Into the mountains...

 We had plans to head to  western Canada this week.   Our goal was Kootenay National Park with time near Glacier NP in Montana and stops in Idaho.     As the time got closer to load up the RV and head out, we started questioning our plan to leave the mountains and drive 1000 miles to go see the mountains.     We live in a beautiful amazing part of the world and there is so much here that is just waiting for our hiking shoes and Jeep.      So, we are staying home.



We found our hiking shoes and poles and headed into the mountains.    We opted to go easy on our joints and lungs and do a lovely stroll around Crystal Lake.    At 9600 ft,  it is a comfortable elevation.    It's a popular place for plein-air artists and fisherman.      It was 50 degrees and we managed to walk less than a mile when we saw this remnant of an avalanche.    If we had been in our 20's , we might have been able to climb 1000 ft and go around it but we are not in our 20's, 30's .........

 We headed back and came to the trailhead for Mt Hayden.     It was obviously a vertical trail but we were warmed up so decided to see how our 75+ yr old lungs were working.    We did well..... it was a deep pine forest, soft underfoot with needles and quiet.     We climbed for 30 min or so and then came the rock slides and downed trees.    We managed to maneuver around for a bit and then gave up.     But it was a nice workout and we could easily have gone further.

 On Sunday, we headed south to Silverton for a late breakfast.    The train (Durango-Silverton) is running again this year.   Last year, the cinders from the coal were blamed for a massive fire in the Durango area.     The train rides stopped and I was surprised to see them again this year.     The private company is being sued by everyone but it is a big tourist attraction and gives Silverton a vitality and big financial support.

It's one of the few places that you can ride your ATV on the main streets.

And again, we headed out ..... this time, we had 3 Jeeps and we headed up  Corkscrew Gulch trail.   The damage from all the snow/avalanches is massive this year and some trails are still closed.    We are at the height of tourist season and the mountain towns of Ouray and Silverton and Telluride depend on a steady flow of hikers and jeepers.   

 

 Our group portrait at the top of the trail..... about 12000 ft.     From the right, Paul, Sue Ellen, Matt, Gisela (holding Beau), Randy and yours truly......I see it's a little blurry enlarged....But maybe at this time in our lives, a bit of a blur is kinder...........not my camera.

 Always a favorite view of Red Mountain....

We were not alone on the top.....

 We had planned on heading over to Velocity Basin ( that snow covered basin slightly right of center in the picture ) but it was obvious that it would not be a prime picnic spot this year. ..... there is a lovely lake and lots of wildflowers underneath all that snow.       So we found a less traveled trail and had our picnic with this as our view.    

Summer days

 We've been wandering a few Jeep trails but many are not open high up due to the massive snows this year.     But wildflowers are in their full glory at lower levels.   The lupine and Mules ears are prolific.   I learned that the lupins only turn purple on the top after they are pollinated.

 Andy at the Black Canyon and a view of the Gunnison and the Painted Wall.

 

My favorite teenagers came to visit.     We did the Astronomy night at the Black Canyon.   After a very interesting lecture, in which THEY understood most everything, we stumbled up the road ( this is a designated Dark Skies area, and it is ! ) to telescopes focused on unknown ( to me ) stars and objects in the heavens.   I would have been happy to just see Saturn but apparently, astronomy geeks like the more obscure sights.     The boys seemed to enjoy it and that's all that counts.    

We played a lot of pickle ball.    Their grandfather initiated them into the game a few years ago and they have come to love playing and it's fun to watch their boundless energy and agility on the courts.   I filled in as a 4th sometimes but I was better suited on the golf course with Mason.     He's learning fast and can hit a driver almost 200 yards.   He has yet to manage the frustrations of the game.....no outward bursts but he suffers inside.    

We're making  tentative plans for some wandering about but mostly just enjoying the beautiful days of Colorado.      And avoiding the nasty wasps that wounded me with 2 very painful bites.    

Favorites.....

Five weeks and growing...... Ashlee has gained a couple pounds and is still petite but so alert.    And she has a wardrobe that all of us girls can envy......!

I'm trying out some new golf balls.    Around here, the Magna Calloway's are gaining in popularity.    Some say they don't go as far.....other's say they sit higher in the rough.    My opinion is still being formed.    The one on the right is the Magna and is just a tad bigger.   

