Living in Paradise

I hope everyone had a fabulous July 4th! It certainly was beautiful here.
I started my celebrations with a loose dog. Luma's chain had broken in the night, most likely due to rust and wear and tear. I didn't realize it until I went to feed her. She had stayed in her circle, just sleeping in her barrel. Whenever I go to her, she tries to wiggle between my legs; well this time, we both noticed at the same time that she could reach me a little sooner than she should have. She looked back at her chain and tilted her head...I guess she hadn't realized she was free. Lucky for me, I could distract her with food while I prepared a new chain and hooked it to the post. Success! My first near crisis averted.
With the dogs all taken care of, I decided to go for a hike. It was about time since I had already been in town for a week! I had recent;y bought a book and map on local hikes, so I opted for a very popular trail called Hanging Lake. Since it was July 4th, the trail was packed, but it was more than worth the crowd. The trail runs up from the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon.The entire way up is basically a stone stairway with towering cliffs on either side. At the top, a boardwalk lines Hanging Lake. A lake formed of snowmelt; therefore, a crystal clear bluish-green pool with a waterfall as it's source. Colorado had a late snowmelt, like VT, so the waterfall continues down the entire trail. Above the lake about 1/4 mile is a waterfall called Spouting Rock This waterfall appears from the canyon clifftop and pours into thin air.

This was certainly on of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It is moments like this that keep me excited and happy to be in a new place. I am always up for a new adventure and there seem to be so many possibilities here. There are mountains, ski areas, rivers, and plenty of dogs to keep me occupied!