Happy Days...........

Becca has wanted to see "Wicked" for years.    We tried to get tickets to Broadway when we lived in Ct. but it was sold out so we all enjoyed "Phantom..." But she has persisted and last fall, she 'suggested politely' that we might all want to see it when it came to Denver.   We bought the tickets way back then and the big day finally arrived on July 3rd.    It was a spectacular production and perfect for a girl's night out.  

  

We drove over to Denver the day before.   Because we had the whole day, we opted for the scenic route and enjoyed at least an extra 2 hours of sitting in traffic waiting for construction and accidents.    It was not fun.   But we made it in time to celebrate Lizzie's 17th birthday !!   Nicholas and Kelsey were home from Oklahoma City and Alex hustled over from his job as Asst. Golf Pro at Lakewood CC.    How did everyone grow up so fast?   It seems like just last week that I managed to dislocate Lizzie's shoulder when she was 18 months old and we were playing on the floor.......!    I hope she doesn't remember !   And today she passed her driver's test.......in this tricked out Jeep!   She's good at driving it on the jeep trails so city roads must not have been any problem.... 

The summer art festivals are in full swing and on Friday, we braved the crowds and wandered the Cherry Creek Art Festival, celebrating it's 25th year as a premier show.   It is very high end but it's just a good walk around and great for people watching.    Mike scouted out an excellent restaurant ,.... keeping in mind our limited way of eating.     An outdoor lunch at True Food Kitchen, one of a few owned by Dr Andrew Weil with an emphasis on the "Anti-Inflammatory Pyramid" that he has designed, was very special.    I don't agree with everything he recommends but it is a good and easy way to eat healthy.



 The next day, we all piled in the car and headed up to the mountains and to the picturesque Victorian town of Breckenridge.   ( Note who they put in the 3rd seat of the car.....just like the BMW commercial ) !  

Another day, another art festival.    This one much smaller but  the scenery was much better.    We all liked the woven glass pieces.

On the small lake in town, there were the bubbles with kids inside.....trying to stay upright.   Fun !

The iconic Victorian Main Street was a slice of Americana and  4th of July celebrations.    The firemen and kids and water hoses made for a fun and wet combination. The opposing  teams tried filling their buckets first while  spraying everyone and everything.    

Along the banks of the Blue River, the crowds were claiming their favorite spaces for the day and the evening fireworks.    Live bands, food vendors and happy faces were everywhere.

The growing season is very very short at over 9,000 feet but these gorgeous flowers were everywhere  and seemed to glow in the sun.

   A perfect weekend with our wonderful family....what more could we ask for ??........


















....maybe a good haircut and matching hats ?

Benign neglect........

In a minute, I would give up the blog.   Don't take it personally..... But if I did, I would have no way to remember what we did or didn't do or who we did it with and when we did it.   I depend on this feeble journal to keep track of yesterday, last month, last year and 8 years ago.   

So, when the mood strikes or the camera gets used or we do something worth remembering, I'll show up.     

Meanwhile, the Connecticut crew came to the West.     We spent a few days in Glenwood Springs, a charming picturesque community next to the stunningly beautiful Glenwood Canyon and the rushing Colorado River.    One time we said we'd want to live there..... I still could.    We stayed at the Hot Springs Lodge which is across the street from the world famous historic Hot Springs Pool and Spa.   

 The water bubbles out of the spring at a steamy 122 degrees.    Watered down a bit, one part is 104 degrees and the main pool is about 92-94.   It's only 3-4 feet deep but perfect for family fun.   And, you can bring in all sorts of floats and balls and such plus in the pic above, there is a large water slide.

Andy and Mason were either swimming or rafting or busy at the Adventure Park.    We had full days 

and fun evenings.    

 Pretty tulip from a bouquet I bought at the market.  

The 3 grandparents went exploring one afternoon up to a small community called Redstone.   There is a castle there but it was out of sight and we didn't want to pay the entrance fee so we had a nice lunch and enjoyed the spring flowers.  

 We've been busy but it's been good busy.    Paul played in a PB tournament in the next town over.    Two days of 100 degree unrelenting heat made for difficult conditions for players and spectators alike.    He and his partners  did really well in their divisions.
Somedays, I'm thinking I may give up golf and take up PB seriously.     I have only played golf ONCE since we got here and can't say that I've missed it one bit.    But most days, I just enjoy my morning 4+mile walk.     No hiking due to conflicts but were looking forward to a 3 day hiking trip the end of the month.      
Meanwhile, we're heading over to Denver tomorrow to help Lizzie celebrate 17 years, catch up with Nicholas and Kelsey who are home from Oklahoma City for a week or so and enjoy some fireworks.  

