Colorado

The family headed out to Ft. Collins, Colorado for some quality time with Anna and Rich before their upcoming nuptials. It was a lovely week of good weather, good food, and good friends. 

Viola listened to some tunes with Brian on the flight.

Anna drove us over to Rocky Mountain National Park for our first day.  Viola loves Anna.

 Yes that is snow on the mountains.

 Family.

 "Look over there Viola"

"Yea another mountain, what of it?"

 Viola loved it so much.

And here we have, a herd of elk.

We rode our bikes (Viola in Bike trailer) to one of the many parks that Ft. Collins has to offer.

On Saturday we loaded up into Rich's wagon and headed up the Poudre (pooder) River Canyon.

Anna got hold of a back pack hiker for Viola.  I'm not sure that she totally loved it but we gave her flowers to keep her happy.

 We scrambled up a gravel trail/road to see this hole in the side of a mountain with a lot of water pouring out.

 Here's the team including Anna's dog Xander.  Minus me of course, since I was taking the photo.

Rich loves Anna and Xander, it's a match made in heaven.

There's the water that came out of the mountain. 

 We came across what appeared to be moose droppings.

Then, what do you know, up the road we came across a "mama and papa moose" (as Viola called them).

At the top of the canyon we stopped to enjoy the loos and the wild flowers.

Every time I try to demonstrate blowing a dandelion it is a miserable failure.

This time was not different.  Where do I find the ones that work?

 Viola loved frolicking through the wildflowers, and did I mention that Viola got some hiking boots and socks to get into the Colorado frame of mind.

 Viola hiked her boots down to this mountain lake.  It was just a little bit pretty.

 Do you see the bright green dot on the other side of the lake? That is Brian fishing with Rich.  

They didn't catch any thing but the view.

 Viola loves Anna.

 Look, some wood.

 Rocks make good stools.

 

 There were more wild flowers to pick near the lake.

 Woodpecker.

Bighorn sheep.

Anna's house-mate Lizzy had a new couch/phone buddy.
Viola is talking on a remote control.

On our last day we hit some gardens around town on bicycle.

 Viola loves flowers.

 

Viola invited us all into her house, but only Anna was invited to sit on the sofa.

Viola took some portraits of us with my camera.

She is getting really good.

This one enjoyed a Bloody Mary mix en route home. 

She drank all of mine on the way, this time she had her own.

Thanks for hosting us Anna and Rich.  It was a great week.