Bear Creek Lake Park

We've been back in Denver (Arvada really) for a week.  I'm readjusting to American life after almost 5 weeks in the UK.  I've been back and forth so many times now that occasionally I forget what the "right" side of the road is (fortunately, only on deserted streets).

We decide to go hike around Bear Creek Lake today.  I used to live not very far from this park, but I never figured out how to get there from my apartment (as you had to work your way through a golf course first).  Chuck was not thrilled about paying $5 to enter the park, and honestly, I don't know that I was either.  But, since I didn't know exactly where we were going and I'd never managed to get to the park from my old apartment, we didn't have many choices.

Despite the expense, we enjoyed being out in the Colorado air.  As I have done most days since I moved to Colorado originally 20 years ago, I marveled at the sunshine.  I guess after growing up in Iowa, I just can't seem to get over the amount of light in the middle of winter.  Iowa winters were always overcast and grey.  I remember my first winter in Colorado saying "Oh... I can see why people might enjoy winter..."  

Anyway, our hike was about 7 miles in total (the Mount Carbon Loop).  We saw groundhogs instead of grouse, and there was no sign of rain.  I took in every ounce of sunshine.  At the same time, much of the walk was relatively uninteresting. The semi-arid climate makes for a lot of reddish-brown ground and dead grass in the winter. I spent some time remembering how green things were in November in England. But, as Chuck has told me, it's not worth comparing scenery.  You have to appreciate where you are at the moment - carpe diem!

The view from Mount Carbon

Loving the blue sky

Lest we forget it is December