June 9, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Mount Evans, Colorado

I, Zeb the Duck, went high in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Mom and I drove the highest paved road in North America to the top of Mount Evans. Elevation in the parking lot at the top is 14,130 feet above sea level. That is very high and not so much oxygen in the air. When you go, be careful!

Our first stop on the drive to the top was Summit Lake Park at 12,830 feet.

Still snow in early June

We went a few days ago and the lake was still frozen.

Like a Christmas card in June

It was so pretty.

When we arrived at the top, we saw these Rocky Mountain Sheep.

Love these sheep

My new friends are watching me

Resting

Then we walked up to the former Crest House.

On hand rail of remains of Crest House

When it was built from 1939-1941, it was the highest structure in the world at 14,260 feet above sea level. Mom remembers going there with her parents and drinking hot chocolate. Sadly, in September 1979 a propane explosion destroyed the Crest House. In 1992 the structure was stabilized and is now an observation platform

Nice view of mountain and hikers

and place of contemplation.

It was 44 degrees when we were there, with much snow still on the ground. Driving down the mountain, we were as high as these snow capped mountain peaks.

Seems like we are at the top of the world

We saw this yellowed-bellied marmot enjoying the sun.

Marmot ready for summer

They hibernate during the winter. The climate at the top is alpine tundra, similar to Nome, Alaska. This is the harshest environment that supports life, in the world.

These Mountain Goats enjoy climbing on Mount Evans and we enjoy seeing them.

Mountain goats grazing

We will probably be back here again this summer. Mount Evans is less than an hour from Denver. You will enjoy your day if you visit Mount Evans this summer.

June 2, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Chalk Art Festival in Denver

I, Zeb the Duck, saw so much chalk this weekend.

I was at the Chalk Art Festival in Denver

Mom and I went to Larimer Square in Denver Saturday and Sunday to see chalk art.

Chalk Art

Over 200 artists submitted designs and were chosen for this contest. Saturday, we watched artists work

200 artists at work

and Sunday we returned to view the finished art. This stuff is great. You will be amazed by this art.

Sunday

Saturday

Chalk painting originated in the 16^th century in Italy. Some artists call this a performance art, as they enjoy talking to the spectators.

Saturday

As beautiful as the art is, late Sunday night, a special street sweeper sweeps, or picks up over 175 pounds of chalk and the art is just a memory.

Sunday with Zeb

So much chalk

This chalk is properly disposed of to protect the nearby Cherry Creek. We want to keep Cherry Creek water clean and wildlife safe.

Larimer Square is a great place in Denver. We love the many restaurants, and especially love to eat outside.

We love to eat outside

The small shops have so many things that we don’t see elsewhere. Larimer Square has many festivals, but it is fun just as it is.

At the Chalk Art Festival there were vendors selling wonderful food. The crepes and these huge pieces of candy caught my attention.

So big. Can I have one mom?

Some are giant Rice Krispy Treats.

All from chalk

It was pretty crowded at the festival, so not many photos of me. Also, artists did not appreciate a duck on their art. I was there and I loved it! I hope you go to a chalk art festival near you. You will have a good time.

Sunday. WOW

Saturday. The entire family can participate

Art, refreshments and stage for performers

May 30, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Boulder Creek Festival

Zeb the Duck, and the rascal Soapy Duck, went to the Boulder Creek Festival in Boulder, Colorado with their moms. We first decided to go for the duck races, but last time we told you about that.

Ducks can be so helpful. Creek to dangerous for duck races

Ducks can be so helpful. Creek too dangerous for duck races

This festival had so much!

This is a great place for kids. These kids are inside plastic bubbles that float on water.

Walking on water in a bubble

Try to walk in there. Looks like so much fun!

Zeb and Soapy were on the kayak.

Kayaking today

This is a big pool. We were in the water also.

And more water fun. Kids could slide down this huge water slide.

Fun for a hot day.

Yes, we did get wet sitting on the edge. And we liked it. Again, we wish we were human.

This train is great. We are on the engine.

We love trains

Kids were smiling and having fun here.

The climbing wall is really tall. We look so small on the ground.

Climb high

Don’t think this is for ducks to climb.

These girls have hula-hoops. And they know how to use them.

Hula-hoops!

The section of the festival with rides had this crazy roller coaster. These humans are upside down.

Roller coaster

Scary for ducks and humans. The assortment of carnival games on the midway was fun.

Carnival fun at Boulder Creek Festival

All these people liked it here also.

Festivals always have so many things to see and buy. This booth has a variety.

Great shopping at festivals

We are sitting on the rack of belts.

Walking and laughing makes our moms hungry and thirsty. We had nachos, funnel cakes, and lots of diet pop. So many food choices at festivals. We hope you visit festivals this summer. The music is so nice and they have a great variety of musicians.

