A Day At The Lake

Aspen - Golden Retriever 3 yrs. old
Doug - Labrador Retriever 14 mos. old

Together these two will fetch anything... even stuff I didn't throw. This stick was a product of their boredom after I stopped throwing the toy. On Sunday April 19th Jim and I took them to Lemon Reservoir north of Durango. We packed a picnic lunch, a couple of chairs and headed to the lake for a relaxing afternoon in the spring time sun. Aspen is our grand swimmer. Doug swims as well but quickly gives up when he realizes she is going to reach the toy / stick before he will. So while Aspen swims out to the object of focus, Doug waits in the shallows. He watches her and crouches like a tiger as she approaches. When she gets within 10-12 feet, he explodes through the water and attacks her. Sometimes he is successful in taking the toy from her and other times he only succeeds in knocking her under the water. This is really entertaining for us to watch and laugh at; perhaps this is why we don't have television... We have real-a-vision! Unfortunately, I didn't think about getting out the camera until late in the day. So all our pictures have a sun streak effect.

May you find entertainment in alternative forms!

Spring Has Sprung!!

Good Morning Sprouts!!

I may not be the best photographer in the world but sprouts don't exactly smile for you. Here are my wonderful basil and broccoli sprouts growing happily in my window. Every day they eagerly bend toward the warming sun, so I am constantly rotating their container to help them with their posture. This is just one container on my rolling shelf system that occupies the only south facing window in our house. It takes up a good portion of our dining area. Hence, when we have company for dinner, I just roll it into the other room. I acquired the rack off the porch of a house on one of my delivery routes. Part of the joy of delivering mail all over town is all the cool free stuff you find that other people are just throwing out.

(And the obvious fact that I get paid to walk around outside all day!)

My Patiently Waiting Containers.

Dinah, the old cat, looks out the window wondering what all the change is about and why there are so many little birds in the yard. I cleaned away years of pine needle and scrub oak debris and threw down wild grass and flower seeds (area not pictured). I thought these would help with erosion on our front sloping yard, what I didn't realize was that little birds have a radar which must go off when seeds hit the ground. I have yet to see any new sprouting but the birds are fattening up! Oh Well. Meanwhile, I have all these fantastic containers awaiting planting. I only bought 4 containers and some soil. The rest of the containers were free along with about 1/3 of the soil... again thanks to customers on my route! One customer needed to thin out her herb garden and invited me to help dig up and transplant some herbs. I received thyme, marjoram, sage, chive, parsley and rhubarb! They are all living and thriving outside. I have basil, broccoli, cilantro, squash, tomatoes and strawberries safely inside. Many more seeds will be sown today - spinach, peas, bush beans, carrots, radishes and lettuces in the canoe a.k.a. "S.S. Side Dish." Jim was kind enough to let me turn his old canoe into a shallow garden. It's had a hole in it for years and he's been threatening to patch it since we met. Instead, he drilled more holes in the bottom for drainage and we have given it a new life. My containers appear sad and empty in the diffused light on this overcast morning, but I can close my eyes and imagine the lush bounty that will soon await harvest.




More Free Stuff!!

So after searching for a quality seated garden scooter to comfortably work in my low containers I had given up and purchased a padded garden thing to kneel upon. It seemed all the new scooters are now made of plastic and resemble children's toys. What happened to building quality products? Do we live in such a "disposable" world that nothing is made to last more than a year or two? Alas, another free-bee from a customer on my route! He had this old scooter in his yard ever since last fall. It endured the rain and snow and was covered in dirt and wet leaves. It was just what I had been looking for, so I inquired on where he had gotten it. Then he offered it to me. He stated that he didn't use it and just wanted it out of his yard. I was elated at such a find and took it home that day. Aside from flat tires and dirt, it is in perfect working order. The tractor style seat spins and raises and lowers in height. It's perfect to scoot around my canoe work the soil without working my back.



So spring has sprung and sprouts are underway here in Colorado. Most are safe inside the warmth of the house, protected from the sporadic snows that still decorate our yard. Birds are singing and the trees are swaying... the earth is awakening.



