BeingBellaSophia

Last day at camp

2011-11-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

My last day at camp and I'm grooving on my rat. Oh how I love it.

I played peekaboo with Bella.

And I laid in ~~the forbidden spot~~ DH's place one more time. If I just turn my head, they won't notice me here.

When I packed up to go home, I decided to leave my hide-a-bone toy with Bella and DH since they enjoyed it so much.

Time to go home. Come on Mom. Let's go!

Gonna ride home, though. I'm kind of lovin' being in the front seat.

But I'LL BE BACK!

Woof woof, Run'way

A new toy

2011-11-15T08:46:00.001-07:00

My friends came home with a ~~rat~~ new toy for me yesterday. What fun! It's the best rat I've ever chased because it just sits still until I shake it. We took it down to the dog park and I made Bella and DH throw it ~~a few~~ hundreds of times. I would bring it back ~~to them~~ near them and then made them chase me to get it. I ran and ran and even outran the border collie that was in the park with me. Whew! After awhile, I walked over to the gate to let them know it was time to go home. I walked slowly as I was really wiped out.

When we got home, DH grabbed a few jelly beans and dropped one. Of course I stole it. I sucked it for awhile, then spit it out, watched it, then picked it up again. I repeated this a few times, trying to figure out what it was. Bella said it must have been a cinnamon bean but for some reason she wouldn't try it out herself. Finally I just chewed it up, getting my teeth stuck. Why were Bella and DH laughing? Not sure if I'll pick up anything else DH drops......

Love story update: I KNOW that cute little chihuahua is over there somewhere...... Oh..... she has the most beautiful long auburn hair.....

Woof woof, Run'way

Busy busy and computer issues

2011-11-13T18:16:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Run'way fans! I grabbed Bella's computer when she went upstairs. She's pulling her hair out over some kind of computer glitches. Looks like I may have fixed it. Why didn't she ask me earlier? So, it's been a few days. I've been busy with the usual, ~~smelling the world~~ going for walks, eating ~~great food~~ my kibble, and learning new things like running through the bedrooms. These folks have two bedrooms with a bathroom in between and it has made a great race course. I can run around and around forever, and I LOVE running. Bella and DH expected me to go outside -- in the cold rain -- to ~~poop~~ do my business. When I refused, they set up this cool umbrella. Ah... this is the life!

On a day like this, I'm happy just laying here, watching the ~~grass grow~~ puddles form and I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of that cute chihuahua next door.

There's plenty to do inside on a day like this, though. Bella hid a bone inside an oatmeal box. Who the heck told her to hide my treats? Why do I have to work so hard for my bones? It was ~~so hard~~ a lot of fun! Uh oh, here she comes. I better scoot.

Woof woof, Run'way

DH and I are on our own

2011-11-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

DH and I were on our own today as Bella was at school all day. We had fun, though, especially on our walk, and we had a wonderful time at the dog park. When Bella got home she snapped a picture of me working on getting my treat out of an old oatmeal box. What fun! I'm so clever.

Woof woof, Run'way

Laid Back Day

2011-11-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

Some laid-back wrestling today with DH. He is SO goofy!

I know that cute little Chihuahua is over there......

Why do Bella and DH keep shouting out things like "What is Namibia?" and "Who is Jonathan Swift?" And what is a Tournament of Champions?

It may have been a laid-back day, but DH and I sure were wiped out!

I do think that cute little Chihuahua finds me rather fetching......

Woof woof, Run'way

Day Three at Camp R

2011-11-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today began with a treat hidden in an old chocolate ~~ice cream~~ soy container. No chocolate in there though. :-(
DH and I went downtown to pick up Bella so we could hike up the Linwood Cemetery trail.

One of the first things I saw on the trail was this one-eyed monster. I barked and barked at it but it wouldn't get out of my way. DH told be not to be afraid and I walked cautiously around the scary thing.

As if that wasn't bad enough, I then sensed there was another animal in the vicinity.

Then I met him. Ollie. A puppy much larger than I, but he really wanted to play. I think he must run around the cemetery all day. He knew every place to run. What fun.

Ollie even took me over to Doc Holliday's grave.There was some great sniffing around his grave.

DH and I decided to sit for awhile and look down on our city. Come on, Bella. Come sit with us!

DH had driven the car downtown but Bella wanted me to walk home with her. OK. DH walked to the car but as soon as I couldn't see him, I laid down on the sidewalk and glared at Bella. She just didn't understand why I ~~was being stubborn~~ wanted to ride home with DH.

But when DH drove by us, he stopped and picked us up. Ah, yes, how I love watching the world whiz by!

The sweet little gal from next door was out in the front yard when we got home and I was delighted that she wanted to check me out. Maybe I can get something going with her...... G'night!

Woof woof, Run'way

More from Camp R

2011-11-06T19:03:00.002-07:00

Bella and DH, the proprietors of Camp R, slept in a bit this morning, even though they gained an extra hour due to the time change. They said something about how many times I woke them up crying during the night. I REALLY wanted to sleep in the bed with them but DH said NO. I think I almost had Bella convinced though.....

Anyway, I got to lead them on a l...o...n...g walk. They told me I could take them wherever I wanted to go. I had them stop off at the dog park first. Doesn't my shadow look HUGE in the tunnel? Cool, eh!

Had to check out the little house in the park. Kind of neat but I'd rather live with my mom or stay at Camp R. There didn't seem to be any ~~beds~~ comfy couches in this house!

I found a bush with beautiful red leaves that needed some watering. Bella and DH didn't understand that it's my job to water all the bushes in this city.

