2009
Sunday, December 20th, 20092009 was a good year and not simply because it followed on the heels of a challenging 2008, but because it reinforced how much we cherish living in Colorado. We met many terrific people and discovered gorgeous new places on foot. This is but a sampling of our shenanigans.
Windy days, snowy days, sunny days. We get them all.
my tele betties at the local hill
We spent a couple of days skiing Mary Jane and visiting with our friends, Jeff and Tracie (and little Georgia), who run the dog sledding operations out of Fraser, Colorado. If you are ever at Winter Park, do consider a sled ride with them!
one of over 90 handsome huskies at Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park
full moon out our front door one early April morning
It was the year of the French macaron in our kitchen. I learned to make them (merci Hélène!), I sampled several varieties in San Francisco for my birthday (thanks Lisa and Anita!), and we enjoyed a box of Ladurée macarons straight from Paris (merci Marianne!). No one can resist a mac. No one.
chocolate macs
We caught the tail end of the May dogwood bloom in Yosemite Valley and visited the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Wilderness for the first time.
Bridalveil Falls in Yosemite Valley
Yosemite’s dogwoods in full bloom
Back home, it was still early season. Our summers in the high country don’t arrive until July, but we rather like it that way.
Mount Audubon reflected in a thawing Brainard Lake
Kaweah likes to hike
Jeremy kick-steps his way toward white-out conditions on the Continental Divide
Summer brings dazzling light shows and carpets of brilliant alpine wildflowers to our neck of the woods.
capturing lightning became an obsession of mine
avalanche lilies are among the first to open on thawing mountain slopes
Crested Butte: just when you think it couldn’t get more amazing, it does. We spent a few days exploring the surrounding high country. It is nothing short of stunning.
cow parsnip and bluebells grace the headwaters of the Taylor River Valley
aspens in summer outside of Crested Butte
clusters of blue columbines
We passed our summer months in Colorado with plenty to see and do. My friend Cindy once asked if I ever feel like we are living someone else’s vacation. Absolutely.
my first fourteener since last year’s recovery (photo by Jeremy)
backpacker’s sunrise in the Uncompaghre Wilderness
rolling lightning storms at sunset in Pagosa Springs
late summer thunderhead makes way for a clear evening at home
In September, my friend Andrew (founder of Ignite Boulder – presentations with a twist) convinced me to deliver one of fourteen Ignite talks to a lively 750+ sold-out crowd at the Boulder Theater. My topic? Food Porn: Behind the Lens. Jeremy was simultaneously giving a talk in a cow pasture in Australia on Redshifted OH Lines with the Square Kilometer Array Molonglo Prototype: Detection and Science.
candied lemon slices
Have camera, will shoot. Not everything I photograph is nature or food.
the loveliest autumn bride
Colorado’s spectacular fall colors can be hit or miss depending on Nature’s mood swings.
early snowfall overlaps autumn colors on the last day of summer
always happy
After a jam-packed conference in San Francisco, I hit the road for southwestern Colorado with my pal, Beth. It was a lean year for colors, but Colorado is never lacking for scenery.
the largest aspen stand in the world
brilliant morning on the Sneffels Range
pure, unadulterated gold
It wasn’t long before gold leaves gave way to high winds and snow. Autumn as we knew it was over…
some of us just live in the moment
Except autumn wasn’t quite over for me. I had been invited on a press junket in California’s Sonoma Valley to learn about charcoal, barbecue, and wine. It was an incredible trip with friends both old and new.
my little buddy, Lucy
I got a second shot at autumn, this time in Sonoma’s famed wine country
a toast to great food, excellent wines, and dear friends
No matter how awesome the trip, it’s always a great feeling to come home.
good-night, moon
hello, ski season!
Wishing you health and happiness in the coming year and beyond.
with love,
Jen, Jeremy, and the Kaweah
in loving memory of Dorothy Darling, treasured grandmother, renowned card shark and bowler.
