Well, we didn't really go anywhere on Mother's Day - However, I did go and get my every other week manicure, and Jim took me out to dinner at the Black-eyed Pea. We'd never been to one before and it was really good. Even their cornbread is good and I am really picky about cornbread. I only heard from 2 out of the six kids - bummer. At least two of them remembered me.
We didn't do a drive of any kind on Saturday because Jim decided it was a good day to get up on the roof and redo the skylight in the shower and remove the vent covers in the bathroom and potty - clean it all up and re-caulk it all. Well, of course we ran into trouble..... He got everything torn apart and we headed for Camping World
. There's one only about 12 miles from us. Our coach maker (National RV) had recommended that we use Eternabond Tape
instead of regular caulk. So, off we went to get some. They were sold out of it in white. ARGH! The clerk there called the next closest store - and thankfully, they are just down in Denver, to see if they had any. Luckily for us, they had plenty. Back in the car and off to the other store. I punched it into the GPS as the store name and not the address. BAD MOVE - we wound up at the collision center instead. It was only 5 miles from the store, though. Of course, this time I punched in the actual address. The Denver store is not in our GPS system - I suppose because it's a fairly new store. Anyway, we were able to get the Eternabond there. Jim also wanted some putty tape
, and I needed potty cleaner
, (it was on sale too!) and a few other things. We thought about also getting a cover for Fan-Tastic Ceiling fan
, but decided against it. I'm glad we did. (read on)
By the time we got home, to our west, the sky was turning black, and looking overly ominous. The wind was beginning to blow at 15-20mph. Jim was in a tizzy to hurry and get things done if he could, before the rain started. The most important was the shower skylight. He got that done with only about 3 drops of rain falling on him and the cover. I stayed on the ground (as always) and picked up the things that were blowing off the roof as he went along. DONE! And at just about the same time, the wind that had nearly blown Jim off the roof, subsided. the black clouds remained - though they split away and went around us instead of over us. We got nary a drop of rain.
Now, the vent covers were off of the vents and we thought about just putting them back on and he could take them apart on another day. We opted to leave them off until another day - I think that was the wisest choice. I don't really like those things other than that they do keep out the rain and you can leave them open even in bad weather. It's just that the vents open a LOT further and allow a lot more air without the covers. So, now we're debating if we want them on at all, or if we want the ones that are now out and open for ventilation on all three sides. They're called Ramble Vent Covers.
So, our week and weekend were a little boring other than having our son-in-law here for the first three days of the week. We didn't do any of those wonderful drives on the weekend, and didn't take any pictures. Though, now that I think about it, I should have snapped a few of Jim up on the roof in all the wind. Oh well, too late now.
Until next week! Let's go shopping! You can search through millions of items (nope- not Camping World) using the form below...
May 16, 2007
Mother's Day weekend
May 10, 2007
Harold has left us for another journey...
It is with great sadness that I make this post.
On Tuesday morning we lost a truly dear, dear friend in Florida. Harold Hattaway was a friend for more than twenty years. He and his wife, Susie, were for many years inseparable from us. We did everything together.
Harold was often my friend, my enemy, my confidant, my mentor, my emotional counselor, my buddy. He saw me through good times, bad times, sick times, troubled times, and just times in general.
He laughed with us, cried with us, rejoiced with us, and was just there with us.
We fished together, had Holidays together, meals together, raised children together, and all that those things encompass.
When Jim and I sold the house and hit the road, we lost a lot of companionship leaving Harold and Susie behind. We missed them terribly, but we stayed in touch, though not as much as we should have. Every year on our return visit to Florida, we've made sure to visit, and we will be forever grateful for those visits.
Harold had a way of endearing himself to you, of making you smile, and making a lot of worries go out the window when you were around him. No matter what you might be thinking, how occupied your mind might be with stress, worry, sadness, or anger, you smiled when you were near him.
I cannot tell you what Harold meant to us. Our tears have been many, and they flow as I type. I will consider that he is not dead, but on another leg of his long journey through this world:
We love you Harold. Wait for us - We'll see you again someday when we begin the leg of the journey through life that you have begun before us.
May 9, 2007
Canyons, Walden, and moose
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Last Saturday was a gorgeous day and we thought we'd take a ride to Walden. It's a little over 100 miles one way to get there. Walden calls themselves the Moose viewing capital of the world. We didn't see any moose there.
Early, we began the route through Buckhorn Canyon which runs west out of Masonville. Part of the area rises to 7300 feet and there was a huge herd of mule eared deer scattered along a snowy meadow area. We stopped to just watch them gather and graze for a short time. The rest of the route through the canyon was fairly uneventful.