May your spring be graced by new life!!

Where Have We Been?!

Well, the snow is starting to melt and we are coming back to reality. The question remains... Where have we been for the past few months?! March brought a visit from Stown to celebrate his 13th birthday! (Whoa! I'm the mother of a teenager!) His birthday is in February, however we celebrated with him in March. We flew him to Durango on a Wednesday night and he stayed until Sunday. Jim and I both took vacation while he was here. No work and all play made for a great time. We spent three days on the slopes together. After all the eating out and snowboarding at high altitude, Stown returned to California to rest and catch up in school.
Between work and sleep, Jim and I spend every Sunday together on the slopes. Usually, we are tearing down the mountain creating high speed havoc and on occasion stopping in the trees for a snack break. On my other day off (if I get one), I spend it volunteering with the Adaptive Sports Center teaching skiing to those with disabilities.

On Jim's other day off, he can be found with his best friend Will throwing smooth tricks and mad style across the slopes. If you ever catch a glimpse of these two flying down the mountain together, stop and stare! They weave in and out so close together that they look like the Blue Angels on snowboards. I have to admit that sometimes when they click boards and bump off each other but continue like nothing happened it makes me a bit nervous. Yet, knowing that they both have crazy skills, I know they can pull it off with flair.

Stown isn't the only birthday in February. Aspen (on the left) turned 3 and Doug (on the right) turned 1. We took them in for a birthday weigh in at the vet and Doug topped the scales at 90 lbs!! He's a big boy full of muscle. Aspen, however, got put on a diet because her lard butt was 76lbs... almost 20lbs heavier than last summer when she got fixed. I suppose getting a puppy, my job change (longer hours) and shorter days in the winter didn't help. The good news is that the days are getting longer which means more hikes, we've cut back on her food and at the 30 day check in she had lost over 3 lbs. The vet was happy with her progress.

(Not the best picture, but trying to get these two to both sit still is not easy.)

Last but not least... Pablo!

We love entertaining friends for dinner - or having entertaining friends for dinner!

Pablo is quite the character. Here he's making his famous mushrooms and sporting a very flattering apron. What a figure, Pablo!!

Well, that's the gist of why we haven't returned phone calls, emails or letters.
We can't help that when the ski season starts we disappear.
If anything was truly important, I figure people will call twice or leave a message.
We love our family and friends and those of you that love us understand.
As the season comes to close, we will be coming back to the reality of emails and phones.

But not for too long...'cause as the roads and trails dry out - motorcycles, mountain bikes and running shoes will find their way out of the shed!!

Love to all and may you find your happiness outside!!

My Christmas Surprise!

I had been a good girl. Weeks before Christmas Jim had brought home a huge box, set it in our living room and simply threw a sheet over it. He asked me not to look for it was a Christmas present. So I walked around this mystery box a dozen times a day, never once peeking under the loosely drapped sheet. Christmas arrives and I tear off the sheet like a showroom model to reveal an outdoor fire pit!! I had wanted on all summer but never found the extra money. With all the commotion of company, I never actually opened the box until January 1st. After my day of laziness and way too much coffee, I decided at 4 in the afternoon to open and assemble my fire pit in the living room. I cut the tape, flip the lid only to find boxes of Christmas lights?! Not believing my eyes, I removed a few boxes from the top... as if maybe the fire pit was hiding underneath and Jim was playing a joke on me.

Nope. From this view you can see the 37 boxes of indoor/outdoor lights that would fill the box. Apparently, an empolyee had used the empty box to repack extra lights but had failed to mark it. Well, the box was heavy... so is a fire pit. The box had been retaped... but maybe they just wanted to see the fire pit. Maybe if I plugged in all the lights and wadded them into a big glowing ball I could create an Electric Fire Pit! Ahhhhh.... Atlas disappointment set in and I pulled out the camera to document the event. I guess I didn't believe it, so why would the store?

