Gateway Canyon

After leaving Gateway we rode down Highway 141 toward Silverton.  We pretty much had the road to ourselves and it was very pretty driving through the red canyon.

It’s not the Grand Canyon, but it was still pretty grand!

Do you see the flume attached to the canyon walls?  It was built in 1888 and 1891 by the Montrose Placer Mining Company.  It was part of a 13 mile canal to deliver water from the San Miguel River.  The “hanging flume” delivered 23,640,000 gallons of water in a 24 hour period.  The construction “dazzled the mining pros with its ingenuity”  but in just three years, the mining claim folded and the flume is now a historical engineering marvel “left to the ravages of the weather and time.”

This is another engineering marvel.  Well, not really, but I think it is pretty marvelous that Wally built this trailer.  The one he ordered for the big trip back east from last year had so many problems and the company ended up going out of business because of so many claims and law suits!  Wally figured out what he wanted and found parts on line and put it all together.  This ride was its maiden voyage and it did quite well!

Gateway, Colorado

I told Wally today that I am going to lose the few blog followers I have for two reasons.  One, I haven’t blogged in several weeks.  And two, we have taken a gazillion pictures of wildflowers and all my posts will start looking the same!  Well, those posts are yet to come and I will try to limit myself when the time comes. But first, I have to finish this post which has been setting in my live writer program for way too long!

On our Fourth of July getaway we visited Gateway, Colorado which is southwest of Grand Junction.  It is a resort town established by the founder of the Discovery channel, John Hendricks.  His grandfather used to farm in the area and I guess he got the land cheap??  There really is not much out there, except this stop on the road in the midst of Gateway Canyon.  So why go there?  Because it is home to the Gateway Car Museum which is also home to the 1955 Oldsmobile 88. 

Wally was sure missing his Dad as we went through the museum.  Pop was a great old car buff and Wally really enjoyed that with his Dad.  The museum had this motorcycle right in front as we walked in.  This is a 1913 Indian 61 Twin Board Track Racer…Big name but I was just glad not be on this kind of a bike

I got a kick out of this car, a Cadillac!  They have certainly improved over the years!

Below is a 1934 Ford Deluxe Rumble Seat Roadster.  I love the rumble seat!

Wally grew up near Auburn, IN where the original factory for producing the  Cord, Auburn, and Duesenberg, automobiles operated.  It went our of business in the late 1930’s and became a museum which he visited many times.  This is a 1936 Cord--

A 1936 Auburn…Supercharged Cabriolet--

And this is a 1931 Duesenberg

And this guy works at the museum…a car buff who has a job buffing cars!  Not a bad deal!  This is a 1938 Cadillac and you can tell they were moving up in the luxury end of the business. 

But this is the era that Wally loves, the fifty and sixties.  Here’s a Buick Skylark

This is a 1957 Chevrolet…in front of a Ford billboard!  Wally’s Dad was a Chevy man.  He restored several of them in his life time. 

Wally was disappointed there were no Falcons in the museum.  But I would probably trade Nellie for a t-bird like this…

The car we came to see is the Oldsmobile 88.  It has quite a story behind it…it should not even be here.  In 1954 General Motors was wanting to introduce a sleek sports car and four cars were shown on its “Motorama” show.  They selected the Chevrolet Corvette which had been produced the year before and the other cars were to be destroyed.  Though no one knows for sure, the story is told that the designer of the Olds 88, Harley Earl, did not destroy his car.  Instead, he snuck the car out of the GM plant in pieces, along with the blueprints.  Later, it was sold to E.L. Cord, the owner of the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg. and then into the hands of different car collectors until it was believed to have disappeared.  Then on January 29,2005, more than fifty years after its original debut, the Olds 88 resurfaced at a car auction in Arizona.  It sold for a record 3.24 million dollars!  Nothing at the museum stated this but Wally had heard on a program that the family of the designer, Harley Earl, found all the pieces in a garage after his death and they had it reassembled.  It truly is a beautiful car.

Simply beautiful! And if you have not seen enough old cars here, come for a visit…I have one or two more pictures to share!!

