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Riding a Gondola in Vail, Colorado

I, Zeb the Duck and Soapy Smith Duck rode on a gondola.

Entrance to Eagle Bahn Gondola in Vail

Entrance to Eagle Bahn Gondola in Vail

It was exciting for us. And, we love Vail. The entrance to the Eagle Bahn Gondola had ropes for lines, but it was not crowded. We are on!

The ducks first gondola trip

The ducks first gondola trip

This is our first gondola. Our moms had ridden before and were with us. From the gondola we saw many bike paths.

Bike paths seen from gondola

Bike paths seen from gondola

People brought their mountain bikes to the top of the mountain on the gondola and rode them down. Soapy’s mom saw one biker fall. A friend was trying to help, but the fallen rider did not get up. When we got to the top of the mountain, Soapy’s mom reported the accident and help was sent.

The day we rode the gondola, the weather was cloudy, cool and quite windy. We went to the restaurant and ordered food.

Sandwiches at the top of the mountain

Sandwiches at the top of the mountain.  And a big brownie!

Here is a pulled pork sandwich, California chicken sandwich with avocado, French fries and diet cokes.   That huge brownie looks great and it tasted fabulous!  Everything was so good. The flowers were so bright, the mountains so magnificent and the sky was deep gray.

Vail is so pretty

Vail is so pretty

We returned to Lionshead Village in Vail on one of the last gondolas of the day.

Going back to Vail

Going back to Vail

In the winter Vail is a premier ski resort.  These ski runs are covered with snow and the skiers have a wonderful time.

Ski run in the summer

Ski run in the summer

We had so much fun. Zeb and Soapy hope to ride again, just like human kids.

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Duck Races in Vail, Colorado

I, Zeb the Duck, and Soapy Smith Duck watched 13,000 of our yellow cousins race down Gore Creek in Vail. It was incredible! Here come some of them.

Ducks racing on Gore Creek

Ducks racing on Gore Creek

Many cousins got stuck along the bank of Gore Creek.

They can make it!

They can make it!

Humans watched from International Bridge in Vail.

Watching from Vail's International Bridge

Watching from Vail’s International Bridge

The end of the race got a little congested.   Wow, this looks like the traffic jam on I-70.

Some of the 13,000 ducks

Some of the 13,000 ducks

So many ducks!

This festival in Vail hosted so many food booths and other venders.

Venders and visitors

Venders and visitors

This booth is for Macanudo Cigars.

Macanudo Cigars

Macanudo Cigars

Didn’t I just see their sponsorship for a televised golf tournament?  Here little humans ride the mechanical bull.

He had a good ride

He had a good ride

He held on for several seconds. Seems that ducks are the guests of honor. A new game here, Pluck A Duck.

Pluck A Duck Game

Pluck A Duck Game

We like anything with ducks. This duck cut out is awesome.

Handsome ducks!

Handsome ducks!

Looks just like us!

The Vail Rotary Club sponsors these ducks races. The ducks are the primary fundraiser for this organization. Humans pay $5 to adopt a duck for the race. The first 20 ducks receive a prize. The grand prize is $5,000. There are over 13,000 ducks and more than 10,000 human spectators. That’s more ducks than humans!

Soapy, Zeb, and our moms had a great day in Vail. Vail is about 100 miles west of Denver on I-70, so it is an easy drive to get here. The scenery is stunning. Vail is a great resort, for a day or several weeks.   We hope you will experience Vail soon.

We love ducks!

We love ducks!

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The Great Zucchini Race

I, Zeb the Duck, and Soapy Smith Duck went to the Great Zucchini Race.

Wow! The Great Zucchini Race

Wow! The Great Zucchini Race

Boulder Creek Hometown Festival was Labor Day Weekend. We had never seen zucchini races before. They are fun!

Human kids pick a large zucchini. Then they get wheels and decorate the zucchini.

Decorating the zucchini

Decorating the zucchini

Here are some; we liked them all.