A view of the San Juan's one evening as the sun was setting....... I love those mountains.    

A good walk...unspoiled..........

 If it's Wednesday, it's a choice between MahJong  at the Club or out in the grandeur of nature on a hike.    I chose the hike.    Paul chose neither and played PB.

The plan was to do the Keystone Gorge outside of Telluride.   Because of the melting snow and afternoon heavy rains, the San Miguel River was wild and loud and angry and impressive.    The trail follows the river, often
very close to the deafening turbulence.

We were going downhill but it was no easy feat.    The trail was narrow and rocky and eroding in areas so that it was only wide enough for our shoes and our poles.   Sometimes, we were at the river's edge.   Other times found us high up teetering on a narrow shelf.   It was not always for the faint of heart but I felt fairly secure and steady.

This boulder field was a challenge and was long and tedious.   A misstep would have been painful.

After about an hour + , we finally reached the sturdy bridge  and 

crossed over to begin the ascent up to a mining road and a return to our cars.   The climb up was STEEP and breathtaking....literally.     Frequent stops for respiratory therapy were needed.   This was not an easy hike, despite what the trail description said.    It was even recommended for families !   No way would I take kids on this, at least not in the spring with the high dangerous waters.   But it was exhilarating and challenging and a good days walk.     (Disclaimer:    I take all my pictures with the iPhone 6 Plus.   I can't deal with a big camera when I'm out and about (unless we are driving) and although I don't get decent flower pics, I'm fairly pleased with the rest....considering it doesn't weigh anything.)

I've been trying to broaden my repertoire of recipes.    There are unending sources of plant based inspired recipes and I've tried a few....some OK, some tossed and inedible and then, there's the occasional winner.     This is the making of a delicious stir-fry.    We served it over rice noodles but brown rice would have been equally tasty.    The meat-like strips are known as soy curls.   I just recently heard about them.    They are loaded with protein and made with just soy....nothing else.    They come dry and you reconstitute them in liquid.   I used soy sauce, made a nice stir fry sauce and it tasted like chicken.....really !!   Would be great as tacos, or in spaghetti or as pulled pork which apparently is the most popular use.    I don't think most people could tell that it wasn't meat.    I don't normally try and duplicate any meat product.     We just eat our whole food unprocessed starches, veggies and greens and are very happy.    But this was a good find.  

And speaking of cooking.............awhile back, we gave Jeff and Jennifer a couple of nice sharp Wusthof knives.    So now I feel a bit guilty and maybe a little responsible for this nasty slice that Jenn acquired ...... cutting a piece of MEAT !!   See, we told you that meat wasn't good for you!!   She'll be away from golf for awhile but hopefully, nothing permanent.    Heal fast Jenn.   

  

And, guess who came to Colorado today !!     Can't wait to see them in Grand Junction on Sunday.   

It's all about the mountains......

Southwestern Colorado is a jaw-dropping, awe inspiring visual experience.     To see the beauty every morning on my walk makes me so happy and thankful.    This is the panorama that never changes and yet always changes.  

 But today, we were able to go into the heart of the San Juan's and the rugged peaks  surrounding Ouray     The Cobble Creek Hiking Club chose The Portland Mine trail.    The trailhead is at the edge of town and we were soon in a shrub oak and pine forest.    The views were stunning as we climbed

up and up and up.    Elevation gain was 1000 ft and the Overlook area was at 9200'.    It took us about 90 min to go up......that included stops to breathe and take pictures and stay hydrated.

There were a few wildflowers beginning to show their colors.    Above is chokecherry.   They are quite fragrant .    We had a tree when I was growing up and mother made the best chokecherry jam out of the astringent and bitter berries.   We only tasted them ONCE as kids.  

I was thrilled to see the Red Columbine.    It looks much different from it's relative, the state flower but is very impressive among the green.  

Altho the group starts out together, we end up getting spread out but always meet up for snacks.   This was at the Overlook, a view of the amphitheater formation that surrounds Ouray.   Paul is relaxing on the left.    Weather was perfect, in the mid 60's and mostly sunny.  

I hope you can see this message in the dirt.   Coming back down, we came a different way and altho there were directional signs most of the time, our group had concerns about taking the wrong trail.    But we shouldn't have worried.....our intrepid leaders left my name and arrows pointing the way at every fork.  

We hiked about 5 miles and a bit over 3 hours.   I would go back in a minute.    It was a perfect walk !

Summertime......

....... and the livin' is easy................

