Rabbit Mountain - Where Eagles soar, and snakes are rattled

Rabbit Mountain is 1 of 27 trails/open space park areas managed by Boulder County, Colorado, and the closest to the city of Longmont. Rabbit Mountain was created when the earth began uplifting to create the Rocky Mountains, and a fault line shifted this ridge slightly east of the foothills.

The Arapaho Indians once called the area home, the mountain created shelter from the westerly winds, and was abundant with edible plants and game to hunt. Prospectors came along in the middle of the 19th Century hoping to strike it rich from Gold, but the wealth was in short supply and many turned to farming. Boulder County acquired the Open Space area in 1984 for all to enjoy, and help protect its natural state.

Rabbit Mountain trailhead

California Zephyr - rails to snowy trails

Our "almost annual" pilgrimage to Glenwood Springs from Denver on Amtrak #5 started with some unexpected excitement (or inconvenience depending on how you look at it). On the eve of our outbound journey, the snow gods decided to blanket Colorado with a dose of the white stuff and drop the thermometer into the single digits. This fresh snow made navigating the roads at 5.30am on a Saturday morning interesting, and finding the parking garage entrance to the NEW Denver commuter train Westminster station an additional challenge in the dark.
We had to race for the train with luggage laden arms, frozen fingers, and along icy paths, with seconds to spare; most of the drama here was trying to actually figure out how to get from aforesaid parking garage to the platform (not very obvious in the dark).

Snowy Downtown Denver

Cornwall (Kernow)

The County of Cornwall makes up the very southwestern tip of Great Britain and includes the most southerly point and the most westerly point of England. The county is the 9th largest by area (out of 48) in England, and is the only county to border only one other county (Devon). Kernow is the Cornish name for the county, the dialect is still spoken, deriving itself from Common Brittonic (the language spoken in Great Britain before English started to dominate).

Cornish Flag

Autumn Colour, Summer Heat

I think perhaps Autumn (Fall) is my favourite time of the year, the summer heat "typically" gives way to pleasant daytime temperatures and cooler nights; and this definitely makes this Colorado Brit happy. Autumn 2016 in the Colorado Front Range has been particularly warm and dry though, with the first snow not arriving until November 17th (Average is October 18th), the 16th was 80f!. The positive side to this late snow is, the leaves on the trees have hung on until naturally dropping, and the colour has lasted longer.

St. Vrain Creek, Longmont, CO

An island cloaked in myth and mystery

St Michael's Mount (named after the Archangel) is perhaps the most iconic landmark in south-west England, if not in all of England. This famous island lies off the south coast of Cornwall, and has been used by man since the neolithic period, the first building perhaps appeared in the 8th century, with a monastery being built in the 11th century.

If the name of the island jogs a memory, it could be because you have heard of Mont Saint-Michael in France. There is a connection, in fact, the English island is the sister island of its French counterpart. The monastery on St Michael's Mont was given to the Norman Abbey on Mont Saint Michael as a Priory in the 11th century. Come the 15th century, the war between the nations under the rule of Henry V, ended the association between St Michael's Mount and Mont Saint-Michael. In the 16th century, the mount became more fortress-like and more or less resembles what you see today.

The Mount as seen from Marazion

In 1659 Colonel St. Aubyn purchased the island, the descendants of the family still live there to this day. The population of the island peaked in 1821 when 221 people resided there, it was mainly a fishing port at that time. In 1954 the St. Aubyn family gifted the island to the National Trust to manage, whilst retaining a 999-year lease.

15th-century chapel of St Michael

The gardens that surround the rocky island are from the Victorian era, the frost free climate means that flowers and shrubs flourish here, and it is quite a sight viewed from the highest point on the island.

The victorian terraced gardens looking towards the mainland

As a visitor to the island, you can either walk along the causeway (low tide only) or for a small fee catch a boat from Marazion to the island. The harbour dates from at least the 15th-century but was enlarged in 1823 to accommodate larger vessels. The boat journey is short, but can be a bumpy and wet ride on occasion!.

St Michael's Mount harbour

Mural painted on the side of one of the 19th-century buildings

Marazion is a small parish only 1/2 mile from St Michael's Mount, and the gateway to the island. The town itself is quaint and has a small selection of shops and restaurants, and a bakery serving possibly the largest Cornish pasties in the county.

Marazion

Largest pasty in all of Cornwall

The island has long been steeped in myths and legends. As far back as the 5th-century tales of sailors been lured to the rocks by mermaids exist, and during the 6th-century the island was said to be home to a giant named Cormoran. This giant as legend has it was slain by a farmer's son named Jack, the giant's heart still remains on the island in the form of a stone. The island is also said to be on top of a major ley line "St Michael's Line", so is a spiritual place on many levels.