We came to highway 14 in the Canyon not far above Poudre Park. As we began to wind through Poudre Canyon the day was sunny and bright, but also brisk and cold. The Poudre River was running swiftly, and the falls (which I couldn't get to) were loud and fast, ready to sweep away anyone that ventured into its swift springtime current.
We began to experience snow flurries at about 6,000 feet. At about 7,000 feet you could tell it had been snowing for a good little while. The snow was still fresh on the tree branches, hanging like ornaments on Christmas trees. We knew that soon it would be dry and gone. If pictures were to be had, we should get them on our way up. By the time we returned through this beautiful spot, we knew it would show no evidence at all of any snow.
We saw no wildlife as we went on through Cameron Pass at some 10,300 feet, and over to Walden. We did see a lot of snow, still feet high, and when we looked back down the road we'd just traveled, some very dark skies.
There isn't a lot in Walden, but the Moose Creek Cafe had a wonderful patty melt sandwich. The rye bread here is dark and more like pumpernickel than it is like rye. Sure was good, and probably the hottest meal we've had in any restaurant since we've been in Colorado. We both enjoyed one for lunch before we got back into the car and went on our way.
There's a wildlife auto tour in Walden that is six miles long, so we thought we'd drive through and see what wildlife resides there. It was mostly water fowl, pika, marmot, and prairie dogs. (yup! Prairie dogs in the mountains) We got close enough to see that the prarie dogs had some pretty nifty color markings on them. Some had a black stripe - some had a partially black head or just a black hip. Interesting marks at any rate. There are stands in the preserve that remind you of the wooden deer stands that hunters use. They were occupied, and we wondered if they were for visitors or if they were for researchers in the preserve. We didn't have any real literature, so we just weren't sure. We would get that answer later. And we saw NO MOOSE in Walden.
The day had gotten some warmer and we headed back towards Cameron Pass. About 4 miles before the Pass was the Moose Visitor Center for a state park and we stopped in to see what all was there. The lady ranger on duty was a wealth of information. We learned from her that the people in the viewing stands on the wildlife loop were indeed, researchers. They sit there all day long counting and tracking the movements of the prairie dogs that have been marked with black paint! That explained the markings! We got a good chuckle out of that.
She also told us that the moose (if we should see any) wouldn't have any racks for a few more months. They shed them in the winter, and they are just beginning to sprout again, but are not yet very visible. The cows will be having their calves in another 4-6 weeks so they are looking for a place to have their babies and not likely to be seen either. Plus, since it was snowing, they have a tendency to just bed down in the snow until better weather arrives. We were really disappointed. There was a large probably 2ftX3ft pad on an easel at the door where she was posting moose sightings so that you'd know where they'd been seen and in what direction they were moving. There had only been one sighting that day and it was in the morning. It was nearly 2:30 when we left there and we weren't holding out much hope of seeing any moose for the remainder of our drive home. We figured the only Moose we would see would be the stuffed (real road kill) one inside the visitor center and the one made of straw outside. They sure are a lot bigger than elk. The one inside the visitor center stood about 7 feet tall at the shoulder. A live one that large would be pretty intimidating.
Only four miles down the road, and what do you know?! There on the side of the road was a moose! I was so excited I couldn't get the camera turned on and only got a shot of her as she crossed the road behind us and than another as she scurried through the snow to get away from "those scary humans." Well, dontcha' know that Jim turned the car around and took us right back to the visitors center. We put our sighting on the sheet at the door and showed the ranger the pictures we'd gotten. That sighting just made our day.
Back into the car and we really needed to be getting home. Twenty more minutes down the road, we came upon another moose! (no, we didn't go back to the visitors center again) This one lingered crossing the road and I got a lot of good shots of her. I started walking back towards the car to go on down the road. About that time, Jim popped his head out the window and yelled at me to turn around. There, behind me, following me down the road was a moose!!! I didn't know whether I should run, take pictures, or just quietly back away for fear of being charged by that big thing. Although, after the long winter, lack of being able to find good food, and shedding their horns, they were pretty skinny and didn't look so intimidating. I decided to get a little closer to the car and shoot some pictures (just in case I had to make a hasty retreat away).
The pair seemed as curious about us as we were about them. I sure hope we can get some more good shots after they fatten up and grow their racks back this summer.
Our son-in-law who travels for his job, was sent to Plattevillle to work this week. That put him only 13 miles away from us, so he is staying with us until his flight out on Thursday. It's been great having someone we know come to visit.
I've been long winded enough and I still have another sad post to make that needs to be posted by itself. So, until next time..... let's go shopping!!!