The summer concerts have started and we are right in the mix ...... first one was at the public golf course in town.   Great music and when you buy wine/beer in the local bank plastic cup, it looks blue.   

A week later found us at the park in beautiful Ouray, listening to one great all girl band and one not so great band of guys from Austin Tx who were described as an "Indie Band".   Not so much to our taste but the wine was good, the views spectacular.   Oggie insisted on being part of the picture.   We know Oggie well from last year's hikes and watching him grow from a small puppy.  

The rain/snow  in the mountains has been heavy and is keeping these jeeping and hiking enthusiasts to lower altitudes.    On Saturday, a bunch of us headed over to Dennis Weaver Park for some paved walking and one fairly dry loop that followed the Uncompaghre River.    It started out sunny but

by 11ish and after 4.5 miles, the dark clouds rolled in, the thunder started and we hustled back to the car.   I nearly had a coronary when a smallish but lively snake slithered across my path.    I didn't know I could be so 

nimble on my feet !! 

While I was out dodging creepy snakes, Paul ( in the red ) was involved in the Montrose Pickleball Tournament.   Rain forced it indoors.    He and his partner, Jimmy, played against this grandfather and his young teen grandson.    I chatted with the GF later.   They've just been playing 3 months and the kid is good at every sport he tries.   It was fun to see his youthful exuberance and he shows all the signs of being a very good player in the next year.    I loved that the GF didn't dress to impress !!
They lost all of their matches but I have no doubt they'll keep trying.    Meanwhile, P and his partners ( Tina in mixed doubles) won a few and lost a few.  

Oh yes, I almost forgot I have a blog.......

 One of us has already been here over a week and the other is still trying to figure out where he is when he wakes up at night.    We pulled in last Tuesday evening.   Wednesday was unloading and cleaning the MH and getting it settled into storage and on Thursday, bright and early, he got the last seat out of Montrose and flew back to Connecticut.   ( I would have gone had the flights looked more conducive to pass riding).       He joined other North American Airline crew members to remember a colleague and friend who left all too soon.       He was able to spend time with Andy and Mason and then finally returned to Montrose on Sunday......tired, sneezy and a bit jet-lagged but grateful for a chance to reunite with old friends.  

 I meant to post a couple pics of our time at the Rally......but since that is so far in past history, here's just this one of the wagons round the campsite.   You can see the low clouds and gray conditions.  

 And this is from our drive over the mountains as the snow fell and eventually grew to a few inches
but the road remained wet.  

As soon as we landed in Cobble Creek, I joined an army of dedicated women in getting ready for a lovely English tea in the upper level of the Clubhouse.     Hope West Kids, a division  of Hospice, was the selected charity and two young ladies, all dressed in their finest  spoke eloquently about how the Good Grief Camp and support group had helped them.      I should have taken a pic of the flowers and tea cups and the crowd of women, young and old, in their tea finery.   It was all very lovely and very successful.    Right after this picture, it hailed for 20 minutes.   Luckily, just small bits but did cover the ground.  

 The weather has been wet and cold and the mountains continue to get snow.   The wildflowers should be spectacular when it all melts.    This was our view driving into Montrose.    The days start out chilly but sunny, 40+ and by noon the clouds roll in and the rains start.   But it doesn't stop the golfers or the builders (the place is busy with about 8 new homes going up) .  

It has been very welcoming to come back into the community.    I meet the familiar faces and their dogs on my morning walk and we are greeted warmly wherever we go.   Pickle ball is getting organized, Mah Jongg is growing to 3 tables, Ladie's , Men's and Couple's golf beckons and the hiking group is making big plans for the summer and fall and beyond.....   It's a very dynamic place and one we're glad we discovered.  
And, we have found that Gail and Lee have converted to Plant Based eating.    They are the couple who winter in Belize and moved here from Gunnison along with Buffy, the massive  buffalo head that greets all who enter their home.     She's not sure what she'll do with all the elk they have in the freezer !!    Now, if we can get our on site restaurant to offer some healthier food.......   We did go out the other night to a new Mexican restaurant and they had several items on the menu that fit our way of eating perfectly....oh happy day.!!

I'm enjoying the garden centers and their huge array of familiar flowers.    So good to see the hanging baskets of geranium, million bells, wave petunias, lobelia and the flowering shrubs and trees and hosta.    I have new large pots for the patio and am planning the arrangements.    The hummingbird feeder is up and we see a few.   We still need furniture out there before you can join us for a sunset glass of wine.    Hope you're thinking of stopping by once again.....

Back where we belong......

I'm posting the blog from my phone due to various computer issues.   And not sure I can add pics.  

