Part 4. Vermont

And then we went to Vermont.    It is very very green up there.     Jon and Mary Beth's  condo is perfect for skiing.    Just open the door and ski down the hill.     And in the summer, the trails make for great hiking.     We opted for the lazy route and rode the large 'bubble' chair lift to the top of Okemo Mtn....about 3100' at the top.   Also a place to get warm and eat and get ice cream in the summer (unfortunately, we skipped that part).   The chair has an orange plexiglass bubble that comes down when you start moving to protect you from the winds and snow and cold in the

 winter.    For our ride, it stayed up.    

  

But the best part was a chance meeting with an old friend.     Judy and I were in a quilt group, beginning over 25 years ago.     It was traditional quilting but gradually evolved into art quilting.    Judy is a brilliant whimsical artist who renders fabric into "paintings of the natural beauty and spirit of life".    She moved to Brandon VT and lives in a charming colonial on Main Street and has a thriving gallery all while giving back to her community.    I happened to pick up a brochure at the Vermont Visitors/Welcome Center and as I was paging through this catalog of Open Studios, I came upon one of her works.   I recognized it immediately and  was thrilled that this was the weekend of the event.    We drove over the next day and it was just wonderful to briefly catch up once again.    But, she was very busy with visitors so our time was brief . We will stay in touch and hope to meet up fairly soon.      Please check out her website at www.JudithReilly, com

And then we came home.     Although home is always welcoming, we have so many great memories of those growing grand boys, that delightful Murphy, the beauty of 'the Vineyard' and nostalgic memories of other graduations at Newtown HS.    And for our first trip more protected from the virus, it was the best we could have picked.    

Out here the mountains are still lightly patched with snow, the flowers are magnificent, the sky is magical blue and life is good.   ( and there is no humidity to make my hair grown exponentially with the dew point).     

 

Meet Murphy

 This 'lab-mix' was a rescue at about 6 months.    The vet said no, he is 100% American Pit Bull.   But if you asked him, he was  Murphy and no one cared what the paper said.      As Andy described him....He is the wallflower of dogs.    It is an apt description at times.   He is so mellow and so quiet.... until the UPS guy shows up !      Murphy went to the Vineyard with us.    He seemed non-plussed by the ferry.   He liked the backyard and the catbirds and the long walks.    But his very favorite thing of all was the beach and his Frisbee and rolling in the sand and running into the water and having a friend to run with.  

Maybe he would like to visit Colorado next.....

(The pics were downloaded from Jon's flicker acct and came with added parts of the alphabet )

Martha's Vineyard. Part two

And then we took a large ferry to Martha's Vineyard.     It's a nice 45 min trip from Wood's Hole and the 

weather was perfect.   

Jon found a home to rent on VRBO.   Above the door, you can see 1776, the year part of it was built.   It's a shotgun house with several additions in the back.   It has been in the same family since 1900.    It is a bit quirky but comfortable and nothing matches. But it was very well equipped for anything you'd want to cook or do and we spent many hours on the back deck  in the lovely landscaped yard.    Murphy especially liked the fenced in yard and did his best to protect us from passerby's.     The location was exceptional.... a 2 block walk from Edgartown shops and restaurants and a few minutes farther to the beach.   And the same for the Chappaquidick ferry.    Upscale Edgartown is a favorite area of the rich and famous and the Obama's home is nearby.   The streets are lined with immaculate period houses with fences overflowing with roses.    The church a block away, chimed every hour and played a soothing portion of a hymn.   

We drove to Gay Head and the lighthouse and ate ice cream.    

Enjoying the view from the back of the ferry.
Oak Bluffs has magnificent Victorian homes, many all covered in gingerbread and pastel colors.

 

We took a lovely guided boat ride around part of the island one evening.  This guy was saving money moving his boat across the bay the hard way.   After our tour, our guide went back to help him.   

   So that's enough for Part two as the picture issue is still an issue !    My patience has expired so stay tuned for the next installment.   
 

The best of times.....Part One

The heat is on everywhere and that means the wildfire threat heightens.   We hope for monsoon season to start soon.

Meanwhile, Mother Nature paints pictures....

And so, this happened !!    Just a few short years ago, he was 4 and now he is off to college.!   We are so proud of this talented young man.    Andy is the 5th in our family to graduate from Newtown CT  high school and each and every one had the best possible start to their futures.   

