TODAY
En-raptor Your Mom
Acknowledge every time she watched you like a hawk by bringing your mother to the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program’s annual Mother’s Day open house event. She’ll get a close-up look at hawks, falcons, owls, eagles, vultures and osprey, while you sneak off to the gift shop to buy the present that slipped your mind last week. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Rocky Mountain Raptor Program, 720 E. Vine Drive, Fort Collins; 970-484-7756
MORE FOR THE WEEK
TODAY
“Rhyming the Rockies” producer Vicki Clark joins Story Time Radio host Katy Little to talk about her CD recording of rhymes and jumprope chants. 6:30 p.m., KRFC/88.9 FM on the Front Range, or streaming audio online from (click on “listen”)
WEDNESDAY
Googie Architecture showcases the sleek, now campy designs envisioned as futuristic when they were introduced in the 1940s and ’50s. Photographs document the new and vestigial upswept rooflines, and angled shapes incorporating atoms, flying saucers, starbursts, boomerangs, etc., that sailed along many a Colorado main street. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, and Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 15051 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora; 303-739-6660,
THURSDAY
Carpenter Ranch bird-watching walk with Nature Conservancy birding expert Nancy Merrill. Free. 8 to 10 a.m., Carpenter Ranch Visitor Center, 20 miles west of Steamboat Springs on U.S. 40; 970-276-4626
FRIDAY — MAY 18
Paddlefest 2008 celebrates what promises to be an excellent spring and summer for whitewater kayaking. Ongoing events include dryland clinics, plus “Paddle with the Pros” workshops, pool sessions and a river cleanup party on Saturday. 9 a.m. all three days, CKS, 327 E. Main St. and White Water Park, Buena Vista; 719.395.8653 and
SATURDAY
Do something good for deployed U.S. troops at Tie One On, a collaborative event to make cooling ties — cloth tubes filled with polymer beads that retain water — for troops to wear in hot climates. Volunteers can bring sewing paraphernalia to create the ties for Operation Restoration, a mental health outreach program for military veterans and their families. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lost and Found Inc. Family Counseling Center, 6700 W. 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge; 303-420-8080, ext. 1203
SATURDAY
Extreme freestyle and motocross athletes show off at the Journeys Backyard Barbeque Tour with skateboard pros, including Denver native Ernie Torres, and local athletes from the Woodward Skate Park. Plus: Converse Battle of the Bands, featuring Colorado alternative music artists. noon to 6:30 p.m., 14500 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood;
SATURDAY
Country Cajun Feed offers jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, boudin sausage and bands playing Louisiana’s emblematic music. Cover charge: $5; most meals are $6 or less. 4 p.m., May Farms, 64001 East U.S. 36, Byers; 303.822.5800 and