We enjoyed our time in Denver with the grands and their parents and the dogs and the fish and the birds.  And we joined up with the Colorado Allegro group once again.  Despite cold and rain and generally miserable weather at the State Park, we caught up and made future plans with 18 of us in one coach living room.   Wine helped with the coziness.  

We braved sleet and snow and rain and made the trek westward yesterday.  It was slushy but no ice and the snow made for even more beautiful scenery than usual.  

It's so good to be here once again.   We found a nice welcoming wine basket at the door and it's good to catch up with old and new friends.   Lots of things going on this weekend.     

Talk later.......

Colorado

We did it !     And managed to glide thru the deadly tornado alley with only a few raindrops.    Once we left our  R&R in Alabama, we made tracks and did between 4-500+ miles each day.   ( Memo to Dean and Diane:   We had to maintain our reputation ! )        We saw ONE pronghorn antelope and a lot of cows.    We followed our usual trail and stayed at familiar RV campgrounds.    Aside from too much sitting, it was an uneventful crossing.     And now, we will stop and smell the roses and gaze at the beautiful mountains for a few days before we head over the passes to Montrose once again.

Last night we met the kids at Ted's Mountain Grill.   Ted Turner's vision of responsible and sustainable  environmental programs and his passion to preserve the Bison have been recognized and his restaurants are a testament to do the right thing for the planet.    So, even tho we ordered the delicious veggie burger, I approve of the menu of sustainable beef and bison and not the beef, pork and chicken from those violent and horrific factories.    End of rant.....I almost got carried away for a minute.........

Rolling right along........

We enjoyed our time at Bella Terra but did get out and explore other places to hang our hat, should we come this way again.     Gulf State Park, near Orange Beach, was huge with many amenities.    But the beach was across a busy highway so a car would be helpful.   The gulf beaches are powdery white sand and there are the high rise condos along the beach.    All in all, didn't do much for us.   We spent part of the day, based on a recommendation, over in Fairhope Alabama.    It is on the gulf as well with gorgeous homes,  luxurious landscapes and a lovely town of nice shops and restaurants  and magnificent magnolia trees, now in bloom.   

We decided to leave this morning, closely monitoring the weather.     We knew we'd have rain along the way but we were rather pleased to only have about an hour of heavy rain as we gradually headed 

Northwest. 

   

 Scenery was a non event .....roads were very good, not too much traffic and we finished up our day's 400+ miles in Shreveport.     We are about halfway and it looks like clear weather for the next several days.

Westward Ho.........

The preparations never get any easier but this time we felt more organized.   Despite not having any teenage kids around to do the loading , we managed to get it out of the spaces, into carry bags, out across the yard, up those annoying steps and into their assorted cubbies on the bus......My FITBIT recorded over 11,000 steps on Tuesday and that was without a morning walk.    And because we started organizing on Monday and brought the MH to the house that night, we seemed to have more time....enough so that we had an impromptu Happy Hour on the lanai, followed by dinner with our favorite friends.     AND, neighbors from Montrose were in TV for a family gathering so they joined us and filled us in on the latest Cobble Creek happenings.    A fun bon voyage party.......

We were on the road early Wednesday  morning and easily did our 300 miles to St Andrew's State Park on Panama City Beach Island.     We'd recommend a stop there with your tent or RV.    It's on the barrier island and quite a large park of long needle pines and palmetto.    We had a nice view of the Bay and just a short ride over to the beach.    BUT, this is what the beach looked like.....!   They are reclaiming the sand and the equip was huge and noisy.   We could have walked around it to the area near the jetty but we weren't that into sitting on the beach anyhow so did a quick tour of the area and came home to a cold drink.   

They have a nature trail of interest and a shuttle to Shell Island for more primitive beaching (no facilities except sun and sand and shells).   This large heron on the dock ignored us as he tried to get his wet feathers less disheveled.

 Our campsite was narrow but functional.   I was initially taking a pic of the Pickleball on the antenna when Mr PB himself entered the picture.

And so, this is our new home for 2 nights.     Bella Terra Resort in Foley, Alabama.    If you have the interest and the $$$, you can buy a lot and and build your own amenities on it.    We see casitas, hot tubs, outdoor kitchens, firepits and who knows what else.   The club house looks nice with a large pool and tonight is movie night.     We are close to the gulf beaches and we saw them setting up for a big Art show on the green in town.      We'll explore today and decide on our next direction.     And yes, we are keeping an eagle eye on the weather out there in TX and OK and the plains.    We'll make a dash across when the going looks good.