Ruby is one of two new potbellied pigs at the Pig-A-Sus Homestead in Mack.Ruby and Topaz, two females from the same litter, came to their new home from a research lab where they were used in experiments.Before coming to Pig-A-sus, the pair had never set foot on soil, instead living their lives in cages.

Workers from Bud’s Sign and Neon hang a 40-foot by 30-foot vinyl sign of a T-rex dinosaur on the east side of the Fruita Co-Op building on U.S. Highway 6&50 on Tuesday. The workers were in a bucket, lifted by a crane to mount the big dinosaur poster.

The Mavs, in white and the Dawgs play in a 6th grade boys basketball game in the Rec Center on the Mesa State College campus Sunday afternoon.325, 4th to 8th grades boys and girls, on 29 teams were playing in the last of the two day Mesa State MAYB Winter Classic Basketball Tournament.The Mavs won this game 49-18.

The Mesa County Technical Search and Rescue Team plants the American flag on top of 450-foot-high Independence Monument in the Colorado National Monument on July Fourth, a tradition begun 100 years ago by the founder of the monument, John Otto.

A crescent moon sets over the Colorado National Monument Friday evening.

A horse and the Colorado National Monument are reflected in a pool of water in a corner of a pasture at 20 Raod and Highway 360 on the Redlands Wednesday afternoon.The corner of the pasture fills up after rain and makes for a great reflector for photographers.

The Grand Valley Combined Honor Guard conduct a memorial service for deceased veterans of the Armed Forces during Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado Monday morning.The program included remarks by local government officials. performances by the Grand Mesa Pipes and Drums, dedication of the new columbarium and placing of wreaths by representatives of veterans’ organization.

Mel Muhr of Grand Junction sinks his putt on the Lincoln Park Golf Course practice green Thursday afternoon.Lincoln Park, Adobe Creek, Chipeta and Redlands Mesa public courses are now open for play. Tiara Rado managers hope to open the course on saturday.

Dally Kellogg, 9, of Glenwood Springs flips his kayak at the Glenwood Springs Whiterwater Park.Dally in one of 11 kids in the kayaking family.Most of the brothers also were kayaking at the park Tuesday.

This morning at 10:10a.m. CDOT workers used 10 lbs. of explosive to blow-up a 14-foot high rock along Highway 65 at mile marker 52 in Plateau Canyon.The rock came down last Thursday morning at 5:20a.m., coming to a rest just off the highway.The road was closed for 20 mins. to blast and clear the road.

Jackyn McMillen from Mesa State College dives into the pool at the start of the Womens 200 yard Freestyle race during the Mesa State Invitational Swim Met at the El Pomar Natatorium in the Maverick Center on the Mesa State campus.

Seven-month-old Ruby Foster and her mother, Rebecca Hunt-Foster, check out the world’s largest robotic dinosaur, a Tyrannosaurus rex.The robot replica is 50 feet long and 20 feet tall and will be on display at the Museum of Western Colorado’s Dinosaur Journey Museum, 550 Jurassic Court in Fruita, this summer, including Memorial Day weekend.

A great blue heron pulls a fish out of the surf on the Gulf of Mexico on Captiva Island.

Hailey Rosencrans, left and Keanna Estes, both nine-years-old from Grand Junction get big air after going off a jump at Duck Pond Park.

The Colorado State Patrol investigates the scene of a double fatality Sunday near the Utah line on I-70.Two people died, and a 16-year-old male was airlifted to St.Mary’s Hospital with serious injuries.The State Patrol said a semi traveling east hit the back of a trailer being pulled by a 1997 Ford Expedition.The driver of the semi can be seen behind his truck.

112 lb freshman Dalton Hannigan of Palisade fist pumps after winning an overtime match against third ranked Frank Vigil of Air Acadamy in the 4a final at MSC. All of Hannigan’s three matches in the regional were overtime bouts. He will be a high seed in the state tournament.

Weiner dog owners frantically call their dogs to the finish line at the 29th annual Octoberfest in downtown Grand Junction today. Many of the dogs were distracted by the cheering crowd. But a few of the canines were focused enough to race to the line lickety-split.

Whitney Ravan of Grand Junction and Rebecca Arotin of Fruita battle during a soccer game just as the sun sets at Walker Field.

A youngster is surrounded by droplets of water in the new splashpad, one of the main features in the uplift project, in downtown Grand Junction.

Airman 1st class Michael Campbell of Rifle is greeted by his seven-year-old dog Chelsea and hordes of family and friend at the Grand Junction Regional Airport as he returned home on leave. He is serving in Afghanistan in the U.S. Air Force.

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet helps Clifton Elementary student Katelyn Larson, 10, try to solve a math problem during his visit to the Grand Valley school.

Morgan Watts holds on tight during the mutton bustin’ contest that she won at the Mesa County Fair.

A helicopter drops down low to move three wild horses into the funnel-like corral at the gather in Mare Canyon southwest of Meeker. Eight horses were herded into the pens Saturday 10-16-10 before darkness fell on the operation

Trevor Carmichael, 12, warms up on the ice at Connected Lakes where the Pee Wee Junior Mavs hockey team began practicing. The teams hope for cold weather and good ice especially after the ice rink shut down.

Heidi Bassignani dances during the Illumicirque show at Sixth and Main Streets at the last 2010 Downtown Farmers Market. The fire dancers attracted was a big turnout at the beloved Thursday night event.

