Mary Kincaid, left, and Anthony Gutierrez hold a flyer about their 1-year-old son Jason and his congenital heart defect during a fundraiser to help their family held Saturday at Ed Bozarth Chevrolet.

Florida artist Patrick Maxcy describes his mural of coffee around the world at Light Gives Heat, 2507 Weslo Ave.

Rees Potter, left, and Bill Martin of the Western Slope Cattlemen’s Liverstock Auction separate a calf from the rest of the heard to auction in the next lot during Wednesday’s cattle auction in Loma.

Rees Potter approaches a herd of calves as he tries to cut one that doesn’t belong in that lot during the livestock auction Wednesday at the Western Slope Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction in Loma.

Mat Turnbull of Hotchkiss discusses the lingering effects of the drought on his ranching business, Turnbull Land and Livestock, after selling a herd of his calves Wednesday at the Western Slope Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction in Loma.

Fifth grade teacher Dan Worth enthralls his Scenic Elementary School students with a lesson on the scientific method involving the ability of cans of soda to float depending on the pop’s sugar content Friday. The class is comprised of some of the same students who scored fourth out of 1,944 schools in the state in reading growth on the TCAP test last year; three high schools scored better, making the Scenic the top elementary school in the state.

Colorado Mesa University’s Toni Damo-Agcaoili, a sophomore from Hawaii, doesn’t waste time getting into the habit of studying during the first week of the fall semester. She found a quiet spot on the second floor of the Student Center study room to hit the books.

Grand Junction High School quarterback John Wiman runs for a long touchdown keeper in the first half.

Visitors sign the guest book and read information during an open house celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Western Slope Center for Children. During the decade and a half that the organization has been in existence, the center and its associated groups have served 4,283 child abuse victims and 8,113 secondary victims. Many of the children were victims of sexual abuse.

Dignitaries from Mesa County , Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations wait to cut the ribbon Thursday to officially open the new section of the Riverfront Trail that leads west for three miles from the Blue Heron boat launch.

USA Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 4 winner Jens Voight, third from left hugs Lindsey Vonn an alpine ski racer on the victory podium. Vonn, from Vail, has won four overall World Cup championships. To Voight’s left is second place finisher and Radio Shack-Nissan-Trek team mate Andreas Kloden. To Vonn’s right is third place finisher Tejay Van Garderen.

Cammie Smith, 10, of Littleton shows her dressed-up dad, Doug, her chalk-stained hands after she draws American cyclist George Hincapie’s name on the climb to Independence Pass to encourage him. The longtime racer has said this week’s USA Pro Challenge is his final race. “We’ve got to celebrate the man’s career going into retirement,” Doug said

Volunteer Dorothy Stewart of Grand Junction concentrates as she paints a cast of an actual Ceratosaurus Magnicornis skull fossil at Dinosaur Journey in Fruita. The museum sells the painted casts in the gift store. The original skull fossil was discovered in the Fruita Paleo Area—not far from Dinosaur Journey.

Jade Wilcox leads the pack in the Blue Ribbon Alpine Challenge in downtown Aspen just before the men came into town. Wilcox won the crit.

Pen back rider Neely Blum of Fruita trots her horse back to the ring after delivering a calf to the buyer’s pen Wednesday during the Western Slope Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction sale in Loma. Blum said that all but one of her fellow pen back riders at the auction house are female, and that they ride in all kinds of weather.

Fisherman take to a canoe on Molas Lake in the Weminuche Wildness Area in the San Juan National Forest between Silverton and Durango on the east side of U.S. Route 550.

Jared Wright speaks to supporters at Alan Story’s home north of Fruita as his wife Rachael and daughter Evangeline listen Tuesday evening.

Rob Schoeber, director of the Parks and Recreation Department for the city of Grand Junction, discusses the Maxi-Com software which regulates the city’s water usage.

Three visitors to downtown Aspen are framed by the Mill Street Fountain, a Centerpiece in a pedestrian area in the resort town. Locals say that children try to balance balloons or balls on the random geysers of water on the sidewalk.

Western Colorado’s grape harvest has begun well before the peach harvest is finished. The earlier-ripening white-wine grapes, such as these chardonnay, are ready at least two weeks ahead of normal.

Shadow Lake in the Ridges reflects trees and clouds on a late summer afternoon.The lake is at Ridges Blvd and Mariposa Dr.

Jose Iglesias walks with his son Miguel Iglesias a 10-year-old 5th grader at Orchard Avenue Elementary School across Orchard Avenue after the first day of school for students in School District 51.

#34, Ben King from the USA with team Radio Shack-Nissan-TREX signing autographs before the start of the Montros to Cresteed Butte USA Pro Challenge bike race.

Constructed sometime between 1896 and 1905, the Marble Mill Site produced marble that was used in the construction of the Lincoln Memorial and in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well as a host of significant buildings in Oregon, California, and Colorado. The plant consisted of departments for sawing, polishing, and carving. Most of the facility was constructed of marble. The mill survived a series of disasters, including a snow slide in 1912 and a fire in 1925. It eventually closed in 1941 due to market issues and transportation costs. By the late 1970s, the mill was in ruins.The Marble Mill Site is a National Historic Site and is located in the town of Marble.

A golf ball is lodged in the dried mud at the bottom of Paonia Reservoir.

Heavy traffic passed the Mesa County workforce center that will soon be moved leaving the southwest corner of North Avenue and 29 Road open for development.

The view from Chimney Rock.

The Great Pueblo in Chimney Rock Archaeological Area.