YOLO folks in CO, Apr 2019

We finally tore ourselves away from family and friends in the metro Denver area and headed into the hills.  We stopped in at Florissant to see old friends Donna and Richard.  They have a house full of Headstart kids that keep them young.  We ordered pizza and one of the parents brought it up with him when he came to pick up his child--free delivery.  Donna in her living room in the log cabin they built many years ago.

The road on the way to Cripple Creek passes a large alpaca farm that rents out the animals for pack trips.

This one claimed the kingdom by standing on the bale of hay.

Richard and Donna's old house in Cripple Creek where she spent time making stained glass art in the form of windows and other objects.  The oval window in the house is one of her works.

Looking down the street of casinos in Cripple Creek.

The late afternoon sun shines gold on the old building, just like the gold the miners were after.

Burros were used in the area to haul things and some still roam the area.

The old Palace Hotel still stands, now a casino.

A mural on one of the old brick buildings depicts a Native American chieftan.

This old sheepwagon is a rarity these days.  It looks like it will fit onto the back of a pickup truck to make a campervan, now,

Just outside the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

This iconic old log building has been here forever, it seems.  I've always liked the looks of the Thunderbird Inn.  It's right on the 'major' crossroads here.

On one of the other corners is this storefront, with the howling wolf painted onto the satellite dish.

This fence was lined with old bicycles for nearly a mile.

Elk were crossing the road and jumping the fence to get into this field.

This elk was looking pretty shaggy and was the last to figure out how to jump the fence.

This antelope further down the road was also required to jump the fence to get to his destination.

The creek running along the road still had ice along its sides.

Some folks don't realize South Park is a real city in Colorado.  I still get a chuckle out of the cartoon show.

The large number of jet contrails covered more of the sky than the clouds.  The snow-covered mountains never cease to be a scenic wonder.

This old farmhouse could have stood here back when the Native Americans were still called Indians.

A splash of color along the road near Buena Vista.  The adirondack chairs looked quite comfy.

The taller director chairs looked inviting, too.

The snow along the roads was still high enough to nearly cover the signs along the side.

We headed up and over the passes and south into New Mexico for more adventures.

YOLO folks in CO Mar 2019

Colorado in March.....who wouldn't expect snow?  It had been sunny and warm the day before, but the snow came right on time as noted by the weather folks.  Here Jason is shoveling snow in my Mom's driveway.  Our 24-year-old van is still chugging away.

Brother Tom gave us all hoodies to keep us warm.  He gathers left-behinds from the gym at the high school and recycles them.

Tom and Jason in Mom's kitchen.  Tom's neighbor claims he didn't even know Tom owned long pants.  He's always in shorts.

Jason nearing the finish of the tough puzzle we had on the dining room table.

Both of these items were taken from Mom's pantry; both had expiration dates back in the 1970's--April 1978 for the jar on the right.  That's only 21 years ago!  It's an ongoing family joke about the age of the pantry foods.

When's the last time a jar of bouillon cost 43 cents??

Tom texting at Jim's house.  Sweats don't count as long pants.

Scotty actually eating a piece of chocolate at home.  Mom is watching to see his reaction

The Lynch Mob at Jim's home for dinner.

Karen and Joni, an old friend from the 70's.  She was a home run hitter on our softball team at work, and we always had a good time out partying together.  She hasn't changed.

Jason and Mom getting dressed for snow removal after the blizzard and storm.

Mom shoveling snow on her walkway.  She won't stop while she has the energy.

Cruising friends Tracy and Bill from s/v Zephyr live near my brother and we finally connected again at their home.  We snorkeled through much of the Maldives with them.

When I told Tracy that my brother's nickname for me was Moose, she had to go find this adorable stuffed moose to give me.  He carries a pack of sticks on his back and is now ensconced in Mom's front entryway.

Jason rewiring the socket in the dining room so he can plug in his 3-prong plug on the laptop.

Mom helping me sew up some new bula shorts.

A family dinner with Dad and Linda.  It's tough to get all the siblings together, so we make the effort when I come to town.

That word on the right--RENAILER--has been a bone of contention for years in our family.  I played it once to win a game and it's been a sore spot and the impetus for many a sarcastic remark for my brother ever since.  And in a game with my Mom, she now played it to get a 7-letter bonus score! I now feel vindicated in its validity.

Mom on her old kitchen floor before the new tile flooring project was begun.

And the new floor!  Looking marvelous.  We like it!

Scotty and Abby got to have their first sleep-over with Grandma 'Mimi'.  Scotty snuggling with Mom.

Abby slept with her hair still up in a do, so when we took it out the next morning, this was the result.  

What a wild woman!

Scotty then got into the wild hair look himself.

Jason and Karen on Jim's back porch after he'd cooked us all dinner.

Our family gathered on the balcony after a yummy dinner at Jim's.  He makes great smoked wings on his smoker.

Mom's old kitchen and laundry room floor.  That tiny grey smudge on the left edge in the middle of the photo is actually the spilled purple plumber's sealant that kicked off the entire 'new floor' episode.