Happy Valentine's Day!

 

In celebratation of the infamous Hallmark holiday Jim and I decided to partake in the  "Totally Inappropraite Date Night" hosted by the Durango Discovery Museum.  The evening included beer, wine, desserts and sheep hearts.  After the hearts were passed out, we were turned loose with scalpels, scissors and other small intruments of destruction.  Our hostess gave a description of the anatomy of the heart and the function of the parts before we began.  The hearts were fresh from a local butcher, it was nice not to have the yucky formaldehyde smell and stiffness.  These muscles were gorgeous and pliable with just a hint of lamb odor - mint sauce anyone?  After about an hour of playing with our sheep heart (I know, it's not nice to toy with someone's heart), we put away the messy stuff and were treated to wonderful desserts and a lecture.  The lecture was on the chemistry of love.  Yes, the actual chemisty - hormones and chemical reactions and such.  It was definately a memorable evening.

 

 Me and the lovely fresh (no preservatives here) sheep hearts.

Eat your heart out!

I was careful to keep a valve intact. 

So delicate and beautiful, amazing that it preforms such a demanding job a gazillion times through out a lifetime.

 

Hope "Ewe" had a lovely date, too!

(pictuers by Jim 'cuz he had clean hands)

Colorado Trail Series

Colorado Trail Series

Day 3- Part 2

Lunch to Blackhawk Pass Camp

 

Hiked: 2.5 Miles

Camped: 11,700 evelvation

 

After lunch we continued on our way south towards our camp for the night.  Moseying along with no sense of urgency we took many more pictures that afternoon.

 



(as always click to enlarge photos - it's worth it!)

 

Another stunning view.

One last look back to the mountains we left behind to the north yesterday.

 

Then a look forward from the same point and catch the first glimpse of the ridge line we are headed to for the night. 

 

Amazing what you come upon while silently passing through the woods.  I stepped right into the middle of a small ptarmigan family.  The hen and her four young seemed rather indifferent to our presence.  They scooted just far enough off the trail to feel safe but not so far that Jim couldn't get some great pictures.

 



Mother Nature knew exactly what she was doing when she painted these lovely ground birds.  Can you see why I almost stepped on the little brood?

 



Closer... we're getting closer!

I can the saddle we will be sleeping under tonight.  Just on the edge of the treeline and hopefully next to a stream according to the guide book.

 

Camp!

Backpacks are dumped out.  A clothesline is strung. 

Laundry is washed. 

 

There was a stream! 

So after laundry and a frigid mountain stream bath, I set my chair in the sun to soak up some of the last warm rays on my bare skin.  Of course I wasn't idle in my sunbathing, there's always something to be done such as the filtering of water for the night's dinner and tomorrow's breakfast.

Albino hairless Sasquatch?!

Oh no, that's just Jim taking his turn in the icy waters doing laundry and freshening up.

 

An early moon rise over the sensationally striped bluff to the east of our camp. 

 It was a short relative easy day.  An early arrival at camp allowed us to unpack, clean up and cook at a leisurely pace.  I had enough time to fry up enough fresh corn cakes for dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day.  These served alongside hot minestrone soup with bite of chocolate and a cup of wine for dessert (or a shot of bourbon for Jim) made for a nice end to a nice day.  Although, camping on the north side of a mountain means a false sunset that comes quite early and brings with it the chills of the shadows.  So it was early to bed for these weary travelers.

 

Good Night from Day 3!

(but remember there are 4 more days of trails, trees and trials....)

Colorado Trail Series

Colorado Trail Series

Day 3 - Part 1
Celebration Lake to Lunch at the saddle below Section Point

Hiked: 4 miles
Lunch: 11,810 elevation

Day 3 was a short day, only about 6.5 miles to our planned camp just below Blackhawk Pass.  So we lingered in camp and enjoyed a hot breakfast before setting out on the trail.  We hiked a bit slower and Jim took more pictures.  Hence, Day 3 is broken into two parts in order to share so many photos.
  I should also mention that the trail stays above 11,500 feet the entire day. 
Got Oxygen?!

(As always click to enlarge photos - it's worth it!)
 

Of course, we rested often and in the shade when available.

Looking forward to the south at Hermosa Peak - 12,579ft.
The trail would skirt the west side leading us around and not over (thank goodness) this mountain.

 

More heart shaped rocks!
Love abound on this trail.

 This is the trail around Hermosa Peak (left).

Weaving in and out of trees as we were at the top reaches of the treeline.

 

You have to enlarge this photo.
Like I mentioned before, you must follow the posts along the trail.
Although, sometimes there are trail guides to chirp encouragements to you along the way.

 Sitting on a bleak windblown saddle below Section Point, we ate lunch.  However, looking back to the north at the mountains we had just passed yesterday so many miles away was satisfyingly beautiful.

 

Check Back for Day 3 - Part 2

Coming Soon!

 

 

Debt Free!!!

 

WOW!!!

