It won't be long now.............

Hopefully, I'll get my act together and get started on this painting. As you can see, a brush and a tube of paint are sitting there, so I guess that's a start. I wish they would start on their own............

Here's a picture of my fella', Merle. We're good pals 99.9% of the time. The other .1% is hardly noticeable, just those married moments that everyone has upon occasion. We've been married for about 18 years (I can never remember exactly), and have gotten through the hard stuff. We managed to stick together although there were times when it felt like we were finished. This picture was taken in the fall of 2006 when during our first visit to Dead Horse Point in Utah. We loved it so much that we had another camping trip there this last May. That's when the picture of me in the header of this blog was taken. It's one of our favorite places.

As mentioned in a previous post, we like to 4 wheel drive. Actually, I used to like it more. I think I'm maybe getting a little burned out on that activity for now. I prefer something that involves more exercise. So, we are going to be taking a little break from the Moab, Utah 4WD scene for a bit. I say that now, but who knows what may prompt us to pack up and go back next year sometime? Here is a picture of Merle and his beautiful red Wrangler in Moab .

We've had trips to Moab for about the past 10 years or so, one or two per year. There are always interesting people to meet and the scenery is really very spectacular. We always thought that we would like to live there until one winter, we were passing through, and it was like a ghost town. The temperature was very cold, just like at home and it was snowing. Only a couple of restaurants were open. It made us realize that the area is really only "alive" for maybe 6-7 months of the year. The rest of the time, it kind of shuts down. The RV campgrounds we now stay at are always filled to the max and very hectic with children, vehicles and people coming and going. RV parks have become a new experience for us since the purchase of our little Tab RV. However, the ones in Moab have been the busiest of any place where we have stayed. A couple of months ago we went to Great Sand Dunes National Monument in southern Colorado. We stayed in the little RV park there. Here is a typical picture of us next to the big rigs.

Everyone always gets a big kick out of our little trailer. We always get folks stopping by to get a "tour". It's such a different RV and it suits our needs to a "T". (What does that mean, to a "T"? I'll have to research that on the internet......:-) Meanwhile, back at the dunes, the mosquitoes were having a feast on us despite frequent applications of bug spray. We visited there with my sister, her husband and Laird, their cute little boy. Despite the blood thirsty little suckers, we had a reasonably good time, particularly by the dunes playing in Medano Creek that runs along the base of the dunes. Here is a picture of Laird standing in Medano Creek eating a lollipop or possibly a Tootsie Pop.

MONDAY, MONDAY.....

Thisn is a horned lizard.

This particular one was sitting beside the trail at Pawnee Buttes when Merle and I were hiking there once. Pawnee Buttes are the 300 foot tall sandstone sentinels of the eastern Colorado plains. There isn't much out there, the drive to reach them from towns along the foothills is about 1.5 hours, but it is worth it. The best times to go are in the fall when the temperatures are cooler. For a period during the spring, the trails to the tops of the buttes are closed for nesting birds and after that, the summer can be too hot. I'm not a avid bird watcher, but apparently this is a place where avid bird watchers like to go. Once, when hiking there with my daughter, we came across some bones sticking out of the sandstone wall beside the trail. This is also a place where there are many fossils. We left them after taking a picture. I can't find that picture, though. Here's a picture of the Pawnee Buttes from the Forest Service website.

I work part time for a guy who owns a landscape installation business. It's fun now that I've learned the job ( meaning, it wasn't fun before I learned the job). Today was busy, but not so busy that I couldn't give some serious attention to Darby, his Corgi dog. I just love her. He also has two cats and many is the time I have to move cats off of the desk to get to my papers. They also climb in the desk drawers and supply cabinet. During a recent insurance audit, the auditor was sitting on the other side of the desk from me. There was a intermittent thumping sound under the desk as the guy was asking questions. One of the cats was under my side of the desk and Darby was on the other side by the auditor. The cat was slapping her paws out from a space under the front wall of the desk and Darby was pouncing on them. It was funny, but too distracting, so we had to break up the fun. Here's a picture of Darby. She's smiling!

