Rebecca Ortega, left, reaches out her arms to her brown dachshund Sid Vicious while other catchers entice their entries toward the finish line.

Four-year-old Alyeska, right, bounds into the lead as she races against the competition during the second heat of the finals elimination round of the mini division during the Wiener Dog Races held Saturday.

Kelly Claussen at the starting line for a race in the King of the Track drag racing points-racing series races Saturday at the Colorado Western Dragway.

State Rep. Ray Scott, R-Grand Junction, stands by a batting cage at one of his three businesses, a sports practice center that he converted from a storage business.

The House District 55 Democratic challenger, Dan Robinson of Grand Junction, began a mentorship program for youth that eventually became Mesa County Partners.

The Palisade High School Marching Band marching down Main Street in downtown Grand Junction, one of fourteen bands to takes part in the 35th annual Colorado West Marching Band Festival parade Saturday morning.

Passangers riding in the caboose of the Durango & Silverton train wave as the train hits rock gap north of Rockwood train station.Durango was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1879. The railroad arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881 and construction on the line to Silverton began in the fall of the same year. By July of 1882, the tracks to Silverton were completed, and the train began hauling both freight and passengers.

Wildfire crews attend to a fire burning about 15 miles north of Rifle.

Aiden Woomer twists past a tackle of Central’s Jon Sullivan and Conner Willianson to score in the first half.

Dylan Dobbins of Grand Junction balances himself on his skateboard as his tiny two-year-old female pit bull Mila pulls him around Sherwood Park. Dobbins said that Mila and he come down to the park for a run—and a ride—every day.

Artist John Lintott of Fruita and his daughter Ellie, 7, paint landscapes side by side at Artist’s Point overlook on Colorado National Monument.

Artist John Lintott of Fruita paints red sandstone formations highlighted by the early morning sunrise at Artist’s Point in Colorado National Monument.

A tree burns in a fire about 15 miles north of Rifle.

An air tanker drops slurry on a fire burning about 15 miles north of Rifle and to the east of Hwy 13.

Aizik Gomez, 12, gets more paint to finish his Christmas ornament that could be placed on the Capitol Christmas Tree this holiday season.

A happy camper tends to a fire at a camp between the East Cimarron Road and the East Fork of the Cimarron River near Silver Jack Reservoir in the Uncompahgre National Forest, east of Ridgway. The moon lights up the night sky as the camp fire lights up the forest.

Father Edmundo Valera blessing a turtle during the Holy Family Catholic School’s Blessing of the Animals event at the school Thursday morning in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. Dogs, cats, fish, lizards and this turtle were blessed during the school annual event.

Father Edmundo Valera invokes a blessing on Buddy, a golden retriever, during the Holy Family Catholic School’s Blessing of the Animals event at the school this morning. Dogs, cats, fish, lizards and a turtle were blessed during the school annual event, which honors St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment.

About 75 college students and interested people gather in the game room at the Colorado Mesa University’s University Center to watch the Romney-Obama presidential debate Wednesday.

His brow furrowed, Stephen Stern, third from left, watches the presidential debate Wednesday with Rebecca Ely, to his right, on a big screen in the University Center game room at Colorado Mesa University. Stern is a biology professor at Colorado Mesa University, and Ely is a social worker.

Max Freter, center, and Patrick Weolongo, right, listen to the presidential debate Wednesday in the University Center game room at Colorado Mesa University.

An ATV rides down the East Fork of the Cimarron Road in the Uncompahgre National Forest near Silver Jack Reservoir as the fall colors turn to gold.

Shelledy Elementary School teacher David Hassler and student Melody Dolan lead a group of Shelledy students this morning. Today is National Walk to School Day and events were held at Shelledy, Rocky Mountain, Mesa View and Broadway elementary schools.

Grand Junction police are investigating a single vehicle accident in which a truck jumped a curb, ran over several bushes, and drove through a portico before crashing into a wall along the south entrance to GJ Scores on Wednesday. One man in his 30s was taken to the hospital from the scene with minor injuries. An officer at the scene said that alcohol may have been a contributing factor.

Bob Hammon, area extension agent agronomy/entomology with the Colorado State University Extension Service, or more commonly known around the area as the bug guy, shows a collection of moth specimens during a presentation at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens recently. He said there is a huge variety of moths in the area compared to butterflies.

Firefighters from Station Two put out a fire on a propane tank during a training exercise on 25 Road Tuesday. The Grand Junction Fire Department set up a pressurized propane fire to give the firefighters experience on the volatile fuel source. Propane tanks can explode if they get too hot. Firefighters used two hoses to cool the fire before extinguishing it.

Maurine Taufer leads children in a yoga tree circle at the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts, which has been offering Garfield School District Re-2 students alternative activities on Fridays since the district went to a four-day school week.

Crew members work on repairing the Otto rock.

Grand Junction Firefighters have gone pink in an effort to join other departments across the country to bring awareness to the fight against cancer. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Grand Junction firefighters are selling t-shirts to raise money for local charity Delaney Donates. The funds will be used to help families with cancer victims cope with the ordeal.

A number of hand-painted furniture pieces are on display in the windows of businesses downtown. The public is encouraged to enter the stores and begin the silent auction bidding on the pieces.

Melissa Copeland of Grand Junction snaps a photo of the golden aspen along the north rim of the Grand Mesa on Color Sunday.

Three-year-old Cora Ellis of Fruita carries pretty leaves in both hands as she walks along a trail above Mesa Lake with her mother Lindsay on Sunday.

Although the aspens on top of the Grand Mesa had lost most of their leaves, the trees around Old Powderhorn and along the north rim still were a vivid gold and red.

Dozens of tiny stars, reflections of the sun, surround fallen aspen leaves along the water’s edge at Mesa Lakes Resort.

Sherry Hartiman won the State Bus Roadeo competition and compete in the national championships.

Each day, Grand Valley Transit buses circle through 11 routes from Fruita to Palisade and all points in between, providing transportation for hundreds of area residents.

Casey Dry tends to a batch of beer at the Rockslide Brewpub.

Assistant brewer Casey Dry and head brewer Zorba Proteau examine some recent beer. Proteau recently became the downtown brewpub’s third head brewer since opening in 1994.

Jeremy Oberley is headed to orientation at IntelliTec, where he’s going to study business.

Zhen Zhong gets on the bus after an English lesson at the Mesa County Public Library.