I finally made it to the place I was headed: HOME. I wasn't sure why mom wouldn't answer the door. Bella had to remind me that mom had ~~abandoned me~~ gone on a trip. But I didn't cry... I just told them, Come on, let's get moving. There's somewhere else I want to go.

I got my friends to finally take off my jacket as it was getting warm. The sun was quite bright, although the temperature was just 34. Arriving at the Linwood Cemetery trail head, I tried pulling DH up the trail. He would have none of it and said something about having walked ~~five~~ twenty miles already. Sheesh. This was nothing....
I gave up on any more adventures and led my friends back to Camp R, where I danced around, rolled over and over, and then wrestled with DH. What fun! Then Bella moved one of my beds to the corner of the comfy couch. Heavenly.
It's getting late so I'm heading for ~~their~~ my bed now. G'night!

Woof woof, Run'way

Warning: Blog has been hijacked!

2011-11-05T20:43:00.001-06:00

I, Run'way L., have decided to hijack Bella's blog and detail my vacation at Bella and DH's house. I arrived today, when the weather was gray and rainy. I was a bit confused when my mom put me into Bella's car and then didn't get in herself. Usually this means that we're going hiking on a trail far from home, but not this time. I cried for a bit but then decided to go with the flow.

As soon as we arrived, I had to check out the crumbs under DH's chair. Not much there though. Maybe later.

What's this? Wow, a nice bone. I just might enjoy this place.

Who's that at the door? My mom? ....... Nope. Oh darn.

I'm so glad Bella and DH decided I could lay on this comfy couch. When I'm on the floor they seem like such big people. But when they're right next to me on the couch they're more my size. I think I'm going to love it here. I'm a bit tired from going up and down all the stairs, keeping tabs on everyone, and from a nice, rainy walk on the bike path. I wonder what we'll be doing tomorrow.

Woof-woof, Run'way

It's been awhile

2011-11-01T16:34:00.002-06:00

Yes, it's been awhile, but how can you sit down and blog when there are so many trails to hike

mountain lakes to visit

and interesting bugs to meet.

As today is 11/1/11, and the beginning of NaNoWriMo, it seems a good time to begin blogging again.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T17:52:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-09T07:28:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T08:16:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T16:10:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T07:29:00.001-06:00

New Wallet

2011-07-19T20:11:00.004-06:00

A couple weeks ago I managed to lose my wallet. Actually, it wasn't really a wallet but rather a pile of cards wrapped with an elastic band. I liked it a lot, it was compact, and I carried a coin purse along with it. But somehow it managed to get out of my bag somewhere in Basalt. It was turned in to the police and they called to let me know. Thank God -- and the person who turned it in! I decided I needed a real wallet now so I looked through my fabric stash and made this for myself:

Colorful, eh? I love it. What do you think?

Plus 2 Day

2011-07-09T14:55:00.002-06:00

And just what is Plus 2 Day? Today --- 7-9-11.
7 (+2)=9 (+2)=11
And I saw a set of twins on my walk today.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T07:57:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T07:03:00.001-06:00

Oregon Holocaust Memorial

2011-06-23T10:23:00.003-06:00

"All of us children were crying for our parents.
A guard came over to us and yelled,
'Stop all of your whining!
See that chimney, see that smoke,
smell that stench in the air?
That is your parents.' "

Today I am thankful that this memorial of man's inhumanity to man made me cry. That I am not over the pain of what happened to my fellow human beings. That this still saddens me deeply. Is it too much to hope that one day such inhumanity will have ended?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T22:12:00.000-06:00

Graduation

2011-06-19T16:34:00.005-06:00

I guess it's about time to post the pictures from the graduation. It was quite an impressive ceremony, the largest ever in the Oregon University System! PSU awarded approximately 5,920 degrees, including 3,825 bachelor's degrees, 1,735 master's degrees and 60 doctoral degrees. The degree recipients were each called by name to receive their degrees, and together with the speakers, it took just under three hours. Not bad! The ceremony was held at the Rose Garden Arena, where the Portland Trailblazers play, and each of the students was displayed on the jumbotron as the accepted their diplomas.

Here's Lizzie, BS History, with Honors.

And here's Pat, BS Communication Studies, Film Studies minor, with Honors.

The commencement address was given by Scott Davis, CEO of UPS and a PSU grad in 1974. His words of wisdom included: "Develop a beginner's mind. Embrace mistakes. Trust your gut. Broaden your horizons. And above all else, don't listen to the naysayers in life. They are like a wet blanket smothering your dreams."

After the ceremony we had a little party for the grads, which included

the Rutledge guys

and the Rutledge girls, with Granddad.

Lizzie's aunt made a card for her, using Granddad's college diploma on the front! How cool is that for a History major!

Pat and Lizzie in their graduation caps, gowns, and Honors regalia. Good job, kiddos!

More Portland

2011-06-16T10:55:00.002-06:00

It's raining again in Portland. Who would have thought....?

It didn't stop these folks from some noontime exercise.

I walked along the PSU skybridges and took these photos:

The Portland State University motto:

Let knowledge serve the city.

Inside one building, this door was propped open with this bench!
Hmmmm.......

We left Youngest Daughter's apartment building when the fire trucks showed up!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T11:03:00.004-06:00

Day Two

2011-06-11T20:58:00.000-06:00

First up -- find some breakfast. We ended up at The Stepping Stone Cafe where their motto is: "You eat here because we let you." And yes, they had that attitude. But the food was good.