Outdoor festival in Boulder. Great music

We like Colorado festivals, but visit some wherever you are. You will have fun!

Visit a festival this summer

May 28, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Duck Races in Boulder, Colorado

We love duck races. But these duck races were changed to a duck event. The ducks were dropped in a plastic pool, without water.

So many rubber ducks!

Then the ducks were scooped out with a net.

Ready to scoop out some winners

I, Zeb the Duck, went to Boulder with Soapy Smith Duck, his mom and my mom. We had a wonderful day at Boulder Creek Festival.

Quacky, the giant duck, supervised this duck event.

Quacky could be my big brother

Quacky helps get ducks out of the pool to determine the winners.

Ducks can be so helpful

Today about 3,500 sponsored ducks competed for 114 prizes.

After this duck event, the pool was removed, the bands played,

Outdoor festival in Boulder

people danced, and a light drizzle began to fall.

Soapy and I and our moms walked along Boulder Creek Trail

Love the fish

to see Boulder Creek. The duck races were to take place in Boulder Creek, but the creek was too dangerous. We decided to look. Boulder Creek is very high.

Close to capacity

Wow! This water is too rough for ducks or humans to navigate and race.

Only May and much snow in mountains

We remember duck races in Estes Park in May

Swim little cousins. Estes Park early in May

and also duck races in Breckenridge last September. Maybe the next duck races will be in the river again. Rivers are fun, but we need to be safe.

Ducks racing in Blue River. Breckenridge Colorado September 2013

May 26, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Burro Race in Georgetown, Colorado

Saturday I, Zeb the Duck, and mom drove to Georgetown, Colorado for the burro race.

I love Georgetown, Colorado

I never saw burros race before. Today the burro weigh-ins started at 10:00 a.m. and the race began at 11:00 a.m.

Pack burro racing is the only sport indigenous to Colorado.

Welcome to pack burro racing.

The burro and a human runner follow the prescribed path, returning to Georgetown. The runner is not allowed to ride the burro, but leads the burro with a 15 foot rope. The burro carries a pack saddle with 33 pounds of traditional mining gear, including a pick, gold pan, and a shovel.

Proud of his Colorado flag

This burro just finished the mountain part and is coming into Georgetown.

8 miles and looking tired

This year we saw 47 burros and runners in the 10^th annual burro race. You have to see these burros. Here comes another at the finish line.

Running for the finish line

Georgetown’s main street is closed to vehicles. Today the street is filled with burros!

No cars today, just burros

After racing some burros graze in the park.

Hungry burro with a shovel

I think I love burros.

Many people came to watch the burros race, so this was a perfect day for the library to have their book sale.

Book sale in Georgetown

We watched several people walk along the street, carrying their books.

One of the smallest burros won the race.

The winner!!

Burro and runner finished in 1 hour 17 minutes and a little more than 30 seconds.

If you missed this burro race, there will be others in Colorado ‘s mining towns. I hope we get to see more burros. Come to a burro race if you are in Colorado this summer. You will like it!

This burro is better than a lawn mower.

May 16, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Echter’s in Arvada

I, Zeb the Duck, say it is time to think about planting flowers, trees, vegetables and bushes. Mom and I went to Echter’s in Arvada, Colorado.

Welcome to Echter’s

We have many nursery choices in the Denver area, but we were near Echter’s and they have everything!

Before we even got to the flowers, we saw so many watering cans.

More than I ever saw in my entire Duck life

I love these garden boots.

So colorful!

They have all the gardening tools and equipment I could think of. Yard and patio furniture and accessories are plentiful. In the statuary department this fountain is perfect.

We do have bears in Colorado

Orchids?? I thought they were in Hawaii and other tropical places.

Not just for tropical areas now.

Now, in Colorado, also. This is just fun.

I like this.

Eyes and carrot nose like a snowman. Even a hat and decorated with orange like a pumpkin. I really like this plant arrangement!

Here are brightly colored geraniums and hanging baskets with petunias.

Beautiful bright colors

All of these are beautiful. Echter’s does so much to make planting easy.

Echter’s helps gardeners

Pop and plant is a great idea.

Echter’s has so many flats of flowers to plant at your house

So many choices

and hundreds of hanging plants. Look at these marigolds.

I love yellow

Some of the yellow ones match me. Here is another wonderful fountain.

I love water–I am a duck

Outside there are so many more things to see. If you need pots for your flowers,

We like them all

you can find what you love here. Mom loves lilac bushes;

Lilacs to take home and plant

the white ones and all shades of purple, or lilac. Echter’s even has trees.

Red leaves!!

This Royal Red Norway Maple is beautiful. There is a place for water plants, but they were not in the water yet.

