December 30, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Whale Watching in Sydney with Zeb and Eider Duck

We are back in Sydney, Australia. We really like the Sydney Opera House.

Zeb and Eider by the Sydney Opera House

Wow! Look at this. If we didn’t already love Sydney, this would do it.

A Chocolate Bar!

Max Brenner Chocolate Bar. And it is very close to our hotel. Since we don’t have much time left in Australia, and Sydney is our last stop before the airport and our flight back to the United States, we wanted to do something special today. We are going on a short cruise to watch whales. The people at Sydney Harbor say we should see some humpback whales. We are on the boat, leaving Sydney Harbor.

Leaving Sydney Harbor, we look back at the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge

Behind us we are leaving the Sydney Harbor Bridge. There are people walking on top of the bridge. To the left is the Sydney Opera House. The tall building behind the Opera House has a revolving restaurant on the top. The humans ate there when they were in Sydney 10 years ago. We are so amazed by these steep cliffs, so close to Sydney.

Steep cliffs as we leave Sydney Harbor

The humans on our boat are wandering around, hoping to spot whales.

Humans looking for whales

We ducks also want to see the whales. There are whales here!

Humpback whales here

This shooting water is from a humpback whale. Look! More than one whale is here.

Shooting water is from a whale

We see the whale frolicking in the water.

Humpback whale

He jumped in the water and his tail is beautiful.

Tail of humpback whale

We love these whales.

Humpback whales

They seem to be putting on a show just for us. Look at that perfect tail.

Tail of humpback whale

The lady on the boat is helping us find whales. There are more than whales here. She said this bird is an albatross.

An albatross

It is time now to head back to Sydney Harbor. We see more rock cliffs on the way back.

More steep cliffs are we return to Sydney

Back in Sydney, we head to the shopping area to purchase a few last minute souvenirs.

Last minute shopping at Circular Quay at Sydney Harbor

Our time in Australia is almost over, but we still some more things to show. See you next time.

December 28, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Zeb Visits the Wyeth Exhibit at the Denver Art Museum

This week, my little friend, Lagertha Duck and I, Zeb the Duck, returned to the Denver Art Museum. Lagertha Duck is named for a Viking Warrior Queen. Great name, Lagertha!

The Denver Art Museum

This museum has so many interesting permanent exhibits, and they have really great temporary exhibits. Let’s go to the special Wyeth exhibit now.

Let’s go in

This exhibit will be in Denver through February 7. This features Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009) and Andrew’s son, Jamie Wyeth (born 1946). They are both famous and talented artists. Here they are, father and son.

Andrew Wyeth and his son, Jamie Wyeth

I loved this painting when Jamie was a young child, painted by his famous father.

Portrait of Jamie Wyeth as a child. Painted by Andrew Wyeth, his father.

Even at a very early age Jamie wanted to draw. The scribbles at the bottom were done by Jamie. This is Christina Olson.

Christina Olson by Andrew Wyeth

She was a friend and frequent subject of Andrew’s paintings. Andrew completed this in 1947. At one time Jamie Wyeth had a place in Andy’s Warhol’s New York studio. During this time, in 1976 Jamie painted Andy Warhol. Andy is holding is dog, Archie.

Andy Warhol and dog, Archie. By Jamie Wyeth

Andy Warhol with his dog, Archie. By Jamie Wyeth

Here is a painting by Andrew, finished in 1943, called The Hunter.

The Hunter by Andrew Wyeth

Both Andrew and Jamie really wanted to know their subject and the area well before they painted. Both of the Wyeth’s spent summers in Maine and the rest of the year in Pennsylvania. Included with our entrance ticket to the Wyeth exhibit, was an audio guide. We enjoyed the audio comments by Jamie Wyeth. This painting of the Kent House, by Jamie in 1972, was painted from inside a bait box.

Kent House by Jamie Wyeth

The house painting is oil on cardboard. The audio guide said Jamie did not want to be observed while he painted, so he borrowed this bait box from a fisherman, sat inside, and painted the Kent House on the hill.

Bait box studio

Jamie says he never really painted the sea. The sea is “more interesting when it’s reflected in a gull or sheep that lives the island” This painting in 2008, named Jenny Whibley Sings, is oil on board.

Jenny Whibley Sings by Jamie Wyeth

In the background is Jamie’s home and studio in Maine. Here is The Islander, with the sheep, painted in 1975 with oil on canvas.

The Islander by Jamie Wyeth

Meet Kleberg. He is Jamie’s dog.

Kleberg by Jamie Wyeth

This is an oil painting on canvas and completed in 1984. Notice the unusual making around Kleberg’s eye. Kleberg was getting too close to the easel while Jamie was painting one day, so impulsively, Jamie put his finger in the black paint and painted Kleberg. The marking was so popular with humans, so Jamie repainted it about once a week. You will laugh as you hear Jamie tell the story on the audio guide. Jaime has another funny story about painting this Raven.