Wandering around after breakfast, we found lots of interesting things:
A map of the world made of colorful plants,

people watching a parade,

which included:

and the mascot of one of CU's new opponents:

blue sky:

tall buildings:

a kitty with a bird's eye view:

and a lushness we just don't often see in Colorado:

Look at the size of this flower:

Portland Adventure Begins

2011-06-10T22:44:00.000-06:00

So --- which airport would have carpeting like this? Why, Aspen Airport, of course!

Our morning flight out of Aspen was just perfect. A beautiful beginning for our Portland adventure.

Since we were in a relatively small plane, we seemed to land at quite a distance from DIA!

We arrive in PDX......

...and go right away to the PSU History Department's Honors and Awards ceremony. Can you tell what this young man did his Master's thesis on?

We strolled through PDX where I found this wonderful seating area, with plants growing on the roof!

Dinner was wonderful Thai curries at Baan Thai. Great food, great dining companions, great beginning for our latest adventure.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T18:34:00.000-06:00

Thumbs Up

2011-06-07T11:02:00.000-06:00

Words of wisdom from a pint-sized philosopher:

Saturday hike

2011-06-04T14:15:00.004-06:00

This morning we decided it was the perfect day for a hike up to the cross at the top of the Red Mountain/Jeanne Golay Trail.

It was quite chilly when we headed out the door, but we quickly warmed up.

At one point I turned around to see how far we'd come.

Saw lots of interesting things along the way:

Black-headed pine grosbeak singing.

Getting close!

Made it!

Tom found his new house next to the cross.

The views were amazing! Join us sometime.

Summer begins

2011-06-03T08:02:00.002-06:00

As summer begins, remember to stop and smell the flowers!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T05:31:00.000-06:00

Blues and BBQ at Beaver Creek

2011-05-30T18:34:00.004-06:00

The weather was perfect on Saturday for the Beaver Creek Blues and BBQ Festival.

I found a nice spot for us to sit and listen to the music.

Right here.

Someone else liked our spot as well.

In front of us, it took three people to change this baby's diaper, while a little girl reading a book didn't seem to be bothered at all.

Behind us, some young folks were enjoying a quinceañera.
The young lady looked like a princess.

We enjoyed the food,

and the people-watching, while listening to some really great music!

Thankful Thursday

2011-05-26T11:37:00.001-06:00

I volunteer once a week at the nearby elementary school, working with the Literacy teacher in the library. But during her planning period I get to go to Kindergarten, and do math with the little ones. What fun! The class is divided into small groups and I get to play a math game with my group. I'm also there for anyone who needs a little one-on-one help with a particular concept.

Sadly, next week is the last week of school and I will miss those little folks. They keep me young. So young, in fact, that a couple of them thought I was in high school! (I graduated from hs in 1971) I'm not reminding myself that they lump together everyone in high school and beyond and label all of us as "old people!" :-)

This past Monday they gave me a card that they all had signed. What a treasure!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T08:23:00.002-06:00

Beauty

2011-05-21T16:28:00.001-06:00

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.
~Confucius

Hope

2011-05-20T19:18:00.004-06:00

Never Let Go of Hope

One day
you will see
that it all
has finally come together.

What you have
always wished for
has finally come to be.

You will look back
and laugh at what has passed
and you will ask yourself,
"How did I get through all of that?"

Just
never let go of hope.
Just
never quit dreaming.
And
never let love
depart from your life.

Poet: Jancarl Campi

Thankful Thursday

2011-05-19T12:52:00.000-06:00

Now that I am finished wearing the Holter Monitor, I'm really looking forward to a long soak in my tub --- with my Mother's Day gift. Ahhh...... I'll be a happy hippy, for sure!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T07:27:00.000-06:00

Saturday hike

2011-05-14T15:43:00.006-06:00

"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
~ Herman Melville

We got up this morning and decided it was the perfect day for a hike. We've had almost winter weather for the past week so we wanted to take advantage of the sun.

We headed out on Midland, which is the road across the river from us. Fortunately, one of the two bridges across is right by our home. I thought I would take DH on the Red Mountain Trail that I had hiked on this past winter with my hiking buddy. (Who, by the way, is spending this month hiking across the state of New Mexico!) A very nice lady was gardening in her yard near the start of the trail and pointed us in the general direction. However, a few minutes later when things didn't look familiar to me we asked some young mountain bikers if we were headed correctly, and they told us we weren't.

Fearing that we'd get into something we might regret, I thought it prudent to just forget about this hike and head back to town until I got a map. The nice lady from earlier asked us if we'd found the trail and when we said, "No," she proceeded to take us to the trailhead herself! A little hiking angel. And, by the way, the part she took us on turned out to be the steepest of the whole trail. What a sweet lady.

A sweet sign on a bench we passed.

Near the start of the trail.

The usual warning sign. Today, even more important:
The bears are back!

Beautiful views and a little stream.

The area we were hiking was burned in a terrible fire about nine years ago but is coming back to life. Most, if not all, of the trees were destroyed, and what remains are charred.

Made it back home before the afternoon thunderstorm!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T08:20:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T08:23:00.000-06:00

Live right now

2011-05-03T07:19:00.003-06:00

The secret of health for both mind and body

is not to mourn for the past,

worry about the future,

or anticipate troubles,

but to live in the present moment,

wisely and earnestly.