We flew into LGA (new terminal....wow !!  ) and after so long in isolation, it was the most special of trips.

Aside from masks and United handing out sanitizing wipes, nothing felt different.    Of course, this white-knuckle flyer got to experience a jolting roller coaster ride out of Montrose to Denver....and without charging a 2nd fee, it was repeated on our return trip...  

This Blogger app is giving me fits..... I can't download pictures easily and if I get them on the page, they disappear without warning.     So I will share our trip in segments to keep the frustration level manageable.   

  

 

Views along the trails.....

The RV found a new home and it acquired a little dog in the transaction.    The couple sold their California home and plan a summer of travels.    He spent hours walking them thru all the many details of living, maintaining and driving it.     It will be a big change for them and for us.        

Someone asked what we planned to do now that we don't have it to travel in.    I said I was going to stay in a 5 star resort and order room service.    

And last weekend, we came very close to that prediction.      Michael and Jenna were in Aspen celebrating their 34th anniversary.    We tagged along for one night with our bikes.     The Rio Grande trail runs from Glenwood Springs to Aspen..... about 40 miles uphill.     It was a pretty day but deceiving as we had a very strong headwind.     Fortunately, it was downhill on the way back.   We did about 16 miles.    It follows the Roaring Fork river and is an old train route.     

Mt Sopris above Aspen.   

Yes, I wear a hat under my helmet to try and protect from the  Colorado sun

We rested our weary butts and enjoyed the luxury of using Mike's Marriott points at the St Regis.   I'm certainly not used to having young men offer to unpack my bags and a butler just  a phone call away.   What does one ask a butler to do ??      Would I have actually paid to stay there?..... probably not but it was a perfect way to spend a weekend with some favorite people.   

 

It looks like I'm leaning on canes but the umbrellas were "just in case".  

  

The next day we rode the Glenwood Canyon trail from No Name rest stop east along the Colorado River.   We did this ride many years ago and then climbed the steep trail to Hanging Lake and rode the bikes back to Glenwood Springs.    We managed to get drenched by a sudden thunderstorm on the hike down and had a soggy ride back.     This time, the sun was brilliant and the winds were strong.    And being a weekend, the path was very busy with walkers and bikers.    In the above picture, you can see the concrete ribbons of I 70 as it winds it's way through this stunningly beautiful canyon.     Below is a view of the path , below the highway and above the river teaming with rafters.    

The winds were strong and scary at times.    Having the power of the electric assist really helped but I still felt as if I would be blown onto the rocky edge and plummet into the river.      The skinny spandex clad bikers whizzed by us and that was unnerving as well.      Between the highway noise and the turbulent river, the noise was deafening.   I didn't expect that.     We only did about 10 miles total and then went our opposite ways toward homes.    

It was a perfect weekend and we look forward to more biking meet-ups. 

My brother opted for a more powerful ride in the Sierra's..... I wish him fun and safety but I am older and slower so we won't  enjoy a ride together.....unless I get younger and faster. !

Back to the real world, we are busy with weeding and watching the flowers bloom and mediocre golf and gatherings with friends.      And soon, we head east for exciting days with the new graduate and more family time.      

An almost return to normal.....

All is good here on the Western Slope and the high desert is greening up and flowering and the wind continues to blow.   It's a spring thing and legend says that the winds will stop when the snow is melted on Horsethief Mountain...... there's still snow up there and we can blame errant golf balls on the winds.  

I liked this bright red salamander that Jon spied in the dried leaves.   When we lived in CT, I would find them in similar hiding places.    They are an interesting sort and very colorful.   

We finally had our first hummingbird sighting.... They are tiny and we haven't  seen many so far.

Life is almost getting back to normal.    We still wear our masks in stores but my groups are feeling liberated and meeting face to face is now happening.    So fun to play Mah Jongg again and have indoor lunch after golf league.    

Mike and Jenna came over for Mother's Day weekend.   We even went to a favorite mountain town for breakfast....outside on the patio....and wandered about in shops.     They found that they like our bikes and did some searching to find E-bikes in the Denver area.   But, due to extreme popularity, they are scarce.   Our local Trek store had a nice selection and Jenna found a mint green Townie.     

