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.  

Earth Day

We went to try out some golf clubs for ME on Monday.    TV does everything pretty well and their efforts to sell you new golf gear is no exception.     The clubs are displayed in a bright new  facility next to the driving range  with every color and brand and style of club you could imagine.    Well, not sure about the color and style but they had what I was looking for...sort of.     I chatted with a very nice gent about my wishes and expectations and we went to the large open bay with a lovely view so I could try them out for size.    Well, after abusing several clubs and embarrassing myself with a couple wayward shots, he said that maybe I should just stay with what I have.....and go to WALMART !!!!  and get a weighted club and practice with that so I could improve my swing speed and my distance.    What he didn't say was "Lady, you're 72 yrs old, how long are you even going to be able to swing a club ?? ".     Actually, I don't think he was really thinking that since he had a few years on himself as well and he probably would have liked to sell me clubs..... but I certainly appreciate his honesty.       So, I might get a club at Walmart and maybe I'll just get a new golf bag and call it done.   After all, it's all about how you look anyhow.....

Two weeks until we hitch up the horses to the wagon and head on down the road.    I am ready.!!    P has been waxing and fixing and checking and getting the moving house ready to go.    I am filling up the guest room with stuff to put in the moving house.     We'll take about 10 days to get to Denver and I'll be sure and take a picture now and then and share.

About 10 days ago, we went to St Petersburg to view a showing of the PlantPureNation documentary that will open nationwide on July 4th.   As in all the cities that it is being previewed in, they had to move the showing to a larger auditorium in the theatre and many cities have sold out.     If interested, try www.plantpurenation.com and check out the cities where it's showing..    The show highlights efforts to share the amazing affects of eating plant based on small volunteer groups.   Starting out with small groups in NC, the participants agree to eat prepared food, delivered to their homes for 2 weeks.    A medical history and blood work is done at the beginning and repeated at the end.   It's fun to see how delighted and surprised they are at the amazing results.      After repeating these JUMPSTART groups in KY,  an attempt was made to pass a resolution to say that eating a whole food plant based diet was beneficial in avoiding and TREATING certain medical issues.     The KY legislature  rejected it twice and their comments are not their best and brightest moments.    But you realize that they are just trying to stay in office and protecting the lobbyists who keep them there......big agriculture, dairy and big pharma.     It's a sad commentary on our government, at all levels.
When I see the recalls of ice cream and the spread of bird flu in commercial farms and read that some big manufacturers are fearing a drop in sales due to contamination fears,  I enjoy my organic (mostly) plants.
Today is EARTH DAY and knowing that we are doing a very small part to return this planet to good health, makes me happy.      Here's a little something to think about.........
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/moby/moby-meat_b_5889850.html

A perfect number....

Hi again !    Yep, we're still alive and well....haven't starved or withered away and we're still enjoying our new lifestyle.     It's always a new day of experimenting and learning and being encouraged by the energy and well being that we have found.     

We don't go out to eat very often.   Panera is a favorite but their breakfast sandwiches don't work for us.    We could have the oatmeal but we make that everyday at home.  

 

So, yesterday, being a day that called for a celebration, we headed to a local popular NY Deli kind of place.    We both ordered the waffles.    Yep, they probably had milk and eggs in them and maybe oil and sugar and other stuff that we avoid but they were the least offensive things on the menu.    I have to say, our taste buds were sparkling.     We brought our own real maple syrup (warmed even ! ) and the combination of thick crunchy waffle with cold juicy sweet strawberries and warm maple syrup was a delight.   Paul had his with bananas in a rum sauce ( think buttery ! ).    It was a fun indulgence.  

 Word has gotten around so no one sent me chocolate covered donuts  but Sandy sent this perfect Edible Arrangement.   It is huge and I immediately ate the strawberries and some pineapple.   So fresh and crisp....  We are both happy to have a ready snack to munch on.

Speaking of special days.    Yesterday, the number of the day was 72.    12 years ago, when I turned 60 I was in a state of denial and sadness.   I was not happy .   Mostly because I kept thinking that in 10 years I would be SEVENTY and I truly could not handle that thought.    I was not ready to be old and out of touch and probably ill and useless.      If only I'd known then what the next 12 years would bring, I would have been a happy happy me.     To come so close to losing the most amazing and wonderful person in my life , puts everything into a different perspective.    To watch him challenge every dire prediction the Drs could think of and accomplish goals no one could have predicted is just short of a miracle.    It is what the human spirit in conjunction with determination and stubbornness can accomplish.    These years are a huge gift to us and we embrace them and try and make them the very best possible years.    To be active and healthy and happy and in love with each other and our life is a gift we can not take lightly.     Seventy two is a perfect place to be and we embrace it with gratitude and understanding that the years will continue to accumulate and we will continue to do our best to be vibrant and as healthy as possible and to look forward to each and every day.    

