Colorado Prairie

Happy Monday, folks. The day is slipping away, and I haven't written my Mosaic Monday post. We picked up the boys last Thursday, so you know how it is when you have children--you don't get much done. Today I wanted to share some prairie photos with you that I took several days ago when I rode with the Head Gardener out to his hunting spot where he and Jacob are hunting prong horned antelope this week.

The eastern plains of Colorado can look pretty bleak and bare, but it all depends on the eye of the holder and the time of the year. This year the dry lands had abundant rain, so the grasses are green, the wildflowers blooming, and the cacti even bloomed earlier in the season. Iconic on the landscape, the windmills still serve good purpose to pump water for livestock and wildlife, too. Whether close-up or on the far horizon, the windmill always attracts the photographer's eye.

So about 30 yards from downhill from the water source seems to be a great place to set up the hunting blind, several weeks in advance of opening day so that the antelope get used to it being there.  The odd species, actually a goat and not an antelope, roam the prairie in large numbers. The meat can either sage-tasting or tender and delicious. I grew up on game meat since my dad's doctor told him way back in the '50s that beef and pork caused his gout. Already a hunter, he began hunt in earnest to supply meat for the family. The Head Gardener hunts with a bow, so he is not always successful. Now he is taking his grandson on his first hunt with his bow. 

Here a doe and her twins approach for their mid-day drink. She is weary because the pick-up is parked near-by, something strange and different. I am always amazed at the wide-open spaces in the grasslands, dotted by small acreages, ranches the span miles and miles, fence lines that are endless, and in the last few years the abundance of gas and oil wells. 

While sparse, the land still supports a variety of wildlife and always I want to photograph birds.While the black Angus bulls take their afternoon nap up on the hill, fenced off from this particular windmill, the horned lark and lark bunting (the black bird with the white wing, a male here and Colorado's state bird) sit on the fence long enough for me to photograph them. 

Tomorrow Nathan (7) will get to join his grandfather and brother (13). While he is too young to hunt, he does shoot a compound bow. Today we made breakfast burritos for tomorrow. He's such a little helper. 

In the garden, plant life looks pretty sad. The July plants have faded now, weeds have resurfaced, and I am out of steam. I'll leave you with two pretty bouquets, the plain and simple Cosmos and zinnias that are thriving. The more I cute them, the more they bloom, so I love bringing them in.

As soon as I edit and spell check, I'll be linking with Maggie at Normandy Life for Monday Mosaic. 

Have a great week. 

PS Thanks for stopping by the Dollhouse blog. I'll be updating there, too.