lazy saturday

After a busy few days, we decided to just stay home today.    We had a few things to take care of and weekends around a campground are the ideal time to stay in.     We did manage second cup and happy hour outside in the bright sunshine.

It was a lazy Saturday.

we're having a beery good time

Wednesday evening Jesse, Erin, Dave and I went to Boulder for dinner at the Bohemian Biergarten.     It  reminded us of the beer halls in Munich.  We sat at a communal trestle type table and ordered beers and dinner of sausages, spaetzle, potato pancakes and jagerschnitzel.    The food was authentic and really good, I loved, loved my beer choice (Konig Ludwig Weissbier Dunkel).

Thursday, while poor Erin worked, Jesse, Dave and I went to Chautauqua, Boulder to try out their food, we're thinking of holding our welcome party there in September.   Our choices were very good and they definitely passed muster.  It was a lovely day and we were able to sit outside on the wide porch and enjoy the view.

generations of initials carved into
the porch posts

After lunch we walked over to the start of a trail across a broad meadow and up into the slabs to take a few pictures.    This is a very popular and iconic hike.    I'm sure you've seen a similar picture many times in connection with Boulder.

A sunny day gives lots of people the same idea....

We had some time before we had to head back home so Jesse suggested a drive up Flagstaff Road for some more beautiful views.    Back and forth, back and forth, up we went around I don't know how many tight switch backs.   He was right, it was a great drive.   We parked and got out a few times, one spot was an overlook above the Gross Reservoir.   It was windy and cool and each little gust brought a wonderful aroma of pine.

On the way back down we made another stop and walked a short way through the woods to a view point where we could really see how high we were.

And we realized how really high the snow covered "big boys" in the distance must be.   Dave and Jesse stood at the edge, I stayed a comfortable distance away.

We look out, the distances and hugeness of it all draws us but I always like to look at the smaller details that are right under my feet.

We dropped Jesse off and hot footed it home because we had a date with 8 of our RV friends at a new brew pub in Wheat Ridge.  Its not often that there are this many of us in the same place at the same time so we were really looking forward to the evening.  Traffic, traffic, traffic.... we were late, only a few minutes late.
Everyone else was already there and had made their beer choices.    I'm not really a beer drinker but I know a few brands that I enjoy.     None of them were on this extensive list of course, Lisa, MonaLiza and Pam let me taste theirs but I ended up going with the server's suggestion.    It was a mistake, I really really didn't like it but was very happy with my second choice - red wine!   The meal was good, the company great.    We haven't seen most of these people for at least a year and it was like old home week for us all.     Ten people, linked by our shared love of rv'ing and travel, gabbing and laughing non-stop like we'd always known each other - fantastic!

everyone (except me) had their cameras...
This shot was from MonaLiza, thanks for sharing.

This morning  (Friday) Jesse came down and joined MonaLiza, Steve, Pam and John at the Coors Brewery Tour in Golden.    It was supposed to rain all day so we thought an inside activity would be in order.    Ha! Today it never rained a drop....Actually, I lied.   It is raining as I type this.

Whats so funny?

The tour was free, we were provided with an audio system that we used as we passed through exhibits and into the production facility.   It made for a curiously anti social tour, we learned things about beer brewing, but we walked along silently, moving from one place to the other, hands to our ears,  without any personal interaction, a peculiar sight.

As you might expect,  the tour ended in the tasting room.   We were each allowed three (THREE) 10 oz. glasses of beer!   We all only enjoyed one, I can't imagine drinking three glasses of beer and then getting in our car and driving home!    I wonder of the Golden Police Dept. has a cruiser at the exit of the parking lot, issuing tickets and padding the city's coffers with DUI money!

Lunch at a small family Mexican restaurant rounded out our day and afterward we all went our separate ways with plans to meet again during next week.

This is the life.

Journey's end

Today was the end of her journey.    Pat S.,  my dear friend of almost 40 years, died this afternoon.     It was time for her to go and I'm glad she is finally at peace.    She lived a long and happy life and passed away with her family around her.

I'm not mourning her death, I'm mourning the loss of her friendship, of her council and her wonderful laugh and sense of mischief.  We had many adventures together.

  She was an example to all who knew her.    An example of how to live and how to love and how to be a friend..

She lives on in her wonderful daughter, Cindy P.....a special friend.   A gift from her to me I think.