Fortunately, we live in a small town and despite the fact that Jim didn't have the receipt they gladly exchanged it. It took a few days to order a new fire pit and the lady at the counter couldn't believe her eyes when Jim opened the box for her. However, they were grateful for our honesty; as the cost of the lights were more than double the cost of the fire pit! As for now, the new fire pit is still in the box in the living room and the marshmellows are in the cupboard, but I did open the lid to double check the contents!

Let your light shine... be it fueled by wood or electricity!

Out with the Old & In with the New... but only if it's reused, recycled or handcrafted!!

Our brunch served in locally handmade ceramic mugs, hand-me-down plates and forks, a french press that was the "display" model and cloth napkins from the thrift store.

New Year's day brought forth an empty house here on Hollyhock Trail. Stown had left on 29th of December and Jim's parents left this morning before the sun had rose. Jim and I went back to bed after saying our goodbyes and slept in for the first time in a long time. Exhausted from the holiday hustle and bustle, we decided to hang out in our robes all day, sip coffee and catch up on doing nothing. I made homemade pecan sticky buns and french pressed coffee... although in the spirit of laziness we didn't eat until the early afternoon! Tonight we will be carrying on an old German tradition of consuming sauerkraut on New Year's Day to bring good fortune for the next 365 days.

Meanwhile with a new year before me, I have decided to do a few things different this year. I have been preparing for these for a while and are now going to put them into action. The first is buying as FEW new items as possible. I am already a frequent flyer at our thrift stores; be it donating items or shopping for others. Yet, this year I am going to try not to buy any new products for gifts or household usage. The reuse, recycle or handmade theory seems to be even more important as our economy is pressuring us with words like "recession" and "depression". I have already boxed up my old magazine subscriptions and am mailing them to a friend whom does not subscribe. For the few dollars it costs to mail them, we both enjoy the reading and save space in a landfill or recycle bin.

Since we brought back all my stuff from storage in October, I have been trying to purge the clutter. I have gotten rid of shoes, clothes, dishes and countless other cluttering useless (to me) goods. In an effort to reduce and simplify our household, I scrutinize things like never before. Earlier this year I pulled the pull on Jim's microwave, wrapped it in tape and dated it. Vowing that if so many months went by and we didn't use it it was going away. Well, it's gone and so is the cabinet it sat on (which was a black hole for canned goods). I replaced it with a shelf and a couple of baskets I picked up for under $10 and have a more organized pantry area that takes up less floor space in our small home. I also deleted 16 pages of emails that had collected over the past year. Do you know how nice it is to open your email and only see things from that day?

Container gardening is another under taking for the new year. I am looking forward to growing and consuming our own food since I have finally settled down. However, we have such poor soil and are planning to build a new home in 5-7 years that putting in all the work and hours into an "in ground" garden doesn't seem profitable to me. So I have started my research by ordering some used books and being on the look out for any old pots or boxes that might be suitable for vegetables. Our altitude makes for a short growing season but we have a single south facing window to hopefully start some seeds indoors. Unfortunately, it is in our dining room so i fear our table may become a nursery for a while this spring. Anyone with any advice please contact me... I know I can't learn it all from books.

Books can be very enlightening though! A year ago a friend of ours gave us a book called "Your Money or Your Life" while we were on vacation. We got home, it got unpacked and shoved on a shelf. I found it this fall and started reading it. Enthralled with the advice it offered on budgeting and being accountable for your spending I dog eared pages and decided to follow much of the advice drawn out within the pages. Despite, the outdated costs of goods because of the books age, I knew I could benifit from the over all process and planned on starting my new financial accountablity the 1st of January 2009. Then the dog ate the book. I went online and ordered a new updated and revised copy. While the figures had been adjusted to reflect a more modern economy, some of the lists had been edited out (guess I'll have to order the old edition now too). However, the principles were the same... Be accountable and know where your money goes! I created an basic spread sheet and Jim entered it into the Excel program for me. We have agreed to save receipts and track our spending. Let's see if this helps more money go into savings and our debt disappear faster!

I will post pictures from our holiday adventures soon and recap our exciting 2008 high lights another day as it seems like too much work for now. Today was about doing nothing. So that's what I've done... nothing.

