Jeep'n

Hi all I went jeep'n today. Olive loves to go - and we generally have a great time. We went to the top of Pearl Pass. It is a view like no other. I met two men on the way up, I must mention that they were the largest me I have ever seen in a jeep before, and got to follow their "line" to the top. It was absolutely the roughest trip I have ever done. I tore up both running boards on my Lex - and the jeepies were quite impressed that my silly little lex would follow their mean ol' big man jeep! They obviously did not know lex very well....They were also surprised "li'll darlin' " could make it to the top. Truth be told, I was too!

I ended up in the er last night. Don't laugh. It was really a rough hold your breath kind of drive. I am so sore this morning I can hardly stand it. I have costocondritis. Mis-spelled it and really don't care this morning. I have rapid heart beats - tach...and when my chest hurts with it - well off I have to go to the er. Fun to have a small town. My er doc was Jay - Bren and Deb's friend - who had bought us dinner not that long ago. He is newly remarried and extremely nice. The er nurse was best friends with my varsity vb coach...so I got really nice care! And then in walked Deb with a LARGE sonic! No better meds in the world.

Olive and I went to bed around 8:30. Woke up at 6:30....very unusual for me. Olive did have the night shift - and did a very good job with it. I am sure it is the raccoons. If only I could shoot. I tried last year - well let's just say raccoons 3 me 0. I am going to work on that.

I have been extremely sad lately. I thought the drive would be so good for me. Olive and I love to do this. She gets to swim - as the streams are just simply amazing and crystal clear. I did take pics - but they will have to come a different day. I took my pepper spray. One of my buds swears by it for bear detention. I was in a very wonderful place to look at old wooden steps that had washed down from who knows where - heaven I am guessing....(someone was trying to cheat to get in) and was a bit nervous that a critter might spring out. I decided to test drive the pepper spray - un-noticed breeze brought it right back to me. Yup, it was working just fine!

Pearl pass drops down into Aspen. I knew the road existed - thought it was too bad a pass to drive. Scofield pass would be that one. My BIG jeep buddies were headed there next. I have to say, after yesterday, Scofield will just have to be on my wish list.

It is another amazing day here. We have no clouds - and no clouds all day long. Thursday we are to have a snow storm. At least that will be Oct. 1 - so let it snow!

Fall

It is fall in full swing here. The colors are beyond amazing, the air is very crisp and the harvest moon is coming in. I am sad that the fruit and veggie stands are beginning to close. We had a very big snow on Monday last. I walked out of the gym from coaching, and was completely covered with the snow prior to getting to the car. I do get tickled as people say the same thing here as we do in Texas - if you don't like the weather, wait a minute and it will change.

I have not gotten to do any horseback riding lately, and I miss it. I would love to buy myself a horse, but not sure that I am quite ready for it. Can't believe that I rode through the winter, froze during the winter, and have not ridden once since we have had these wonderful days. Can't believe how the days fly by!

My volleyball team is learning a lot, but we are not winning. I try to remember that winning is not everything -
yes, I don't buy that either!

I am starting to feel more like a local. I can go to Crested Butte now and actually see people I know on the streets. It is a wonderful feeling. Again, it is a small town and most everyone knows everything about everyone!

Powdered Sugar

It has finally happened! (Yes, and I know in about four months I will be done done done!) Powdered sugar on the peaks of the Bowl of Mountains in Crested Butte. It looks like someone has sifted the sugar all over the peak of one of the mountains. Very delicate, very light, just enough to let you know it is there. It is so white - so perfect! What a beautiful combo with the vibrant fall colors! I know it is just moments away from our customary below 0 weather. Not really sure I am ready for that - but - bring it on!