We wandered over to Black Canyon .     This National Park is not as well known but gaining in popularity and was busy on the day we explored.   It is only about 30 min from us.    We took the winding 16% grade road down to the bottom of the canyon to hear the well informed ranger.   She gave a talk on the history of the tunnel that was chiseled  through about 6 miles of rock in the early 1900's to irrigate the Uncompaghre Valley that we live in.     Without this water from the Gunnison River, we would be a high desert valley with no agriculture and certainly no golf courses.    

 Meanwhile, the water has given us our beautiful roses and peonies and my favorite hosta.  

The summer solstice brought snow to our beautiful San Juans.     Unusual for late June but this has been a strange season.     Tomorrow, Andy and Mason join us and we look forward to some golf, lots of pickle ball,  concerts in the mountains, a bit of hiking and more fun stuff.....And many trips to the market to feed teenage appetites.  

Of birds and blessings...........

The feeding station continues to receive rave reviews and repeat customers.     And now we have a newcomer ...... a western tanager.    Apparently it is related to the cardinal and gets it's red head from a pigment found in it's diet of insects.    Info that I have read says nothing about enjoying grape jelly and oranges.          We raised the feeding station and have had no more nightly marauders that remove the bowl of jelly.     We did put a heavy rock in the pie dish to keep it stable in the strong winds of late.       

 Speaking of winds, we tried to play golf today and watched as our balls were puppets of the vicious winds.   We gave up after 9 holes, slightly wind and sun burned.      We always get spring winds but lately they have been up to 30 mph and ravage anything loose .....we suspect one of the outdoor decorative pillows is in Utah.     The snow in the mountains has now become an extreme menace and there are valid  concerns about flooding and more rockslides.    You may have seen pictures of the house sized boulder that come down south of Telluride, on the road we take back and forth to AZ.    More snow for the mountains tonight  and freezing temps down here.    My beautiful roses froze the other night..... the plant is fine but the flowers are gone.     This has really been a bizarre spring but at least we don't have tornadoes.

The aches and pains are all gone ..... I give all the credit to strict plant based eating.   You are what you eat !!




And now to the miracle news.....We've been holding our breaths for weeks and finally I can share a bit of our joy.         This dainty little miss joined our family as our first great grand baby.     She's still a bit shy.       Her parents have been through unimaginable stresses the past few years as they watched hopeful joy turn to indescribable grief when the birth mothers made other choices.     This little one's birth mother was very brave but is content with her decision and the initial legal hurdles are over and we are overjoyed.        Welcome little one !

Spring ....

Our beautiful part of the world is generally immune to  really really bad weather events.    No worries of tornados, hurricanes or earthquakes.     We get rain, hail and snow and lots of wind in the spring.    This year the San Juan mountains are at 159% of snow pack. ( Update:   Just read in the Denver Post that snow pack is 5 times what it was last year !!)  And it keeps falling.    We've never seen the peaks so blanketed.    There have been record numbers of avalanches and now as the melt slowly starts, the rocks start falling.   For those of you familiar with beautiful Glenwood Canyon, you know the steep corridor that has been carved by the Colorado River and that allows the trains and I-70 to  cut hundreds of miles off a route across the state.   It has been plagued with rockslides and closures this month/winter.    Luckily,no cars have been crushed but I'm always looking up and wary as we pass thru.....as if I could stop a bus sized boulder from making me into a pancake.   

We're not sure when we'll be able to find the Jeep trails open ..... the hoards descend in late June and the brave snowplowers somehow manage to get the trails passable but this year, they expect at least a 2 week delay, if not more.    But under all that snow, the wildflowers are just waiting waiting to pop up and give us a glorious show.    

Our resident and singular heron continues to hang around.    His wing span is huge as he swoops down and then with dainty strides on his long legs, he concentrates on the tiny fishes that he choses for dinner.     He did have a mate they tell me but now he is alone and stays all winter.    The geese and ducks are showing off their young.   Very cute.    One day, I saw a mother mallard sitting stoically on the edge of the fairway with golfers about 3 feet away.    She did not move.    Once she felt safe, she got up and 8 ducklings waddled out from under her.     I love all the nature we have around the pond in our back yard.   

 More flowers....the lilac is getting a bit bigger but for a 10 year old bush, it seems stunted.   But it blooms and if it does ever grow, it will block my view so I"m hoping it's just a short version.

George Burns is doing well as are all the newly planted roses......the older residents are getting their buds.  

I have discovered the Bullock Oriole.    It is a brilliantly large orange/black bird in the males species but the female is smaller and non-distinct.     I saw one at the hummingbird feeder and did some research.    Then I put out a feeding station for them and have been rewarded with lots of birds.

