Retired scientist, 77, treats his wife to flowers and a watermelon after scooping $5 MILLION lottery win

A retired scientist has treated his wife to flowers and a watermelon after scooping a staggering $5 million lottery win.

Waldemar 'Bud' T, 77, was on a hiking trip in the Holy Cross Wilderness with Golden Retriever Augie on the day his numbers were drawn - and only learned he won after getting home and checking the lottery's website.

The Colorado-based native thought 'it must be a mistake' but after realizing he had claimed the top prize said the first thing he did was treat wife Bonnie Tasch. 

He now plans on using the rest of his lottery earnings to pay for his wife's surgeries, give back to charities, buy more classic cars, invest the money and hire help for house and yard upgrades while his wife is recovering.

Retired scientist Waldemar 'Bud' T has treated his wife to flowers and a watermelon after scooping a staggering $5 million lottery win 

The Colorado -based native thought 'it must be a mistake' but after realizing he had claimed the top prize said the first thing he did was treat wife Bonnie Tasch 

Bud purchased his winning ticket at The Hangin' Tree convenience store in Montrose, Colorado (pictured)

'I was very pleasantly surprised. He doesn't normally buy me flowers so that was very sweet,' wife Bonnie told CBS News Colorado. 

Bud plays Colorado Lotto+ every month no matter what state he is in and 'always' plays his own numbers from a secret formula he created.

He told lottery officials that he bought his winning ticket at The Hangin' Tree store in Montrose. 

The keen outdoorsman loves to cycle, hike and climb - spending six months in Colorado and six months in Arizona with his wife every year.

Although he loves to travel domestically, Bud states that he doesn't have 'travelitis' and proudly calls Colorado 'the most beautiful place in the world.'

Instead of going away internationally like most lottery winners would dream of, he will 'get a financial planner and banker.' 

But he is not the only lucky winner to be putting their cash pot to good use. 

Last month, a lucky man said he 'couldn't sleep' after winning the lottery with the numbers of his family member's birthdays and he has been using the same ones for seven years. 

Paul Caudill matched all five white balls on the draw on August 11 and thought that it was a mistake that he won 

Paul bought his winning ticket at the 1 Stop convenience store (pictured) on West Mountain Street in Kernersville Town, North Carolina

Paul Caudill bought his winning ticket at the 1 Stop convenience store on West Mountain Street in Kernersville Town, North Carolina

He matched all five white balls on the draw on August 11 and thought that it was a mistake that he won. 

After hitting the jackpot he had the choice of receiving a $390,000 lump sum or $25,000 a year for the rest of his life.

The North Carolina native opted for the lump sum and, after state and federal taxes, he took home $277,879. 

He said that his main priority was paying off his mortgage with the money.