Some interesting news, Bogart has gone to a new home. I miss his sweet face, his desire for really close loves, even his early morning clubbing, but, his new home is wonderful for him. I try not to think about it too much. He is with a couple that I know well. Their dog is getting really old, in need of seeing dog help, and they are hoping Boggie will be the man for the job. Olive and I can see him any time we want. He also is getting to go on morning jogs. This he really needs! I love him dearly, Olive loves him also, but we both agreed this would be a happier place for him.

The great white hunter is back. Wearing camo, latex doctor gloves, glasses, this hunter is on it! Currently there are six less critters in the world. Who could match that number? Who could track these horrid creatures so fearlessly? The hunter should hire out....I'm just saying.....

We have had rain everyday. Everything is absolutely beautiful in my yard except the flowers that need personal watering. I am just not that person. I forget, I get side-tracked, I get busy, I don't want to do it...so many flowers, so few excuses! I still have one hummer left. One sweet lone little guy. I am hoping he will fly away soon. I would hate for him to get caught here on the day the temps drop. It would not be good for him! The Canadian geese are here. We have lots that stay all year. My neighbor has his fields full of them. I always have to do a double take when I see them. He has many horses and I am always wondering what this group of vicious birds are doing so close to all the mighty hoofed animals. I love their voices. They do fly overs twice a day and I love to run outside to watch and listen.

Big day here, cleaning. My absolute favorite thing to do! You should all come join me...

Morning

It is another fabulous morning here. We have been outside (and I use we for the kids Boggie and Olive) and checked out our world. It rained again last night but now the sun is waking up and as she stretches she is pushing away all the heavy rain clouds.

I finally figured out what is so upsetting to Olive through the night, or at least one of the things that is upsetting my fabulous guard dog. I went to get a Sonic late (almost 11pm which is very unusual for me) and had a CAT run across my path as I was leaving the house. If only I had known, I might have begun feeding it so that it would stay around and de-mouse the area. I have learned many things being out in the country sort of. One of those things is Mice. They love my home, no this is not a statement of my cleaning ability, it is warm here and every once in a while Bogart or Olive will drop A piece of dog food. I hate to admit to all of you that I love catching the pesky little things and have been known to do one of those ridicules laughs when I have one in my traps. In my opinion, it is like being in the jungle and if the pesky beast decides to hunt in my neck of the woods, then it is only fair that I hunt him down! I do keep a box of surgical gloves in the house at all times for the clean up. Ha!

As I write this, my two very protective dogs are snoozing. One is on the couch (and yes I am still working on this) and one is on the chair that Bogart has eaten. All is quiet here. The only noise is the sound of my heater going on and off. I love the mornings. Everything is fresh and new. At this hour my floors look clean, my face looks almost made to go, all seems right with the world. All this will change when the light comes in, when I have my all the time glasses on (opposed to the readers I used to wear and loose).

Some biking buddies came by yesterday. He owns the local bike shop and also sells extreme stuff. Stuff that I love but am trying to be smart and not do any more. He has back country ski's, rock climbing equipment (this would not just be shoes and chalk, but the things you see in the movies where they hammer stuff in the rock and sleep hanging 1000 feet up) And just fyi - I have never hung 1000' up! I have had night mares about such...but that is a whole nother story. He also carries the best tops and pants in the world for this weather. I bought the fam several of his tops last season Marmot - and the new ones are in now! Back to the bikers - they are the nicest couple. They had been out for an extremely long bike ride and stopped by to say hello. They are very hard workers and love to play on their day off. She is going to be my ski buddy this season along with a couple of other crazy women. I can't wait! Hope we have great snow again...

I went over Monarch pass the other day. I was absolutely amazed at how quickly the trees are changing. One day there are a few leaves, and now the whole trees are on fire. It is big swashes of color amidst the evergreens. As I drove over, the clouds were so low! I love going through the clouds. Really makes it feel like fall. I used to love driving 2222 and Mt. Bommell (embarrassed that I can not remember how to spell that) years ago. The steam coming off the Colorado river would give that same feeling. The road is/was so narrow and windy. I just loved the early morning view!

