Blue, blue, blue

 
Maybe it's the rain. 

Broken China

 
These pieces of glass and china are gathered from the ruins of the Crags Hotel in the Eldorado State Park. A scattered collection resides on the top of the remains of the fireplace, just below there's a pile of rusted bent nails. 

Paintbrush Echo

 
I believe this is an Orange Paintbrush (Castilleja integra) identification from G.K. Guennel's Guide to Colorado Wildflowers. This was taken near the group picnic site at Castlewood Canyon State Park . I like how the background is a slightly different painterly echo of the foreground. Since I've got the painting connection I'll submit it into the Photo Friday Masterpiece theme.

"Painterly" is such a funny word. 

Butterfly Capture

 
My guess is a Cabbage White (Pieris rapae). They have slightly different coloration in the early spring and late fall -- more white and less black. Summer they have more of a yellowish cast and the black spots are darker. I wonder if this is due to different food supplies to the caterpillars or if like siamese cats, their color is temperature related. If I had to place bets, I would put my money on the latter.

These guys are really frenetic and hard to catch. When my boys saw these little whites chasing each other in aerobatic swoops and loops, they said, "I think the males and females are excited because they're going to have babies." Heh. 

Secret of the Second Recess

 
I could have gotten a better picture, but the bees seemed a little agitated and I thought it best not to get any closer.

This is my first beehive discovery. 

Overly Casual Rock Face

 
Castlewood Canyon doesn't allow climbers to put permanent fixtures into the rock. This wall was near a trio of climbers doing just that. The rock formations are made up of a wonderful but delicate natural concrete; it's a real shame that they would destroy it. The rogue climbers left as we meandered up.

See that lower hole? It's about ten feet from where they were climbing. 

Sheltered Blossoms

 
These flowers seem, I don't know, Victorian. They're either Wax Currant or Wild Gooseberry or some related bush (Ribes cereum, Ribes inerme). 

In the Weird File

 
I think these will be easier to look up after the blossoms have opened. The leaves looked a lot like styalized wings to me. Castlewood Canyon State Park had a plethora of weekend visitors and a few early spring flowers. 

Dusk Flowers

 
Okay, they're weeds and it's low light. I stepped it down a little further and liked the mood. 

Audience Member

 
Directly above the mantis egg cases, a cheerful watcher poised on chicken wire. 

Leaving Home

 
About five minutes previous, he was inside the egg case and now he's off to find a meal. 

Close up

 
The 12x lens, bit wobbily. One lens over another is my guess. 

So-o-o-o Tiny

 
That's my rough and cracked cuticle in the background -- a size reference and not an ad for my manicuring skills (interest). 

Emerging to Form

 
Now he's beginning to look like the cute widdle pweditor he is. 

Mantid Fetal Position

 
I came around to the other side. The little fella looks like a classic Roswell alien. 

Little Wiggle

 
I checked on the preying mantis egg case and saw a little wiggle.