Colorado May 2011 - Day 14

Okay - today is Friday. Tuesday and Wednesday were days for visiting with old friends. On Tuesday Scherry and I met Joan in Boulder. We had a good visit and had lunch. Then on Wednesday Jeannie and Ken drove up from Denver. It was great to see them - it had been a LONG time. We visited and had lunch. It was nice. Then on Thursday Schers and I headed out for a hike to Cub Lake. Boy am I out of shape. Last year this hike was fairly easy BUT yesterday it almost killed me!! It is a little over 5 miles with a 540' elevation gain. We had a great day for it. We saw lots of animals - marmots, chipmonks (though Schers keeps telling me they are ground squirrels), ducks with babies, and elk. We ate lunch up at Cub Lake which is a beautiful spot and then headed back down the trail. Only problem with this trail is that at the very end, when you are bone tired, there are 3 or 4 little (and I do mean little) hills that you have to go up and over! That is just cruel and unusual punishment as far as I am concerned!! Here are some pictures from yesterday plus one of Breck having fun at the dog park - thanks Schers for the good pic of Breckers.

Colorado May 2012 - Day 11

SUNSHINE!! Yesterday we finally had beautiful sunshine! However - to catch up let me go back to Sunday...We decided to hike to Alberta Falls - my favorite place in the park. Ed and I came here on our honeymoon and again on our 25th anniversary among other times. Always been a spot close to my heart. We hiked up in light rain and graupel but it was a nice hike anyhow. We were going to picnic at Sprague after the hike but decided that a picnic in Schers's motorhome would be better! Then yesterday - I woke up to SUNSHINE. Breck and I followed Schers down to Ft. Collins to take her car to the Jeep dealer. Then we stopped at Andevoy and Arietta's and Breck got to roam their backyard while we chatted. They have a beautiful yard - Arietta is a gardener and she has made the yard one Kathe would be proud of! Then after lunch at Chipolte - a new experience for Scherry - we came back to the RV and dropped Breck off and headed up and over Trail Ridge Road which had just opened for the season. It is a great drive BUT for mid-May there was so little snow. Does not bode well for the summer - everything is going to be too dry. But the drive was great. We stopped in Grand Lake and had an ice cream cone. When we got back I took Breckers to the dog park and he had a blast. There were lots of dogs - all of whom were in the water. Breck swam and swam and played and played. All in all for all of us it was a good day in the SUNSHINE. Today we are headed to Boulder to see Joan - should be good times. Here are some pics of Alberta Falls and views from Trail Ridge Road.

Colorado May 2012 - Day 9

Thought I would try writing this in the morning - see if I am any more likely to keep up with it. I am DONE by afternoon and evening. We have had snow and clouds and it has been pretty cold. Really mountain weather. Friday Schers and I went into Loveland - I bought some new hiking shoes - much better than the ones I wore on our only hike. Yesterday when I went out to walk Breck at about 6:45 am - there was a coyote just yipping away. The sound was coming from where Breck and I usually walk. I was a little wary of going in that direction. I finally saw him - and he saw us and headed awasy from up. He was a big old fellow! Picture included. Just looked at the picture I put in the blog - he is back by the tree - you have to look closely! Then Schers and I did a little geocaching in the afternoon. We went to dinner with Scherry's friends Cheryl and Stan. All in all it has been a couple of easy days. The snow was really pretty but diassappeared quickly yesterday. This morning Breck and I have been to McDonald's for breakfast (first time this trip which is amazing) and to the dog park. Lucky dog! Think - if the weather cooperates - we will hike to Alberta Falls today.

Colorado May 2012 - Day 6

This is why I am not very good at this blogging thing. Probably could even do pictures today BUT I am too tired. We took a short - 3.5 mile hike today to The Pool. Only a 200 foot elevation gain BUT it wore me out! It was a nice hike. Of course I have also walked Breck twice and taken him to the dog park! He has to have some fun too. It was a beautiful day sunny and warm (in Dallas standards - sunny and cool). The weather is supposed to change though - snow and rain in the forecast for the next couple of days. Maybe we will have some enforced rest - won't hear me complain. Anyhow, more tomorrow ... or the next day.