~Buddha~

The Day After

2011-05-02T17:55:00.002-06:00

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." -- Martin Luther King, Jr

UPDATE:"The trouble with quotes over the Internet is that you never know if they are genuine." - Abraham Lincoln

Friday Fun

2011-04-29T17:57:00.003-06:00

What could be more fun on this royal wedding day than seeing a little video of the wedding hats? Some were tasteful and tiny, some were large and looked like you could use them as lifesavers, and some were just plain weird. My favorite (?) was the one Princess Beatrice wore. At first I thought she was someone from the Star Wars bar scene, then I thought she was wearing a toilet seat on her head, or perhaps she was an antlered animal, escaped from the zoo. If nothing else, it would make a great party game at the reception. You know, through hors d'oeuvres through the hoops!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T20:56:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T16:06:00.000-06:00

Friday Hike

2011-04-18T17:05:00.002-06:00

This past Friday's hike took us to Lookout Mountain and the Radio Towers. We climbed about 2,300 feet in altitude with an average grade of 30%, and were rewarded with spectacular views of our little city.

In this section of the trail, we were hiking nearly straight up!

Pondering how to attack this part of the trail. Little Buddy ran right up the center. You can just barely see him up at the top!

Finding, and eating, Claytonia (Spring Beauty), which tasted quite good. I was actually getting a bit hungry at this point so I was glad to find some natural food.

That way, I didn't need to eat this beetle!

Little Buddy found a bone to chew on (I wonder what long-dead animal it belonged to?), and then took a little snow-bath to cool off.

I love it that HC knows so much about the areas we hike in and she is so generous in teaching me. That's the Roan Plateau wa...a....y off in the distance.

Some general shots of the surroundings from our bird's eye view up on top:

Where are you hiking?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T08:37:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T16:55:00.001-06:00

Teaching Girls

2011-04-05T08:00:00.002-06:00

As an unschooling parent, it was always exciting to figure out what our girls would be interested in, what they would choose to "study." I sure am glad we took up hiking outdoors and swimming, among other activities, rather than pole dancing!

There is something REALLY creepy about this:

Pay attention to what the audience does right after the girl finishes her "routine." NOTHING ..... for awhile!

Sunday at home

2011-04-03T20:15:00.000-06:00

It was 64 when I woke up this morning and about an hour later it was in the 30s.
Then it began blizzarding!
And we had thundersnow.
Wacky weather.
But perfect for packing up the Easter Baskets to send to the kids.
And having some Mexican hot chocolate.
In my favorite "Cooking with Pooh" mug.

Saturday walk through the neighborhood

2011-04-02T15:33:00.006-06:00

It was a beautiful day to go for a walk in the Roaring Fork Valley. We walked south from our home this time. Temperature was low 70s, but there was a bit of a wind. We walked a bit over 5 miles.

Just the right amount of wind for these folks to fly a kite!

We passed by some gorgeous crocuses, white, lavender, and yellow.

Some of the walk was flat, but there were also a few hills,

and nice rocks to rest our weary selves.

Some random sights along the way:

fire hydrant reminding us how much snow we COULD have had this winter;

God bless America --- and lots of fake flowers to brighten your day;

goats taking care of the lawn-mowing job;

some fisher-folks on the river;

and a reminder of with whom we share our neighborhood!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T18:33:00.002-06:00

Today's hike

2011-03-25T14:32:00.007-06:00

Today we wanted to find out if there was a trail just east of my home so off we went to explore. Other than a trail that led to a homeless encampment, we didn't find anything. But it was fun just scouting it out. The day was a bit gray, and we would get a few snowflakes every once in awhile but other than that, it was good hiking weather.

Hiking Buddy had his sleek racing coat on today and this is where he stopped to let us know there were deer up ahead.

There were a few homes along the side of the mountain and one of them had this wonderful mailbox.

Here's what was peeking out of one of the mailbox "windows."

See the cool zipper along the back of Little Buddy's coat? Oh, he was stylin' today!

We ended up back downtown, and because we had been discussing silence, we checked to see if the library copy of Into Great Silence was available. No--- but they'll let me know when it comes in. Looking forward to watching it.

On my way back home, walking along the bike path, I saw a huge flock of bluebirds. I just love them. You may need to click on the photos to enlarge them so you can really see how beautful these little guys are.

And of course, a sweet chubby robin.

Almost home, just in time. Looks like a snow shower coming down to us from Aspen.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T18:15:00.000-06:00

Last Friday's Hike

2011-03-22T07:37:00.005-06:00

I was in charge of planning last Friday's hike as HC was off rock-climbing with a friend earlier in the week. OK, what to do? I wanted to plan something different so she'd know I wasn't slacking and just redoing one of hers! Although, I really love re-hiking. I always see something different, learn something new, and can better remember the details. I scoured the internet, looking at hiking websites, maps.... Hmmm..... Oh wait. I have a hair appointment and my hairdresser is a trail runner. She'll know!

I was right. We ended up on the beginning of one of the trails we'd previously taken but where we had turned right, this time we turned left. A whole new world.

We hiked around the Oasis Creek area and it turned out to be a good choice as we had gotten about six inches of snow during the night. But it was the perfect temperature for hiking and by the time we finished, the sky was totally blue and we had stripped off a few layers of outerwear. Ah.... hiking Colorado in the spring!

We had to climb under some broken trees....

I guess they couldn't get down the driveway.

We decided NOT to go there. What an unfriendly neighborhood sign. And we both thought that people who put up signs like that probably think nothing of coming after someone with a gun..... so.... This is where we turned around.

Friday Fun

2011-03-18T07:46:00.001-06:00

EMBED-Baby Scared By Mother's Nose - Watch more free videos

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-16T06:07:00.000-06:00

Happy Pi Day!

2011-03-14T16:07:00.004-06:00

In honor of Pi Day, here's a photo of one of my Grandmothers on her 95th birthday.

