Horsetooth Reservoir sits on the west side of the city of Fort Collins in the foothills. It runs 6 1/2 miles north to south and is about a half mile wide. The reservoir was created by the construction of four separate large earthen dams, all completed in 1949 and all modernized with a seismic retrofit in 2000-2004. The reservoir has a capacity of 156,735 acre-feet, a total shoreline of 25 miles. Not quite the Great Lakes.

I gave you all that information to let you know I love the clouds! They are the subject of both image! They are the reason I drove up there yesterday afternoon. I am standing along the east side of the reservoir on a road called Continental Road which travels the full 6 1/2 mile length of the reservoir. I am between two of the four dams looking out across the city after the rain moved out onto the eastern plains.

Then I spent the early part of the morning at Pineridge Natural Area. Fog shrouded the city and eastern plains. The have been 6 pelicans hanging around the reservoir for the past couple weeks. This morning they were scattered about rather than huddled together as I normally see them. So I suspect they may be social distancing or one of ’em farted. Gotta love those clouds!