In Denver we should not plant before Mother’s Day. This is my driveway May 12, 2014,

Don’t plant too early

the morning after Mother’s Day. We measured 6.5 inches of snow on a table in the back. Temperatures were below freezing also but the snow was gone Tuesday afternoon. We will plant soon.

Back inside I love the roses.

Roses smell so good

They are pretty and smell good. Echter’s has flowers, houseplants, bushes, trees, vegetables and more. Again, Echtert’s has everything. These tomato plants are pretty big already.

We will be back for tomatoes

Mom didn’t buy any plants today, but she will soon. Before tomato plants, we need to rototill the garden.

Echter’s has colors everywhere and everything you could want or need.

Echter’s has so much!

They even have grass seed and a plant doctor. Echter’s celebrates 55 years as a local, family-owned nursery. I love this place! Visit www.echters.com for information, a virtual tour and other great pictures.

May 14, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Tails of the Painted Cats with Zeb the Duck

Yesterday I, Zeb the Duck , and mom explored Lakewood Arts Council Gallery.

We are going to an art gallery

The special exhibit is cats.

Cat Art

This is Tails of the Painted Cats time. We loved all the cat art. Here are a few of the cats.

I like this cat

Movie watchers will recognize this tiger,

I remember Richard Parker

Richard Parker, from Life of Pi. This is the only cat art with real cat whiskers. He looks wonderful

We also like his friend,

Richard Parker and friend Purrlock Holmes

a pipe-smoking cat with a monocle.

The cat art will be auctioned at Tails of the Painted Cats Gala Dinner and Auction on Saturday, July 26, 2014. The auction and dinner will be held at Pinehurst Country Club and benefit of the Cat Care Society.

Aspen Cat, Available at auction

The Cat Care Society offers limited admission cage free shelter for homeless and abused cats while providing community outreach programs to enrich the lives of people and cats.

Could live at your house

Visit www.catcaresociety.org for more information. This is a really interesting and informative website.

New this year is the Flat Cat Paintings.

New this year

What is Flat Cats?

Flat Cats

This cat not only has the glasses he is wearing, but there are two additional pair of glasses the will accompany this cat to his new home.

Now this sees all.

Another flat cat

Love the colors

Mom and I love these cats.

There will also be paintings done by real kittens. These have not been created yet, but kitten paws are put in paint. Then the kittens walk and prance on white or dark canvas. The resulting paintings are wonderful. Go to the auction July 26 and bid on some of these pieces of art.

Colorado cats

Maybe this one? You will be happy you went.

We enjoyed this exhibit at Lakewood Arts Council Gallery at 85 S Union in Lakewood, Colorado. The cats will be here until May 29.

Another cat to enjoy and admire

From May 30 to June 22 this exhibit will be at Main Street Gallery in Evergreen, Colorado. This is a wonderful gallery. We especially appreciated the different types of art. Lakewood Arts Council Gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and it is free. We thought this zebra was fabulous also.

This zebra is so cute

Mom and I will come back here. We hope you do, too. Visit www.Lakewoodartscouncil.org for more information.

May 12, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Hard as Nails Mud Race

It’s Zeb the Duck again. Mom and I went to the Westin Hotel in Westminster, Colorado for the Hard as Nails Obstacle and Mud Race.

Starting point for Hard as Nails Mud Race

My first mud race!

Participants, not us, ran or jogged, conquered obstacles, climbed in mud, waded in the river and slid down the slip and slide.

Sliding on wet slide

Watching was great, but I’m glad we did not participate in this. By the time we left, it was cool and we felt a light drizzle.

This watery slip and slide looked like a lot of fun.

I think this would be fun!

Participants ran to the next obstacle, involving climbing.

Next obstacle

These pipes slowed things down a little.

Obstacles

You must crawl through the first set of pipes, climb through the higher short one and then crawl through the last set.

Professional photographers at the scene.

Younger children, accompanied by an adult ran the .5 km race. Older children ran the 1 km race.

Next, let’s get a little muddy at the Mud Mixer.

Yep–mud

I stayed clean and dry,

In there??

but not the kids.

Fun for kids? And ducks??

Adult teams ran the 5 km race. Teams must use a fireman carry to arrive at a second set of pipes.

Fireman carry? I am by the second sign

This bunny must be a judge;

He is real and alive

he is so still.

The river, with a net over it, required getting further in the water and bending low.

Previous participants lost race numbers

Up they go

Around the bend, was a slight river obstacle requiring a little climbing. Wow, the river gets deeper.

Deeper and cold river

Now, participants climb out of the mud pit.

Climb up mud wall

Fun, but very messy! These geese were rather vocal about all the people around their home.

Geese talking to racers

There was a beer garden, music and some venders.

