I hung my T-shirt quilt that Diane made with a little help from me about 2 years ago.
I got a new spray fountain for the pool, Claire and Jake love it.
Hope John and Taylor can enjoy it soon.
Hope John and Taylor can enjoy it soon.
John is playing TBall, loving it, he hit a home run.
Jake will start TBall next week.
Taylor is taking dance lessons...
And so is Claire.
Now for the exciting parts of my life...
Bill and I spent a week in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
Our unit at the Wyndham Resort Pagosa. One of 4 units in the building, with private hot tub for the 4plex at the back. I don't think anyone else was in the other units, I never heard any noise and no one was ever in the hot tub when we went out there.
Pagosa Springs is known for the mineral springs, here a view of the soaking pools from across the river. The soaking pools range from 85 - 114 degrees, but the river is cold.
View of river and hot springs pools.
The mineral springs have about 20+ different minerals in them, a lot of sulphur, you can smell it in the air. Here is a mineral mound made from the water seeping up from the deepest springs in the U.S. and flowing down, adding layers to the structure. Claire was concerned about me climbing to the top of a mountain and falling into the volcano lava. This is as close as I came to the lava, just the hot water coming out from the deepest springs in the U.S.
One night we went to the BackDoor wine bar. We were the only folks there, had an enjoyable evening chatting with the bartender. She gave me a recommendation for a local facial, which I did and thoroughly enjoyed. We had such fun we went back the last night, new bartender but the original gal, Whitney was there and we met several new local folks. This was most fun, meeting local people, getting their recommendations, and staying away from more crowded tourist destinations.
My dinner plate at the wine bar, tenderloins nachos and an artisan pizza.
We got samples of jalepeno garlic olive oil and ginger balsamic from the olive oil store next door for dipping pizza crust, and came home with 2 bottles of each. It was awesome.
One day we did a very touristy thing, rode the narrow gauge railroad from Durango to Silverton.
This is Animas River, looking down about 400 feet from the train into the river canyon. This was also the spot where Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid jumped off the cliff into the river in the movie. Not really, but it was filmed right here.
In Silverton, lunch at the Shady Lady Saloon, one of the last houses of ill repute operating in a Colorado mining town. Lunch was a disappointment, but the ambiance was fun.
Back in Durango at the train museum, which also included a display of the first airplane to ever appear in Durango at a county fair, in 1913.
One day we made a driving trip up to the Continental Divide at Wolf Creek Pass.
43 degrees at 11,804 feet.
We drove further above the pass to an overlook, should have had 360 views.
But it was chilly and cloudy and sleeting, so we didn't hang around long.
And the view was mostly covered in clouds.
I straddled the Continental Divide.
But it was chilly and cloudy and sleeting, so we didn't hang around long.
And the view was mostly covered in clouds.
I straddled the Continental Divide.
One of the MANY chipmunks we saw.
They knew how to work the crowd for crumbs of food!
A short 1/4 mile hike, 200 feet climb to Treasure Falls.
This is for Claire bear, a hollow log that I'm sure MUST be the home of a bear.
Ruins of kivas, ancient Indian dwellings.
This is the base of the dwelling, the roof and side walls are no longer there.
We also drove past Pagosa Junction, abandoned community where the railroad came through.
The last resident of Pagosa Junction died about 10 years ago, but this was his house, no electricity or running water, and note the outhouse on the left.
Another memorable restaurant, The Alley House Grille. Wonderful menu. I had pork tenderloin served on a bed of deliciously seasoned mashed sweet potatoes with broclatinni (looked like wild, smaller versions of brocolli). Bill had halibut with mashed potatoes and asparagus. We shared an awesome chocolate creme brulee dessert.
Canadian geese enjoying dinner one evening at the resort.
A special event for me was a water color class hosted at the resort activity center. I signed up, painted a water color, and I want to do more, just for fun.
View of a hot air balloon over the resort, the last morning we were there.
A great trip, wonderful weather despite a few rain showers.
A great trip, wonderful weather despite a few rain showers.