Peace, Love and Happiness to all in the year to come.

Moab 50K (+/- 3.5 miles)

Brrrr! This is my friend Kristen and I about to embark on our craziest run ever. We went to Moab Utah earlier this month for a 50K trail run. So how far is 50K? Roughly 32 miles. Unless of course, you are the course setters who can't measure (more on that later). The start was at 8:30am in the canyons south of town. It was chilly so we donned our cold weather gear which we would hand off to Jim right before the start or stuff in our packs as we warmed up. There was also a 10 & 20 mile option that day, making for approximately 250 runners toeing up for a mass start. The air buzzed with excitement and shivered with nerves mixed with goosebumps. We had done quite a bit of prerace preparation; course mapping, aid station and cut off times recorded, pace expectations - we were ready! However, knowing full well that we would not stand a chance at winning we brought along a camera to document our journey. Our goal was to finish strong and finish together. No man (or woman) was to be left behind!

The course was typical Moab...Jeep road, slick rock and sand. Just follow the yellow brick...Opps! I mean fluorescent green dots and yellow ribbons. With a lack of vegetation, much of the course was marked with biodegradable paint dots and arrows on the rocks. Above, was the beginning of the first big ascent. The slick rock was covered with a thin sandy film, truly making it slick.

Kristen coming out of the shadowy canyon and posing in her true flair! Basking in the moments of light before delving back into the shadowy brisk air was truly a treat that morning.

Sometimes we just had to stop and take in the beauty that surrounded us. A natural amphitheatre in the making.

Finally, to the top of the first climb! Sunny skies and a brief downhill stint would warm our blood and make our tummies rumble. Knowing the first aid station was close, we ran like the wind to the table of salty potato chips and pretzels that awaited us. Staffed by the local Jeep club, the aid station (not pictured) offered snacks, drinks and a warm camp fire. The volunteers had spent the night in this remote location to ensure a rest stop for weary runners. They were all bundled in down jackets and beanie caps, as we ran through in thin shorts and sleeveless shirts. They checked off our numbers as we munched and gulped our calorie laden goods. Then we were off for more adventure!

The jeep road turned into a narrow trail following closely along the cliff of numerous canyons. In this picture, if you look to the bottom, you can see the Hunter Canyon trail. We would soon descend from our current location, follow a road and then run up the single track below. The views were spectacular, but we were only able to get a few pictures because remember - We had cut off times to beat!

There were times that we questioned the course marker's logic - like here. Look at the trail and follow it to the little green arrow on the rock at the edge of the cliff......

Was it confusing to the other runners that we would be turning? Did the course marker suspect that we might be so weary that we might continue straight and fall hundreds of feet? Well, better safe than sorry; but sometimes the trail is just obvious.

Many miles and over a thousand feet in elevation later, this was our view. We had climbed from the valley floor below along an old jeep road. I am not sure which was more breath taking: the view or the climb. The geology is amazing in Utah. Natural swirls of rock that can only be appreciated from high above make any climb worth the sweat and burning muscles. The aid station prior to this climb was in our opinions (and others we encountered) poorly stocked. The lack of food did little to prepare one's body for such a steep endeavor. Fortunately, Kristen and I had carried our own goodies. While some may have criticized the added weight of our small packs laden with extra gels, energy bars and gooey chews; others were thankful. At the top of this section, we encountered another runner with whom we had chatted with earlier in the run. She was zapped, bonking from a lack of calories she had only a single water bottle that she carried and was relying on the aid stations for her food needs. We stopped and offered her an energy bar and a couple of gel packs. She was grateful and mumbled thanks as she stuffed her mouth with chewy goodnesses. However, I would later question our good intentions as she went on to pass us with new found energy and we would not see her again until the end.

