01 January, 2009

WALKING CLEAR CREEK







New Year's Day on Clear Creek


After breakfast, consisting of an Omlette topped with mild Hatch green chiles and swiss cheese, dusted with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, onion and garlic powder -and- homemade hash browns made from grated Yukon Gold taters and fine chopped onions dusted with kosher salt, fresh ground paper and Chimayo chile powder, we took a walk along Clear Creek.


Although the high temp was to be in the mid-fifties, a nasty north-west wind raked down along the creek bed....making the hike a brisk one.

Two months ago, we hiked the same path in the midst of full Autumn color. While crossing the pre-stressed open-span steel bridge, I took a nice pic looking Northeast, downstream.




I stopped and took a similar picture today.....not at all the same scene. It is very cold and forlorn.

Canadian geese and winter ducks were nestled in pools and feeding quietly. Leftover snow and ice shelves dotted the shadows where the sun never touched the North facing slopes.



With all or most of the Prairie pothole ponds, lakes and reservoirs locked in ice, the waterfowl find ways to settle into the riparian habitat along the South Platte drainage. It provides a great opportunity for bird watching.....And, shooting a few birds, once we are outside the city limits!!!!

This pair of Mallards were settled in a shallow pool under a man-made rip-rap retaining wall.

NEW YEAR'S MORNING RAMBLES

Sunrise, 1, January 2009


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Turning the Year

The Roman God, Janus, with his double visage facing both the past and the future


greets the new year and recalls the passing of the old year.



"In Roman mythology, Janus (or Ianus) was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings and endings. His most prominent remnants in modern culture are his namesakes: the month of January, which begins the new year, and the janitor, who is a caretaker of doors and halls." - Wikipedia



~ William Sprocket Cat is growing stronger. He has developed a bothersome sneeze and cough. My concern is that he might have aspirated something when he was sick and vomiting. Tomorrow he goes into the Vet clinic for a check-up, so we shall see.



~ Yesterday was a full day at work attempting to make up time lost on a large production run for Hi-Mountain Seasonings (http://www.himtnjerky.com/) of Riverton, Wyoming. They are good clients, hunters and fisherfolk.



I came home very tired, washed off the dust and went to church for New Year's Eve Mass. I came home to a huge glass of Cabernet and fine North Denver Spaghetti.



The recipe can be found in the Elegant Dust archives here:


http://theprairiemelts.blogspot.com/2007_02_11_archive.html


After the hearty repast, I promptly crashed....like the proverbial Boeing 737 in a microburst! None of this midnight madness for this cowpoke....not like years past.


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Here's wishing you all a blessed and prosperous, joyfilled and bountiful New Year!