Work in progress

Work in progress

The completed zucchinis and young owners, start at the top of this slope. At the designated time, the board is lifted and the zucchinis race down the slope.

And the race begins

And the race begins

It is so much fun to decorate a zucchini and also fun to watch the races.

Many decorated zucchinis

Many decorated zucchinis

The Boulder Creek Hometown Festival hosted the farmer’s market on Saturday.

A Farmers Market in the festival

A Farmers Market in the festival

These vegetables look so good.

Yum

Yum

We enjoyed some Saturday night.  Very tasty.   The flowers were pretty also.

We like flowers

We like flowers

This festival had the regular wonderful stuff:  great food, live bands, hula-hoops, face painting and more. But the new thing for these ducks was the zucchini race.

So many huge zucchinis

So many huge zucchinis

As summer comes to an end, we hope you visited festivals. If you are near Boulder, Colorado, this festival is going on today, Monday, September 1.  Spend some time here and enjoy Colorado festivals.  There will be more autumn festivals. Attend a festival near you and you will have a great day.

Zucchini

Zucchini

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Swing Thai for Dinner

Soapy Smith Duck and I, Zeb the Duck had dinner at Swing Thai.

Great sign

Great sign

There are 4 locations in Denver; we dined at 845 Colorado Boulevard.  These are locally owned restaurants.  Our moms went also.  First we order a pot of Jasmine tea.

We love Jasmine tea

We love Jasmine tea

It was so good.  While our dinner was being prepared, we admired this wall.

Tranquil and exotic

Tranquil and exotic

Our moms have visited Thailand, before we ducks joined the family.  Soapy and I also loved the picture.

Here is our dinner.

We want to try everything

We want to try everything

There is Massaman curry with tamarin, coriander, potato, onion and peanuts.  The brown rice is added to the curry dish. We have chicken satay with peanut sauce.  The chicken spring rolls are rolled in rice paper.  Everything was so good.  Tasty, but not too spicy. We sat in a booth for dinner, but there is a bar in the front of the restaurant.  Soapy and I loved the fish lanterns hanging over the bar.

Great lights for the bar area

Great lights for the bar area

The people were so nice here also.  If you have dinner at Swing Thai, you will really like it.   Check out their website at SwingThai.com

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Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed Exhibit

Sunday I, Zeb the Duck and Soapy Smith Duck visited the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

We can learn about the Maya culture.

We can learn about the Maya culture.

Sunday was the last day for the exhibit Maya:  Hidden Worlds Revealed, and our moms took us to see the exhibit. It was wonderful.

We liked this stela dedicated to the Quirigua’s most important king, K’ah’ Tiliw Chan Yo’at meaning, “Fire burning Celestial Lightning God.

Stela for most important Quirigua king

Stela for most important Quirigua king

By holding a jaguar headed throne made at the dawn of the universe, he aligns himself with the creative powers of the Maize God.  All the artifacts had signs explaining what we were seeing.  Quirigua is a Mayan site in southeast Guatemala.

This is a Mayan altar.

Mayan altar. Used for special occasions

Mayan altar. Used for special occasions

The altars commemorated important occasions and served as the settings for elaborate sacrifices, including human offerings, to the gods.

Another side of altar. Human sacrifices? Not duck sacrifices!

Another side of altar. Human sacrifices? Not duck sacrifices!

Throughout the exhibit, we watched short videos.  They were very interesting.

This artifact was displayed in a case.

Maya King

Maya King

The accompanying sign explains the importance of this statue.  Copan ruins are in western Honduras near the Guatemala border.

About king

About king from Copan

Did you know that the Mayan people invented the bouncing rubber ball?  They did. The Spaniards were so impressed with the bouncing ball and the games played that they took a ball team to Spain to perform for Spanish royalty.  The ball was made with liquid from the rubber tree.

