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F-16C Fighting Falcons of the USAF Thunderbirds perform at the 2022 US Air Force Academy Graduation, Colorado Springs, USA
Late-season cattail (Typha latifolia) line the banks of what was a gravel quarry several decades ago, Sawhill Ponds, Boulder County, Colorado. In the distance, the Indian Peaks rise up to form the Continental Divide.
Before this site was a quarry, it was likely a natural wetland due to its proximity to Boulder Creek, and the flat nature of the topography. I imagine beaver, muskrat, ducks, herons, cranes, and neotropical passerine migrants all made their homes here. To a large degree, many of these wetland denizens are back, and perhaps people now appreciate a bit more the types of 'ecosystem services' that wetlands provide: flood control, filtration, and a place for young fish to grow, among others. The term 'ecosystem services' feels a bit sterile and transactional though. What strikes me walking amongst the reeds is that this is a place of densely packed life.
This seedhead, or puffball, looks like a "dandelion on steroids." I have waited to take a photo when it was well-lit by the natural sunlight. We have had several gray, snowy days. But this afternoon the sun came through the clouds and lit this "goat's beard" seedhead up beautifully.
Clouds build up over Kiowa (l) and Navajo (r) Peaks with the combination of daily heat and monsoonal moisture. The uppermost part of the valley has a small residual (Little Ice Age) glacier (Arikaree glacier), though a mere 14,000 years ago there was a sizable glacier in the valley that would have been visible from this view point on Niwot Ridge.
Limber pine skeletons under a wind-driven lenticular cloud reach out to catch a rainbow on the horizon. Last light near the forest-tundra boundary on Niwot Ridge in the Front Range of the southern Rocky Mountains.
December, Rocky Mountain Front Range, Colorado
This image was one that already was compromised. I took it from inside our home. The deer were actually in shadows. And their distance from me was almost beyond the limits of my lens.
This buck persisted in following the doe and I at least wanted to document these moments.
I took the liberty to do some major cropping and dramatic post-processing. I enjoyed getting to experiment. Here are the final effects.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge transitioned from a weapons manufacturing site to an urban oasis for wildlife and people.
The buds have been delayed in opening this year by about three weeks. And even as they began to open on April 12, temperatures plummeted and snow fell once again on April 13.
Dusk, 18 Feb 24
These clouds look like cotton balls; small, puffy, and patchy clouds often seen in rows. They are made of ice crystals and generally are at least 18,000 ft. above the ground. They may appear briefly or last several minutes. They tend to be transparent and follow cirrus clouds, bringing warmer temperatures. Sure enough, the wintry cold weather gave way to at least three days of fair weather in the 50s-60s(F).
- From various on-line sources about clouds