Part of the profit went to Growing Home, a local charity that fights poverty for families. This was an entertaining day and also helped people. We hope you go to a mud race near you. They are fun. Maybe you will participate. Maybe we will next time??

Through the river

May 9, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Bird World at Denver Zoo

Zeb the Duck here. We are at the Denver Zoo again.

The Denver Zoo

This time we head for Bird World.

I love birds!

We will see many of my kind of creatures. Penguins greet us in front of the building.

Penguin greeters

These are warm weather penguins.

These penguins live in warm climates

I love them!

My friends

Here is our first greeter.

Welcome!!

So colorful. Heading into the rain forest area.

Warm and humid here

Look at the bright red head of this green winged macaw.

Macaws

His friend is the blue and gold macaw. These macaws eat clay from the riverbanks. This neutralizes toxins in some of the poisonous plants they eat. They use their large, strong beaks to crack nuts and crush seeds and also as a third leg to grab branches while climbing trees.

The Hotttentot Teal is my relative. This is the smallest African duck

My little African cousins

and he lives in freshwater marshes in sub Sahara Africa. He feds by putting his bill under water feeling for, and eating, seeds, invertebrates and plants. He takes cover in shoreline vegetation. This little duck grows to 11 inches.

This Elegant Crested Tinamou is a secretive bird. You will hear him more often that see him.

Regal crest

His feathers provide a great camouflage in the dense vegetation he calls home. This tinamou lives in the low dry shrub land of Argentina and Southern Chile.

Another relative. This African Pygmy Goose is not really a goose.

A duck called goose

He is one of Africa’s small ducks. This guy grows to 13 inches. He lives in freshwater lakes and streams of sub Sahara African and Madagascar. The African Pygmy Goose (a duck relative) hides in floating vegetation.

Between rooms in Bird World we delighted in seeing this Rhinoceros Hornbill.

Hornbill

Rhinoceros Hornbill information

He moves real fast!

White-faced Whistling Ducks certainly are curious.

information

The sign says they are attentive to each other. That is only partially true.

I am the new duck in town

Best friends now

We became good friends.

This Tawny Frogmouth hunts like an owl at night and during the day he perches motionless on a branch.

It’s Tawny

This Tawny Frogmouth is alive. No dead stuffed birds in Bird World.

I like the blue-breasted kingfisher.

He is alive also

This kingfisher lives in tropical Africa and prefers wooded habitats where insects are plentiful.

Love the colors!

He grows to 10 inches and is related to our local belted kingfisher.

Green Aracari is a type of toucan. His large, but lightweight bill, is perfect for feeding on tropical fruit

Toucan type here

and caring for those beautiful feathers. He is about 10 inches and lives in the lowland forests of northeast South America.

These birds, some are my relatives, are magnificent. You will love seeing them. Mom and I spent a long time at Bird World. Hope to see you at the Denver soon, but if you don’t live here, visit your local zoo. You will have a great day there!

He is waiting for you

May 7, 2014 by coloradotravelingducks

Duck Races in Estes Park

I, Zeb the Duck and “Soapy” Smith Duck viewed the Duck Races in Estes Park, Colorado.

We love duck races

We love duck races and we love Estes Park, so it was a perfect day for us! We saw lots of duck stuff for sale. We now have a new little member of our duck family.

Soapy, Zeb and The Green Lantern watching duck necklaces

Meet our superhero, the Green Lantern.

The first ducks to race down the river were the larger, corporate sponsored ducks. They were decorated.

Great duck

Some arrived swimming rapidly and

Some up and some down

some were turned over by the power of the river. Several large ducks got caught

Oh no!

on a rock and then they were rescued.

Saved! Thank you

Here we are with some large ducks that finished the race early.

So many ducks

We watch the races.

Beautiful day and beautiful river!

Next the smaller ducks raced for the finish line. The rocks didn’t catch these little guys;

Swim little cousins

they just kept swimming for the end of the race. The ducks were caught in large fishnets

Wow! At the finish line

and then checked for numbers to determine prizes.

Did we win???

Soapy and Zeb met our bigger relative.

Our bigger cousin

We liked him! During the races some people made bets on the duck squat.

Does it really mean that??

You can guess what that is. Live ducks in the large enclosed area will make a deposit on the winning square. So undignified, but so funny.

The duck races are loved in Estes Park. The door to the Wheel Bar has pictures of us and cousins!

We ducks love Estes Park!

Duck races must make humans hungry.

Green Lantern Duck at Bob and Tony’s Pizza

Our moms decided to eat at Bob and Tony’s Pizza. Visit http://www.bobandtonyspizza.com

Yum! Hawaiian Pizza

We liked it too.

Our moms said there would be other duck races this summer. We want to go. We hope you can watch duck races also. Either with us in Colorado, or at a river near you. Try them, you will have fun!

Duck racing!

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