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Welcome to my weekly update for August 31, 2025!
My husband is on call to respond for cardiac emergencies at the hospital where he works this weekend (just a normal part of his role), so we can’t get out and celebrate the holiday weekend. You would think that means some good reading time for me but as luck would have it, I’m not really in the mood. Isn’t that the way it always goes? When you want to do something, you don’t have time and when you don’t want to do it, you do?
Anyway, here are some pictures from Hanging Lake, a nearby hike we took when my sister visited us in early July. This part of Colorado is kind of a high desert so this lake feels like a true oasis. It was worth the almost 1,100 ft of elevation gain over 1.5 miles! (335 m over 2.4 km)
Slideshow:
All images © Jennifer G. at Introverted Reader 2025
- Hanging Lake. The surrounding area is rocky and the plants seem to be surviving more than thriving to my East Coast eyes. It’s so surprising to crest the climb and find all this greenery and water.
- We loved all the waterfalls flowing into the lake.
- The Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon. It was so still in this section on this day. The reflections were unbelievable. If you’re rusty or unfamiliar with US geography, the Colorado ultimately flows through (and carves out) the Grand Canyon. The river is a major source of water for much of the western part of the country.
- This looks a little different from others I’ve seen, but I believe this is a yellow-bellied marmot. I think they’re cute.
Posted:
Nothing.
Read:
Since my last update on August 10 I’ve read:
The Lost Art of Mixing (The School of Essential Ingredients #2) by Erica Bauermeister, read by Cassandra Campbell–4 Stars (Link to my review on GoodReads)
The Collapse: The Accidental Opening of the Berlin Wall by Mary Elise Sarotte–4 Stars
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather–4 Stars
The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia #1) by Carissa Broadbent, read by Amanda Leigh Cobb–2 Stars
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories by Stephen King–4 Stars
Currently Reading:
Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill, read by Catrin Walker-Booth
Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson by Claire Hoffman
Cuba: A New History by Richard Gott–I have to return this to the library in about a week and the writing is very dense. I’m not sure I’ll get it finished but I’ll give it a good try.
Up Next:
I’ll be spending a lot of time with Cuba so I don’t think I’ll get to anything new.
What did your week look like?
Hosts:
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book Date hosts It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
20 Comments
Wow! Those are some awesome photos! I love the ones of the waterfall at the lake, but the one of the mountains and the river is spectacular!
We’re (finally) back out on the road, but only for a few weeks. Heading south to Santa Rosa/Bodega Bay for a family memorial gathering. We’ve done this trip so many times, so it’s not exactly exciting at this point, but nice to get away in the RV. This time last year we were in the Tetons for 3 weeks, plus 2 weeks of traveling there and back. Kind of wish we were doing something like that again. Need to start thinking about a trip for late May/June of 2026!
Thanks! I’m used to you doing those big, spectacular trips in the fall. Bodega Bay is beautiful too though. I hope you find somewhere nice to go in the spring!
Such lovely pictures!
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
Thanks!
Love your photos, Jen! Such a pretty area. I’ve never been to Colorado. O Pioneers! caught my eye. Hope you enjoy your week.
https://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2025/09/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-and.html
O Pioneers! is really good but I slightly preferred My Antonia. I would recommend either though.
That lake and waterfall are STUNNING! It looks like such a wonderful place to hike to and hang out. Time in nature is so important and I don’t do enough of it. Have a great week!
Thanks!
Great photos! I hope you find some books that catch your attention. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
Thanks!
Your photos are beautiful!!
Thank you!
What a beautiful place to visit! A waterfall is one of the most amazing natural features, I think.
Good luck with your reading. I have been having trouble settling into my books.
I can’t really tell what I’m in the mood for at the moment, but it doesn’t seem to be anything I’m picking up!
Oooh! Those hike pictures look beautiful!
Everything Rabbitearsblog: https://everythingrabbitearsblog.wordpress.com/2025/08/27/rabbitearsblogs-newsletter-issue-1-hello-world-2/
Thanks!
That lake looks gorgeous. I think we don’t have marmots here in NZ. Your fella looks so cute. Yes I know when we can read it doesn’t call and then we can’t…..!
Marmots somehow look like creatures that should at least be in Australia. They aren’t marsupials but feel like they should be! 🙂
That little marmot is so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!
Right? I have a daydream that I’ll have a menagerie with all the cute animals one day! 🙂