Our aspen buds

I guess this is the first sign of spring here. Our aspens are budding.

The fuzzy-appearing buds are called catkins, and are a normal spring occurence on quaking aspen trees. They contain seeds, and last for a short time in the spring.

They kind of remind me of the pussy willows we used to see back east. Since the aspen trees are closely related to willows, this all makes sense.

Autumn up in the Sangres

Yesterday we took a ride up into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains over Santa Fe, to see the fall colors - the aspens trees are reaching their peak. Some areas are completely golden, and others have yet to turn color, which may mean another trip later this week.

Lots of people up on the mountain road yesterday, checking out the wonderful fall scenery.

Every fall when I see the aspens transforming the mountains, I remember the saying "Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Then John and I look at each other and marvel anew that we are living in what we believe is the most beautiful place in the country, at least for us.

The view from our bedroom window

The man who owned our house before we did had the foresight to put in lots of trees, bushes, perennials, etc. So when we came to the house, we had lots of landscaping already in place.

But I think our favorite is the aspen trees he planted right outside the master bedroom window. He put them there for privacy, but they also give us a wonderful view from the window. In the fall they are particularly beautiful in their golden splendor. We are enjoying them while they are so colorful and have not lost their leaves yet.

More quaking aspens on the mountain

We returned to the mountain today to check on the aspens...and they are really at their peak this week. This seems a little later than usual.

What a glorious day!

Up in the Sangres

John and I took a drive up into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains today to check out the aspen trees and see how the fall foliage was looking.

The mountains looked just spectacular as always, but the aspens have not reached their peak color yet. John got some nice pictures anyway, and we hope to make a return trip up there next week to see if the color is even better.