Wild…Wild Ride…Wild Flowers…Not in Our Wildest Dreams!

Wild…that I am actually putting together a blog post!  It has been a long, long time!  But here I go!

Wild Ride…July 14 Wally and I took off after work to ride to Chama, NM.  One of our residents who had been quite special  to us had passed away earlier in the spring.  Her family was having a memorial service for her and then spreading her ashes over the family ranch in Chama.  We decided to combine attending her service with a few days of vacation.  Of course we planned to get out of town earlier than we did, so we did have some traffic.  Just south of Denver we ran into the rain…lots of it.  That slowed us even more and by the time we rode over  the Cumbres pass, it was dark.  Wally told me to keep my eyes open for deer and elk.  We spotted many deer on the side or having just cleared the road as we passed by.  Then we rounded one bend and there on the road was an entire herd of elk!!  We (Wally) veered quite wide and long to avoid a collision and I breathed out many “Thank you Lord” prayers!   We wish  we could have enjoyed the scenery by daylight!  On my list of places to revisit is Chama and to ride the narrow gauge train on the Cumbres-Toltec scenic railway!  We stayed at a sweet B&B, the Gandy Dancer.  It was within walking distance of the little church where Mrs. Binkley’s service was held. 

The little garden at Gandy Dancer had the tallest Columbines!

Wildflowers…After the service we headed on our way to Gunnison, CO.  We had another rainy day to ride in.  Our destination was the Wildflower Festival in Crested Butte, the Wildflower Capital of Colorado!  What a year for the wildflowers, it was amazing!  Since we were on the bike we splurged and rented a jeep  for a day to drive the dirt roads.  We picked up a little book of wildflowers and I think we saw every variety in the book!  I know there are a lot of photos following but I had a hard trying to choose which to use!  And who doesn’t like to look at Colorado?

People aren’t the only ones who enjoy a field of wildflowers!

These were all white Columbines.  I have never seen that before.  I wondered if the blue columbines had faded,  but I have not heard of that either!  Still, there they were!

We packed a little picnic and took a short hike to Judd Falls.  It was very lovely and we had quite a group of chipmunks who came out to keep us company!

  

That’s me…another “dear,” out in a field of wildflowers!!

Not in Our wildest Dreams…Friday morning we slept late and walked uptown Gunnison for breakfast.  We then wandered the town doing a little window shopping in some of the shops.  We saw a cute little fountain of two crows dipping and squirting.  The shop was actually backordered on the fountain…and it was kind of pricey!  So when we went back to the hotel room we looked for one on line…and found it…and it was quite a bit cheaper!!  I had just completed the order and we started to get ready for a ride around the north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  Wally’s phone rang and while I was getting changed I could tell the conversation was sounding serious.  Wally let me know he was talking to the owner of our company.  After a few more minutes of conversation I  mouthed the words to him…”Are we getting fired?”  I don’t know what made me ask that, but he nodded yes!  

In our wildest dreams we were not expecting that!  This was Friday and we were told not to return to work on Monday.  When your housing is attached to your job,we had a double whammie!  That phone call kind of ended our vacation and killed any desire to go for our ride.  We spent the next several hours in our hotel, on line, looking at places to rent…we had a quick move ahead of us!  (To be continued!)

Gypsy and Georgia Pass

Gypsy was 13 years old in May. The photo below was taken when she was just a pup and getting a little defensive of the dog food which Frank, Kenny’s iguana also enjoyed.  Gypsy was a third dog…no, not my plan, but these things do happen…but she was always the “alpha” dog!  Always!

In August Wally took me to Georgia Pass to have a nice look at the wildflowers. Georgia Pass must be one of Wally’s favorite spots in Colorado.  It is pretty and we almost always see some wildlife.  At the top is the Continental Divide and the Colorado trail runs across it.  We camped there many times when the kids were still at home and we had our ATV’s.  When we have out of town friends in, a ride to Georgia Pass wows them!  It’s the spot Wally took Ben and Andrea when Ben first visited Colorado and he and Andrea were just getting to know each other.  It’s a place where Wally has dreamed of hunting his big trophy elk. 

We took Gypsy along with us on this outing and I’m glad now that we did.  As I put this post together it is not really “Georgia on my mind” so much as it is Gypsy.  On Labor Day weekend, while Wally was out of town, I had to take Gypsy to the vet and put her down. 

This is how Gypsy always liked to ride…she wanted to be up front where she could see.  Years ago when we camped with our ATV’s Wally made a little basket for her to ride in.  But it was on the back and she always wanted to be in the front…on your lap with her paws on the handle bars.  She was riding along on Wally’s console like this until we hit the four wheel drive parts of the road.  We got her to sit but her focus was still "up front.”

Georgia Pass has beautiful views of Colorado’s mountains wherever you look.  Keystone Ski area is visible to the south (Wally tells me these things, I just turn and look!) and Breckenridge to the west.  Here is Breckenridge.

I took this picture for my kids. This road is now blocked off, but we used to ride all the way up and across the top of the divide. 

Wally brought me to see the wildflowers and we were not disappointed.  It’s funny to be posting these photos now because we have snow in the forecast for tomorrow! I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet.

This is kind of a funny photo.  We are walking along in the middle of the great Rocky Mountains, enjoying the beauty, when, can you believe it?  Wally’s cell phone rang!  When he looked at the ID, we had to answer.  It was Mr. Rausch, an elderly friend from our church a few years ago.  He now lives in Pennsylvania and he had heard about our twins.  You gotta take a call like that where ever you are, right?

Gypsy was mostly Wesley’s dog.  When he left home for school and summers as a camp counselor, she sort of came to me.  She had a funny little personality.  When you talked to her she would look at you and turn her head as though she really was trying to understand.  She was a barky little thing, part of that alpha deal I guess.  Wally was the one who gave her the ear rubs and played with her.  But she followed on my heels all day long. It’s been a month now but when ever I come home I still expect to see her waiting on the landing of our steps to greet me.  Funny how those furry little critters crawl into our hearts! 

Wildflowers!

Wally and I left Durango via the Million Dollar Highway…we have been on that road quite a few times on the bike.  I guess that is because it is such  a pretty drive and “fun” according to Wally.  (Which translates into lots of curves!)  We were not disappointed this time around  with gorgeous mountain scenery and the wildflowers were awesome…which is just what I was hoping for! 

As we started out Wally said “Anything you see and want to stop and look at, just let me know!”  He was probably sorry to have offered that because I tugged at his arm a lot after that.  One of the benefits of a motorcycle it’s easy to pull off the road, hop off and wander over to those pretty sights you see as you drive by.

I have no idea what these white flowers were called but they filled the meadows!

I do know that these orange flowers are called Paintbrush.  It always amazes me how they can grow just about anywhere…in the grasses…

…or among the stony rocks.  Hmm, I’m sure there is a great life application there!

Here’s more flowers growing in the crevice of a boulder.

I was thrilled to see our State flower in the Blue Columbine!  So pretty!

We saw many beautiful butterflies enjoying the wildflowers also.

This is Alpine Mertensia…I think.  I looked it up and it sure looks like that.

Oh, and lookey here at this familiar flower!

At the top of Molas Pass, 10,899 feet, we stopped to enjoy the views!

And here’s my favorite husband at the top of a field of my favorite flowers…

…Daisies!

I do love Colorado!