Sunday afternoon in Carbondale

2011-03-13T18:58:00.005-06:00

This afternoon we headed over to Carbondale to do some walking. Temps in the high 50s and lots of sun. Just a gorgeous day.

We often just ride our bikes to 'Bonedale, but we figured the path could still have some snowy patches (we were right!) so we drove and then walked all over once we got there.

As I've mentioned before, we are so fortunate to have, right out our door, this wonderful Rio Grand Bike Trail that connects us to the upvalley towns of Carbondale, Basalt, and Aspen.

Some of what we were blessed to see today.

After our walk, we treated ourselves to a little early dinner at the Red Rock Diner. Yummy burgers made with local beef!! And sweet potato fries.

Such a wonderful afternoon in 'Bonedale!

Last week's hike

2011-03-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

When we hiked last week I left my camera at home as I thought I would try "going light!" Of course, this was the time we would run into a majestic bald eagle. Luckily I had my cell phone, but it sure isn't as good as my "real" camera. I have a bird identification app on my phone and played the bald eagle sound for him and he let us come quite close. I wonder what we were "saying" to him? :-)

Friday Hike

2011-03-12T12:37:00.003-07:00

This week, HC decided we should tackle the Jess Weaver Trail. And once again we were blessed with perfect hiking weather!

Two photos of the old aquaduct that brought water into town. We were trying to figure out just HOW they built that on the side of sheer rock faces! Incredible.

Here, HC is showing me how the two creeks, No Name and Grizzly, are connected upvalley, and how the two combine to bring water into town now. She is definitely a gem to be hiking with!!

Some cairns along the trail.

Looking down onto No Name Creek.

And here we're a bit closer. I learned that this is not a good place to hike in June as the creek will have covered the path!

This was the turnaround spot for two of us. Little Buddy smelled something, though, and decided to forge ahead for awhile. You can see here, though, that the path is not very wide.

Some of the beauty.

HC pointing (you know, the requisite pointing picture!) to the radio towers. We have earlier hiked on the other side of that mountain.

Spring is just around the corner!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

Friday Fun

2011-03-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

Thankful Thursday

2011-03-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

This week I am thankful for this beautiful family. I get hugs from the little gal whenever she sees me at her school. And I so enjoy helping her mama learn English. And they all help me learn Spanish! Such a deal. I am truly blessed.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T21:17:00.001-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

Forests at Risk Symposium

2011-02-19T10:55:00.008-07:00

DH and I were fortunate to be able to participate in the Forests at Risk Symposium at the Aspen Institute yesterday. Wow! So many great thinkers gave talks, participated in panel discussions, and answered questions.

We took the bus in to the Institute --- I mean, really, could we have driven to such a symposium? Actually, we use the bus a lot, not just to get to this symposium!

We walked in quite a ways to get to the actual building, but it was wonderful.

Former Governor Ritter (called the "greenest governor")was the emcee of the event which lasted from noon to about 7PM.

Rene Montagne, from NPR Morning Edition, was the moderator. My goodness, she's so tiny! She reminded me of a little gnome.

Some shots of the proceedings, talks, panels:

Former Vice President, Al Gore, was the keynote speaker, and gave a passionate talk!

“It is a call to action,” he said, “if you love these forests, if you think for a moment about the obligation we have to those who come after [us].

“This is a forest issue. It's a political issue. It's an economic issue. It's a national security issue. It's a jobs issue. But at bottom, it is a moral issue,” he said to widespread applause. “And we have to be willing to stand up and do the right thing.”

For more info, here is a link to the speakers: Speaker list
And a newspaper article from today's paper: Aspen Times

It was a very long day, but so worthwhile.

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-17T13:22:00.002-07:00

This week I'm thankful for our dog, Kona. She's an amazing 16 years old and I guess that's rather old for a 60 pound dog.

This is what she does most of the day and night. Except in the late afternoon when she realizes it's time for her walk! She still loves to go for her daily walk with DH. Her hearing is gone, but she does seem to be able to see things so I think her sight is still pretty good. Her sense of smell is the best, though. She catalogs all new smells on her daily walk and knows when there's a new smell nearby!

Today I let her play with the Zhuzhu hamster. She likes to lick it to stop it from running around.

I've come up with a new name for Kona. I think Timex would be a great name. You know, keeps on ticking. I know someday we'll wake and find that she has died, but in the meantime there's food to be eaten, a little toy to play with, and that daily walk!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

Friday Hike

2011-02-12T13:21:00.007-07:00

Perfect day for hiking the Jeanne Golay trail (Red Mountain trail), at least I think that's what it's called! You might remember Jeanne biking in the Olympics.
Met my hiking buddies down at the plaza. Here they come:

Usually we are the only one's on the trail but this time it was different. I think we ran into three other folks and their animals:

Here was one group. Look who's the only one who remembered his boots!

Little buddy thought he saw some bear tracks....

Little buddy making a snowman.

Always have to have the pointing picture! This was where we turned around and headed back.

Lots of birds this time. Spring must be coming! If anyone knows what kind of bird this is, please tell. I'm leaning towards a female Western Tanager......

NO, little buddy! We are NOT going that way!

A very proud little hiker.

This guy tried to show us up by RUNNING on the trail, but notice please --- he has his dog carrying the heavy stuff for him!

Some shots around town as I walked back home:

I really do love these winter hikes.

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-10T08:10:00.004-07:00

I am thankful that my blog-friend, Alice, who lives near Perth, is safe from the fires. See her wonderful art here.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

Hiking the Transfer Trail

2011-02-06T14:49:00.004-07:00

Temps got down below zero this past week, but by the time our Friday Hike Day rolled around, the air had warmed up and it was another perfect day to go hiking. This week HC chose the Transfer Trail, just north of the city.