Raven by Jamie Wyeth

In the spring of 1980 he had a cow carcass delivered to his island. The neighbors noticed. The dead animal attracted the raven so Jaime could paint him. Betsy is Andrew’s wife and Jamie’s mother. Andrew completed this painting of his wife, Betsy.

Betsy by Andrew Wyeth

Betsy did much of the framing for Andrew’s paintings. She did frame her portrait. Notice the embroidery on the bottom. This painting and framing are spectacular when seen in person. There are many works of art exhibited, completed by Andrew and by Jamie. We hope you visit this exhibit and enjoy the paintings. When you have seen the exhibit, we hope you stay in the museum and visit the North Building. On level 6 there are a few more paintings by Andrew Wyeth. This, Rough Hauling, a watercolor completed in 1940 is my favorite.

Rough Hauling by Andrew Wyeth, 1940, watercolor

Then on level 7, you can see an illustration by N. C. Wyeth, Andrew’s father. N. C. was a very famous illustrator. His first commission as an illustrator, in 1903, was Bucking Bronco for the cover of The Saturday Evening Post. This illustration, owned by The Denver Art Museum, completed in 1916, is Gunfighter.

Gunfighter by N. C. Wyeth

The illustration of a saloon fight represents a larger than life version of a bygone era. We hope you visit The Denver Art Museum soon. We like to visit here often.

December 25, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Merry Christmas 2015

The Colorado Traveling Ducks and their humans wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas. The City and County Building in Denver, Colorado

We remember and give thanks for the birth of Jesus.

Baby Jesus was born

December 24, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Colorado Traveling Ducks Will Help Santa

We three Colorado Traveling Ducks have been practicing and are now ready to help Santa Claus deliver presents. There will be a full moon Christmas night, so Christmas Eve will also have a bright moon, and we are confident that all packages will be delivered. J B Duck, wearing a red tie, is on the first reindeer. Soapy Smith Duck, wearing a blue tie, is in charge of the second reindeer. Zeb the Duck is riding on the sleigh, wearing his Christmas hat and Christmas scarf.

Colorado Traveling Ducks are ready to help Santa on Christmas Eve

We are ready Santa!

December 21, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Zeb and Soapy Explore 3 Denver Malls at Christmas

Our moms love to go the malls to see Christmas decorations. We try to go when they open in the morning, during the week. It is not so crowded then. I, Zeb the Duck, visited three malls this month. First I will show you want I saw at PARK MEADOWS MALL. Of course, I wanted to find Santa.

This way to Santa

Here I am on the enter sign. I really like this Santa house. We even have reindeer pulling a sleigh full of presents.

Reindeer pulling sleigh

Next we headed to Nordstrom’s. Isn’t this red horse cute?

Zeb on Nordstrom’s red horse

Especially with me, Zeb, riding him. We are pulling the cart. The snowman is cheery.

Cheery Snowman

Going through the mall, we noticed the fountain is also ready for Christmas.

Water rapids and fountain ready for Christmas

Water fall and fountain ready for Christmas

Walking down the halls, these lights make us smile.

Lights in Park Meadows Mall

I wanted to be sure you could see these decorations, also.

Christmas decorations everywhere. I love it!

I really like the pine branches and huge red ornaments. We decided to have a snack at the food court. The fireplace, decorated with the wreath, makes everything cozy.

Decorated fireplace in food court

We really liked Park Meadows. Now Soapy Smith Duck and I, Zeb the Duck, will show you what we saw at FLATIRONS MALL. First we visited Dillard’s to see Christmas decorations.

Dillard’s Christmas at Flatirons Mall. Soapy, don’t jump

We liked this. Soapy and Zeb are under the tree, sitting on presents.

Zeb and Soapy under the Christmas tree. Soapy, do not open the gifts!!

All of these decorations in Dillard’s are for sale. In the mall, we smiled at these lights.

Lights in Flatirons Mall

Flatirons Mall has Santa’s Observatory. This is the entrance to visit with Santa.

Santa’s Observatory at Flatirons

Here is Santa.

Santa sees us!

He smiled at us. Maybe we will find presents on Christmas morning. Zeb and Soapy headed to CHERRY CREEK MALL next. This Christmas display in Neiman Marcus caught our attention.

Neiman Marcus Christmas Display at Cherry Creek Mall

Then we spotted the Ice Palace.

The Ice Palace at Cherry Creek

This is the entrance to see Santa. Zeb and Soapy discovered the trees surrounding the Ice Palace.

Zeb and Soapy in Christmas tree

The moms decided to get a cookie.

We are getting this cookie!