The top of the climb placed us onto a wide open plateau. Here you can see the snow capped La Sal mountains miles away. We had to pick up our pace with not much time to stop and record the beauty. For miles back we (and many others equipped with GPS devices) realized that they had mismeasured the course. Remember, I mentioned that at the beginning of this story. The aid station that was to be at mile 8.8 was at 9.9. We thought perhaps it was because mile 8.8 was on the side of a cliff which we had to sit on our butts and scoot down the rocks, obviously not a good place to set up a food table and let people gather. Ok, honest mistake. Only it got worse. The aid station that was to be at mile 10.5 was at nearly 14!!! That's over 3 miles off! With this new found knowledge, we had to quickly recalculate our pace in order to make the cut off times. Many people were upset by this grossly large miscalculation on the course setter's part and the fact that they didn't inform anyone or move the the cut off times / mileage points. With the day and age of technology that we live in, many found this to be inexcusable. If we as runners were able to figure this out why couldn't the race directors? What was more confusing is that they claimed this to be a qualifying race for another and did not recognize their mistakes making the the minutes per mile way off. In essence, the 20 milers ran over 23 but their times were posted for only 20 and the 50k was over 3 miles too long as well... reflecting a very slow pace. Oh Well!! Life is what it is and how you deal with it is what separates you from the others.

At first, I admit I was upset. Having to recalculate our pace while on the run was not my idea of fun; however we had decided that we were in this for the experience and not to win. So enjoying our experience is what we did!

After the wide open agoraphobic plateau, we crammed ourselves through a claustrophobic slot canyon. Here Kristen is descending into the slot, which we had to turn sideways and shimmy our way through. I guess the course setter figured if you can make it this far you aren't too big to get through the crack.

Not pictured are the steep traverses that we had to hang on to ropes to get across (our hands were too full to get pictures). Also was an aid station staffed by two people with a Hummer - I didn't know Hummers actually went off road! Creeks that we hopped across, sandy washes the seeped into our shoes, rocks that tried their best to trip our staggering feet and short climbs that took our breath away on the ascent then pounded our knees and quads on the descent: there were many miles not captured on film but they will forever live in our minds, hearts and muscles!

Towards the end we were still in high spirits. Kristen with her classic trail flair, smiling despite blisters on both feet. The mighty Colorado river flowed calmly through the canyon below and washed away the trials and tribulations of the miles before.

FINI - It's not a pretty finishing photo but it's the reality of it all. Kristen with her hands on her hips, resting tired arms that swung away the miles and me in the background reaching for boiled potatoes and salt. Food was all we could think of the last miles. Not sure of what we might be able to eat, we wanted something. The finish hosted a post race BBQ with cheeseburgers, pasta salad and lots of other goodies. However, there wasn't a beer to be found! I guess "real" racers don't chase the miles away with beers... or at least not in front of the finish.

We accomplished our goal - we finished strong and together!

After heading back to Kristen's hotel room for a shower, Jim and I grabbed a light dinner and hit the road for home. He had to work the following morning, so we could not stay the night. After a 3 hour drive home, I thought I might need a crowbar to pry myself out of the truck. I spent the next day sleeping in and treating myself to a lengthy massage in the afternoon. I recovered well.

Kristen and I have already been discussing our next crazy endeavor. Although, we don't know when or where we will meet up again to log miles and memories along the trails.

On a side note: Jim was the most wonderful support crew a girl could ask for! He drove me to Moab the night before the race and spoke words of encouragement to Kristen and I over dinner that night. He carried our extra clothes back to the truck after the start promised to be there at the end.

In the meantime, he had brought his mountain bike and decided to surprise us and meet us along the trail. Well, he ended up following our trail and after meeting up with the crew at the first aid station he realized he wouldn't be able intercept our path. Instead he turned around and set off on an adventure of his own. In his words, he "got wonderfully lost." It was Moab, a mountain biker's dream. He hopped the slick rock and wheelied through the canyons. One handed wheelies are his fortay and a sight to be admired by men on 4-wheelers that were struggling to just make it through the canyon.

