After two weekends of snow camping (LOVED it!), mixed things up & stayed local.
Unfortunately, most trails along the Front Range are still closed because of last month’s flood. Temporary roads to Estes Park (Rocky Mtn National Park) & isolated communities are in place but hear the 45 minute drive north is now a 2+ hour trek.
Wait a sec – I’m in Colorado…there’s a ton of ways to fill a weekend 🙂
In celebration of Ro’s 2nd birthday, started off with a tour of area dog parks. Fave park of the day – the Great Bark Park in Lafayette. Ro raced back ‘n forth for hours. Did my heart good to see Ro so happy.
Bath, quick walk around the ‘hood, 2 dog circles on the rug & bam – out for the count. Yeah, grown-up time!
Purchased tickets to Roller Derby. Seriously.
Haven’t ever been, so why not? And the promo pic showed black eyes, bruises & blood. Heck, yeah! Have had a secret interest since watching “Whip It” years back. $10 admission for 2 bouts – one being the league Championship. Can’t beat that price!
New sport, gotta figure out scoring & the rules. This sport favors big girls – better blocks, bigger hits. Scrawny girls have speed but one well-placed bootie bump results in lotta skinny legs sprawled upwards & out-of-bounds.
Star on the helmet – denotes you’re the lead jammer. [‘star’ has been my symbol of choice for years :)]
Scoring is quick. [I advocate revising scoring during the power jam.] Benching the lead jammer allows the opposing team to post quick scores of 5 during the 2 minute sit-down penalty (similar to hockey).
What I did like most? The lead jammer puts her hands on her hip to end the jam. After all the bumping & bruising, seemed super girlie to end play with a simple hands on the hips. LOVED it!
Orange Crushers took this year’s title in a late comeback. SUPER fun nite!
(New to Roller Derby & already a fan? Yep. Girls with curves ROCK!)
Orange Crushers hoist trophy
With my days & nights mixed up after back-n-forth travel to California, needed to get out (with minimal driving) & ward off the bad juju – start over, get centered, re-discover my happy place.
If I could go back & career re-do, I’d study glaciology or Plan B – study geology. While not in the right mindset to do a glacier hike today, visiting a geology museum might just do the trick.
Denver’s Museum of Nature & Science is your typical kid-friendly museum with exhibits ranging from Egyptian mummies & North American Indians to space exploration, wildlife & the human body. But for me, I came to see rocks 🙂
Colorado was founded on mining, and in the historical mining section you’ll see local finds, like Tom’s Baby, an eight-pound nugget of crystallized gold unearthed in Breckenridge in 1887.
While the Nature & Science Museum only came up 2nd on my Google search, it also houses a 3D IMAX flic on Great White Sharks. No brainer – I’ve been scared/intrigued by sharks since watching Jaws as a kid.
AND today’s gem exhibit placed a heavy emphasis on native Colorado gems & minerals. Very cool. LOVED it.
Favourite rock of the day – Rhodochrosite, state mineral of Colorado – and in particular, the Alma King.
Rhodochrosites from the Sweet Home Mine are gem-quality crystals because of their translucent cherry-red color, which is due to the relatively low amount of iron, magnesium and calcium impurities. Many experts acclaim the “Alma King” as the finest and most valuable mineral specimen ever mined in North America. Rhodochrosite became the Colorado State Mineral in 2002.
Ended my day at Jett Asian Kitchen & Sushi on Colfax.
On my way back folks, bad juju almost gone – hiking a glacier tomorrow 🙂
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- Denver skyline from City Park
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- rock day @ the Museum of Nature & Science
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- Colorado State Gemstone – Aquamarine
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- Amethyst
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- Barite
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- Colorado State Mineral – Rhodochrosite
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- the Alma King
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- re-constructed cavern of gypsum crystals & stalactites
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- 30 years later — still traumatized by Jaws
Thanks to Colorado friend Annmarie, my weekend started early – Friday night tickets to the Rockies game! Met up with Annmarie, John and fellow Louisville hiker Lisa near Coors Field for pre-game apps. Great to see my hiking friends again. After several weeks of run, run, running, enjoyed the change in conversation.
Casually walked over to the game in the 2nd inning, where the score was already 8-2 Rockies – WOW! (Coincidentally, my only Rockies game last year ended with the same score – but then, the Rockies lost by 6 runs.) Being so far ahead, the four of us picked up where we had just left off…laughing & in great conversation.
Lisa & I shopped for Rockies caps as our game day shifted from sunshine to lights. One lousy 7th inning later, the ballgame was tied up at 9. Fully plugged in again, Lisa taught me the basics of how to score a game. Surprisingly complicated.
Took a glance at the time & thought – please no extra innings tonite, I have an early hike tomorrow morning (sorry die-hard baseball fans). Bottom of the ninth, Rockies are up to bat. Nolan (something) comes up to plate & I call out to Lisa – this guy needs to hit a homer. Nolan Arenado does just that – hits a homer and Rockies win 10-9. How crazy is that?
Super fun start to the weekend! Go Rockies!
DENVER — Friday night, the Rockies and Padres put Murphy’s Law to the test yet again, as the Rockies staked out an 8-2 lead after two innings, chasing San Diego’s starter from the field in the third, only to see their comfortable cushion disappear along with every ray of daylight dividing the two teams, as the Padres staged a five-run rally in the seventh inning to tie the game at 9.
Any sense of suspense, any threat of extra innings with a depleted bench and bullpen, and any hint of deja vu after losing in 12 innings Thursday night were banished when Rockies rookie third baseman Nolan Arenado led off the bottom of the ninth and drilled the third pitch he saw high into the left-field seats for his first career walk-off home run, handing a 10-9 victory to the Rockies.
Rockies-Padres game
bottom of the 9th homer – Rockies win!