Colorado May 2012 - Day 4

Well, it was a long trip to get to Estes Park - 4 days - but we are here. Got here before 1 , unhooked the car with ease, then set up the motorhome. Schers and I went to the car wash - the cars were pitifully dirty after having been towed through the rain. Then off to the dog park - happy pup - finally felt like he was on vacation. Then to the grocery store. I was going to buy a "convict" phone - but they were out of the one I wanted. Maybe tomorrow. I bought chicken to eat for "lunner" since we hadn't eaten yet. But when we got back to the motorhome I started working on the cable tv connection - IT DOES NOT WORK - and while I was outside fiddling with that Breck was helping himself to my "lunner"!! He ate two chicken breasts, bones and all! Sure hope they don't hurt his insides! But I was one made dog mom!! I was really looking forward to that chicken! Had a grilled cheese instead - it was pretty good BUT it wasn't fried chicken! Then i went to Scherry's house to watch the NCIS's since I don't have local channels. Sure am glad that I have my Direct TV. Including some pictures tonight - the mountains are newly snow capped and are really pretty. One picture is driving into Estes Park and the other is the view from my motorhome. Temp at 9:30 tonight is 42!

Colorado May 2012 - Day 3

We stayed in Amarillo an extra night so that we could get new tires - no tires for sale anywhere on Sunday! Last night Schers and I took the limo - complete with longhorns - to the Big Texan for dinner. Have talked about that place for 40 years having never eaten there and then I have eaten there twice in just over a month!! Anyhow - this morning we were up and at 'em early so that we could be at the tire store at 7! We were there before the guy even opened the door. Three hours later and $1700 poorer my motorhome has 6 new tires!! I do feel safer. Schers has 2 new tires (much larger size) on her motorhome and I am very glad that my motorhome takes a regular size tire - otherwise I would be MUCH POORER! We were finally headed north about 10:15. The tire guy sent us on some back road that would miss Dumas - it was an interesting road - it went by Cal Farley's Boys Ranch - boy is that in the middle of nowhere! We stopped and ate lunch at the roadside park in New Mexico and then made it up and over Raton Pass with no mishaps - my lowest speed was about 47! And I guess the Add-a-Brake worked because the car did not push me down the mountain. We decided to stay in the KOA in Fountain - just south of Colorado Springs instead of trying to make it to Estes Park. We didn't get here until about 4 so it was a wise decision. The weather is gray and drippy - no mountain views and right now at 6 pm it is 43 degrees and raining with a few graupel flakes tossed in for good measure. Tomorrow we will finally get to Estes Park - never had it take 4 days to make this trip before!

Colorado May 2012 - Day 1

Ok - ok - I know I never finished the Spring Training Trip BUT I'm up for trying agin! Thus far this trip has not gone smoothly - hopefully things will improve. Last night when I hooked up the jeep and put in the add-a-brake, it still DID NOT WORK!! I was not too happy. So this morning when we left we went to Camping World - which opens at 8 - to see if they could get the thing to work. No help at all. Then we went down to McClains - which really doesn't have service on Saturday. But they worked on it from 8:45 until 10! And they got the tings working. Well, kind of anyhow. It will press the brake in the Jeep - it just doesn't release it as quickly as it should! So I am being very judicious in my braking BUT at least the car will not push me down Raton Pass! So then - we are tooling along just fine - headed to Clayton, NM when just north of Childress Scherry had a flat!! Took AAA about an hour to get there and then at least 45 minutes to change the tire. So with my themometer registering 118!! we spent 2 hours on the side of the highway. Needless to say - we did not get to Clayton. We are in Amarillo where we will spend 2 nights so that Scherry can get a new tire Monday morning! Think - after today's warning I will buy tires too on Monday morning. I have been pushing my luck on these tires! So - arrival in Estes Park has been delayed a day! The nice thing about the dry air in the Panhandle is that after ths sun goes down it cools off pretty quickly - down to 82 now at 8:45. Oh - and i forgot to say that poor Breckers threw up - thanks for all those cookies he ate last night, Helen!