Great Time in Denver, Colorado and Raton, New Mexico

 We spent five nights at Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora, Colorado. This was our first time at this park, and we really enjoyed our time there. Kevin's cousin Mark and his wife Dolly came and camped for two of those nights. We hadn't seen them in a few years, so it was great to get together and catch up. 

Here's the lake formed by a dam built across Cherry Creek. There is a very nice sand beach. We saw lots of boats out on the lake.

This is our full hookup, pull through site which was huge. I love the big sites at state parks. Colorado State Parks are quite pricey, though. Cherry Creek is in the suburbs of Denver, and extremely popular. I was actually surprised to be able to get a reservation when I went online in spring. The site cost was $41 per night. We also were required to pay the $11 per day entrance pass fee. That put the total at $52 per night.

We saw this unusual tent setup in the area without hookups. A sleepwalker or restless sleeper could be in trouble up there!

On Friday we drove up over Guanella Pass to see some fall color. Colorado is known for the colorful beauty of the aspens in fall. We were not disappointed. We saw lots of amazing color on a clear day, and stopped for lunch at a scenic picnic spot.

So much beauty up here!

We stopped near the top for a bathroom break. We were around 11,000 feet which is right about where the tree line ends. Kevin and Mark enjoying a cold one.

There were some ponds up there. You can really see where the tree line ends.

Back at the campground, we were entertained by the black-billed magpies. Usually, we see pigeons or black birds as the scavenger birds in our travels. These magpies were very beautiful, but not at all afraid of the humans.

Friday Mark and Dolly treated us to a Dutch oven campfire dinner. Mark really knows his way around campfire cooking. He made a chicken stew with dumplings in the pot and corn on the cob to go with it. Delicious!!! 

On Sunday Kevin and I ran a few errands and stopped at Peak View Brewing Company. Kevin tried a flight of four beers including an Octoberfest and peanut butter porter. I had a hard cider. 

Monday we left Colorado and headed to Raton, New Mexico. We're here for four nights on the way to the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. On Tuesday we went golfing at the Raton Country Club. They had a special, if you showed a lodging receipt, golf was free. Our campground receipt counted, and we each got 18 holes for free. All we had to pay was the $20 cart fee. 

The course is at the base of some mountains and has beautiful views. It is only 9 holes, but was quite challenging. Accuracy was a must. My score was not great, even the second time we played the 9 holes. Oh well, we had a great time on a spectacular day.

Wednesday we drove about 30 miles west of Raton to the Capulin Volcano National Monument. Another place to use our senior National Parks pass. We paid $80 for the pass two years ago in Alaska, and have made good use of it already. I still have quite a few National Parks on my bucket list. The admission at Capulin was $20 per carload without the pass.

Capulin Volcano erupted about 60,000 years ago and formed an outstanding example of a volcanic cinder cone. There is a visitor center at the bottom where we watched the 10 minute movie and stamped my parks passport. Then we drove up the road to the top of the volcano.

At the top was another parking lot with a one mile paved path around the rim. The elevation was over 8,000 feet with about a 350 foot increase on the path. We're not used to climbing in this elevation, and needed to take our time. We enjoyed all the amazing views as we slowly made our way around the rim. Here's a panoramic view of the rim.

And a view to the bottom of the cone.

In the distance there were lots of hills and mesas, which were all formed by volcanic activity.

Tomorrow we head to Albuquerque for the International Balloon Fiesta. I'm really looking forward to our five days there. 

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Great Times with Family

We left Wisconsin on September 2nd, and headed to Cedar Falls, Iowa to visit some of Kevin's family. We were able to spend time with his brother and wife, and also their son and his family. One afternoon, we drove to Cedar Rapids to visit friends John and Janie. We were having such a good time that I totally forgot to take any pictures.

From there we traveled to Ashland, Nebraska where we spent two weeks at the camp Korey works at. This is such a beautiful place. The first weekend we were there, Cathryn's parents were also visiting from Minnesota. We hadn't seen them since the wedding eight years ago. It was great catching up with them. 

We went apple picking on Sunday. Here are Korey and Cathryn returning with their haul of apples. It drizzled a little, but Korey was prepared. The farm we went to was in Lincoln and is called Picnic Hill Orchard. This is their first year they are open for apple picking. The trees are not big yet, but there were plenty of apples on them, and they are delicious. The owners are very friendly, and its a beautiful place. If you are ever in the Lincoln, Nebraska area in late summer or fall, I highly recommend you visit them. They even let us pick blackberries for free.

