNTHINKABLE. She got OUT OF THE CAR! She walked maybe 25 feet behind the car and looked up the slope. What was sprawled all over the blasted hillside? Yes. SHEEP!


Rocky Mountain Time Out

Who knew moving your own arse could amount to a better photo opportunity???? yeah, yeah, shut up about it already


Bighorn Sheep

We decided to skip a third day at Rocky Mountain N.P. so we could head to Southeastern Colorado where I could search for lifer birds. However, again, the Earth Mother had other plans. Barbara got a very sad phone call. Her boyfriend's little step granddaughter had passed away in the early morning. The child hadn't been sick, she died of accidental poisoning by one of her medications. Devistating news. We decided to cut our vacation short and head back to California immediately.

She LIVES!

YIPPY SKIPPY!
Praise Earth Mother! Yesterday I woke HEALTHY! (that is if you ignore the lingering cough and persistant wheeze)! Ok, maybe not healthy, but feeling much better.

Yesterday I drove to eastern Colorado to have a go Bonnie Lake State Park. The drive was long, but there were wild Pronghorn to be seen along the freeway. I didn't see any new birds, but I had a wonderful time chasing Warbling Vireos that refused to hold still for their portrature (&#%! vireos). But Red-headed Woodpeckers were far more cooperative.


Pretty boy (or girl?)


There were several death defying serpent adventures with harmless gopher snakes.


I molested loads of snakes at Bonnie Lake - BAD Claire!


Snakey was not amused


Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, found EVERYWHERE in Colorado

A nice thing about the Inn we're staying at, is they let me have a student's rate,which included all my meals. Add to that, the restaurant is British themed so you know I enjoyed me grub.


A bit o' Brit

All week our meals were buffet style, but tonight we were given Brit menus which included Bangers and Mash, Potato and Leek Soup, Fish & Chips. The waiter said everything on the menu was delicious. I told him if it was, then it wasn't really British. He was not amused. I had a Scottish chicken dish with mushrooms - again - too tasty for true Scot authenticity. During our last dinner at the Inn, Barb's many classmates recommended a drive out to Boulder Falls. So, after dinner tonight we drove out there.


It was a hecka long walk to the falls, considering how cranky my lungs were

Watching our steps

Boulder Falls

The big draw was there is a tendency for photos at the falls to show 'orbs', which are unseen by the naked eye, but show up as balls of light in photos. Back at the Inn, the consensus was the orbs are beings that are attracted to happy beings, and on the doubting Thomas side, the orbs are only reflection of light by dust particles. We didn't get any orbs in our photos at the falls - probably due to my unhappy wheezing? I'll post some orb photos later this summer. Here's the BONUS of staying at the Inn - all week I chatted with many of Barb's classmates, one of whom had very pretty locks. I was too chicken to ask questions, but Barbara was not (it is good to have friends who will question on your behalf). Anyway, we were told, what she wears are Sister Locks, a new type of hair 'locking', invented by a Californian lady. The locks are not quite braids, and what I like best is there are no extentions, just your own hair. Sooo... guess what I'm going to have done the second I get back to California?