Thursday, July 26, 2007

Tucker




TUCKER. The new addition to our home.

Colorado Road Trip

Colorado Road Trip July '07

We decided to get away from the heat of Denver and spend some quality time out west. It was time to see some of my favorite parts of Colorado. We went up to Summit County to see how things were going at Keystone Science School summer programs. They have been doing some extensive landscaping and it is taking shape. I was quite impressed with the progress they have made. We were heading to Redstone, near Glenwood Springs. Bob and Linda Byers, my parent’s friends (and neighbors), have a home in Redstone and we spent the evening and morning with them. They were such gracious hosts for these imposers. We started heading south on the West Elk Scenic Byway toward Ouray. We passed by Black Canyon of the Gunnison, another place of great heights. Vicki had some difficulties with the drive near the rim and in most of the scenic overlooks. It combines all aspects of sheer walls, deep and narrow walls which makes it one of the most impressive canyons in the country. It is an amazing site and not a bad detour on our way to Ouray. Ouray is one of my favorite towns in Colorado with eclectic shopping and beautiful scenery everywhere. It is such a quaint mountain time with towering canyon walls just behind all the buildings. It is such a gorgeous setting with Cascade Falls looming over the town. We went over Red Mountain Pass to Silverton where walked around town in the cool drizzle. We could see our breath which is a welcome change from the heat of the Front Range. After talking to a weaver in Silverton and snapping some quick pictures of the train as it departed to Durango. Vicki and I were off to Durango for our next stop. We stayed in a dingy old hotel but all we needed was the bed. We exited the mountains and entered the San Luis Valley, primarily agricultural land, on our way to Alamosa. We decided we should go to the Great Sand Dunes National Park since we were down this way. Phoebe had love frolicking in the light sand and open spaces. We had to limit her movement most of the trip but she took advantage of the dunes. She love the small creek we had to wade through to get to the massive dunes. She could spend all day there and the temperature was unseasonably mild that day. This week was a great wildlife spotting session too. We watched a molting black bear foraging on a nearby hillside, followed a mother coyote and two cubs along the road, watched many turkey vultures soaring and roosting on the sheer cliffs of Black Canyon, rescued a tiger salamander from the center line of the highway, and spotted several pronghorn, elk and mule deer along the roadside. We love connecting with the outdoors in this wonderful state.

Royal Gorge!


The summer is continuing to fade away but we have been taking advantage of the time we have available. Some college friends, Ty and Kristi Demint, were vacationing in Pueblo with their family. Vicki and I decided that was the perfect excuse to go south to see the sights down there and spend some time with friends. We had a great evening catching up with them at the hotel and over dinner. Its has been too long. Ty and Kristi had to leave for Kansas early the next morning so Vicki and I decided to explore the area. We went to the Royal Gorge since both of us haven’t been there for several years and we are always interested in seeing the beauty of Colorado. We did all the tourist poses while at the gorge (under the sign, on the tram, sitting on the train, on the bridge, and all other traditional photo points). I am enjoying being a tourist since I don’t live in a tourist area anymore. Seeing the rushing water in the base of the gorge from over 1000 feet above is awe inspiring and possibly nauseating to Vicki. She isn’t too fond of the heights. Luckily the wind wasn’t blowing like it had earlier in the week. We heard the suspension bridge was rocking in the gales. We traveled to the base on the cable tram and were fortunate to see the train come through. We just enjoyed our time in the amazing setting and just were thankful we were able to spend the day here. We took a leisurely trek home on one of the scenic byways. Vicki’s students researched a scenic byway to learn about Colorado geography and we have been making a point to take them whenever possible so Vicki knows about them first hand. Traveling through the curved, two-lane roads through the gorgeous valleys and over remote, mountain passes makes travel much more rewarding.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Biking, biking, biking

Whew! I am now a safer biker -- with my new helmet. It looks similar to this picture, but I chose not to include an actual photo of me - so as not to scare anyone.


What a wonderful bike ride we had this evening. Starting out on some nice paths, we decided to set a destination goal: Jeanna's house. We made it to their home in less than 1/2 hour. Surprise! (I am teaching Aaron the art of just popping in on friends.) After a pleasant visit, we biked back in about 15 minutes (a more direct route). I wish I had a photo of the beautiful sunset view we had on our ride -- I guess you'll have to visit so you, too, can enjoy the majesty of the Rockies.

**We skipped the ice cream - even though today was National Ice Cream Day!

Stay cool in this hot summer weather!

Friday, July 13, 2007

Happy 4th Birthday

Jillian

We love you!
We miss you!
We cannot wait to see you!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Watoto


Watoto Children's Choir
Uganda's Children
God provided us with a wonderful opportunity to make new friends this week. After watching an energetic performance of Watoto at our church, we hosted an adult and two children from the group. We truly enjoyed getting to know these three awesome people. Since Monday is their "off-day", we got to hang out with them all day. To Aaron's delight, we did plenty of shopping AND Auntie Karen prepared (with a little help) a Ugandan meal for dinner. I am not sure which excited him more -- the food or the shopping. They have been in the country since January, but will be heading home at the end of the month. What a great experience for all of us. We only wish we had more time together, but the show must go on. To Auntie Karen, Lydia, and Elizabeth we say "Webale Nnyo" (Thank you very much!) You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Art on the Streets

What a great summer day we had Friday while we walked through the exhibits in Cherry Creek. Although we were only "viewing" and not shopping, it was great to see all the beautiful and interesting art from across the country. Another treat was the chance to visit with Bob and Megan at Hops. Summer is a super rejuvenator.

Happy 4th!

We hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July celebration.

Our celebration included all the makings of a good summer evening; friends, food, and fun. Lisa and her family hosted a BBQ at her Boulder home. We were joined by Boulder friends and went up to Chautauqua together to watch the fireworks. When returning home, Aaron and I were right on time to also see Broomfield and Thornton's firework displays still going. The front range cities were fortunate to be able to set off their fire and light shows, many mountain and surrounding areas were forced to cancel their fireworks because of the fire danger.

Monday, July 2, 2007

KENNY CHESNEY

Aaron swallowed his "not so country" music pride and went with me to the inaugural concert at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. The performer?... Jillian's favorite: Kenny Chesney! We got to hear more of Pat Green than we were familiar with since Sugarland didn't perform - they stated Jennifer Nettles was ill - in fact that she had flown to see her Dr. We had a great time listening to Kenny and people watching. (No - we weren't near as close as this picture.) It's a "Flip Flop Summer" her in CO!

We continue to stay cool in the extreme heat of the season. The community pool was a trip for today! Ahhh!