the land, with Victoria

Today, after brunch with Mom, we brought Victoria to The Land! I was touched by how much she appreciated the place and really "got it." It meant so much to be able to share this special location with her!

outing

The land

The land, again

The Sand Dunes

Cole Park

This is the park in Alamosa where I walk occasionally with my friend Linda. The river that runs through it is the Rio Grande.

 

 



Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge

My friend, Linda, and I visited the nearby wildlife refuge at dawn this morning. Here are some of the images I captured of the cranes, ducks, landscape, and sunrise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Sand Dunes National Park

We took a break from house-hunting yesterday to visit the Great Sand Dunes near Alamosa. The largest inland sand dunes, they are created and maintained by an ecological/geological system unique to the San Luis Valley. Photos can't fully convey the magnitude of the site. While I will probably never hike to the top of them (walking in sand is not my favorite activity), I do find them impressive. Not the first time to visit the park, and likely not the last.

By the way, we found a very nice house to rent in Monte Vista! Yay!

 

the land, revisited

balloon train

This morning Alex and I rode the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train from downtown to Cascade Falls, an approximately 5o-mile round trip. We've ridden the D&SNGRR on other occasions, but this was a special trip. The train was specifically scheduled to allow us to stop and watch the Mass Balloon Ascension over the Animas Valley. The balloons were awesome and the train ride was spectacular.

And here I am with my friend Alice, who happened to be riding the train, too: