I am always intrigued by rusty items I find on trails.

This trail had some very wonderful rusty things, including some that were still in use.

There were many valve wheels that were related to what I believe was an irrigation ditch that was on one side of the trail.

I have no idea what the rusty box on a pole just sitting out along the trail was for. But the color of the rust on it was the perfect rust red. And I could see it as an abstract painting if I would just capture the one side.

The clean chains and locks that kept the valves from being turned let us know that these valves still were used to control water going into different areas along this irrigation ditch.

The teeth on the rusty creature on the left looked very wicked. How any of these things functioned was  mystery to me. The poor deserted item in the creek must have lived out its usefulness, but had an ancient beauty to it laying among the branches and green water.

At the start of the trail going to the South, was a beautiful large wheel that I captured Pikes Peak behind. I am looking for the perfect view of Pikes Peak to enter in a art show with a deadline of June 2nd, so need to keep taking photos of it everywhere I go. this one is one I am considering entering . . . or go back when the sky is bluer as the snow capped peak kind of fades into the cloudy background.

Farther along the trail were other large wheels that captured my attention. The sunshine sparkling on the very blue water in Fountain Creek gave us pause to reflect upon how lucky we were to live so close to so many wonderful trails and that people had preserved these areas for us to hike upon.

I liked the way the bare trees and the thin spokes of this wheel that was standing out in the middle of a dry area had my eyes moving around and around on this image as if there was motion happening. But everything was still at the time we walked by it.

And speaking of trees and wonderful images seen in the driftwood and living trees, this trail had some fun wooden images that stopped us along the way to contemplate and enjoy.

The log on the left made me think of the famous painting by Edward Munch called “The Scream”. Though this screamer seemed a little lest stressed being out in the forest and not on a bridge. Then there was the White Whale log that was swimming through a very dry sea.

There is a tree near the beginning of the trail that has many knotty faces on it. Both times I saw it, I was fascinated by it. I kept walking around it snapping pictures from every angle. I got quite distracted and my group got far ahead of me on the first hike.

I see a lion, a sweet bear cub, a grumpy gnome and a gargoyle in these knotty growths. What do you see? Can you understand why I was fascinated by all these images growing on one tree?

I did catch up with the other strollers on the trail easily.

On my second hike I caught sight of this Red-winged Blackbird in this opening of branches.

And when I looked at the image at home, it looks like a snake branch is sneaking up on him from the right.

Can you see this sneaky snake?

There was an area where a couple of geese were hanging out next to a stump that had a neck like a scrawny chicken.

And behind that log was a cheerful Robin, harbinger of Spring.

There were a few areas where one could tell spring was on its way. This very green section of Fountain Creek had us looking around for other signs of plants greening up, but this was about the greenest area on this trail that we saw.

But we know trees will soon be bursting out with leaves and flowers will be popping up on trails we will be hiking in the near future.