Retro Blogpost - Birthday Wishes for a Blog Friend

Birthday Wishes for a Blog Friend

This is a repost from January 27,2010... However, the message remains the same.

Today, I want to send special Birthday Wishes to a Blog Friend, Marian Love Phillips, known to many of us from over at Marian's Hunting Stories, etc., etc., etc.

In the picture above she was posing with the car I won in a give-away over at the Deer Camp Blog last July.

My wish for her today is to Celebrate many more years in the great outdoors .... a Dixie Lady Hunter.

Marian's drive to experience life in the great outdoors hasn't changed in all these years. Here's wishing you a very Happy Birthday my Mississippi blogging friend from an Iowa blogging friend...

Rocky Mountain National Park Elk Rut

Corey and I drove by where we stayed on our June vacation 2015 ,as we turned the corner onto the street we came across our first encounter with an Elk for the evening. He looked a bit bedraggled with his drapery of grass entangled in the  malformation of his antler. It was without a doubt he was content to graze on his own since  no others were sighted with-in visible range.

Getting beyond all the shops of downtown ,following HWY 34 just outside of town, we came upon a mountain meadow filled with groups of Elk Bulls,Cows and calves from the past season. We pulled off the road to catch glimpses between parked or passing cars of the roaming Bull Elk pictured on the left-hand of the collage,hearing for the first time up close and personal a bugling .

We were privileged to once again capture a collared Cow lazily grazing among the rest of the herd. My understanding of the purpose of the collar is to keep track of travel patterns, age and where her collaring originated. 

As we approached the Rocky Mountain National Park the blinking signs notified tourists that the Park was only open to the 12 mile point due to poor visibility on the mountains. So, we didn't get to go on into the park since we would have still had to pay the entrance fee of $20 and daylight was fading fast. 

On our reverse trip to Estes Park we caught two young Bulls feeding alone. A little further back towards town, we came across a different large Bull Elk ,which is featured in the middle of the collage and found in the middle of the herd on the outer right top picture. What was awesome was the echoing of bugles from so many parts of the hills and meadows in our travel path. The group just above, to our right,didn't come to my attention until I tried focusing on a far bugle.

I know that I've talked about lodging before, as in renting a room but there are several camping areas available for either campers or mixed sites including tents; as well as vacation homes and Bed&Breakfast accommodations.

By the time daylight was done we were ready to retire back to the Twin Owl Motor Lodge since our day had begun so many hours and miles ago. 

We documented our stay...

Time to eat supper and prepare to head off to Goshen Hole,Wyoming. Another long day on the road.

I hope you enjoyed our pictures and blogpost for today.

Here's wishing you Have a Great Day!

Our Evening at Estes Park - Part Three

These are just a few shops and attractions that caught my eye as we passed into and out of downtown Estes Park on our way to the Rocky Mountain National Park.

I was particularly drawn to the name of the restaurant pictured in the upper left hand corner, The Hunters Chop House.  They have both a Lunch Menu and a Dinner Menu. We didn't stop but definitely with so many fine dining choices throughout the city this would be included in a list of suggestions.

As we wound our way back to our night's lodging , seeing the floral displays I wondered what building we were about to pass...I truly appreciate flower plantings because they always seem to brighten up with color and soften straight lines. It came to our attention we were looking at the Estes Park Visitor Center Parking Ramp designed by Architect Michael Koch.

There wasn't enough time to see everything due to our late afternoon arrival. However, the most important part of our journey to this city was yet to be experienced and will be apart of the next blogpost, that being the Elk Rut taking place beyond the City Limits. I will share some pictures of the Elk bulls and cows that became quite the attraction to many others seeking the same thrill as Corey and myself.

Until the next blogpost...Have a Great Day!

Our Evening at Estes Park - Part Two

On our outing for the evening we scouted for future lodging around Lake Estes...Now,we are familiar with names and locations so we know what to look for when we plan another vacation,or can offer a suggestion. It certainly helps to know how the establishment appears from the street to determine whether or not it is a possibility to seek renting a room. 

This little cabin was our accomodation during our stay in 2015 with our family. It's required stay of two days was longer than the overnight we had allotted for our visit last September.

To find out more about renting cottages at Triple R Cottages <---please Triple R Cottages.

On our last stay in June 2015 I saw Mule Deer bucks across the road,a coyote running along the little creek to the back of the cabin and we were told by one of our kids another guest had informed them a bear had gone through the compound.

Please forgive my huntress side, but apart of me was on alert to the fact a bear could have been through, because of being awakened in the night ,due to sounds of bumping along our cabin and later the discovery of animal scat pictured here.


I was searching the yard for evidence of wildlife when I came across more than one sample. It was found to the left of the trees between the tree line and the cabin.

So, if you are in need of getting a close look at mother nature you'll not be disappointed with adding Estes Park,CO. as a vacation destination...

Have a Great Day!

Our Evening at Estes Park,CO - Part One

Entering Estes Park from Big Thompson Canyon we soon found our road that would take us to our hotel accommodations for the evening.

Fish Creek Road intersected with N St Vrain Ave. which runs along the southern shore of Lake Estes.

Via N St Vrain Ave. ,the street to our lodging, we were welcomed with a blinking road sign announcing the most prominent event now taking place in the community. 

I know the sign doesn't spell things out completely but there is enough to give some clues if you are aware of the season.

Let's just say the two most important words I catch a glimpse of are "Elk" and "Rutting".

Arriving at our  destination it was time to take a quick survey of our surroundings before heading into town to see if the Elk were moving about the town proper.

Panning to our right across the street from the Twin Owls Motor Lodge at the west end of Lake Estes we enjoyed the scenery.

The fog was still setting low on the mountains surrounding us and we hurried to make choices as to what direction would be best to go to find the next photo subject(s).

We did get on our way to checkout both the wildlife and tourist populations now inhabiting this well known city.

Because I've got so many pictures I would like to share with you I plan on splitting them into several posts.

Please do keep checking back to see if something new has been added.

Have a Great Day!