Great idea, we will all have a piece. We like to see the Christmas decorations. We hope you visited some malls near you this season also. They are beautiful.

December 19, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Zeb and Eider Continue Touring Australia’s Great Ocean Road

Zeb and Eider Duck and the humans loved this view from our hotel, Beacon Point Ocean View Villas near Apollo Bay, Victoria, Australia.

First view of the day

Just before we left, we admired this rainbow.

Morning rainbow

Isn’t that a great sight first thing in the morning? Driving to the Great Ocean Road, Fabian spotted this koala.

Koala. This is not his face

He is sleeping with his back toward us. Walking at the marina at Apollo Bay,

Going on this pier

we admired this clear water.

Really clear water here

We also admired the boats.

Love boats

We loved the waves breaking.

Crashing waves are beautiful

Driving on the Great Ocean Road, the views were beautiful. This was from Cape Patton.

Great coastline from Cape Patton

At the next stop, the humans fed colorful tropical birds. Humans were given a handful of bird seed and this King Parrot knew what to do.

Feeding King Parrot

This Crimson Rosella was also happy to have a snack.

Crimson Rosella also having a snack

The Sulphur Crested Cockatoo were eager to get a share also.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoos want some also

This King Parrot found a new place to sit.

Found a new place to sit while eating

Along The Great Ocean Road, we saw many of these Sulphur Crested Cockatoos. We love them, but not everyone is a fan of these beautiful birds.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are plentiful. Considered exotic birds in US and farmers pest here.

They have very strong beaks and cause much damage in a farmer’s field. Along the Great Ocean Road, we stopped at Memorial Arch.

Memorial Arch

The Great Ocean Road was begun in 1918 with 3,000 workers, many returning veterans from World War I, and the project was completed in 1932. The road was built with axes and picks; no explosives were used. This statue commemorates the men that built The Great Ocean Road.

Commemorating men who built The Great Ocean Road

Our last stop of the day was the Anglesea Golf Course where we were greeted y this kangaroo.

Is he saying welcome to our golf course?

Several kangaroos were grazing on the edge of the fairways, but this young kangaroo wasn’t interested in grazing.

Mom is still the best!

Mom is still the favorite. We really enjoyed our tour with Australian Natural Treasures Touring, and the Great Ocean Road is breathtaking. Visit them at http://www.anttouring.com.au Thanks Glenn and Jeremy.

December 18, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Rainforest Walk in Australia’s Great Otway National Park with Zeb and Eider

Temperate Rainforest in Great Otway National Park is visited by Zeb and Eider Duck. We stopped at Maits Rest to experience the 800 meter rainforest walk.

Let’s walk

The trees are tall and the path is clear.

Boardwalk through rainforest

The trunk on this tree is huge!

Huge tree trunk

Great Otway National Park consists of 103,185 hectares and is located 162 km southwest of Melbourne. There is prolific plant growth throughout the dense rain forest.

Dense ferns

The trees and tropical ferns are beautiful and create a peaceful environment.

Boardwalk

Even fallen tree trunks are huge.

Inside the tree trunk

The Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) grow over 100 meters, making them the tallest flowering plants in the world.

Story of Mountain Ash

The rare carnivorous, Otway Black Snail, is found only in the Otways where it feeds on insects and other snails and worms.

Otway Black Snail

We did not see a real Otway Black Snail, but maybe that was a good thing. We really loved our time in this temperate rainforest.

Otway Temperate Rainforest

Wow! This tree trunk is huge. Fabian can stand inside the tree!

Trunk large enough for Fabian to stand inside

Even the road leading out of Maits Rest was pretty.

Leaving the rainforest

We hope you visit a rainforest. They are fascinating.

December 15, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Channel is Hanging Over the Caribbean

You remember my friend, Channel, the cutest Bear. She went on a Caribbean cruise with her humans. She sent me this photo.

Channel being held over the Caribbean. She is being held from her balcony

I was scared, but Channel said she loved it. Channel knew her mom would protect her and she would not fall. What a great experience Channel. Thanks for sharing this one.

December 14, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Zeb the Duck Admires Christmas Decorations at the Governor’s Mansion

Yesterday, I, Zeb the Duck, visited the Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion in Denver. This was the last day for the free tours to view their Christmas decorations. This mansion was built in 1904 and became the residence of Colorado’s governors in 1960. The public is allowed on the first floor. The Governor’s family lives on the second floor. There is also a third floor. There are people waiting for the tour.

Entrance to Governor’s Residence at Boettcher Mansion

We are going there to wait also. Inside, much of the furniture is antique and everything is beautiful and great quality. This lamp was purchased in China.

Lamp from China

The tapestry is antique and the table is decorated for Christmas.

Antique tapestry

Wow! This is a great staircase.