Pat S and newborn Lewis in 2009

Memorial Day

Don't ask about the weather Saturday and Sunday and I won't tell you.

When we're on the road we try to keep our holiday celebrations very low key.   On holiday weekends, campgrounds are usually full of working people trying to enjoy their hard earned time off and we like to stay out of their way.    Everyday is a holiday to us now!

Sunday Erin made a delish dinner for us and we had a good visit with them while watching a full day of auto racing on tv.    Doesn't sound exciting, but it was a very enjoyable day....small pleasures.

Today the sun chose to shine and the temps warmed up to a very pleasant 65 for a short time.    We were able to enjoy second cup outside and that always lifts our spirits and makes all of us happy.   Before having an early dinner with our friends MonaLiza and Steve of  lowestravels.com, we had to return a Redbox rental.  Steve has been in the park for a bit, taking care of some normal maintenance on their motorhome and MonaLiza has just returned from the Philippines (I think she endured 36 hours of travel time).    She was visiting her family on the happy occasion of her mother's 97th birthday.

 On our way back to Beluga we turned into a beautiful cemetery that was lined with large American flags.

It was still and green, the only sounds were the snapping flags and birdsong.  We found ourselves driving slowly around, looking at the headstones and flowers and pictures carved in stone or taped on granite and reflecting on other times and other cemeteries.

Our early dinner with the Lowes' seemed to fly by.    We haven't seen them since last year in Florida so while we ate a good and filling meal at Wrigley's next door, we talked and laughed and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Our clear (ish) skies darkened in the early evening and we watched  dark stormy skies stream over our heads.   Lightning, wind and a little rain....rainbows and wild clouds, it was quite the show.   We don't have the wide open views that Lisa, of metamorphosisroad.blogspot.com, has down in Chatfield State Park.   She posted a fantastic picture of those very clouds on Facebook tonight.   Every time I tried to run out for a shot of the skies, they opened and I guess I'm just not devoted enough to stand in the rain....

YES!

Our son found us some sun today.     What a wonderful son he is!    Our spirits have been lifted, we now have hope that our old friend the sun is indeed still in the sky, above those heavy, gray clouds.

The three of us had a large lunch at T/aco in Boulder this afternoon.   The restaurant's name is pronounced "Tea Aco", and all they serve are tacos (and margaritas, I only had a tiny little one),  But what tacos they serve!   We had more than our share today because the kitchen made a mistake on our order, bringing out some of the varieties we ordered, and a number that we didn't.    When we explained the problem to the host, he quickly brought out the missing items and told us to enjoy the un-ordered tacos on the house.    So.....we all had more than we should have eaten.   More than we "should" have eaten.....but not more than we could eat.   burp

After lunch we walked around a bit, checking out other venues for The Wedding stuff and, since it was still a bit drizzly, Jesse suggested we take an auto hike up into the mountains.    Since he was driving and it was warm and dry in his car, we readily agreed.

 
We drove north through Lyons, and took Lee Hill Road toward Ward.    I can't remember the trail head we stopped at to take these pictures, but I know it was a
little over 10,000 feet and it was brilliantly sunny.   The snow on the peaks looks a bit fuzzy, but it was the result of strong winds blowing the snow around.

I was in the back seat, without gazetteer or camera, so I'm not really sure the route we took or what we were seeing.   Jesse told us, I'm sure he did, but I was really busy just looking at the awesome scenery and trying to figure out how to use his phone to take these pictures for you.    He is in possession of a rather unflattering video I mistakenly took of me trying to get the phone to move from video mode to camera mode.    I may or may not have uttered a few unladylike words in the process.

near the Moffitt Tunnel 

We all were very cheerful, almost giddy.    After being cooped up for many days, hostage to the rain and other necessary duties, it was glorious to be out in the sun under blue sky going where the mood took us.      Dave sat in the front seat fairly beaming in the warm sun and crisp, warmish air!

Boulder Creek

We passed some really interesting gate posts at the entrance to a ranch road.  Wouldn't they look great at the end of the cottage's driveway?

All good things must come to an end, I'm afraid.   As we made our way down the mountain, heading home, we drove through the clouds.    Once under them it was back to cold, grey rain.  

pay no attention to that cracked windshield,
this is Colorado after all!

Ah well.   After such a lovely day our batteries are recharged and we look forward to more sunny days and more happy times with our only child and his beautiful bride to be.

