Don's Blog Newborn 9-18-21

When we got home from Colorado there were some monarch butterfly caterpillars eating

the leaves of some large butterfly bushes in the front yard. They subsequently disappeared and i was unable to find any 

chrysalis's nearby. Today I spotted a newborn monarch resting/drying out nearby on a daylily leaf. 

If you have ever seen this process then you know what is happening. The butterfly just sits there unperturbed 

by what is going on around it.

Without changing its position it occasionally opens wide its wings for a few seconds. 

It is magical.

Don's Blog The Trees the Thing 9-13-21

returning from Colorado we found a huge branch that had broken off near the top of a cedar tree in a storm. 

It was right over our new driveway.

Today Miguel Chavez and his team came by and cut it down. Here is Miguel's 

tree climber in place with his chain saw. You can see how high it is.

And here is the team pulling on the branch from below.

The branch was HUGE.

They also cut down five or six smaller dead trees in the upper area. After that they went around the property

and cut off the major dead branches especially on the tree by the kitchen window, at the lake shore and off the deck to the north. 

Then the tree monkey who Miguel said also used to be a roofer cut the tree branches away from the roof on the north side of the house.

They did a great job and I was exhausted just watching.

Re: Thank you

It was a wonderful celebration for an extra special couple!  We love you and it was an honor to celebrate with you!

xoxo

PS:  All the pics are fantastic!🙂

On Tue, Sep 14, 2021 at 10:34 AM Don Sessions <bigdonsessions@gmail.com> wrote:

Jan and I would like to thank you for making OUR anniversary so special this year. Specifically thanks to Chris for flying to St Louis and driving us west. We know it was a challenge but you were up to it. 

Thanks to Gordon and Kelli for arranging our celebration. Thanks to you all for funding it.

Gordon and Kelli - have a great anniversary. We remember your wedding as if it were yesterday.

Thanks to Lee for driving us home and rediscovering Innsbrook. We look forward to a repeat next year.

 

And to Blake, Adam and Will- we are certain you will carry our families love forward to new heights.

WE LOVE YOU ALL.

Don and Jan

A Final Walk Around Bear Lake

The time was getting late and the trip was almost over. There was one more ticket to Bear Lake. Only Chris, Meg, Lee, and Don

were able to make the trip. 

We had not seen many elk but this bull and its family were sitting in a yard down the street from Solitude as we passed.

We got to Bear Lake as the sun was setting.

We took a few standard shots of the group.

And then it got  a little weird:

And then it really got crazy as we tried to create a hair raising tale.

Even without much hair mine went straight up.

The other folks going around the lake knew we had lost it. We  were laughing too much in this

sacred space. So it goes sometimes.

Jan in Colorado - August ,2021

In case she forgets here are some images of Jan in Colorado. We did not get to see Longs Peak very well because of the haze. Here is a clearer day from Solitude.

Jan did use her hammock at Wild Basin,

and she went to the top of the world twice braving ferocious winds,

and on the trial,

unexpectedly she saw a turkey,

and later she got to wear her pink/purple hat,

and even play with a friend.

Thank you

Jan and I would like to thank you for making OUR anniversary so special this year. Specifically thanks to Chris for flying to St Louis and driving us west. We know it was a challenge but you were up to it. 

Thanks to Gordon and Kelli for arranging our celebration. Thanks to you all for funding it.

Gordon and Kelli - have a great anniversary. We remember your wedding as if it were yesterday.

Thanks to Lee for driving us home and rediscovering Innsbrook. We look forward to a repeat next year.

 

And to Blake, Adam and Will- we are certain you will carry our families love forward to new heights.

WE LOVE YOU ALL.

Don and Jan