The following weekend, we drove east to catch up with the grand girls and to do some shopping.   I also went for a short ride on Jenna's "Daisy" along the trails in their community.    It was misting and breezy so I didn't stay out long.   But it was fun !   

Aspen is not a cat !     

They have a new Peloton bike.   I was very interested and hopped on for a try.   I was just getting into a good rhythm and 'feeling the burn' when my foot slipped off the pedal.  It kept spinning and I felt a sharp pain in my shin but put my foot back on and continued ...... and then I felt something warm and saw that my shoelaces were turning red ...... I managed to scrap a significant portion of my skin off.    Next time I'll use the toe clips.   But the shortened ride was fun and I can see the appeal.    

This week, we are probably saying goodbye to the motorhome.   It has not been an easy decision and there  are still mixed emotions about it.   We've been RVing for almost 15 years and have seen much of our beautiful country.    The lifestyle suited us and allowed us to stay in areas we might not have explored by car or plane.     But now, the campgrounds are overflowing, reservations are non-existent and prices are at an all time high.   Factories can't keep up with the demand.  (much like E-bikes).    In a couple years, there will be a glut on the market as people go back to their houses and regular jobs and return to school.    It is a good time and we think we have found a buyer who will appreciate our 2nd home as much as we did.  

 

Finally....

Our long drought of missing family is ending.    We've now spent time with most  of our family.    First, in AZ and now the CT spring breakers came west.     Jon and Andy and Mason flew in to warm spring weather.     We played golf and pickleball and rode bikes and walked and did some exploring.  

    Jon is taking in the scenery at the viewpoint outside of Ouray.   He is on an overhanging walkway that I have never been on and have no plans to change that.  Mt Abram towers over the canyon and shelf road in the background.   

 

 

Someone planted this huge flag and pole in a field .    The picture does not do it justice as it is very very large.    

View of the favorite golfers from our upper deck.   They took lessons and despite the course being closed for 4 days, managed to get in plenty of practice.   

 

Andy surveying the world from the Colorado National Monument.  

 

And now it is very quiet.   

Home

We're back where we belong.     After about 5 weeks in the land of the sun, we left the cold, windy high desert and came home to our own high desert where it is warm and sunny.....for a few days anyhow.   Had we stayed more southerly, we might have had warmer weather but it was a nice change to explore the

 Sedona area and places where my favorite saguaro can't exist.   

 We actually ate at a restaurant.  Outside at a recommended Jewish Deli on a trip to Scottsdale.   I forgot to have them leave off the cheese and the portions were huge.      And, I made a stop at Dillards.    It was really weird to actually be in a department store.   There was so much to take in....a bit overwhelming I thought.    But I acclimated quickly and got down to the serious task of shopping.   Actually, I didn't really find anything but the walk around was fun.   

We enjoyed a visit to a state park where Montezuma's  Castle is found.    Fascinating history of these indigenous people altho little is known of their disappearance from the area.   

The mighty sycamore trees dominated the area and their bark fascinated me.    Lots of musical birds and a clear rushing river made it an ideal place to settle down I think..... back then and even now.   But I'd have to learn to grow corn and beans and climb 100 ft ladders to my house.  

Our spring is trying to take hold altho the trees haven't budded yet but crocus and daffodils are blooming and birds are singing.   Yard work awaits but I have helpers arriving just in time.     My Thursday ladies golf group begins this week and our League play starts next week.     

In my youth, I made most of my clothes.   I did not do it to save money since I loved the linens and wools and more expensive fabrics.   I called it therapy.   I sewed at the dining room table and the boys were very tolerant while  waiting in fabric stores.       I enjoy looking at old pictures and remember all the specific details of making something I was wearing at the time.      But that was years ago and altho I still have all the tools, and a very nice sewing machine, except for the dog coat a couple months ago, I haven't sewn in forever.  

A few weeks ago, I came across a blog post about making this ...

 I loved wearing overalls and had them in denim and corduroy and altho I never thought they were particularly flattering on anyone, I liked them a lot.   So, when I saw this pattern, in linen, I paused and wondered if I had it in me to sew it up....... and if I did that, would I actually wear it?   I don't have the answers but I'm heading to my local fabric shops to see what they have..... The pattern has very detailed instructions and it all seemed very familiar......stay tuned. 