We were able to golf with Korey and Cathryn on a warm afternoon at Ashland Country Club. What a great time!!

Kevin, Korey and I also golfed the last afternoon before we left. Cathryn wasn't able to get off of work. It was sure windy, but still fun.

Mostly, we just hung out together, had some laughs, played some games and ate some tasty meals. Last winter Cathryn had asked me if I could carve some Mickey Mouse door handles for their closet in the bedroom. One of the plastic handles had broken. I carved two of them, and gave them to Korey as part of his birthday present. Kevin and Korey installed them. I think they turned out nice. They have another single door closet next to this one, so I'm going to make a third matching handle this winter.

Their dog, Remy, likes to drink out of the bathtub faucet. He's such a character!!

We are spending the next five days at Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora, Colorado. Kevin's cousin Mark and his wife Dolly are coming to camp as well. It will be great seeing them again.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

A Sad Summer

 It's been over two months since I posted. During that time a lot has happened. Saddest of all is that my mother passed away on my birthday, August 17th. She had been diagnosed with interstitial lung disease about four years ago. Over the past year, I had noticed her health was definitely declining. However, she was a fighter; and was still able to be living independently in her home. On July 13th she was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a car accident. She suffered broken ribs, and went to the hospital. Little did we expect, she would never come home again. She developed pneumonia, and her lungs just couldn't recover from that. We were able to have her funeral, and get her house ready for an estate sale before leaving Wisconsin. It was a very busy and stressful two weeks. 

My computer crashed at the beginning of the summer, so I had to get a new one. Unfortunately, my photos are all digital, so I don't have one of my mom to share. I have them all backed up on a hard drive, but it's in Yuma. Instead, I will share a picture of her casket with a beautiful flower arrangement featuring sunflowers. She loved gardening, and I believe she would have loved these flowers.

The weekend after my mom passed, I needed a break. We drove to Amherst, Wisconsin which is not too far from Almond, where we were camped. There is a farm there with 30 acres of sunflowers. They were beautiful, and just what my soul needed.

In July we purchased a lot at Fountain Lak RV Park where we've been staying the last few summers. Decent campgrounds are not to be found near where our son Eric lives, so we've been staying about a two hour drive away. We weren't really looking to buy a lot, but the perfect opportunity presented itself; so we jumped on it. Here is a picture from the back of the lot. The lots are very large, and ours came with a shed. Fountain Lake is a membership park, and included in the membership is access to mowers, equipment and tools. So, Kevin is back to mowing grass.

This is the view from the front of the lot. We had to buy a cell phone booster because Verizon service is terrible in central Wisconsin. 

In July we attended a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game with Eric, Erin and Tyler. It was super hot and humid, but at least the Brewers won. In fact, they are playing super well this season. Do I dare hope there is a World Series win in the future???? As you can see, Eric was sporting long hair and a full beard. That leads to the picture below.

My mom always told Eric how handsome he was with short hair and no beard. In her honor, he got a haircut and shaved his beard for her funeral. This may be the last time I see him like that, so I had to have a photo to commemorate the occasion.

Months ago, we had planned a family reunion in Wisconsin the second weekend in August. Korey and Cathryn drove up from Nebraska for the weekend, and stayed with us. Eric and Erin rented a Airbnb near us, and we all went tubing on the Wolf River. Erin's daughter Mady, and her boyfriend Ryan also joined us. When our kids were younger, we went tubing there every summer, so they had fun reminiscing about the "good old days". 

Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions, the kids were not able to visit grandma in the hospital that weekend. Two weeks later, Korey and Cathryn drove back to Wisconsin for her funeral. So sad!!

Our friend Wanda from Arkansas came to Wisconsin for part of the summer. We had a great time golfing with her and her son Joel at Camelot Golf Course in Lomira. Wanda's dad was the founder of that course. They have a plaque in his honor below the sword in the stone.

We were also able to meet up with friends Mike and Joni from Yuma for lunch one Sunday. They are traveling throughout the country this summer, and visiting with lots of Yumans.