 Since they are attracted to the feeders, I put their food close by.    They like oranges and grape jelly.   Every morning I replace the hollowed out oranges and add more jelly.  

Doris Day continues it's extravagant blooms ..... good name for this rose.  
We bought three baskets for the large pots in the front of the house.    I used to make up my own arrangements, put new soil in and plant.   The results were good but now, I just buy them already planted and sit them in the large pots.    But, we've had freezing weather the last week so mostly they get lifted out and spend their nights in the garage.  

Golf has had to be cancelled for many days due to heavy rains.    We also had hail/sleet yesterday.      I get my morning walks in but it is chilly.    I listen to audio books as I walk and it is a great motivator to get out there and find out who the killer was..... I listen to Louise Penny mysteries and am about 2/3rd through the series.... she does keep writing so maybe I won't run out.  

I"m also working my way through "Big Magic"..... I both read and listen to it.   Written by  Elizabeth Gilbert who wrote "Eat Pray Love".     It is the best I've read on creativity......highly recommend.   

On the health front, and at this age, isn't that what's always out front.......I've been plagued by generalized joint pain.     It is annoying and uncomfortable and I'm not sure why ...... aside from an achy hip now and then and my irritable MCL in my knee, I am generally pain free.   My hands are gnarly and ugly due to arthritis and if I golf  or knit too much, they complain.     I decided that the only reason I could come up with for the flare of discomfort was a lousy diet.   Yes, we are plant-based but that doesn't mean we are perfect.    We occasionally throw in the Gardein meatballs and Beyond Beef burgers and I do like cheap chocolate and occasional butter.    I avoid most oils in cooking and foods  and no meat or dairy.    If we do go out, we give in and eat as well as we can....and if you invite us to dinner , we will eat your meat dish (sorry, can't eat ribs since they look like ribs....same with chicken parts ).   So, I am back to very basic eating , trying to eliminate the inflammation that has taken over my body. It's been 4 days of very clean eating and I'm starting  to see results. 

.     I am scheduled to play golf tomorrow so will give in and take Advil.    Otherwise, my aging body parts all work just fine and I think I"m good for at least another 50 years. 

Life is good but not necessarily blog worthy.........

We've been busy ......     Drove 6 hours to Salt Lake City on the 22nd so one of us could have our eyes fixed by the expert.        He has a condition called pseudo exfoliation and this apparently makes for tricky and complex cataract extraction.    The Eye Institute in SLC was impressive and he was able to have the one eye done on Wed and the other on Thursday and then we ( I ) drove the 6 hours back home.      The recovery has been uneventful and he says he can see our beautiful mountains clearly once again.     

Otherwise, spring is in full bloom around here.    All the trees are blooming and fragrant.   Lilacs are prolific everywhere.    The distinctive Columbines are beginning their show.    Peonies are budding and some tulips remain altho the daffodils are long gone.      And the hummingbirds came back earlier than usual.    We have the black chinned variety and they are feisty and territorial.

The garden center finally received their 500 rose bushes and we picked out 4 lovelies to fill the holes that Jon created for them.     This gorgeous one is called "About Face".    We also picked out a theatrical bunch, "Ingrid Bergman (deep velvety red), "Doris Day" ( large sunny yellow )  and a red and white variegated "George Burns".     Roses do very well in this climate without aphids and many diseases.    I had Japanese beetles when I planted them in Connecticut.

Golf league has started  and the course is in great shape with the help of all the winter snow.    I'm playing at least 3 times a week and could play more but it does use up much of the day.    Today, I managed to finally break 100.......  !!      When we moved here, I had a very high handicap.....it continues to trend downward and I'm mostly pleased with my game.    I'm a good putter, which saves me many strokes since I really don't hit it very far off the tee.    But even that is improving and today I shared my friend's new driver  and finally hit my drives equal to hers.    It's tempting but I'll probably stick with my current one.     I did spend $7.50 for new spikes for my golf shoes and I walk with a new spring in my step....  It's the little things......

Spring Break

Jon and Andy and Mason showed up for a break from school and work.    Before they could play, I made them work.   Jon  transplanted 3 peonies and pulled out 4 roses.   It's too early to plant new ones but the nice deep holes are ready.    Andy power washed the front of the house.    I supervised closely to avoid stripped wood trim and broken windows.   I had done the back earlier in the week.      Then it was time for some playing around.    We got in a fun round of golf and Mason had plenty of time to drive the golf cart.     They are both avid Pickleball players (well trained and coached by their grandfather ) and despite the spring winds, they got in many hours on the courts.     We played "Ticket to Ride, Europe " most evenings

 and the competition was raucous.