Great staircase

And so Christmasy. The first room we view is the drawing room. The decorating theme this year is to represent colors of Colorado. This drawing room is decorated in blue.

Drawing Room

All the ornaments on the tree are shades of blue.

Drawing Room with blue theme

The packages beneath the tree are wrapped in blue, and even the bear playing the piano is blue. This chandelier once was in the White House in Washington D.C.

Beautiful chandelier

It was sold and put in this house. Isn’t it fabulous? At least two first ladies of the United States were interested in having the chandelier back in the White House, but so far Colorado has not been willing to sell it. I, Zeb the Duck, liked this mirror that reflects the staircase.

Mirror reflecting staircase

Again, beautiful Christmas decorations on the table. This perfect room was not originally included in the mansion.

A beautiful addition

It is a great addition. The huge windows looking out to the park like back yard make this perfect for relaxing or entertaining. This is how this addition looks from outside, across the street.

This beautiful room from outside. It is really big

It is huge. And speaking of huge, this mansion has 26,000 square feet of floor space. That is a lot of house to clean. Next we viewed the formal dining room. The theme for this room is majestic.

Color is purple and theme is majesty

Purple is the principal color for Christmas. Over the fireplace is a picture of mountains, representing purple mountains. There is also a picture of Queen Elizabeth, her majesty. The purple lights on the Colorado Marble fireplace are stunning. Each room had a guide, or docent to explain things to us. The dining room was explained by our friend, Connie.

Our friend Connie in the Formal Dining Room

We were so happy to see her, and she did an excellent job of telling us about the formal dining room. Thanks Connie. Our last room was the bar and gift shop.

Tree in Bar and Gift shop

Another beautiful tree. The story behind this ship is rather cute.

Ship in bar and gift shop

The second owner of this home, Mr. Boettcher, collected these ships. He had several, and his wife finally said “no more!” At that time, Mr. Boettcher was building a tavern at Denver’s Brown Palace hotel. He moved all but one of his ships to the tavern, and named his new establishment, Ship Tavern. We think that is a very nice story. He was a clever man, and his wife was also happy. As we left through the side door, we thought this looked like another great place to be in the spring.

I would be here in the spring

We enjoyed our tour of the Governor’s Resident at the Boettcher Mansion. There are various events and tours during the year. We think you would enjoy visiting here also.

December 12, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Zeb and Eider Tour Victoria, Australia’s Great Ocean Road

Zeb and Eider and the humans spent the night in Mount Gambier. This is Blue Lake, a dormant volcano.

Blue Lake at Mount Gambier

It is the water supply for Mount Gambier. And it is a very pretty lake. Shortly after crossing into Victoria, we admired this emu.

First emu sighting after crossing into the state of Victoria

Of course, the kangaroos are always a favorite with humans.

Kangaroos

Logan’s Beach seems to be a whale nursery. We did see a Southern Right Whale in the distance, with her young.

Southern Right Whale and baby swimming far in distance

She was too far away for a good photo. We are in Nullawarre and we are going on the Great Ocean Road.

Colorado Traveling Ducks go to The Great Ocean Road

This is Bay of Martyrs.

Bay of Martyrs

Here we are at Shipwreck Coast.

Shipwreck Coast

Shipwwreck Coast is about 130 km and has 638 known shipwrecks. About 240 of these wrecks have been discovered. A very treacherous coastline. This is Australia’s London Bridge.

London Bridge on Great Ocean Road

There used to be a natural bridge connecting these two stone formations.

London Bridge

In January 1990 it collapsed. No one was injured and no one was on the bridge when it collapsed. However, some people were stranded on the island created when the bridge collapsed. They had to be returned to the main side by helicopter. There is a colony of little (or fairy) penguins that live here.

Area for Little Penguins

They fish and feed during the day. They come in at dusk. To protect them there are no stairs to the beach. The little penguins need to be protected. They grow to be about a foot or less in height. The humans saw them at another location in Australia about 10 years ago. They just love the little penguins. Stopping at Port Campbell, mom loved this seagull with her lipstick matching her shoes.

Lady has matching lipstick and shoes

Next stop was the Twelve Apostles National Park.

Twelve Apostles National Park at Port Campbell

Beautiful! But 12?? Not any more, if ever. These limestone formations have been eroded and worn away by the strong ocean currents.

12 Apostles along Great Ocean Road

Following the boardwalk to the left, these two additional sculptures, or apostles, are visible.

Take path by 12 Apostles, to the end

Further down the path, we saw this structure attached to a main rock.

Naturally formed

This is a great road. We loved the ocean on one side, while the farm and pasture land on the other side is also beautiful. This flock of sheep captured mom’s attention.

Sheep grazing along Great Ocean Road

We are still on our tour, so keep reading our blog to see what we experience next. When in Victoria, Australia, don’t miss the Great Ocean Road.

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