Hanging Lake

Wally and I had the Fourth of July off so we also took Friday off, combined it with the weekend and headed to the mountains.  Anyone else do that?  Of course they did because the highway was flooded with people!!!  We tried very hard to sneak out of town early on Wednesday afternoon but that was not to be had.  I thought it was difficult making arrangements for three kids and the pets when we left town on our own.  Leaving 125 behind is far more challenging!   Wally was wanting to beat both the traffic and the heat, but we were leaving Denver at 5:30 and the temp was 90*.  With some creative short cutting, we soon were on our way.  And soon, the temps were dropping all the way down to 43*!   We even rode in a little bit of rain.  Along the way we had views of bighorn sheep…they seem much closer from the motorcycle than the car…elk, some does and a young buck in velvet. 

Our first destination for two nights was Glenwood Springs.  I have been wanting to hike to Hanging Lake for awhile.  We stopped there once with the kids, but also a dog and no dogs are allowed.  It took quite a few years to get back but I am so glad we did.  It was enjoyable and beautiful.  I had read on line that you want to get there early because the parking lot fills up and soon the trail is a bit like I-70…bumper to bumper!  We arrived about 7:30 and on our way back down, there was indeed a whole lot of people!  From trailhead to the lake it ascends in elevation of 1,000.feet in 1.2 miles….straight from the tourist info sign!  

The hike was steep and rocky in places, but there were so many pretty spots to stop and rest along the way.  I loved looking up at the canyon walls.

There were several pretty waterfalls along the way and we crossed seven bridges.

And then we reached the lake…just hanging there!

The water was so clear, we saw lunch swim by.

Here is some of that bird life.  We also watched a humming bird while we sat munched on apple slices.

See the dots of yellow growing in the lichen?  They are Columbines

Another bit of wild life, a marmot.

A short little detour off the trail takes you to Sprouting Rock.  This is the source of the water in the lake.  You can walk behind the waterfall.  By the time we stopped by there were a lot of people about and we didn’t take time to get that close.  Pretty though!

On the trek back down the trail we cam up on a group of black and white butterflies fluttering around. 

I’m glad we finally made it to the lake.  We enjoyed it a lot.  And the nap that followed back at the hotel! 

Thankful Thursday

It is the Fourth of July and this is just a quick post to say how thankful I am to be an American and to live in the United States of America!!  I know we get a lot of criticism, have many issues, and have wandered from our godly bearings and foundation.  But we still have many freedoms and we are still blessed to worship God freely…that which the pilgrims came to America to do in the first place!  Sunday we had a lot of Patriotic music at church including the hand bells, love that.  We had a video presentation along with the choir singing a song about the Statue of Liberty and America the Beautiful!  And I always love it when we sing our National Anthem.  Like our hymns, our patriotic music has rich truths buried in the verses we seldom sing.  I was particularly struck by the words to the last verse…

                             O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
                             Between their loved home and the war's desolation.
                             Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land
                             Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
                             Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
                             And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
                             O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

I am thankful for the lives of the many men and women who have sacrificed their lives over the years to secure my freedom.  I am thankful most of all for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ which brings true freedom.  The shedding of His blood has the power to remove all sin and leave in its place His righteousness!  I am thankful that having that relationship with Him brings a confidence that regardless of what occurs in America, good and bad, is in the hands of Sovereign God!  Knowing His character and and knowing He is trustworthy, brings another kind of freedom.  Freedom from worry…it brings peace. 

Happy Fourth of July
and
may God continue to bless America!

Happy Birthday Kenny Boy

Happy Birthday Kenny.  I know you are off somewhere taking your teens to camp…a second week of camp already this summer!  You are a busy youth pastor and settling into your new church and ministry.  We are so proud of you…the good kind of pride.  We are so blessed to have you in our family and to hold all those memories of your growing up years in our hearts!!

When you were born, Dad and I were living “in-between” a lot of things.  We had returned from a three year hitch in England and Dad was now in training for a new career in the Air Force, weather forecasting.  Which meant a lot of school and a lot of moving.  He was stationed at McChord AFB in Tacoma but would only be there a couple of months  and then at school for three months at Chanute AFB in Illinois.  The Air Force was not going to move a family around for that short time, so Andrea and I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa in Colorado while Dad spent his time in WA. Then we moved in with Grams and Gramps for three months in Kendallville, IN.  Dad was five hours away and came home on the weekends and the idea was that he would be there for your birth.  But, you were taking your time getting here.  In fact we were down to just two weeks when Dad’s school would be completed and he was to return to WA and still no baby.  And you were two weeks past your due date.  So it was all arranged for Mom to be induced.  I remember Grams and Gramps were going to be away and when they returned the big event would take place.  But when I went to the Doctor he sped things up a bit.  He performed a procedure that I still remember as very painful, in hopes of starting labor.  I was told to report to the hospital the next morning to follow up with the inducement. I called Dad around midnight to say I think things were starting to happen.  He was able to get a 24 hour leave and come right away.

So then the labor stopped.  Dad made it home and he slept about an hour.  We were to be at the hospital at 9:00 and I remember being a little late because we went uptown to main street Kendallville and Dad had breakfast on the way to the hospital!  I seem to remember your Dad always getting something to eat when I was in labor, and always driving fast to get to the hospital!  Well, you were born at 2:15 pm, weighing 8lbs. 6oz. It kind of looks like you didn’t really want to be here.  I think they were a little rough on both of us!

Eleven days later our little family was all packed up and headed west.  We stopped in Colorado so all the Paul’s could meet you and then headed on to Puyallup, WA where we set up a new home, new job, and new family. 

You certainly added a lot of smiles to our family, a lot of activity and a lot of adventure!  The best way to describe that is through the eyes of your siblings…who know best and probably a little more than your parents might know!

Andrea

Well, KB – it’s your birthday!  It’s hard to decide what to write about…I have lots of good memories, crazy stories, and sweet times to choose from.  Twenty-eight years is a long time, and I have a lot of ammo I could pull out!  But the first memory that popped into my head was a very long time ago…on the top of a big hill in Colorado.

There were four bikers up there, looking down at the bike trail below.  The wisest biker, let’s call him “Dad,” said to ride your brakes all the way down, or get off and walk it.  The smartest biker would be called “Sis” because she listened to “Dad’s” instruction and chose to walk her bike all the way down the big hill.  The third biker should be called “Mom”.  Since she is a mom, she probably anticipated the actions of the fourth biker, “Hot Shot.”  Because Hot Shot took off with 2 or 3 good hard pedals before he decided to hit the brakes, and he tumbled the rest of the way down that hill!

I will always be grateful that I got to share my college experience with you and travel in a quartet with you.  I saw God change your direction from one year of Bible training, to three years of Bible training, to a full-blown bachelor degree in Bible and music. Now you are a music & youth pastor in south Florida…who would have guessed where the Lord would take you!

I’m glad that you listened to Pastor Camp and let him fix you up with a spouse too.  He has very good taste, and Becky is a blessing to have in the family!

My wish for you this coming year is very simple… my kids would like a cousin!

Happy Birthday, Kenny-Boy!
Love,
Sis

Wesley

Well "little" bro it's your 28th bday! Just 12 away from being old! Well, mom wanted me to put some memories together for your birthday so here we go.

I remember a lot of good times together. You were always the one to either be mischievous with me, do that daring adrenaline rush, or tell me that's stupid! Then you’d hold the video camera for me to try it—haha!  

• I remember it was always my goal to block your shot in basketball, and I felt about ten feet tall when it finally happened.
• You almost killed me in a car accident when you decided to take a nap and ramp your truck off the road while elk hunting.
• When everyone else wanted to quit, I could always count on you to get one more run in on the slopes. Or two or three, and you always found the good cliffs with me.
• I could always count on you to stay up late and watch a movie with me after work.
• In high school you got the job striping parking lots and I went with you a lot to help. I found a Phantom of the Opera tape that we played in Fred.
• We had a lot of long talks during college over a cold glass of milk, and either regular or peanut butter Oreos and spoons.
• We had good times with you taking shots on me at the soccer field during college at Ambassador, and driving back and forth between NC and CO without stopping.

We had a lot of good times and memories together, and so many more that I could go on and on…

It's kinda weird to give a "charge" to your older brother!   And without sounding really cliché. But keep following God. Your testimony and walk and faith have  made a huge impact on my life. Seeing how you handled things in NC and how you were rewarded for your trust, and faithfulness. Your leadership will always go further then you think, and I'll always "look up" to you haha. Continue to lead Bex(and Bella) in godliness.  And no matter what, always stay true to Christ. Thanks for all you have taught me, even from a distance. I look forward  to continuing to learn from you, and spending time with you. Especially since you live in Miami now, I have to come visit right? Keep working on those soccer skills so we can tear it up next time! Happy birthday bro, I love you!
Sola Fide!
Wes

We all love you Kenny.  I hate that you are so far away and we miss a lot now.  Florida has never been my favorite place, but I think you’ve been prepared for it through a lot of your likes and experiences.  Best of all, it is where the Lord has led you.

Colossians 1:10-11
…that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power for all patience and longsuffering with joy;