As we set off, we were greeted by some mighty fine wild turkeys in a nearby yard.

Wonder-Chihuahua thought we were going a bit too slow!

Part of our trail.

Looking down on the little town of No Name, tucked between I70 and the Colorado River. A bit of the history of No Name here.

Yet another abandoned vehicle high up on the hiking trail.

No, I really don't want to take the short cut! :-)

I really am thankful to have such a knowledgeable hiking buddy. I need to learn to hike as simply as she does. I seem to have to carry my pack which, as she reminded me, contained a library book last week. Maybe that's really unnecessary... What do you think?

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

This week I am thankful for such great hiking companions!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T16:26:00.002-07:00

Going to the Movies

2011-02-01T06:20:00.009-07:00

Sunday we decided to ride the bus into Aspen to see a movie. Black Swan. Creepy. But anyway, we had a nice little excursion. Because of the X-Games, we knew traffic would be crazy and parking at a minimum; hence, the bus.

Quite a comfortable, even if slow, ride to town.

Here's what we saw of the X-Games as we rode by. The Flying Tomato was winning Gold!

A couple of shops that we like, one for the name, one for the goodies.

Gotta love a guy who spends a lot of time on his hair!

These three little gals were engrossed in a book they just bought at Explore. SO CUTE! They never saw DH in front of them.

Here's what I found at Explore. One of my favorite authors!

The Isis Theater carries their theme all the way through the building. We love this theater!

After the movie, walking back to the bus stop, we passed a few folks enjoying the beautiful day, eating hot dogs and drinking cocoa, around the fire pit.

Will we take public transportation again? You bet! Even without the X-Games. It was a stress-free way to go!!

Friday Hike

2011-01-30T07:25:00.006-07:00

Friday was another exquisitely beautiful Colorado day. Temps in the high 20s, a clear sky. Perfect for another hike.

HC, my hiking companion, and our fearless little leader, Wonder-Chihuahua, trekked up past Linwood Cemetery -- where the notorious Doc Holliday is buried -- and then connected up with the Scout Trail from on top. The snow was deep in places, but it didn't hinder us at all.

Scrubby brush on top.

The view over to Sunlight Ski area.

HC pointing out some of the features.

Views along the trail.

A campsite. Brrrr.......

Once again looking forward to next week's hike!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hiking the Scout Trail

2011-01-22T10:38:00.004-07:00

My hiking buddy planned a very exciting hike for this week: The Boy Scout Trail.
Here's my fearless leader explaining where we'll be going. This lady is a font of knowledge when it comes to hiking. I always learn so much --- and get exercise, too. Such a deal!

Looking down on the Hot Springs Pool and Hotel Colorado, at the beginning of the hike.

Faithful hiking companion, Run'way, checking out the steep mountainside. He decided we shouldn't head down that way -- thank God!

But he had noticed I was using my hiking sticks this time and he decided that maybe he should have one of his own. Definitely a good idea, Run'way!

We hiked up to where the truck fell over the edge! What? A truck had driven up this trail? Apparently it's been there a long time, but I sure didn't want to poke around it.

We turned around and had this beautiful view of the Roan Plateau.

On the way down, another view of the Hot Springs Pool.
Took us about 2.5 hours. A well-spent morning in Paradise!

Snow sculptures in Aspen

2011-01-21T08:13:00.001-07:00

This year's Wintersköl was last weekend and we got to see the beautiful snow sculptures.
They were quite incredible!

Sunday in Aspen

2011-01-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

Oldest Daughter and B made a quick trip up to visit us for the weekend and we took them up to the Monastery for Mass and some sight-seeing.

Scenes from around the Monastery:

Someone had carved out this Happy Face in the front yard. Yes, it truly is a very happy place.

Some folks ski to mass.

We then headed over to downtown Aspen for some breakfast. Why didn't I take a picture of Boogies??? But, here are some random shots around town:

Couldn't resist this sign.

...but apparently it's OK to wear mink, fox, chinchilla......

Interesting sculpture....

Thought this was cute, but then I found out it refers to an upcoming movie.....

Stopped by to see if our swans were still around. Nope. The lake is completely frozen over, and has been walked across.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-19T05:52:00.000-07:00

Warmer weather means outdoor time

2011-01-15T16:47:00.004-07:00

DH and I decided to take advantage of the warmer weather and go walking on Friday.

We walked the bike path to avoid the car splashes and came face to face with one of our favorite people: the man who shovels the bike path! Thank you, sir!

I thought this melting snow looked like a bumper smile. DH did not. He wondered why I would take a picture of it.

Here's Ms. Cassie at the bookstore. She thought I was taking pictures for the newspaper. I said, "Nope. Just for my blog. And now you'll be on it!" There you go, Ms. Cassie!

Here's DH next to the Ski Bum figure.

We wondered why these Law Offices had NOT shoveled their sidewalk. Wouldn't you think they would be extra careful about things like that?

This young man in the grocery store parking lot was REALLY celebrating the above freezing temps! Ahhh.... spring is just around the corner.

Two different species of snowmen.

In the evening I walked back downtown to meet DH at the Bluebird to listen to Friday Night Music. The lights were so pretty around town.

There's even a big Christmas tree still lit up.

And the music was fabulous, once again! This week it was Matt Johnson. Nice article about him in one of our local papers, right here. Bought one of his CDs. We're acquiring such a nice collection of music by buying CDs from the musicians we listen to.

