America's Mountain

Pike's Peak faintly visible through the haze just to the left of center, the snowy west ridge is more visible than the summit. It was from this summit that English woman Kathrine Lee Bates was inspired in part to write what would become the song "America the Beautiful".

A soft haze of pale green coveres many of the trees(Siberian elms) in the foreground, those are not leaves but an army of seeds that will drop and sprout by the thousands in coming weeks. The mild rather cold free spring has allowed the seeds to mature. A small price to pay for such a mild spring. Never have the magnolias, flowering cherries, peaches and other iffy trees been so beautiful. Just dug out a 3 foot elm at work today, a reminder of another gentle spring a few years ago. Tomorrow a chance of snow showers perhaps I speak too soon for the flowering cherries and apricots