Bierstadt trail

Pre-hike. So excited!

awesome tree we saw along the way.

.....

the mountains around us. filled with aspens. and blue skies

skies

a tree in all different stages. 

by bierstadt lake.

the strangest lake. totally flat, on top of a mountain, with no mountains around it. lovely skies

bear lake.  

can you find the elk?

where is kevin?

made me so sad. he must have gotten into a fight with another and lost half its rack. kev said
they can't feel them once they get this big cause all their felt fell off. who knew. 

On tuesday, kev and i decided to go on a lovely hike. It's that time of year where the leaves are changing but only for the aspen. They turn golden. Just lovely gold. It was such a great day for a hike. Perfect weather and it inspired us to take lots of pictures! I also learned aspen are one of the largest living organisms. Normally, they grow in groups because under the soil, all their roots are connected, making them one huge thing. crazy.

In other news, the weather is starting to cool off here. fall is officially here and it comes with lots pumpkin bread.

i am really looking forward to this weekend. we will likely have friends over which i love and then go dancing at the legendary rock inn. It's a bar/restaurant/local music hall. A great bluegrass band will be there on friday. look for pictures of us dancing our shoes off. it's hard to imagine but kev dances with me. it's hilarious.

Hope your weekend is as blissful as ours will be!! come visit us friends! we have a fireplace need I say more.

cheers!

Sunday Drivers with our PB & Js

I think Kevin and I have started a new tradition. Sunday Drives. Since I work all the time, including the weekends, we have little time to enjoy each other. Considering the season, Elk mating season, we decided to go on a drive into the national park (only short 10 minutes from our house) and search out Elk. This isn't difficult. There are elk in town, everywhere!! They cross the street without a care in the world and rest in local yards daily. But we wanted to see them with their huge herds.

Let me explain. When it gets around this time of year and the mountains start to get colder, the Elk move down to warmer ground (otherwise known as town). The males with the largest rack have the largest herd of female elk. He tries to mate with all of them. If we go up into the park, there are huge elk with sometimes 30 females with them. But that isn't even the fun part. Sometimes, younger males with smaller racks try to sneak up on the larger male and it is hilarious. The big elk chase after them and make all these crazy noises. It's facinating to watch. But we still haven't seen them fight, rack to rack. That is what I am hoping for.

And really, I kinda feel like a tourist. People bring chairs and sit outside their cars just waiting for the Elk to come out (dawn or dusk is the best time for them to be in the open). On Sundays, we sit and watch. This picture was taken right before we left to go home. It was too dark. But the mountains and sunsets are just lovely.

I am so happy the husband doesn't think I'm crazy and goes along with my ridiculous ideas. I kinda feel like an old woman wanted to go watch the elk but it's so fun. And kev can make the best Elk call, which makes me laugh every time. 

First of Many.

This is my first official post to any blog. I attempted a blog in June tittled "Virginia June" but that was a failed endevour. For the entire month of June, I wanted to wear dresses and blog about it. Sounds fun and even relaxing but between working a full time job and wedding nuptuals of all sorts, it was a flop. This is my second attempt. Now that my Mr and I have moved so far away from our dearest friends and family, this is the best way to connect. At least for me.

So mainly, this blog is about our lives and what is happening out here in the great western state of Colorado! Estes Park, to be exact. If you know me, which you all do. My writing is somewhat unprofessional and grammatically incorrect many a times. I always favored math in school. And you will be able to tell.

The title, Virginia Pines, is silly. We don't live in Virginia but my very best grandma in the whole world, well her name is Virginia. In honor of her, this blog is titled. And hopefully, my parents can show her these posts so she knows what kev and I are up to. So before you go laughing out loud at me, know that little fact. Pines, simply because we are surrounded by pines of all types. Their beauty and strength bewilders me. Just wait till i post some pics with lots of snow, then you might understand.

Okay everyone, so here is goes. An attempt at blogging. Dear goodness. I doubt this will be updated daily, maybe not even weekly but it is way better than sending you all emails randomly.