She is pictured here on her master's boat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pembroke_Welsh_Corgi



Here is a recipe I devised. I like to think it is sort of healthy
.

FISH AND RICE
Cook about 3 cups of brown rice and set aside (you can use plain white rice instead)
Broil 2 packages (4 fillets) Gortons Cajun Flavored Fish Fillets or other fish fillet you prefer per instructions. The Cajun flavoring really adds to this dish.
Chop up 2 fresh medium sized tomatoes
Mince about 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and finely chopped
Pour one can of black beans (no salt added) in a colander. Rinse thoroughly to remove juices and drain.
Purple onion (Optional and just add to individual portions. If you add it to the whole dish, it will overpower the other ingredients, especially if you have leftovers.)
1 or 2 limes
Coarse Black Pepper
Tortilla chips
Green taco sauce

Combine rice with tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, beans and fish cut into 1/2" chunks. Squeeze juice of 1 lime over all, green taco sauce to taste and toss lightly to combine. Season with black pepper. Put individual servings on plates and top with a handful of crumbled tortilla chips. Add chopped onion, if so desired. This can be served hot or cold. It's one our favorites. You can add salt, more lime juice or taco sauce, depending upon your preference.

The Fire Tower

A few weeks ago, we rented the Spruce Mountain Fire Tower in Wyoming. This was the 3rd year we've visited here. It's a very cool experience if you like views at around 10,000 feet above sea level, sitting out on the deck drinking your morning coffee, watching storms move across the sky and getting a tiny glimpse of what it might be like to live here in solitude for many months if you worked for the Forest Service watching for fires. There are several of these towers located in various forested areas in the U.S.. Some of them have been retired, such as this one and are available for rent. This one is closest to where we live. Reservations are taken by the Forest Service one year in advance of the date you want to reserve. So, for instance, if you want to reserve it for July 31 of 2008, you would have to wait until July 31 of 2007 to make your attempt at a reservation. I say "attempt" because it books up very quickly, especially the weekends. There are 55 steps to the top and in the thin air, it can be a challenge to carry your cooler up there. There is also a little bucket with a pulley so you can raise smaller items. It has a stove, oven, refrigerator and heater (all gas), but no running water. We bought several single gallon jugs and pulleyed them up one by one. There are two beds (bedding required) and a little table with mismatched seating. No electricity and one dim gas lamp in the ceiling. We brought a battery operated lantern and flashlights. The "loo" is all the way at the bottom and several yards from the tower. Because of this and due to my tiny bladder, we brought our handy porta potty and sat it outside on the deck for nocturnal needs. At night you secure yourself in the tower by locking the access door to the deck. It's a very safe feeling. Signs at the tower warn of possible visits by large furry creatures, but we have never had the pleasure, as far as we know. There is a camping area at the bottom of the tower for friends. It's a very pleasant place as you can from the picture below. Rob Roy Reservoir is in the background where you can fish, boat or camp.

I'd like to explain what "Lite Adventure Seeker" means on my header. It pretty much means what it says. I like to have different kinds of adventures, but nothing too scary. This means I don't mind traveling to different countries, but generally prefer civilization. In our own country, Merle and I have rafted 2 times down the Grand Canyon on a big pontoon raft. More daring folks opt for the little raft experience, but I read the fine print where it says that "you can be capsized" and decided that it's too risky. We are planning to go again next May. It is a wonderful experience and you kind of get to where you have to go every few years ( like us). I also four wheel drive in my Jeep Wrangler in Moab, Utah. However, I do bypass the more wicked obstacles and have been known, upon occasion, to actually chicken out and ask my husband to drive my Jeep down or up something that is particularly frightening. However, that is a rarity. I had one particularly embarrassing situation during our last visit where I actually screamed in fright as I was making my way up a particularly terrifying stretch of rocky, steep ledges. About half way up, I stalled the Jeep and sat there sort of sideways - not a good place to be. Despite my fright, I sucked it up (Merle kind of insisted that I suck it up), started the engine and just did it. We were with friends, so I was quite embarrassed at that point - and a little shaky for awhile. The rest of the trail was fine, but very dusty and hot. (Why do I do that stuff?)