New Adventure

2011-01-14T09:19:00.002-07:00

Well, our textbook has arrived! DH and I begin our next adventure next Monday. We are officially college students again. After studying German and Russian for so many years, I'm curious about how this class will work for me. Sometimes I actually speak to myself in German, even after graduating 35 years ago. We'll see.

We did already call the professor as we wanted to know if we could get by with buying just one textbook. This book was $122 used!! What??? She left us a phone message. Yes. Just one book! Yay. Now we may have enough cash left over to buy a coffee before class! I've already had the dream where you show up to class for the final exam and realize you haven't studied for the whole semester and you know NOTHING. Oh my gosh. Does that ever go away?
I did mention to the Spanish-speaking student I'm tutoring in English that she will have to help me with my class. She got a big kick out of that. Even though the Literacy folks claim you can tutor better if you don't know the language your student speaks because immersion is more effective, I do think this will help. (Very poorly constructed sentence, I know!)
Wish us luck. Adios for now.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-12T07:22:00.002-07:00

Saturday hike

2011-01-08T13:54:00.004-07:00

We strapped on pedometers and headed south this morning -- early. Beautiful morning, a bit chilly, but perfect for heading out to see how far we'd get.

DH spotted "his" house. He'd like to live there, perfect with it's southern exposure and it's right on the river.

We kept walking and discovered this sign. What??? We never doubted we were in the United States. But why does someone feel it necessary to fence in this area behind barbed wire, and label it "Property of the United States?"

We made it all the way to the airport. Nice yellow plane!

Here's that funny sign that has you stop in the middle of nowhere to watch for low-flying aircraft.

Certainly they don't mean this plane?

Oh, they must mean this one!

We saw a festively decorated high wire

and fence.

And this young lady heading up to Sunlight for some skiing.

And check out this lovely gargoyle. Who knew gargoyles got cold?

Rosebud cemetery. I wonder why this grave has a wrought iron fence around it? DH thinks perhaps they were iron-workers....

Almost back home.

Thanks for traveling the Roaring Fork Valley with me. Oh-- it was a bit over 13,000 steps.

Christmas hike

2010-12-25T13:02:00.012-07:00

Went for a hike this morning up the Mitchell Creek Trail past the Fish Hatchery:

Typical warning signs for this area:

But if you look closely:

Some of the things we saw:

My "hit the mountain lion when attacked" stick:

Some hitchhikers DH picked up:

There must be some years when there's a lot of snow. See how high off the ground the door is?

As for wild animal sightings, here is one we saw on the trail. DH didn't even need to use his "hit the bear" stick, as the critter was quite friendly.

After our hike, we stopped by the beautiful Hotel Colorado and did see some wild animals there:

Merry Christmas!

Not much time for blogging....

2010-12-14T13:35:00.003-07:00

A friend and I --- and her adorable dog --- went for a long walk out to Cardiff Glen and the Airport a few days ago. What a treat! Weather was perfect and we got to check on the progress of a new part of the Rio Grand Bike Trail.

Little Run'way got a bit annoyed with us at one point because we had turned around to backtrack just a little. He plopped himself down and said, "No more!" So he had to be carried for awhile. This is a dog who hikes 30 and 40 miles at a time so he really was annoyed --- not tired! :-)

This is the Historic Cardiff Schoolhouse. It's used for small community productions. Run'way didn't understand why no one would let him in.

Walking next to the airport we came across this stop sign. There are no other streets around --- just the airport runway, which runs parallel to the road we were on. So, we're not sure who they want to have stop there. We stopped, just in case!

Finished this absolutely wonderful book recently. It may be one of my all-time favorites now. While reading it, I had to track down a copy of Euclid's Elements. Found one at the Parachute Library, so our local library procured it for me.

Sewing has taken up most of my time lately. This is my favorite apron so far!

Crafting time

2010-12-07T07:57:00.004-07:00

I headed over to the nearest thrift store to see what I might find. I was looking for old velvet -- the kind I could emboss-- and old jeans that I could turn into little stockings. I did find both and when I went up to pay, the cashier mentioned how pretty the dress was. I told her, yes it was, and that the stockings and ornaments I would make out of it would also be pretty! Well, she then tells me that someone had brought in some Christmas fabric and it hadn't been priced or packaged yet. Would I like to see it? Sure! I waited a few minutes and she comes down with a laundry basket FULL of fabric and some other sewing goodies. She told me I'd be saving her some time by not having to price it, etc. so I could have the whole thing, including the laundry basket, for $5.00. Oh my goodness. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! I left her the basket though, as I was walking home. I must have looked like an odd Santa, walking back home with an overstuffed black garbage bag!

I washed all the fabric, as I'm sure it had been stored for awhile. After drying it, I measured and folded it all. Grand total: 42 yards of fabric, 35 full skeins of DMC embroidery floss, and lots of other "stuff." I recently bought Christmas fabric at our local store. It was $10/yd. And the floss: I think it was about $1.25 the last time I bought one. What a haul!! My lucky day.

Some little bird ornaments:

A birthday card:

A special order coffee sleeve for a friend:

What are you crafting for the holidays?

Virtual Retirement Dinner

2010-12-05T17:20:00.003-07:00

DH has worked for IBM from home, alone with his phone, and his co-workers live -- on the other end of the phone line -- in India, South America, Europe, and the Far East. He always referred to his "virtual job." Join us, won't you, for his virtual retirement dinner.

He picked Rivers Restaurant for his dinner. It's conveniently located near our home so we could walk to dinner. We've eaten here for Sunday brunch, especially enjoying it in the summer when we can eat outside on the lovely deck, right next to the Roaring Fork River.

