Here in Aurora

Logistics required us to find a new place to stay in Colorado in the Denver area. So, we are in the Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora. The park features miles and miles of "multi-use" trails, so it has plenty of exploring opportunities. We have no idea how far we actually biked this morning because the maps are about as helpful as a broken compass. It was far enough for me to get a goathead (a burr produced on a plant aptly called a puncture vine) in my tire. The tire is supposed to be a self sealing one, so the situation was not as awful as it might have been, but there was the decidedly unwelcome HISSSSSSSSSS of leaking air when I so stupidly pulled the thing off of the tire. Experience has shown that NOT pulling the burr out is the best way to make it home, but who listens to experience? So I rode home on a not-quite-flat tire, while the 1st A.B. called "Come on already!" Right. (He did graciously offer me his own bike when we were almost home.)
Before the goathead incident though, it was a very pleasant ride. We could not have asked for a better day; brilliantly sunny, seventy degrees, a cool breeze. The perfection of the day was affirmed by the dozens of bikers and hikers we met along the way. They would have been out there even if the day was horrid--this is Colorado--but many of them offered a "Great day, huh?" as they passed. Before we even got out of the campground section, we passed a herd of around twenty-five deer. Several were bucks with their horns just starting to grow in. We did not have a camera with us then. We chose a path and followed it. Getting lost was relatively unlikely, as all of the paths are (I think) connected and somewhat circular. We did not actually discover whether this is true, as we were compelled to seek out the shortest route home, so we left the trails and took the road. We caused one passing cyclist quite a bit of amusement when one of the A.B.'s yelled "There's the campground! The one we belong to!" They were right, and there were only three more hills, and about a mile of biking left to our whole ride.

Before we went biking, we did take the camera out on  a trip to find the lake that is shown on the map. The map did not actually help us any at all, but we did find the like, and this time, we have the pictures to prove it.

The view out our front door. 

And of course "Adventure is out there!"

The squirrels were watching us all the time. 

We were trying to get a good picture of this Magpie...

When he was attacked by a Robin.

But we got the picture anyway. 

The crew. 

This is one of Robynne's worst nightmares. 

Because there were no pets allowed on the beach, we had to find the lake from another direction. 

Our first good look at the lake. 

Denver out across the lake. There are mountains in the distance, but they aren't very visible today.

This bird is awesome because it has a worm in its mouth. 

That pretty much sums up our adventurous morning.