A Perfect Summer Saturday

We've had some changes around here.

My husband has taken a job.

Yes, he is working.

Clear back in November we were at the Apple Store where my husband was trying to convince me I needed to buy a new computer.

I didn't agree.

My old MacBook Pro that I purchased ten years ago still works fine.

"Maybe you would like an iPad." says my husband.

"No," said I.

I'm fine without an iPad.

"Maybe I should get a job here," says the man in my life.

He turns to the one patiently showing us computers and iPads and asks,

"Do you ever hire old farts like me?"

Well, it turns out that my husband was serious when he asked that question.

Now, all these months later he an employee of Apple.

He trained for three days in Denver last week.

He worked another day at the store here in town on Monday.

Then, he had three days off.

Tomorrow, he goes off to work again.

What a change this is in our lives.

Today, we spent the day doing all the things we love to do together.
It was a date day.

We started out by driving to the nearby Margarita at Pine Creek, 

our favorite Saturday morning place where we can shop at the farmer's market

and eat the most delicious coffee cake and egg puffs ever!

We love coming to this place on Saturday mornings in the summer.

The ambiance is perfect.

What could be better than sipping coffee and eating a delicious breakfast

while sitting under the shade of a pine tree

on a sunny Colorado blue sky morning?

Just beyond the peak of the white tent set up as a place for farmers and artisans to sell the wares,

I can see the tip of Pikes Peak.

Pinch me.

Am I really back home living in Colorado Springs?

I love the rather funky features I find all over this place.

The gardens with untrimmed edges and a bit of whimsy provide interest when I'm not people watching 

or listening to music.

Today, Crystal Hill Billys were setting up to play when we were just getting ready to leave.

This blue grass group is one of my favorites.

They were quietly practicing "I Am A Poor Wayfaring Stranger" as we left.

I hated to miss listening to this group today, but we had a lot on our list for the day.

(Click on the link above to listen to them.  Don't miss hearing the song I mentioned.)

Next on the list for the day, was the Parade of Homes.

We saw some mighty expensive homes.

Can you say, $1million homes?

We even saw one I really did like that cost a little bit less..

Then, we saw homes where they said the price was half a mil.

They said it with a straight face while our chins dropped and we said under our breath,

"For this????"

One of the homes on the tour was an Eco Home.
Total square footage for the home: 320.
Jim is wondering if we can get permission from our HOA to build one out behind our house for him.

Touring those homes was exhausting,
so we decided to indulge in eating a big juicy hamburger.
Then, we went home to rest.


After our naps,
we rented and watched a movie in the comfort of our own home.
It was my turn to pick a movie.
I picked, The Grand Budapest Hotel.
At first, I wasn't sure Jim would like my choice, but in the end, we both really enjoyed the movie.
Have any of you seen it?
What did you think?

After the movie, we took Boston for a walk in our wonderful part of the world.
It was a perfect Saturday summer evening.
In fact, it felt more like an early fall evening.
Will winter come early this year?
Immediately, as we walked up the street, we saw the field across the road a block from our home was filled with a herd of deer having dinner.
I counted nine.
A little bit up the road, I saw three more buck.

I think we are seeing the buck early this year.  Usually, I don't think they come down this low until later in September.  This is another reason why I wonder if we will have an early winter.
Next year, I must record when I first see the buck down in this area.

In the park, we see three doe.
They are always interested in Boston,
and he is interested in them.

While this photo isn't the greatest, you can see the field on the mountainside where I counted nine deer.

One of the doe lingers to watch Jim and Boston walk by.

With my iPhone camera, I was unable to capture the doe and her two fawns that were up on the hillside.
The fawns were scampering about as the mother kept a watchful eye.
This year, I've only seen the twin fawns, and they were born later than I saw fawns last year.
I did capture this photo of the doe feeding her twin fawns as we walked the other evening.
They were feeding right next to the walkway just three houses up from our house.
We live on Fawn Meadow View.
The street was well named.

Tonight as we stood and watched the buck and doe dine on the lush grass growing so well after all our rains, and watched the fawn playfully sprint among the trees,
I turned to my husband and said,
"It's just magical here."
"Magical."
"If you come into a million dollars and wanted to buy me a million dollar home with a fancy address,
I'm not moving."
"Priceless, our neighborhood is priceless."

(Yes, I do get frustrated  when the deer and bunnies eat my flowers.  "Look, now they've eaten the lupine and poppies, and even the bee balm." I must be honest in my frustration as I marvel at the beauty of of those who dine on my perennials.)

I really don't want to live any place else.
I love it here,
and I'm so grateful to live in such beauty.


That is how we spent our perfect summer Saturday.