Collecting latex from rubber tree

Collecting latex from rubber tree

To make a bouncing rubber ball, the Maya cooked latex from the rubber trees with juice from the morning glory vine.   Experts shaped the elastic mixture into spheres or pulled it into strips that they wound into balls.

This rubber ball is very heavy.  It weighs 8 pounds.

8 pound rubber ball

8 pound rubber ball

We also saw clothing, cooking utensils, knife blades, tombs and jewelry.  The Mayan exhibit has left Denver now and is going to Boston.  If this exhibit comes to your area, you would like to see it.  This was on the front of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Promo for Maya exhibit

Promo for Maya exhibit

Please go to any exhibit that comes to your town.  We see many of them and they are all very interesting.  You will enjoy visiting these exhibits.

Museum exhibits are wonderful

Museum exhibits are wonderful

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Bert the Hippopotamus has a Birthday

I, Zeb the Duck, visited the Denver Zoo Friday.

Back to the Denver Zoo

Back to the Denver Zoo

Bert the hippopotamus celebrated his 58th birthday Thursday, August 21.  In the wild, hippos live 30-40 years and in captivity, they live about 10 years longer.  Bert is way past that.

First mom and I went to the Pachyderm Habitat.

Bert and other hippos live here

Bert and other hippos live here

Bert was there, eating.

Happy Birthday Bert

Happy Birthday Bert

He sure is big. This sign explains much of Bert’s life.

This is Bert's story

This is Bert’s story

Bert is the oldest hippo in North America and perhaps in the entire world.  That is amazing!

Bert is watching me!

Bert is watching me!

Bert has some geriatric problems, including arthritis, stiffness and dental issues.

Bert spends much of his time in the water.

Bert has his own pool

Bert has his own pool

The water helps alleviate the pressure of carrying his 5,000 pounds.

After leaving Bert’s home, we spotted this statue.

Zeb's first time on a hippo

Zeb’s first time on a hippo

I think I look good with the hippopotamus.

I hope you visit the Denver Zoo soon.  If you visit Denver Zoo this weekend and your name has Bert in it, you get in free.  That’s for RoBERTa, RoBERT, and so many more names.  If not, visit a zoo near you.  Other zoos may not have Bert, but zoos are wonderful places and so much fun.  You will have a great day at a zoo.

Bert is eating while watching me watch him

Bert is eating while watching me watch him

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Wheat Ridge Art Festival

An art show with all original paintings. At the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival we followed the signs and went to the art show.

Festivals are fun

Festivals are fun

This group creates in oil, acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil and pen and ink. We liked it all.

Wheat Ridge Art League

Wheat Ridge Art League

This watercolor painting received first place.

First place winner

First place winner

Such bright colors. This picture received second place.

2nd place winner

2nd place winner

These oil paintings of cats made mom smile.

Playful cats

Playful cats

We especially liked the cat painting a lion. An abstract in watercolor received honorable mention.

Honorable mention abstract

Honorable mention abstract

Very colorful! Isn’t this watercolor giraffe adorable?

Giraffes are adorable

Giraffes are adorable

This lady is great. That is a real white feather on her hat and a real earing.

Just beautiful

Just beautiful

Very creative and effective!

Last year’s first place winner created this wolf, labeled “Alpha”

Alpha by Michael Veldkamp

Alpha by Michael Veltkamp

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Michael also created the lion, named “Watching Over”.  Michael uses colored pencils.

Watching by Michael Veltkamp

Watching Over by Michael Veltkamp

There were a great variety of subjects for the art work.

So much to see and admire

So much to see and admire

I, Zeb the Duck, was fascinated by and appreciated it all. I hope you visit an art show near you and see work by local artists.

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Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival

Wheat Ridge, Colorado held the Carnation Festival last weekend.

Carnation Festival

Carnation Festival

It was in two locations this year. Saturday morning was the parade. Mom and I went to the festival near the end of the parade. There was music

Music necessary for festivals

Music necessary for festivals

and the popular face-painting booth.