He was at the end as he had promised. Capturing our less than "photo finish" and bringing warm clothes to our tired bodies. Patiently waiting while we devoured our greasy cheeseburgers and driving us back to the hotel. Offering congratulations the entire time to Kristen, while I took the world's longest shower. He drove back home, without complaint, late in the night while I rambled on and on about my run. He listened and listened for hours, until we were home and I collapsed into bed. Jim was and is the best support crew I've ever had... Thank you!

The Ancient Old Beast

This our Ancient Old Beast .... a.k.a. Dinah. She turned 15 this past June and is still raising hell! Jim found her in a barn in Wisconsin while doing Peregrine Falcon research. She was so small that she fit in his coat pocket. While she never did grow up to be a big cat (only about 7.5 lbs. in her prime), she has the attitude of a tiger. During her lifetime, Jim has taken her on all sorts of adventures. She's gone canoeing, back country camping, skiing and an occasional swim. When she would hike with Jim she would perch atop his pack and balance flawlessly. Now as she grows older, her balance waivers and she has become slightly frail. She no longer leaves the house on weekend excursions. She sits in the window upon her heated bed and stares out at the falling snow, blowing leaves and other neighborhood cats.




Dinah never was an outdoor cat left free to roam the streets and terrorize the birds. When she would go outside she would be on a leash with a bell. However, one evening in her youth she was outside perched on the railing when Jim heard a crash. Rushing to the door thinking that she had fallen, he came upon a shocking sight. Dinah had managed to catch a bat! The bat was swooping near the porch light feeding on the bugs swirling in the air when out of nowhere came a cat on a leash. She caught the bat an had it pinned to the deck. Apparently, a leash and a bell wasn't enough to save the bat. Another time in the wee hours of the morning Jim was awoke by a terrible commotion in the kitchen. He turned on the light to find Dinah in a brawl with a raccoon! See, the house Jim had bought had a dog door. Dinah wasn't big enough to push through it so Jim hadn't boarded it up yet. That raccoon got more than he bargained for on his midnight forage for the kitchen trash. Dinah has put a dog in the ER by ripping his ear nearly off his head and slashed a good number of others. We were worried when we got married that she might do the same to Aspen.




Unfortunately, in May of 2007 Dinah was diagnosed with renal failure and was given only 6-12 months to live. She was loosing what little weight she had and was becoming withdrawn, not even getting up to greet Jim at the door after work. We got married and moved in the dog with little resistance. She would still growl and hiss, forcing Aspen to move and establishing who's house this was. Dinah began vomiting constantly and stopped cleaning herself. Without keeping her food down, her weight plummeted until she looked like a fur bag of bones. It doesn't help when she only has her front teeth and nothing to chew efficiently with. We thought for sure her days were numbered. She had never cared for canned food or the idea of softening her dried food with water. I tried everything to get her to eat more and vomit less. Finally, I found something that she not only would eat but could keep down. These disgusting whole canned mackerals. Yuck! The smell is repulsive and the look is worse. Yet, in love of the old beast I stifled my gag reflex and smashed them up with little bits of dry kibble twice a day. She began gaining weight and cleaning herself once more. Now she hasn't thrown up in months with the exception of a hairball or two and is feistier than ever. She has learned to beg and scream until we fix them for her. We are glad to see her playing and romping to the door when we come home. Too bad for the dogs though, because with this new found energy she often goes out of her way to smack them in the nose and show them who's boss.




Just last week while walking on my postal route, I ran into Dinah's vet. We didn't take her in for her "tooth" cleaning or for her geriatric check up this summer (why? so they could tell us again she was dying?) so he asked how she was doing. When I told him of the changes we made to her diet and about her "rebound" in health he mentioned a study he had just recently read. He said the diets high in Omega 3 fats from cold water fish can dilate the blah-blah-blah and help with the kidney functions. Thus, reversing the effects of renal failure. Interesting how I stumbled upon this when others were getting paid to study it.




Meanwhile, this is our old cat. Dinah...a.k.a. Beans...a.k.a. the Bingus... and lots of other crazy little names depending on the day. As for now she's doing well despite her qualifications for AARP and Social Security. She's accepted that the dogs are not going away but she doesn't have to like them either. She is the ruler of the roost.




MEOW on!