Today we arrived in Waterloo, Iowa for the holiday weekend. We'll be visiting with Kevin's brother and family and our friends, John and Janie. We won't be back to Yuma until about October 7th. We'll be quite busy between now and then, so I'll be posting more often.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Happy Birthday Korey

Today is our youngest son Korey's 37th birthday. Where does the time go??? He has to work today. Since we are staying at the campground where he works, he will be able to stop by for a visit this afternoon.

We left Yuma on June 17th with temperatures around 116 degrees. The heat stayed with us through Arizona and New Mexico. Finally, it got cooler in Colorado. Since we've been in Nebraska, it has been quite humid with temps in the 80s and quite a bit of rain. Hopefully, we won't get stuck again at the campground like we did last fall. 

When we travel from Yuma to the Midwest, our first stop is usually Homolovi State Park in Winslow, Arizona. For years, I have seen the sign for the Meteor Crater attraction. This year we decided to finally go take a look. It is privately owned, and was $18 each for seniors. There is a very nice visitor center. Included in the price was a guided tour of the rim, a movie about what caused the crater, a museum, and a 4D movie geared towards kids. 

We went early to avoid the heat. Our guide was very informative, and we walked about 1/4 mile along a paved path to see and learn about the crater. Originally, it was believed this huge hole was a volcano vent. In 1902, Daniel Barringer, a Philadelphia mining engineer, came to the site and was convinced it was caused by the impact of a large iron meteorite. He spent years digging and mining beneath the site, hoping to find a huge deposit of iron. What he didn't realize, was that the impact was so massive, that the meteorite was pretty much pulverized on impact. The site still belongs to the Barringer family.

It is estimated the impact happened about 50,000 years ago, and that the meteorite was about 150 feet wide weighing several hundred thousand tons. It was traveling at a speed of 26,000 miles per hour, and struck the earth with the force of 20 million tons of TNT. That's enough dynamite to fill railroad cars stretched from California to New York. The crater is about a mile wide and 700 feet deep. Chunks of the meteorite have been found miles away. In this picture, you can see a boulder on the rim at the far side of the crater near the middle of the photo. That rock is the size of a two story house.

At the bottom of the crater there is still debris from previous mining operations. NASA used the site for astronaut training. There is a six foot cutout of an astronaut and an American flag attached to a fence at the bottom. You cannot see if from the top without zooming in. This is a picture using the 30x zoom function of my camera. To better understand the size of the crater, imagine that you could fit 20 football fields at the bottom and have seats for 2 million spectators observing from the sides. It's massive!!

Here's a view from the top of a viewing platform outside the visitor center.

It was an interesting visit, and now I don't have to wonder about it every time we drive past the signs!!

Saturday we spent the afternoon brewing beer with Korey and Cathryn. This year's selection is a Belgium Saison. 

Korey orders the beer kits from Amazon. This recipe was considered intermediate, so they were very careful to follow the directions to a tee. Here they are adding some ingredients. I was in charge of picture taking and did some stirring.

After the beer is done cooking, you have to cool it down quickly. The first year we used an ice bath, but that took a long time and a lot of ice. The next year Korey had purchased a copper cooling coil that goes in the pot with a hose attached to it. The water runs through the coils and cools the beer down quite quickly. Remy, the dog, was enjoying slurping the water from the hose. We had to keep him away at first, because the water was quite hot at the beginning.

Saturday evening we went to dinner for Korey's birthday. He chose a place called Fireworks in Lincoln. We had a great time, and it was so nice to be able to go out again without wearing masks.

We're leaving Lincoln on Wednesday, spending one night in Amana, Iowa, and arriving in Wisconsin on July 1st. It will be great to see our Wisconsin friends and relatives again. Hopefully, it won't be so humid. We're used to dry heat now that we spend most of the year in Arizona. 

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Getting Ready to Leave Yuma for a Few Months

 I was surprised to see I haven't posted since April 17th. I try to do at least a monthly update, but I guess time got away from me. Not that there is anything earthshattering to report. We have been doing much of the same.

We continue to play golf at least 3 or 4 times a week. It has been getting rather warm lately, so golf is a 7 am. Those of you who know Kevin, understand that is an early start for him. However, for golf he is up and ready to go!