And then they drove to Aspen/Snowmass for some spring skiing and Mary Beth flew in to join them.

Spring came to Colorado.    After a long long winter season of record snows,  the grateful well- watered trees and flowers came to life.    The aspen are opening up and the roses are leafing out, the peonies are poking through the ground and grass is greening.  

On the weekend, Mike and Jenna drove over from Denver and we drove the 2.5 hours to join the party.    It's been too many years for us to try it again, but we remember many many ski trips and fun times on the slopes.  

Mike got a few runs in as well and gave a shout out as he passed our rooms.

 

We had spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and ski runs.

 Spring skiing brings out the strange  costumes. Bikini tops and bare torsos were abundant.   And sunburns ......    Saturday night we went to a popular Mexican restaurant and took the required group photo.    The menu was a bit limited since they were closing the next day but we enjoyed  freshly made guac, chips and salsa and varied tacos and fajitas...... and despite being out of several brands of beer, we managed quite well.

Jon and group planned to leave on the early early flight to Denver..... But, without a crew, the plane wasn't leaving, so they came back to the hotel and we all sat down for breakfast together.    They were successful on their 2nd attempt to fly to Denver but their connection to LaGuardia was delayed by 2 inches of hail and severe weather.    They will eventually land about 6 hours later than planned.   Meanwhile, we had a beautiful drive back home, through the snow capped mountains and then the blooming fruit orchards near us.    

 It's been a good week !!

I noticed that some glitch in the blog has made it look a bit wonky on some devices.    I tried to fix it but my elementary skills are not up to the task.  

Home

 Mother Nature is showing her finest colors in AZ and the views from our site at Cave Creek SP were splendid but I longed for the mountains.

 Nearing Moab on the 3rd day, we enjoyed the sandstone sculptures with the La Salle Mtns as a backdrop.   Moab was packed to the rafters with spring breakers, slick rock riders , off road vehicles and Jeeps.    The hotel building continues at amazing speed and I wonder how soon the beautiful back country will be over run and damaged.     The double waiting line to get into Arches NP at 9 am was at least a mile long.  

Our beautiful San Juans are magnificent from our windows.     The snow melt will be well into July and then the wildflowers will be bountiful and beautiful.  

   After 2 days of tedious unloading and cleaning, the MH was moved to it's favorite place, Centennial RV.     We hook up to electricity for a month or so while the temps are in the freeze zone at night and then will move to the storage area.     The new owners are very nice and motivated.    They have been totally booked for the summer since last fall.   We used to stay here on our trips west when we lived in FL and the views and proximity to the best of the west is perfect.      

Unbeknown to us, we had a hitchhiker on board.     Lurking in a hiding place, was this cute Oregon Duck !!    Our friends and neighbors in Palm Creek are known for their highjinks.    In past years, they have slapped colorful bumper stickers on the unsuspecting as they pull out and head home.  ( by colorful, I mean things you might not want your grandchildren to read about you ) .   They once attached a VERY large bra to the ladder on the back that flapped in the breeze going down the highway.    They hide things inside as well.     We were very fortunate to be recipients of the traveling Oregon Duck.    Most of the group are from Tillamook and the rest from Arkansas.    It's a fun group and we will show the Duck the best of Colorado and beyond.

I'm off for my first round of golf.    The course is in great shape from all the water this year but it is chilly out. (high of 44).    Yesterday it snowed lightly.             It's good to be home !!

Moving right along......

We made the familiar trek back to CT for Andy's 16th BD.    I remember the moment of his birth so vividly and often can't figure out  where the years went !!

Caesar, meet Shy!   The dragon has grown since our last visit and now takes walkabouts and both the cat and I find it a bit unnerving.   No apparent confrontations have resulted.

On a clear but definitely chilly day, Jon drove us down to the Jersey side of the Hudson River to find some of the Revolutionary and Hamilton historic sites.

     

Apparently, this is the rock that cradled the head of Hamilton as he lay dying after the duel.

When not exploring history, we had a pretty long learning curve in order to play Catan . We got better as the days went along but we were never much of a threat to the competition.



And then, we were back in the desert.....almost like time travel, except it involved long flights.   We're packing up and saying  goodby to our neighbors and friends.    As the temperatures finally warm up,  we look forward to our migration north once more.  

Before we headed out of town, we got to see Jeff and Jen's new (old) home that will soon be undergoing a huge renovation.    Can't wait to see her vision come together.