 

I can't believe the day has finally arrived!

Jim and I had our sights set on being debt free by 2017.

With much planning, frugality and financial diligence we have achieved our goal three years earlier than planned. 

 

Today, February 7, 2014 we made our final payments on all that loomed over our heads.

No more mortgage, no more student loans, no more credit cards!!

 

We have our sights set on maintaining a debt free future.

What good is $150,000 in a retirement account if you owe $300,000 in debt?

Why slave away day in and day out at a job only to pay a bank for the use of your house?

Yes, I said "use".  No, don't fool yourself by believing that you own your house because if you currently have a mortgage the bank owns it.  Just look at the past economy and the foreclosures that took place.  Not to be a negative ninny about people using the credit system to purchase items, I am just opting to use cash for items.  If we can't pay cash, we won't buy it - plain and simple.

Thus, reducing any chances of losing our possessions to banks.

Unfortunately, I know people who "lived" high on the hog during the heydays of bank loans and easy credit a few years back.  Now, after losing their houses, vehicles and recreational toys they are left with nothing but bad credit and monthly rental payments.

 

We are choosing to say "NO!" to the American lifestyle of credit cards and bank loans.

 

So, let today be our Independance Day!

Let us move forward with a lighter step unburdened by the clouds of debt!

 

 

 

 

 

 



crazy pet pics

Crazy Pet Pics

 

Going through some old files I found a few pictures to share.

Enjoy!

 

 Aspen

Happy 7th Birthday (Feb 2013)

 

 Doug the Devil Dog

(why it posted sideways I will never know & I could not rotate it..arrgh!)

 

"Why is there there a chicken in my dog kennel?," Aspen wonders aloud.

"Pretty sweet coop ya got here dawg," Cocoa Bean comments.

"Ok, yeah, thanks.  Just please don't peck my eye out," Aspen replies.

 

 Looky what I found under a bag of soil last summer!

What a surprise in my arid southwestern yard.

 



 Ok, so not officially a pet but I did name him before I carefully relocated him to another safer area in the yard. 

Meet Sammy the Salamander.

 

Hope all the critters you love are doing well.

 

 

ColoradoTrail Series

Colorado Trail Series
 Day 2

First camp to Celebration Lake (almost)
 

Hiked:12.75 miles

Camp: 11,090 elevation

(As always click to enlarge pictures - it's worth it!)

 

Starting out on Day 2 and looking back toward the valley we slept in the night before.  The trail is well used and easy to follow.

But, when in doubt look for posts or triangle CT markers or both.

 



It's nice that most of the intersections have good signage.

 

Love was everywhere along the trail.

 

 (may have to enlarge to see Pika sitting on the rock)

 

After our first big climb over Rolling Pass (12,520), we descended and were greeted by a Pika.  She was totally friendly and came running up for snacks.  However, we do not feed wild life and so she proceeded to try to chew on my shoe.  

 

 

Views at every turn.

 

 Near the head waters of Cascade creek.

 

 

The last decent toward Celebration Lake.

Frost had already come in the mountains as you can see the colors changing.

 

 

Dusk was coming fast.

I hustled to find a campsite and get dinner going before night fall.

 

Deer came into our camp all night long.

Like the Pika, they too were probably looking for hand outs.

 

Day 2 was a long haul.  There was a steep climb in the morning over Rollings Pass and another long drawn out climb up from Cascade creek (5 + miles).  I don't do well with climbs.  I'm just slow.  Jim doesn't do well with descents.  His knees don't like them.  So with today's ups and downs we were both exhausted.  The trail approaching Celebration Lake joins up with an abandoned jeep trail, then a recreational dirt road, then back to the woods, then back to a road..... and so forth.  With the light fading and the need set up camp, to find and filter water and cook and eat, I rushed ahead and found what I thought was the lake.  Jim set camp while I filtered water from one of the few pockets in a dry marshy area.  Considering the drought of the summer, we thought perhaps the lake was drying up.  Neither of us had ever been there so we didn't know what to expect. 

 

Completely exhausted we fell into our tent as the night fell around us.  As we drifted off to sleep we heard a dog barking in the distance.  Really?! I thought we escaped that!  As we would discover the next morning we had stopped about a quarter of a mile short of Celebration Lake.  Which was full of water.  However, there was also a family in a Jeep with a barking dog.  So it was a blessing in disguise that we camped where we did or otherwise the dogs might have met it's fate a bit early.  (Yes, I was that cranky about the barking.)

 

Sleep where you can!

 

......stay tuned for Day 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year!!!

 

GREETINGS 2014 FROM THE SLOPES!!

 

 

If "selfies" are all the rage, I need some practice.

 

 

 

Jim and Stown proving they are a bit faster than me by hopping on the chair in front.

 

Finally! 

A nice picture of all of us at the top of the mountain.

Thanks, kind Texan tourist.

 

 

Hope 2014 brings you many smiles and you are surrounded by those you love!!