Maybe some day for me?

Maybe some day for me?

This free bubble fun area was new to this duck.

Bubbles!

Bubbles!

Free fun!

Free fun!

I think it was nice for the young humans. Also, humans and ducks, could jump on this hopscotch area.

Zeb's first hopscotch

Zeb’s first hopscotch

In the evening we went to the second festival area at Anderson Park in Wheat Ridge. There was a circus tent, an area for the spaghetti dinner and several other booths. Here the small humans picked a duck with a number on the bottom.

Pick a duck. Win a prize.

So many of my cousins

The number determined the prize. Kids rode bikes through this cone area.

Practice biking skills

Practice biking skills

The children also had a play area.

Human kids have so much fun

Human kids have so much fun

This girl sits on a chair while others through a ball at the target. If they hit the target, the girl falls in the water.

Dunking boot and she just got dunked

Dunking boot and she just got dunked

She just got dunked and is now back on the chair—very wet. I, Zeb the Duck, like the kettle corn.

YUM!!

YUM!!

I also like festivals. Next time I will show you original artwork from the Wheat Ridge art exhibition. Don’t miss it!

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Woof Fest 2014

Woof Fest 2014 was yesterday, August 17, 2014.

We loved Woof Fest 2014

We loved Woof Fest 2014

This event for dogs and humans, and two of the Colorado Traveling Ducks, was held at Denver’s Civic Center Park. I, Zeb the Duck, went with Soapy Smith Duck and our moms. Soapy’s dog, Steve, went also. Bands were performing in the Greek Theater.

Music everywhere

Music everywhere

Several dogs were here also.  Here are two of them.

Lounging and happy

Lounging and happy

This is dog is her baby

This is dog is her baby

Steve and Soapy’s mom went shopping here. Steve (she is a girl) got a pink fluffy collar with pearls and another collar with a pink bandana. There is so much stuff for dogs at Woof Fest. This, Joyful Bling Dog Gear, was our favorite store.

Steve shopping at Joyful Bling Dog Gear

Steve shopping at Joyful Bling Dog Gear

The storeowner, Connie, said the store is on Facebook. Check them out! Your dog will love you for it.

Next stop was a tattoo for Steve. She is not sure about this during the process,

What are you doing????

What are you doing????

but here she is, very happy with her new heart tattoo.

Steve strutting her stuff!

Steve strutting her stuff!

Woof Fest is a benefit concert for underprivileged pets. Live music was performed on two stages. Here was the merchandise for Woof Fest.

Help PetAid Colorado

Help PetAid Colorado

Steve has so many things already, so we did not purchase more, but each of the moms gave a donation for pets.

Ducks want to help pets also

Ducks want to help pets also

Soapy and I were happy they did—we like dogs and all pets.

Steve is in the off leash pet area now.

No leashes here, but many frisbees and tennis balls

No leashes here, but many frisbees and tennis balls

We saw this Dalmatian Duck.

Dalmatian Duck

Dalmatian Duck

He is so cute, but he already has an owner. We just took this photo. This is a great idea and booth.

Ask the vet and help your pet!

Ask the vet and help your pet!

Pet owners can Ask a Veterinarian questions about pets here. There were several dishes with cold water, some with ice, for the dogs.

Several dishes with ice water for dogs at Woof Fest

Several dishes with ice water for dogs at Woof Fest

Ducks were not allowed in the water bowls.

We had great food from this Manna from Heaven Food Truck.

Yum!

Yum!

One mom had a sandwich and one mom had a wrap. Steve had a little grilled pork and grilled chicken.

Denver’s Civic Center Park is between the Capitol building and the City and County Building. It is very nice. Here are a couple statues.

Bucking horse

Bucking horse

Denver's Civic Center Park

Denver’s Civic Center Park

We hope you come to Woof Fest next year. If there is one in your city, visit and you will have a good time. For more information, visit www.wooffest.org