Favorite things...........

When did they all grow up???    Lizzie, Alex and Becca ...(.and Aspen.)...are really wonderful young adults and we are so proud of them.   Can't wait to see them soon.  

Healthy eating has been in the news of late.     The 2015 Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee has just issued it's latest recommendation on what Americans should be eating.    They concluded that a diet higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods is both healthier and better for the environment.  The meat industry is fighting back saying the meat advice is "flawed and nonsensical" and is urging people to protest the new guidelines.  "Hot dog, sausage, bacon and salami lovers throughout the land stand together as Americans in favor of a balanced diet that includes meat and poultry of all kinds."    The book "Whole" tells the truth about the influence of big business in our government policies.

Dr Dean Ornish wrote a strong opinion piece in the NY Times "The Myth of the High Protein Diet"   and John Stewart interviewed the author of "Living the Farm Sanctuary Life: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Mindfully, living Longer and Feeling Better Every Day" last night.   The discussion mentioned that going plant based is easier than ever.

On Sunday, we will go to St Petersburg for the sneak peek tour of the movie Plant Pure Nation which will open in July at local theaters.   It's been showing to sold out crowds in other cities.    The authors wrote "The China Study".  

The Masters Golf is on this week and I love watching it.    It is one of the most beautiful settings and yes, I know they discriminate against women and blacks altho there are now a few as members.    We live close enough to watch the Pro's in several of the Florida tournaments but having done that years ago at Pebble Beach and at the Buick Open in Westchester,  I now prefer TV.

I brought a pressure cooker !!    I hope to cook beans and grains in a fraction of the time.    I've never owned one and this one is very high tech and simple ( I hope).    It's  a slow cooker as well.   In my research, they are used to quickly make baked potatoes and sweet potatoes.   ( Guess they aren't really baked.)     Last night I made a "cheese" sauce out of potatoes, onions, carrots, spices and nutritional yeast ( a flaky substance with a  nutty, cheesey flavor ).   I mixed it with brown Jasmine rice and broccoli and Paul gave it an "8".    Tonight, the sauce will be used on baked potatoes.     I'm gradually building up a repertoire of favorite recipes.    

I watched Masterpiece theatre on Sunday night.   "Wolf Hall"  a compilation of the books of Hilary Mandell's, "Wolf Hall" and "Bringing Up the Bodies".   It covers the period of Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell and Anne Bolyne.    I thoroughly enjoyed the books but the show comes on at 10 pm and I am fading and we can't record the local channels.    I am a  British history fan but still have moments of figuring out who's who.    Maybe that's why I liked London so much.   Plus, I have British blood flowing thru my veins..

We're sort of planning our summer.    We'd love to see you but put in your reservation now so we can make sure we are not traveling when you decide to come out and climb mountains with us.   (not literally, we'll climb by Jeep ! )    We are thinking of heading to British Columbia and the beautiful Canadian Rockies.  

Perfect week.......

Jennifer and Jeff came and went and it went by much too fast.   They had about perfect golf weather and as it got more hot and humid, they finished up their golfing days and headed back to the rain of the NW.    It was wonderful while it lasted and hope we can see them sooner than later.  

 

 TV is full of happy children for the Easter week and it is busy down here.   It's fun to see the dancing and laughter on the Squares each night as the generations have fun together.

Had my annual physical this week.    The Dr was very pleased with everything and had many questions about how I made the changes.   She said she was on a low carb diet and struggling.   I gave her some websites and told her to watch "Forks Over Knives" and "The Last Heart Attack" .    After she left, the assistant came in and said, " I don't know what you said to her but she's all excited and is writing things down".     So I went to B &N and bought 2 books and left them on her desk.   She may toss them .....but maybe not ......

We get the weekly updates from the Cobble Creek Hiking Club and I read them with envy.    Our friends, Jessica and Lynn, who led the group at Capital Reef, posted several pics of their time in "The Wave" near Kanab Utah.   Stunning.    Wikipedia describes it as a grueling 6 mile hike.    It is only open to 20 hikers a day and is by lottery the day before or by applying 4 months in advance.    It will be much too hot to consider it when we get out there........But I will enjoy Laura's pictures.

Some of you might be familiar with Melody Johnson and her fabulous art work.   She is multi-talented and generous with her advice and techniques.    She is very prolific and offers small art pieces for great prices so I grabbed one last week.    It is 12x12 and I haven't decided if it will stay here or move with us to the mountains.    This is hand dyed cottons.

The calendar  is telling us it's time to start thinking about heading West.    I'm anxious to get back and catch up with everything and everyone.       The mountains are calling my name...