Yesterday (and today for that matter) turned out to be another fabulous sunny, comfortable day in Colorado! Mark and I decided to take a drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park, Moraine, Estes Park, and Trail Ridge Road to check out the fall colors and to see the elk in their rutting season.
Drove up to Trail Ridge Road first and stopped at our favorite spot to photograph. Temperature at almost 12,000 feet was about 54 degrees. In Fort Collins, the temperature was in the mid-80s. Photographed some cute yellow fall flowers; I'm always amazed that they can flourish at that altitude! Stopped at the Alpine Visitor Center for a quick bite before we headed back down to Moraine to check out the elk rutting and to capture pictures of the fall colors throughout the park.
Saw several "harems" of elk with the large bull elk guarding his ladies from younger bull elk. Saw very interesting behavior with one of the harems once we got down to Estes Park. We were watching the bull elk keep his girls all together. All of a sudden, we saw two females cross one of the main roads into Estes Park looking for the pack. They jumped a fence and casually walked over to the rest of the harem. Of course the bull elk had to check them out, probably checking for a male scent.
Next thing we know, we spotted a young bull elk slowly making his way over to the fence in search of the females. He was cautious and took his time. He was no more than 4 or 5 yards from me; he even looked at me! But he certainly had other things on his mind and couldn't care less about the humans that were around.
He finally got up the courage, jumped the fence then nonchalantly started walking over to where the females were. It only took about a minute or so and the large bull elk, got up and deliberately started walking a straight line towards the young bull elk. He went a few yards, then broke into a gallop! The young bull elk decided it was a bad decision and quickly high tailed it out of there.
Such an interesting display of elk rutting! Everyone should get to see this at least once in their lifetime! Click on the fall picture on the right and you'll see a lot of the photos we took yesterday.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sad News...Happy News
It's been a rather hectic couple of weeks and I finally found time to sit down and just reflect on the past events.
First, on a sad note, we finally came to the decision that it was more humane to have our beloved cat of almost 19 years (Buster) put down than to watch him continuing to suffer with cancer. He was so thin and arthritic and could barely eat 1 TBS of soft food a day! His once strong meow was barely a whisper...it was time. I made the phone call and Mark took him to the vet...I was a mess! He was a great cat all those years! It's hard to believe that Sara was in 5th grade and Holly was in 8th grade when we got him at the shelter! He's on the other side of the rainbow now and in a good place. I miss him a lot!
On a happy note, we just had Sara and Sophia spend a nice weekend with us while Zach (Sara's husband) spent a leadership/team building weekend with his MBA class down by Colorado Springs. It's amazing to see the changes in Sophia each time we see her! She is full of smiles and giggles, especially when she wakes up in the morning! And, she's trying out her voice a lot more, too with lots of baby chatter. So cute!
In between these two events, we've had quite a busy social calendar with dinners, music shows, a candle party, and planning for the next wine tasting event for the Fort Collins Newcomers Club (we are co-chairman with another couple for this year). I'm also working on getting out my first semi-annual newsletter for the New Horizons International Music Association! Lots to do! I haven't forgotten my photography business...I need to finish the Web site and get my pricing set!
And finally, our music lessons, concert band rehearsals and daily practices are in full swing! It looks like this year I may get to be the drummer in our Dixieland Band, too!
Whew...I'm tired just writing all of this! :) Actually, I'm quite happy to be busy...I'm NEVER bored!
Well, that's about it for now. I'll try to do better and be a little more frequent on my post updates.
First, on a sad note, we finally came to the decision that it was more humane to have our beloved cat of almost 19 years (Buster) put down than to watch him continuing to suffer with cancer. He was so thin and arthritic and could barely eat 1 TBS of soft food a day! His once strong meow was barely a whisper...it was time. I made the phone call and Mark took him to the vet...I was a mess! He was a great cat all those years! It's hard to believe that Sara was in 5th grade and Holly was in 8th grade when we got him at the shelter! He's on the other side of the rainbow now and in a good place. I miss him a lot!
On a happy note, we just had Sara and Sophia spend a nice weekend with us while Zach (Sara's husband) spent a leadership/team building weekend with his MBA class down by Colorado Springs. It's amazing to see the changes in Sophia each time we see her! She is full of smiles and giggles, especially when she wakes up in the morning! And, she's trying out her voice a lot more, too with lots of baby chatter. So cute!
