On the way home

We left early for home. But our hearts were heavy, as we know it will be awhile before we can return. Highpoint… the toll road by Denver needed no money from us. Low point… we came across a fire in the ditch. No one was around and there were no signs about controlled burns. We were debating about calling 911, when we saw a caravan of police and fire trucks racing to the ditch. Maleah yelled “people don’t know what they are doing… they are so CRAZY (to hurt the land).” She loves Colorado!

Zapata Falls

There were so many options for our last day. We will definitely need to come back to see the San Luis valley with the stations of the Cross, Fort Morgan gun fights and more mountain drives. Today we chose the falls, although most of us were leery. Mom and Dad (due to the hike and walk in ice cold mountain water) and Leah (because we still might fall off a mountain.) Luke… well he’s not leery of anything except has serious cravings for Cartoon network! K packed a great lunch and cold water. We started the ½ mile walk at a angle of almost 180 degrees up. Thank goodness for park benches and walking sticks. It actually wasn’t that bad… not knowing exactly how much more makes us scared. When we arrived at the water bed, we found the ice cold water exhilarating! Leah started to cry, we think because the canyon was so narrow, but she willing held our hands through the water and over many rocks. We were then rewarded with the most amazing waterfall in such a beautiful canyon opening. The sunlight filtered in and we were just thrilled! The way back was so much easier and Leah was able to tell a daycare group that it wasn’t scary at all. (The daycare kids were about 4, but each had an adult and many were carried in piggy back by young adults that defiantly earned their pay that day). When we arrived at the water bed… she wanted to go right back. There were so many people and our experience was so breathtaking, we didn’t dare, but spent some time wading through small outlets and going off the trail a bit. Lunch tasted so good and after some ice cream and gift shopping we returned back to the cabin. No deer this late in the afternoon.

Sand Dunes

Sunday is beautiful. 80’s and sunny. B and K’s cabin is only 45 minutes from the Sand Dunes National Park. A big beach of sand in the mountains… actually so much more. Thousands of years ago, southwest winds blew and dropped 30 square miles of sand below the mountain ridge. Today the winds are constantly blowing this sand into dunes of all sizes and shapes. To the kids, it is one big beach -- big enough to side down on makeshift cardboard sleds and to wade in the creek bed that mostly flows beneath the sand. God’s plans for nature are amazing! Leah wanted to play in the creek bed and tired of the dunes quickly. Luke however, took in quest after quest for a higher slope. Ed and I enjoyed the walk through the sand and beautiful views and Mom once rolled down a dune. Then she was quite breathless and had a big headache. Oh for the strength of youth again!

THE BAAR!!!

Auntie K and Uncle B met us at a park in a larger town by their cabin. We found a great bookstore in a quiet Spanish influenced town. Then K rode in the girl’s car. She assured Leah we’d probably see deer and maybe elk… but she hasn’t seen a bear in years. Well Auntie K, we don’t know what to believe because one of our first bends in the curvy road up the mountain, we see a big black bear and an adorable cub. Mama bear stood up by the ditch to show us how big she is and sends her cub up the mountain. We believed her and of course stayed in the car. The camera was still packed away because we didn’t care about deer (we see plenty of deer in our own neighborhood). The bear slowly backed up a mountain and hid behind shrubs. The camera was released and here is Mama Bear’s picture. Our pictures of baby have her completely camouflaged. But she was about 1/10 the size of Mama and seemed darker in color. Mama then ran up the mountain side toward the cabin area. The bear… or “THE BAARS” was a frequent topic all day. Ed told the kids that the Mama probably stood up to have her belly rubbed…   “”””Davy Crockett was born in Tennessee…. he shot his first baar when he was only 3.””””” Good memories!

Update

update


OK… Hope no one has held their breath since the last post. Yes, 5 weeks later. I’m typing in the car on vacation to update the last 4 months of activities deemed worthy to make the blog for family memory value. Some highlights:

Patty is working about 3 to 4 days a week in the local hospice house. These are regular hours…. Not PRN. So I have switch to a true PRN in Des Moines, and work about once a month. I’d love to work another Saturday or 2, but due to some new hires… the hours just are not there. I have been cross trained to also work the field hospice program to help out, but when the field is busy, so is the hospice house and it’s my first priority. I am considered an admission nurse again, so very few weekends. Mostly I work 8 to 5. Not bad , Not bad at all. As far as the rest of my time… it appear to be washing clothes and entertaining kids. The neighborhood shows up most every day. I some how was also feeding them mac and cheese and hot dogs. Fast stop to that and now they get tube popsicles, if the scissors get put away and tubes in the trash. I have been working on my scrapbooking room and touch up painting around the hours. Another new PW has moved to the area. She likes scrapbooking also… so hopefully she can get settled soon and some major scrap sessions can happen
Ed stays busy at church. One wedding and VBS done this summer. That was a lot of fun! Grandma moved to Des Moines and we were generously blessed with a garage full of tools and misc. things we had gave away when we moved to Sem City. Ed’s job is to find a place for all of it!
Luke has his cell phone. (We didn’t follow through on making him wait until he turned 27, like Mom had too) It’s really for Mom’s sanity as has a tracker on it and he goes to the Y most everyday to swim and stays home in the mornings. It’s working out well and although he has lost 2 pounds from all the exercise, he has also put on 2 inches. He is so happy to always have a friend to play with, and occassionaly talks one of the dads into taking him fishing.
Leah has just finished her Team gymnastic classes. She can do some AMAZING things. I think she does no less than 50 cartwheels daily. Right now we are working on back flips without hands! She also has so many little friends to play with. Her biggest worry is whether we will fall off the mountain or not!

Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde


No sleeping in on our vacation. We left very early for every minute we could spend at Mesa Verde. No, I haven’t developed a sudden love of Cliff dwellers, as fascinating as the sites are… Steve and Wendy from Sem. City drove from their home in AZ to see us. They graduated the year we left for Vicarage, so it has been 2 years since we have had a chance to visit. Steve and Wendy were also at our field church and were able to stay local for Steve Vicarage’s, we developed a close relationship for 3 years and miss them and their son, Dom. Dom couldn’t come, but we thoroughly enjoyed our visit and touring the cliffs. We toured the Cliff Palace and it’s is fascinating that in 1200, natives could architect and build such beautiful, purposeful and strong dwellings. Life must have been rough, yet one can imagine the multiple clans living and surviving the harsh life there. We highly recommend this national park to anyone. The air is thin here, in Durango (6500 feet) and especially high in the mountains (8000 plus). I’ve needed my inhaler and lots of water and rest. It would help if I was thin…. But too late for that now! Besides Steve and Wendy, Ed’s Aunt, Uncle, cousin and her daughter(age 7)came as well. We had a wonderful time!



Mesa Verde

Colorado

Colorado


We are finally on our way to Colorado. About the time Luke was born, we had a hope to vacation at an Aunt and Uncle’s cabin high in the mountains. When Luke was old enough for a 15 hour car ride, Leah came along, then the Sem, then ordination and buying a home. Since this time has passed, another Aunt and Uncle have a home in the state and we get to see some Great friends from the Seminary. The kids are really excited and so is Ed. I still have my worries about high in mountains without heat. Hopefully the snow has melted. I’m hoping my expectations of boring mountains will be greatly disproved. My last encounter was when I was 16… so my memories might be skewed. Here is our first views… pretty amazing!