Time to bake some bread.... I missed the regular ritual of it.  

 And I went out for my morning walk yesterday.....my 3 mile walk took TWO hours.    I chatted with neighbors, stopped by the Pro Shop to set up lessons for the grand boys who arrive in 10 days, was invited  INSIDE my friends house for almost an hour and caught up with all the latest from every one I saw.   It's good to be back !

Arizona

We finally packed up the motorhome and headed south 2 weeks ago.    After a couple days we ended up near Camp Verde, about 2 hours from Phoenix.    The RV resort is nice and along the Verde River but also near enough to I 17 to hear the trucks.     This is a higher elevation and so no saguaro or other cactus.   Mostly scrubby brush, cottonwoods and oak trees.    We are about 30min from Sedona.   

The biggest change we've noticed is the amazing number of families.   There are kids of all ages.   They are on their bikes, their scooters, at the pool and walking their dogs.    They are all very well mannered and seem happy to be living a nomadic lifestyle while still in school.    For a change, I think the old people normally camped for the winter down here are no longer the majority.    

Weather has been near freezing in the morning and warming up to mid 70's.   We've had rain and strong winds and Prescott (50 min away ) had snow.    It is perfect for biking and walking.   The park is hilly and we get good workouts.     

It is such a relief to be vaccinated and to be able to be out and about without anxiety.    We met   Mike and Jenna who were visiting  Alex in Scottsdale.   We were able to hug and laugh and have a great lunch outside.   But forgot to take pictures.....

Another day, we drove over to Wickenburg Ranch where we spent last winter.    Lots of building and busyness over there as in all of AZ.     We sat outside for lunch and this road runner pestered us for a handout.   They are quite striking up close.   

 We met 2 couples at the pickleball courts yesterday.    They  invited us to play with them.     They had their MAGA hats on so I managed to bring up vaccinations with one of them.    She was very nice and said she was an anti-vaxxer.   I also got the idea that they didn't wear masks as she said they had been asked to leave the courts at another resort when they didn't wear masks.     She gave no explanation for her stance on these issues and I didn't ask.   But I would loved to have had a more in-depth conversation..... just to try and understand.   

I also visited my favorite yarn shop when we were in Wickenburg.    Leslie is near my age and just a lovely person.    When I walked in, masked, she was unmasked and said I didn't need to wear one if I didn't want.   I kept mine on but told her I was vaccinated.     She said she was "in another's hands" and had traveled and kept the shop open and continues to give lessons and she wasn't concerned.     AZ has opened up restaurants and such to full capacity (while still maintaining social distancing...not sure how you do that) and still requires masks.   

I've changed my reading/listening focus from British history to ancient stories.   "A Thousand Ships" is the stories of the women of the Trojan war.    Very good.    I also read "Four Winds", Kristin Hannah's latest about the Dust Bowl.... sad and depressing.    And still savoring "Braiding Sweetgrass".    Plus a bit of Mary Oliver.....  

And the sock knitting continues............ 

Red and white

We woke to a beautiful snowy views on this Valentine's Day.    We are in severe drought conditions and this is such a big deal. The ski resorts are cheering as well.  

And inside, the flower is blooming.....should be 7 huge blossoms.    How do they do that??

I plowed thru over 7 inches to wander the yard but it started seeping into my high boots so came in to the warmth of the fireplace.   And the snow keeps falling............

Lately, I've noticed 2 large robins in the aspen tree outside our bedroom window.   Never having spent a winter here, I wasn't aware they wintered over.    I did a quick check and found that yes, in some areas, they do spend the winter.    They were the only ones we saw.     And then last week, one of them crashed into a window and landed feet up on the patio...very dead.     I was sad.   But then I was sadder as it's mate came to stand vigil for several hours.    It didn't walk around , just stood there.    We finally moved the bird to a better resting place and I haven't seen it's partner since.    I did read that they are not monogamists so that made me feel a bit better.    And Hank the Heron is still hanging around.    His wing span is quite amazing.   

We are fully vaccinated.    Those are wonderful words and we are so thankful and excited to get on with our lives.      We did have some uncomfortable reactions but Tylenol took care of them.    Next week we will head south to share the desert with the cactus and the sun.