It is hunting season now. My neighbor got his BIG buck on the opening day. He was so proud! He drove around all day with the buck in the back of his truck showing everyone what he had gotten. It was a 4X4. Sounds like a nice jeep to me... The streets are full of men with their atv's in the back. When I say atv plural, let me explain. And let me also say, men who hunt should never comment on the number of shoes a woman has in her closet. There is no comparison on costs here... One truck was pulling a FLAT BED full of 4 atv's. Another truck has some sort of device that holds two atv's side by side. I have not seen a single truck with less than 2 atv's. It is black powder and archery season. Let's just say the equipment is amazing, it is not what we shot at camp at the big round archery target. Proper term is a compound bow. I have one actually. It is a kid's size. I am pretty good at shooting it - and really enjoy shooting it. They are a bit expensive, and then the arrows are a whole nother story! Again, let me say, shoes are so much less expensive! Every one of the hunters is in camo. Like they don't think we can see them walking around town? It would be fun to go through with a paint ball gun and mark them. They would really rethink that camo stuff. I have a wonderful camo one piece outfit. I wear it on the cold mornings to walk the dogs. It is really warm - and it has all these wonderful zippers for ventilation. Now that is a cleaver idea!

The birds have finally woken up. I am sure the cold makes them a bit slow getting out of their nests. I still have one or two hummers. Mainly now I have the sparrows and swallows.

Hope you all have a great day!

Color

It is such a fabulous morning. I am down to a couple of hummers, but the big birds have taken over my morning viewing. The colors are just so vibrant. As they do their fly-by's, I see flashes of red, yellow, black and white. I have one crow, and he is really a big crow, that sits in the cotton wood tree across the street and laughs at me. Does not matter what I am doing, he laughs. Can be really irritating at times. Show's his intelligence, he does not realize how well armed I am. Or maybe he does and knows what a horrible shot I have become!

The trees are really turning now. Brilliant colors, yellows, oranges, greens and a bit of red here and there. I so love the seasons. We have had rain the last few days. The mornings start cool and crisp with an amazing sky and by mid to late afternoon the rain comes on down. Yesterday we had thunder. It bounces from one mountain to the next. Love that the most. My yard is absolutely gorgeous. It is still hanging in there. Unfortunately, you can't really get the full beauty of it because of all the dog toys! I should be ashamed for all their goodies out in the yard. And just like a child, they love the wrappers or boxes best!

I have been coaching Volleyball for Crested Butte. We were undefeated until Saturday (honestly we had only played one match prior to Saturday). Saturday we went 0-3. It was not just bad it was sad! I do enjoy the girls. I had forgotten how much I enjoy being around the kids, listening to them, trying to teach them something that maybe will help them out in life.

My good friend Debbie brought me a pair of boots yesterday along with dinner. They are so cute and so GIRLIE! I love them! They actually have bows on the sides. Wish they were my size. I would wear them every day.

I must go for now, Sic em Bears!

Clouds again!

Van Gogh has nothing on the nights here. It has been a rather long night, I could not sleep. Around 3ish am I looked through my bedroom window and the Van Gogh clouds were all over the sky. I have never seen anything at all like them. Swirly, perfect circles. One cloud after another were connected all over my beautiful night sky. The moon was almost full, which helped illuminate them. It was absolutely amazing. Starry Starry Night is one of Shelby's favorite paintings. I was analyzing them, trying to think how to take a picture that would show each swirly creation. I don't think anything I could do to give the look and I think that Van Gogh did an amazing reproduction of God's handiwork.

I love clouds. Living in Austin, that was one of the things I so sorely missed. The sky in the Panhandle always had CLOUDS that were always changing. I have never been one to see things in the clouds - I know I have already stated that, but I just love clouds. From Thunderheads to wispy, I just love them.

Complete swirly circles, now that is one to add to my memory banks. To be 50ish, and only now to have seen this, well I feel very lucky!