There are two par 3 holes on the course here at Fortuna. Both are over 150 yards for ladies which is just a bit beyond my driving range. However, on Aril 26th, I drove the green on hole one (barely) for the first time. And, I have done it one more time since then. Yippee!! That was just six weeks ago, and I'm wearing a jacket. It sure has gotten warmer since then.

We have also done a few float trips on the Colorado River with friends. We all drive to the entry point. Then all the drivers take the vehicles to the finish area which is at Wetlands Park. Then all the drivers get back into one car and come back to the start where everyone else is waiting. It works out great. On one such trip Cynthia brought a waterproof camera, so these are the pictures I borrowed from her. As you can see, it is a tough life we lead. It was a perfect day!

Here are Kevin and Everett enjoying the trip. I don't know who is in the very back.

A group shot. I think we had seven people on this trip.

This is the Ocean to Ocean bridge spanning the Colorado River. It was built in 1915, and was the first highway crossing of the lower Colorado. The bridge was a crucial link of the transcontinental Ocean-to-Ocean Highway. That's Kevin enjoying the view.

In April there were a few small wildfires along the river. We saw quite a bit of burned out brush. These two palm trees were completely black with a few leaves struggling to hang on at the top.

Kevin and I enjoying the day. You might notice Kevin has a frisbee in his hand. They're used to help paddle. 

On Sunday, April 25th, we attended the Howling at the Moon gathering in the desert. This event happens every month from October through April for one or two days when there is a full moon. There is a stage where bands play, vendors are selling food and souvenirs, and thousands of people come to dance, enjoy the music and HOWL at the moon. We had never gone, because crowds aren't really our thing. But, it sounded like fun, and I wanted to experience it. So, when some friends mentioned they were going, we asked if I could join them. Here's the mascot at the entry.

This was the last event for this season. I'm guessing there were a few hundred people there. Two bands took turns playing. The theme was the blues, which is not really to our taste, but it was still fun. I've seen pictures during the busy season where the entire area is packed with people, so this was a nice and easy way to enjoy the event.

Friends went early and set up a pop up shelter from the sun, since it got pretty warm. We had snacks and plenty of beverages. You know, its very important to stay hydrated in the heat!!

At around 6 pm, the moon rose over the foothills. It was still light out, so not as spectacular as in the dark. You knew the moon was there because there was plenty of howling. I'm not really sure how this event started, but it has been going on for at least several years, and lots of people love it. In fact, it is so popular that our park now sponsors their own version during the busy months with a band and bonfire right in our park for our residents.

There are a lot of quails in the park, especially on the golf course. This year I saw baby ones for the first time. They are just adorable with their little legs going a mile a minute. I tried to get pictures, but they are just too fast! I was at a local shop, and couldn't resist these metal ones for our back patio. So cute!!

It seems there has been more wildlife than ever this spring and summer. Lots of quails, roadrunners and rabbits. Kevin was sitting on our front porch a few weeks ago, and this guy came jumping up the steps. He got pretty close to Kevin and then jumped off the side of the porch. I know some people feed them, so some of them are becoming quite tame.

One type of wildlife we saw yesterday on our back patio is not one I wish to see again. After some research, I believe it was a Palo Verde beetle. It was huge. Kevin scooped it into the dust pan and tossed it over the fence down to the golf course. The golf ball is for size reference. Yikes!! At least it wasn't a snake. There are some of those around, too. I haven't seen one in our park yet.

Before our friend Cynthia left to go back to Nova Scotia, she treated us to dinner with Everett and Nancy. After dinner we played a game of marbles. We have so much fun here!! She ended up flying to Maine, renting a car, and driving across the border to Canada. There were lots of restrictions in place for her to return, but she didn't regret coming and enjoying the warm winter.

We're leaving Yuma on June 17th. We're heading to Nebraska for a week to visit Korey and Cathryn. Then, we'll spend the months of July and August in Wisconsin to visit more family and friends. In September, we'll spend a few days in Iowa, then back to Nebraska for a while, and then five nights near Denver to visit Kevin's cousin. From October 1st through the 5th, we have reservations a the Albuquerque International Balloon Festival. It should be a great summer.

We also booked a Panama Canal cruise for October, 2022. It was such a great deal, I couldn't resist. And, it's fully refundable, so we can cancel if necessary. But, I'm feeling hopeful that by then all will be well, and we can enjoy a fun trip. We've missed traveling!

Stay safe!!