Went for an early evening hike today at The Garden of the Gods, the perfect time of year to hike in the park. The sun was warm, the air cool, and the tourists haven’t quite arrived yet. Being locals, we tend to hike the hills on the outskirts of the park, so we are away from the high traffic areas. Steve Garufi, on his blog coloradoguy.com has some pics of the Siamese Twins trail which is one of our favorites. (By the way, the “Kristin” in some of the pictures is not me.)



We had some late Spring snow/rain this year so the vegetation is lush and green... for now. There are lots of wildflowers, the prickly pears are budding, and the scrub oak are full of soft green leaves. Only the yucca were not in bloom, I only saw one flower stalk which is unusual.



Being that it was early evening, we saw a few deer grazing nearby the trail. They do not seem particularly alarmed by people any more, a sure indication of the intense useage the park receives. I also saw my first hummingbird of the season. Colorado has 4 species of hummers that vacation here in the summer. I have always liked hummingbirds. Seeing the hummingbird reminded me that my oldest son used to call me Hummingbird Woman when he was young.



We paused on our hike to let the boys scramble on some rock formations. They always seem especially eager to hike with us if they know we will let them climb around for a bit. Garden of the Gods is famous for its multitude of sandstone formations, many of the smaller ones are suitable for free climbing. I don’t know why the boys like to climb so much, perhaps it’s that full body cross-lateral movement that they need on some level. My O son seems to really need vigorous exercise, while A son seems to enjoy being in nature and observing wildlife best. Me, I like both of course. It’s a B thing.



After our hike, we had a late meal of leftover lamb stew for me and the O while the A’s enjoyed lentils and rice cooked with onions, carrots, and celery, very rejuvenating for all.



And the best thing today was we awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. My husband’s sister had given birth during the night to a baby girl. Weighing in at 9 lbs., she is a good size for a healthy baby girl born in high altitude; they live above 7500 feet.



Welcome to the world, little one.