Tayla Chavez, 4, rides her bike under a colorful canopy of cottonwoods while the rest of the family fishes at the James M. Robb Colorado River State Park Corn Lake section during unusually warm day in November.

Tate Harris takes flight upside-down off of the bull Tombstone T on a no ride at the CBR bull riding event at the Mesa County Fair.

Four of the last group of five wild horses slow down as they are herded by a helicopter into a BLM holding corral in Mare Canyon. Eight horses were gathered Saturday at this location.

Jaden Redeye, 5, of Grand Junction plugs his ears just in case as he waits his turn to have the balloon man make him one at the Downtown Farmer’s Market.

Mesa County Sheriff officers walk the armed home invasion suspect down Jackson Street in Clifton after he surrendered Sunday evening. The man tried to car-jack a victim at a nearby gas station and later invaded a home at gunpoint as the residents escaped.

Camron Wright, 8, buries his face in his hands as his mother Annie comforts him during the services for Teddy Garcia at Suplizio Field Friday. Annie Wright’s shirt bears the words “Remember” along with Garcia’s #3, and Camron’s T-shirt has the words “RIP Coach Teddy” in honor of the man who coached his minor boys baseball team, the Dodgers, at Orchard Mesa Little League.

The Mesa State Mavericks dogpile in victory in the infield as a dejected Brian Chirtz, right, walks back to the University of Nebraska-Kearney dugout after being called out at second in the double play that ended the RMAC championship game.

Magician Dave Wallen amazes a group of children and a grownup as he makes red balls disappear and reappear in unexpected places as he performs at Rocky Mountain PBS’ Kids Fun Fest Friday at Canyon View Park. Wallen has been performing close up magic since 1981, and has been delighting diners at Dos Hombres for the past 16 years.

Jennifer Redmond, left, comforts her daughter Alex as she grieves during a gathering of friends in remembrance of her boyfriend Nicholas Jacobson, the motorcyclist who died in an accident Thursday at the intersection North Avenue and I-70 B Frontage Road. Alex was the passenger on Jacobson’s motorcycle when it collided with an SUV, and participated in the memorial ride to the scene that followed despite having her arm in a cast after injuring it in the accident.

Lineworker student Curtis Wright, left, of Craig works his way down a pole as fellow student Tyson Watson of Grand Junction sets up another single-phase pole in the distance to have a new wire strung to it Tuesday during class. Both men are enrolled in the 1-year lineworker program at Western Colorado Community College, and were practicing their skills at the college’s facility at 29 Road and the Riverside Parkway. Members of the program were practicing their skills in preparation for the annual Collegiate Linemans’s Competitiion at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, in which they hope to compete later this month.

An ecstatic Karen Lidberg clutches her diploma in her hands as she walks off the stage during Mesa State College’s commencement exercises Sunday. This was the last class to graduate from Mesa State College; next semester’s graduates will receive degrees from Colorado Mesa University, the institution’s new name. Lidberg graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in music education and music performance.

Cheesecake-tasting competitor Michelle Hansen, left, expresses her disappointment after missing her guess of an ingredient while Lisa Gillispie tests another bite before her turn during the Decadence Gourmet Cheesecake’s cheesecake tasting competition at the Local Flavors Food and Arts Fair Thursday at the Business Incubator, 2591 B 3/4 Road. The competition was a fundraiser for Kids Aid.

A look of joy mixed with a myriad of other emotions play across the face of veteran Lewis Johnson as he looks up while reading letters given to him during Mail Call. The Honor Flight trip was bittersweet for many of the veterans.

World War II veteran Kenny Maxon of Parachute wipes tears from his eyes as his daughter Maxine brushes away her own tears as the two read hand-written letters to Kenny from his family during Mail Call. Family members were encouraged to write the Honor Flight veterans, and those letters—along with letters thanking them from their service from congressmen to school children—were delivered to the vets as a surprise before landing.

Holding his camera in his hand, Marines veteran Virgil Crabtree pauses for a moment to contemplate on the World War II Memorial and the Honor Flight trip. Crabtree is a survivor of the battle of Iwo Jima.

World War II veteran Lewis Johnson, right, and his guardian are reflected in the wall of the Korean War Veterans Memorial, one of the places the Honor Flight participants visited during their whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C.

Firefighters, state troopers and police officers line the runway and salute the Western Slope Honor Flight as it takes off from Grand Junction Regional Airport, eliciting loud applause from the passengers inside the cabin of the plane. Shot through an airplane window, this photo was taken as the aircraft lifted off at the speed of 145 to 150 knots per hour.

As several employees watch, Grand Junction Fire Department paramedics treat a man at the scene of a shooting last Saturday night in front of the Taco Bell on North Avenue.  A second man also was wounded. A third man died.

A Grand Junction firefighter hoses down the burning rubble of an abandoned barn that caught fire Thursday at 652 24 1/2 Road, sending a large column of black smoke into the sky. According to fire department spokesman Mike Page, the barn was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene, and three houses to the north that were threatened were protected first. The siding and fence of least one house partially melted from the heat of the wind-driven flames but the structure itself was saved. The barn, though, burned to the ground. No one was injured in the blaze, he said.

Travis Freyery of Loma flies off of his mount before the end of his ride during the saddle bronc riding competition Sunday at the Colorado Pro Rodeo Association’s 35th annual Finals Rodeo at the Mesa County Fairgrounds.