Summer's End

Well, they said that we would be seeing a change in the weather toward the end of the weekend and, yes, we did. But until yesterday afternoon, it was so lovely!

Saga and I went out early Saturday morning to explore her park. It doesn’t look like fall yet, but it is only a matter of time. Then I popped the camera gear into the car and off we went. Using only GPS and a book about scenic drives in Colorado, we headed out for the day.

Our route for the day was one I had never taken before; up north to Fort Collins, then over west through the Poudre canyon and across Cameron pass into North Park. Then down through North Park, through Winter Park and over the continental divide at Berthoud Pass and east back home.

The weathercasts I saw were bang-on! The day could not have been any nicer. The skies were just cloudy enough to give them a bit of visual interest; the temperatures were just at that sweet spot where you could wear a sweatshirt, but getting out and walking a bit would warm you up just as efficiently. The traffic was mostly headed to the campgrounds below the pass along the Cache la Poudre River so by the time I got to the pass; I had the road mostly to myself.

Which is great since I like to stop often, and walk around with my camera. Saga likes getting out of the car periodically as well, even when Daddy makes her get out and sit on boulders in the middle of the river! The only other person I ran into (except at the little roadside stand where Saga and I got lunch) was a reporter from one of the local TV stations out recording the day, and the people out in it.

It was a lovely day for a drive and Sunday was almost as nice. It was a bit windy, Sunday, which is why we went to the park but mostly stayed near home. I would not have wanted to be driving in the gusting winds.

This morning it is raining, the winds are not as gusty as I understand they will be later, but the big thing is the temperatures! Whereas this weekend we had highs in the eighties, I understand today it will struggle to get over fifty. It is currently about forty degrees out and not at all a nice morning. At least the weekend was lovely!

Wherever you are today, I hope your summer is ending on a high note!

Don Bergquist – September 21, 2009 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA