Home & Hearth – Summer 2015

Published July 21, 2015

What started with tree trimming & a long-term goal to add ‘colour’ to my home, culminated into 6 weeks of change. Comingle that with Ash & Tom’s move & my sister’s visit in early July – and we’re talking one solid month of crazy 🙂

All said & done, HUGE thanks to my family for giving me a much needed nudge – and to my friend Cliff for tutoring me on room design, interior paint, thrift store finds, art walk shopping, proper picture hanging (tape measure usage vs eyeing a good spot on a wall), wood blind samples & catalogues, AND front porch green-thumbing. THANKS!

Front Porch: scaled back & pruned my spruce; added wind chimes, holly bushes & “Cody Coyote” (in addition to this year’s annuals planting); fixed outdoor outlet (Christmas light need)

Downstairs: 2 shades of green; removed dining area (electrician extracted light fixture, transplanted table near the front window); cable & cable box no more; purchased my first sectional; brought bar stools up from the basement; picture swaps throughout the house; new ceiling fan – AND wood blinds (now that’s a process, who knew?)

Office/now Gym: shade of sunshine on the walls; donated everything ‘office’ to Ash & Tom; moved everything ‘gym’ upstairs; electrician added an outlet & transplanted downstairs ceiling fan; installed my first SmartTV; an antique cabinet hides home modem & wireless router – AND moved marathon medal display (34 states complete; on track to finish 46 by year-end)

LOVE LOVE my ‘new’ Colorado home!

(No upstairs painting ‘til Winter/Spring 2016 – mental respite required. Home Projects are a true labour of love — LOL>)

: Welcome to Louisville!

: 2 shades of green & a sectional

: wood blinds

: “Cody Coyote” art purchase from Estes

: first tomato babies 🙂

: goodbye Office, hello Gym

Lake Dorothy on the Divide

Published July 19, 2015

Spent last weekend with Sis & family, Cheyenne rodeo yesterday, marathoning in San Francisco next weekend – should really be training but it’s summer….sooooo headed to the mountains for a high altitude hike. Good for the head, good for the soul 🙂

Up early & on the road with my friend Cliff & his dog Pita – today’s destination: Lake Dorothy on the Continental Divide (just west of Nederland). Was last here in 2012 during my 52-week hike challenge. Forgot what an adventure it is to reach Fourth of July trailhead – 5 miles of dirt, dodging boulders & potholes in a Prius. Mental note: 2016 might be the Year of the Truck.

Cool temps & rain in the forecast – typical high mountain forecast – packed extra layers, wore a cap & running gloves. It’s July, right? 🙂

Mile up Arapaho Pass trail, another mile on Arapaho Glacier trail, then a mile-half to Caribou Pass. Wildflowers & pine, glacier views & snowed-in mountain peaks. Crossed over glacier-fed waterfalls; hiked thru marshy tundra – initially hopping stone-to-stone to keep the feet dry. Eventually gave into the experience – all part of being outdoors. Lost tree-line just over 12,000ft.

Re-energized with half a Luna bar & soaked it all in. Beautiful hike. Clouds enveloped my landscape surroundings; light rain on the hike return. Nowhere else on Earth I feel more alive & plugged-in. I’ll never leave Colorado.

: just west of Nederland, hiking to the Divide

: Indian paintbrush & summer wildflowers

: Mount Neva

: tree-line gives way to spongy tundra at 12,000ft

: SUMMIT SUCCESS x 3

: clouds rolling in, beautiful hike – LOVE this place!

Posted in NoCo/Indian Peaks | Tagged glaciers, hiking | Leave a comment

Cheyenne Frontier Days 2015

Published July 18, 2015

Let’s just say, this wern’t my first rodeo – AND when talking ‘bout Cheyenne Frontier Days, won’t be my last either.

Because of my marathon schedule, attended Frontier Days on opening weekend this year (running San Fran next Sunday). Crowds were down slightly…but only slightly – still “the Daddy of ‘em All”, still America’s largest outdoor rodeo.

Being my third year, have learned the drill – FOOD, then rodeo. 2013: bison burger topped with elk brats; 2014: elk burger plus a bite of Ash’s camel patty. This year settled on rattlesnake bratwurst, an order of spiral fries – YUM! – & fresh squeezed lemonade (of course). Frontier Days is as much about the FOOD as it is about buckin’ broncs 🙂

Bought a seat in Cheyenne’s new ‘South 40’ section. Closer to entertainment (trick riders & pageant winners) but further from the real action (this year’s pics are not as sharp). Live and learn.

Bronc buckin’, bull riding, steer wrestlin’ & calf roping – yep, LOVE this stuff. Next year, tickets to both weekends 🙂

Finished the day in Indian Village; watched a Native American hoop dance. Sharing this clip should be less controversial than last year’s calf roping memento. LOL> LOVE native music – another FAAANNNTASTIC day!