I am also a hiker. My maximum miles for one day are around 10 and that is pushing it. I mostly hike 4 - 7 miles two to three times a week. Several years ago, I participated in a one day 14 mile hike that included going over a pass at timberline. My right knee has never been the same - the downhill part is the hardest on the knees. So, anyway, that's gives you a general idea on what I mean by "lite".

Oh, and today I potted these plants and bought this chair.

Mom's Birthday Today

It was her 75th birthday and we drove up over Trail Ridge Road in my Wrangler Rubicon to Grand Lake today for lunch. She is the one on the right. The other one is my sweet Granny who is no longer with us. Obviously, this picture was taken a few years ago, but Mom pretty much looks that cute even now.

The weather was cool and drizzly in some spots and raining hard in others. We drove through clouds. Every once in a while there was a hole in a cloud and you could see down into the valley far, far below. There were many elk on the hillside. In one place, there were four bull elk with huge antlers grazing on a hillside. Note: If you are in Colorado and you are driving on a 2 lane road with traffic, please do not stop in the middle of the road to look at wildlife. It's dangerous.

We walked along the edge of Grand Lake watching all of the tourists on rental boats. The hillsides on this west side of Trail Ridge Road are filled with rusty red trees, the result of mountain pine beetles. In a year or so, most of the trees here will be dead. That is depressing, but apparently a natural cycle of nature. The mountains of Colorado are destined to be quite different within the next few years. Spraying is not an option on such a large scale. Other tree types are predicted to eventually fill up the void, but that will be several years in the making.

Got home around 4:30p. Hubby (Merle) got home a little after five in a state of some agitation after having finalized training for a fellow employee who has sort of driven him crazy. But that's all done now and we scooted to Noodles for some chow. Stopped at the video store to pick up a movie, "The Shooter" that's supposed to be fairly exciting. Renting movies in the summer is a rarity. We do more of that in the winter.

Anyway, that's the day today. We are looking forward to a nice weekend. Weather permitting, we will be sitting under our new pergola! A lot.

My first blog

So, this is the very first time I'm blogging. It will be a semi-regular event and hopefully one that will interest without excessive boredom.
It is a hot and muggy day here in Colorado. I have turned off the a/c and am sort of enjoying the freshly muggy air. I have a love/hate relationship with my a/c. I love the cool relief from the blistering heat, but hate the shut in feeling. I feel like I'm in a cave and that I might get moldy if I don't get outside.
We returned a couple of days ago from a mountain camping trip with a friend. It was a typical Colorado camping experience with cooler temperatures and some refreshing rain. We have a little camper called a T@B. It's lots of fun. Here's a picture of it in Dead Horse Point State Park this last May.
Our friend also has one of these campers and we met her on a Yahoo Groups site for people who own one or are interested in owning one. She is getting ready to go on a 6 week trip up east with her dog Roxie. Here's her travel blog. Her camper is named "Tabette". I can't remember what we named ours, but I think it was something not very creative like "Tabby". I don't know what T@B stands for other than I've heard it is supposed to mean "Touring About America".
We bought our camper on Ebay in December of 2005 from a lady in northern California. In January of 2006, we drove out there, picked it up and camped in it on the way home by way of southern California, Death Valley, through Las Vegas (as fast as we could get out of there), through Zion National Park, Moab Utah and home. The only place we didn't stay in it was in Moab - it was very cold, so we rented a hotel room. Since then we have visited Moab again, the Great Sand Dunes National Park here in Colorado and various camping trips. We are planning on going to Devils Tower in Wyoming in September and Glendo, Wyoming on the way home to Colorado.

Here is a picture of my easel with a blank canvas on it. I haven't painted anything for about 4 months. My creativeness has been at a low ebb. Most of my work is on exhibit at a local gallery although we do have some pieces on our walls here at home. It's time to start creating. I'll keep you posted on my progress. I generally start with sketches in my sketchbook, writing in potential color schemes and indicating places where I might use texture. Once I have a completed a painting, it may or may not resemble my sketch. It just depends on how things come together as I work. I have no formal training, but have been involved in creating artworks from a very early age. I work in acrylics. I'll be posting various pieces of artwork upon occasion.