Our Front Yard

This is our last week at Lathrop State Park. We work through Labor Day, then leave on Tuesday for Chatfield State Park near Denver. We really like Lathrop. We have been coming here for years and have had even more time to explore the park during our two stays here as volunteers.

Part of what we enjoy so much is what we see out of our front window. Last month two of the buck deer that live nearby came up here to feed in the evening. This was our most recent visitor.



Earlier this two-point buck came to feed on the vegetation.



Not all the wildlife is that big. We have quite a few cottontail rabbits. This is one of the adults. It seems obvious that the adults have been doing what rabbits do best, based on the number of young bunnies we see around.



I set out two hummingbird feeders and we have really enjoyed all the birds they attracted. I think we have had at least three different kinds. It is really difficult to get a picture of these fast-moving birds without them just be a blur.



Of course, we have even smaller visitors--especially the mosquitoes. We've had one mouse--yuk. And nearby we have seen bull snakes and bear scat. The black bear we saw our first evening here is the only one we spotted this season, but we do know they have been around.

When we parked our rig, we found the previous volunteers here--who had to leave early because of family illness--had planted some tomatoes. Here is what the plants look like today.



As you can see, some of the fruit is getting ripe and we are enjoying it. We also think the resident moles are enjoying the plants--thus the shriveled leaves you see. There is also a pepper plant there, but it just bloomed in the past two weeks so we won't see anything from that plant mature to the place we can eat it.

We also have a day lily plant that is blooming, in addition to the native vegetation.



The sunsets here are also impressive.



We plan to return to Lathrop next summer, assuming the same jobs are available to us. We never know for sure what will happen, but we do enjoy our time here.