They have a wonderful menu and the problem was narrowing down what we would order.

We chose the Smoked Trout Pate with homemade scallion bread, and Calamari with Jalapeno Lime Aioli.
Quite good!

We then had a Warmed Spinach Salad and a House Mixed Greens Salad-- the lemon herb dressing was SOOOOOO good!

Our entrees were Blackened Mahi Mahi with Blue Curacao Sauce, and Surf and Turf, filet mignon with lobster tail. They were so beautifully presented and tasted delicious, although I have to say, I've never seen anything edible that was that shade of blue!

Dessert was Pistachio Creme Brulee with Caramelized Raspberries. A beautiful and tasty end to a great dinner.

Here's the man of the hour.

And here's what he wrote:
My Virtual Retirement Speech
When I was hired by IBM in 1979 the company was expected by Frank Cary the CEO to be a $100 billion dollar company in a matter of a few years. There was no Apple; no PCs, much less laptops; no internet, much less Google; no visible Microsoft; phones were still pretty much connected with wires. HP made oscilloscopes.

The IT world changed.

IBM is sill looking for a 100 Billion dollar year. Apple owns the number one spot for market capitalization. HP enjoys more revenue. Microsoft makes more profit.

It is not just about cost cutting. Creativity is critical for survival. It has to be creativity that the world needs. I am looking forward to seeing if IBM can capitalize on its Smarter Planet idea.
Looking forward to a wonderful retirement.
Thank you IBM. It has been an interesting 31 years. No regrets.

*******************************************************

I sure am proud of my newly retired guy and I'm looking forward to enjoying retirement with him!

Colonoscopy day

2010-12-03T16:18:00.011-07:00

Well, today was the day I'd prepared for yesterday! And all went well. DH was the photographer today as I was mostly incapacitated. All involved got a kick out of learning they would be on this blog! Got to love medical personnel with humor.

First up is Jaime. He got me registered and gave me my bracelet. He actually put it on my wrist. Such a sweet young man. Although I do believe the bracelet is plastic....

The elderly volunteer who escorted us up to the Endoscopy Center said a photo of him would ruin my camera, so no picture of John. He delivered us to Ms. Melody, a hard-working nurse, as you can see. I think she was struggling over how to spell "colonoscopy."

I think this nurse's name is Tammy, but I do know she's from Australia and I could have listened to her all day!

We did get a shot of my doc, the most wonderful Dr. Jason Collins, who very thoughtfully was brushing up how to do colonoscopies and upper endoscopies on his iPhone right before my procedures.
Got to appreciate doctors who keep up to the minute!

I remembered to bring my Sudoku book to work on while I waited. I didn't even get one finished.

A couple of other nurses were fighting over who was going to give me the drugs. I told the lady in blue that the lady in brown would do it because she had hold of the IV. It just made sense to me.

And yes, they would do the upper endoscopy BEFORE the colonoscopy, in case you were worried.......

This is where DH waited for me. He kept warm by the fire and was treated to a Starbucks coffee from the hospital's coffee shop. This hospital reminded both of us of a ski lodge. (Gosh, I wonder where they got that idea?)

This is how DH found me afterwards. I wonder why I was hanging on to the bedrail?

And finally, here is the lady who helped me out to the car. First, we stopped and got a hot chocolate at the cafe as I was very cold. I think she put something in the chocolate.... look at that fiendish smile.......!

All in all, a fun day....... everyone should be so lucky to have a day like this.
And I have asked for DH to give me back my camera!

Catching up

2010-12-02T09:04:00.002-07:00

What with tutoring my ESL student and volunteering at the elementary school, I've not found a lot of free time to update my blog recently. So, here are a few highlights of the last week:

time for swimming at the pool;

a night out at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen for the On Stage Live 2010 show:
downtown Aspen

architectural detail at the Wheeler

setting up the stage -- no photos during the show!

cappuccinos before the show

thankfully, our car does great in all this snow.

And today is prep day for my colonoscopy. Gross, I know, but it's saving my life and I'd like to think I'm helping others to see that they should go out and get theirs. It's not all that bad, and like I said, COLONOSCOPIES SAVE LIVES! So, here's what's on the menu for today:

I'd like to know who named the product "MoviPrep?" It's not at all about movies......

Until later......

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-01T07:15:00.002-07:00

Thanksgiving walk

2010-11-25T16:51:00.003-07:00

Walking off the turkey dinner. The temperature had warmed up to a toasty 18 degrees. The sun was shining so beautifully on Mt. Sopris.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-24T06:02:00.002-07:00

Need some quiet time

2010-11-18T07:31:00.002-07:00

The first part of this week has been so busy. Doctor appointment (new city, new doc, makes me so nervous), climbing a mountain, spending the day in the elementary school library, evening concert, and tutoring -- and always in the background, how will DH's retirement really affect us?
~~~So, for a little while, I'd like to be this swan that I photographed earlier this month. She was just floating on the water, her beak tucked neatly under her wing, paddling just a little with one foot, so she stayed circling in one spot ever so calmly on the lake. Sounds good to me right now!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-17T04:46:00.000-07:00

Catching up

2010-11-16T06:39:00.004-07:00

Caroline Pond singing and playing her ukulele at the Bluebird.

One of the downtown murals.

Interesting sculpture downtown.

More creations:

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-10T17:49:00.001-07:00

Bits of life

2010-11-06T17:57:00.003-06:00

Some recent ATCs:

a couple cards:

an organizational thingy to put in an old mug, to hold pens, pencils, etc.:

some plants that are now doing well since I moved them indoors for the winter:

and a lazy old dog: