Finally!!!

It took longer than any of us wanted or expected, but spring has finally arrived. I knew we had turned the corner when I looked at the outdoor thermometer at 7:30 this morning and it read 60 degrees. Even the rabbit seemed excited for this change.

No staying in the house today. It was time for another morning of local exploration. Albert, our little back seat driver, was eager to know where we were going.

We decided to return to North Fork Park, where we had been a week ago. There is plenty of unfamiliar ground for us to cover there. I felt like I hit the jackpot with trees for both abstracts and more traditional images. I LOVE aspens...they make terrific subjects for photos.

The dogs, as always, romped and played and loved every moment of the adventure. Jake was so excited chasing butterflies that he flew over my husband, who was once again, stretched out on the road. 

Are you starting to sense a theme here? It's not so much that he's odd as it is that he was patiently waiting for me to finish photographing whatever I was shooting and there was no place to sit....plus he does love the feel of the warm sun. 

On the drive back home, we spotted a field full of yellow flowers and some old rusted farm equipment... 

...and a young moose. Jake checked him out from the car window.

I continue to be amazed at how green everything is, but then again, we DID have a LOT of snow this year. And there is running water everywhere now. With the late snow and the rapid change in temperature which is about to hit us, there is real risk of flooding for people living near rivers and streams and in the lowlands. While I'm thoroughly enjoying the green, I worry about what's to come.

But in the meantime, we're all enjoying the beautiful weather and the incredible beauty of this mountain valley we call home.