Last Sunday at the Animas River

 

Several white water rafts went by, with the steering person directing the raft across the river to the right channel. Flow of river is directly right to left here, but some shoals are near the far bank. My  daughter-in-law said earlier in the week the water had been orange from the  upstream mud and rain.

In the past mines would have their runoff going into the river, but environmentalists have restricted them to using pools for the toxic mining leavings.

My apartment building is right under the yellow arrow pointing at the park. It's very convenient!

 I already introduced you to the Rotary Park on the Animas River. These photos were all taken there.

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Tuesday morning I shopped in three different stores before 11. I had to leave the lamp shade and the two folding chairs, and the two gallons of distilled water in the car for later pack-ups to bring upstairs in my little rolling cart (on the elevator then down the long hall). I got all the groceries from Walmart and Natural Grocery in it however! 

Goodwill provided two used folding chairs with padded seats at a nice low cost. I should have waited to get the lamp shade there, rather than Walmart...but it is done.

I'm so thrilled the stores all had grocery carts to carry my oxygen generator (5 pounds) and my purse (it balances out pretty well) and then can lean on the cart.  Fortunately at 8 am Walmart was pretty deserted, so my slow wandering didn’t cause many people worries. Actually I saw two other people aimlessly wandering without carts.!

I was sad to look out my window at 1:30 to see the haze of smoke from  fire south of Pagosa Springs, about 65 miles east of Durango. It cleared by 5 when I next peaked through the blinds. I can’t open the blinds till after sunset, being a west facing apartment. And the 100 degrees on the other side of the glass also makes it a good idea to have another barrier. But being up in the mountains the nights cool down to 58 sometime before dawn. 

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"It goes without saying that you should never have more children than you have car windows." Erma Bombeck

water lillies. oil on canvas...frank depietro...american painter....landenberg..pennsylvania...born 1975

--------Sharing with Thankful Thursday

Rotary Park on the Animas River

 

Some boulders show a way to get down to the river, if I were maybe 15.

Fie on iPhone's plant identification! Fie! I'm pretty sure this is a form of Black Locust. One identifer wanted it to be Poplar or Cottonwood. They may be around here, but those are sure the wrong leaves!

And Rocky Mountain NPR just posted this...about this very park!

"DURANGO, Colo. — A green plant along the Animas River Trail caught Catherine Grillos’ attention. She bent down, pulled several leaves from the ground and held them up excitedly.

“Ha, there’s burdock over here,” Grillos said. “These are going to make the best pesto.”

Grillos, a forager and chef, sees ingredients where many people see weeds. She gathers plants around Durango and turns them into drinks, salads, crackers, ice cream and pesto.

A 2018 field guide by self-sufficiency author Caleb Warnock catalogs 437 edible wild plants across the Rocky Mountain West, including berries, roots, nuts, greens, flowers and seeds. The guide covers eight states, including Colorado and New Mexico.

At Rotary Park, Grillos pointed out plantain, clover and dandelions growing within a few feet of one another.

“Just where I’m sitting now, all this food is available,” she said. “And it’s free.”

Rotary Park is part of Durango’s Organically Managed Parks Program. The city maintains the park using organic fertilizers and herbicides instead of synthetic chemicals."

I admit to not planning to forage, but this is the fist park I've visited, so I love that it's organically sustained.

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Especially for AC!

My treasures

 Keeping the gold, looking to meet new friends...

One fabulous treasure in this lifetime has been my friend, Helen, who celebrated her 87th last week.

Another of my besties, Teresa, with her granddaughter Madison...remembering a picnic at Mt. Mitchell NC.

My Alpaca Peruvian shawl, here worn by me at my son Russ' wedding in 2000. It was packed and I thought lost, but I just rediscovered it at the bottom of a box. My youngest son, Tai, gave it to me on his return from a college trip to Peru. Huge sentimental value here! (I know, I very seldom have had a perm for my hair...it's a one off!)

Dragon wishes for a wonderful life for each of my readers!

 Tai working on his stuff, (preparing for teaching in a week) while I'm sitting at the desk in the corner by the window. Yep, my shoes are discarded, because my feet hurt! (Taken Thursday afternoon.)

I noticed how high the ceilings are here. (More later about this).

Looking  the other direction from the kitchen with the desk in that far corner, which is where I do most of my blogging, and reading other's publications! (Taken Friday morning.)

If you notice the bare walls, it's because we can't hang anything on them. No pictures! I have several boxes of them ready to hang, and now they'll just get put into tubs to store them. I'm glad I brought three tall bookcases with me, which give something high to look at along the wall. All the walls are plaster or concrete! So it's very quiet here, and I'm calling this my cave home. My tree-enclosed apartment in Black Mountain was named The Nest.

My son Russ suggests trying Command Strips. I've used them on wallboard walls, but these spackled plaster or concrete block ones may be a challenge.

Sharing with Tom's Tuesday Treasures!

I am especially glad of the divine gift of laughter; it has made the world human and lovable, despite all its pain and wrong.

W.E.B. DU BOIS

Sunday afternoon, after a lovely 59 degrees at dawn. I now have 2 times of day...go out before 11, then stay inside and close the blinds until 7:30 pm when the sun sets. Windows can open usually by midnight!

I wanted to try this coffee shop, but they were closed on Sunday when I drove by. The school building is Smiley and the coffee shop used to be called Smiley's...but now is Blue Wing.

Between my building at the corner of E. 3rd Ave and 14th St, and Blue Wing Coffee Shop in Smiley School building, is this lovely little old home.

I'll be sharing many of the beautiful old homes on E. 3rd Ave here in Durango.

Through the screen, 3 of the Four Firs I love to see each morning. So far I've seen crows and blue birds flying by. It's a hoot to see some fly to the roof right above my window...whoosh!

Monday murals

 Recently I captured two other photographer's work of different murals. So bringing them forward here...

In Asheville NC.

In Manitou Springs, CO

Some Monday soon I'll have some murals from Durango to share. As I drive slowly through town I see glimpses, and know I'll have to park and go see them closer to be able to share.

Connecting with Sami's Monday Murals.

I'll sneak in another photo that shows I'm trying different techniques taking my window photos.

Camera up against screen.

Enlarged view with camera against screen.

From yesterday, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026 Below is the temperature at almost 4 pm. I hadn't been out since 10:45, when it was 76 degrees.

Today's quote:

Throw your dream into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, or a new country. -Anais Nin, author (1903-1977)