Thursday with Mr. David's A-1 Service Group

No pictures today.

  Last night Dave and I, along with Jesse and Erin,  drove up to Lyons for an open house at Riverbend (The Wedding venue).   I didn't even bother to take my camera along because....wait for it.......it was pouring.     It was neat to see the tent up, the lights strung, the bride's dressing area all set up, etc. and imagine what it will look like on a nice sunny fall day.    Afterwards we had great burgers and beer at the Lyons Fork restaurant and then drove back home.

Today, while I was doing laundry in house, our sewer hose sprung a leak so I had to quickly call Mr. David's RV Maintenance and Repair, LLC.    As always, he was happy to send over his best worker with a new hose and the problem was solved.      Later in the day Mr. David's Mobile Poodle Grooming Service came and did a bang up job on Lewis.    Once he was finished, Mr. David's Housecleaning Crew (a division of Mr. David's Mobile Poodle Grooming Service) set to work vacuuming up all the soft black hair that carpets the carpet after the Grooming is finished.    Of course, the job couldn't be done outside, thus avoiding the need for the Housecleaning Crew,  because......it was raining.

No pictures today.

Tuesday

These pictures are from last week (I think) when we took a short auto hike west on route 6 into clear creek canyon towards the little town of Idaho Springs.   It was hardly raining at all that day!

The days have been relatively uneventful.    Wedding talk over Papa Murphy's pizza on Saturday, lazy Sunday and lunch in Boulder on Monday as we started to check out venues for the night before The Wedding.     Today we filled up our propane tank (we've used the furnace a lot since we arrived), then moved to our new site.    Since we came into Dakota Ridge RV without reservations, Ann (the wonderful office volunteer) has worked very hard to get us a place for the entire season without having to change sites every week.    We'll have this pull thru site until the end of July and then move back to our original back in site for all of August and the remaining September.    Thanks Ann!

Needless to say, we unhooked, filled our propane tank, moved "up the hill", and re-hooked in our new site in the pelting rain.

Now we're settled down in front of the TV to watch the Dancing with The Stars Finale!  

Sunday

blue and green

SUNday.    We started the day off under a brilliant blue sky.    We all enjoyed second cup outside, it was glorious.

Later in the day, things began to change....as we've come to expect here.    Clouds rolled in and the sky became angry.

By dinner time it was raining heavily.    Just in time for Dave to set up the grill and cook our Firecracker Salmon.     Poor Dave.    Did I mention it was raining and cold?

Friday Fish Fry

This morning we met Erin to see a "mock up" (at least I think that is the correct term) of the wedding table, chairs, place settings and flowers.    Its gonna be lovely!

This evening we picked Jesse up at DIA (the airport) and then met Erin (after her work day) in downtown Denver for a casual dinner at The Kitchen Next Door, a close relative to the original Kitchen in Boulder and Denver.    It is in the recently renovated and energized Union Station, the atmosphere is lively and the food is just wonderful.   Since it was Friday night I had a fish fry (fish and chips here) and Dave had a lobster roll, that's fish isn't it?

  On our way to the airport we ran through some tremendous storms, filled with hail.    The building and quickly changing clouds were just fantastic to watch while we waited in the cell phone lot.    I didn't take any pictures.  

Here are a few I took on Monday afternoon at Riverbend in Lyons.  This is where The Wedding will take place in September.   They are just beginning to set up for the season's weddings and were very behind due to the recent heavy rains and flooding.   Betsy and Mike (the owner's) graciously allowed us to wander the grounds and get a feel for the place.     I think the blue sky that afternoon was a good omen, don't you?

setting up the big white tent

Dave inspects the lawn where the ceremony will be

a colony of tiny houses on the property

the river races past

Thursday

Warmish, dryish, then wetish.    Another day on the front range.    We stayed in until after lunch then headed southwest on another auto hike to no where in particular.     UPS delivered my laptop this morning right on time, so now I'm a happy camper, despite the wind driven rain.

Its good to read with a friend on a rainy day

Yes, there are mountains above that low ceiling

Erin and Jesse after the Beta Gamma Sigma induction ceremony

snow in Beluga's window

thawing the frozen water hose and filter

Dave, Erin and Ruby enjoy mother's day
happy hour in front of the fireplace

mural in Lyons

the road we take to Jesse and Erin's house

Enough pictures for now.