In between these two events, we've had quite a busy social calendar with dinners, music shows, a candle party, and planning for the next wine tasting event for the Fort Collins Newcomers Club (we are co-chairman with another couple for this year). I'm also working on getting out my first semi-annual newsletter for the New Horizons International Music Association! Lots to do! I haven't forgotten my photography business...I need to finish the Web site and get my pricing set!
And finally, our music lessons, concert band rehearsals and daily practices are in full swing! It looks like this year I may get to be the drummer in our Dixieland Band, too!
Whew...I'm tired just writing all of this! :) Actually, I'm quite happy to be busy...I'm NEVER bored!
Well, that's about it for now. I'll try to do better and be a little more frequent on my post updates.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
I Was Supposed to Be in the Pentagon That Day, 10 Years Ago
Reflecting back on 9/11 ten years ago, I realize I'm a lucky lady! My co-worker, boss and I were scheduled for a morning meeting in the Pentagon in the area where the plane hit. If I remember correctly, it was around a 9 a.m. meeting. For some reason, our boss cancelled the meeting the day before because he was annoyed at the person we were supposed to meet with. I don't remember what upset him right now, but thank goodness, he was! (Someone was watching out for us!)
My co-worker, Diana and I were sitting in our office on that unforgettable day and had just switched off the tiny television that we usually turned on for about an hour each morning to catch all the news of the day as we were checking emails. I got a quick email from Sara who was a sophomore at West Point at the time that said, "a plane just hit the World Trade Center! Gotta run to class...talk to you later..."
Wow! We quickly turned on the TV again and actually saw the second plane fly into the second Tower...unbelieveable! And, shortly after that, the Pentagon got hit! Our office was on the flight path for Dulles International Airport and we kept looking at the planes coming in and thinking, "Who's going to crash next?" But, before long...all the planes were gone! The FAA had instructed them all to land. Then, we saw the Towers fall.
No one could work that day. It was difficult taking it all in. Especially after realizing another plane had crashed in Pennsylvania! Four planes, the World Trade Center and all those souls gone!
I think it was a few days later, we drove by the Pentagon and I had a sickening feeling in my stomach when I saw the gaping hole and charred remains on the side of the building where the plane had entered. I think I was angry more than anything that someone so full of hatred against Americans would do this!
I wished I was on active duty at that moment instead of being retired! I had already been retired 7 years and was too "old" to be taken back! :(
My co-worker, Diana and I were sitting in our office on that unforgettable day and had just switched off the tiny television that we usually turned on for about an hour each morning to catch all the news of the day as we were checking emails. I got a quick email from Sara who was a sophomore at West Point at the time that said, "a plane just hit the World Trade Center! Gotta run to class...talk to you later..."
Wow! We quickly turned on the TV again and actually saw the second plane fly into the second Tower...unbelieveable! And, shortly after that, the Pentagon got hit! Our office was on the flight path for Dulles International Airport and we kept looking at the planes coming in and thinking, "Who's going to crash next?" But, before long...all the planes were gone! The FAA had instructed them all to land. Then, we saw the Towers fall.
No one could work that day. It was difficult taking it all in. Especially after realizing another plane had crashed in Pennsylvania! Four planes, the World Trade Center and all those souls gone!
I think it was a few days later, we drove by the Pentagon and I had a sickening feeling in my stomach when I saw the gaping hole and charred remains on the side of the building where the plane had entered. I think I was angry more than anything that someone so full of hatred against Americans would do this!
I wished I was on active duty at that moment instead of being retired! I had already been retired 7 years and was too "old" to be taken back! :(
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Relaxing Day
Woke up to cool, crisp temperatures, plentiful sunshine, clear blue skies and the site of a hot air balloon floating by our house. Beautiful! The balloon launch was part of the 90th Windsor Harvest Festival, just a couple of miles from our house. So, after breakfast, Mark and I decided to check out the festivities.
We discovered a nice park in Windsor that we didn't know even existed! This was the main area for their festival. Lots of booths, music, food and several childrens' bounces and rides. After walking through this area, we drove about a mile or so to Kodak Park and attended the free antique car show. Lots of great cars bringing back a lot of childhood memories! (Click on the car photo on the right to see all the pictures from today.)
We discovered a nice park in Windsor that we didn't know even existed! This was the main area for their festival. Lots of booths, music, food and several childrens' bounces and rides. After walking through this area, we drove about a mile or so to Kodak Park and attended the free antique car show. Lots of great cars bringing back a lot of childhood memories! (Click on the car photo on the right to see all the pictures from today.)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Ah, Colorado!
We finally arrived home on Thursday, August 25th after almost a month on the road! Our travels started earlier than we'd expected due to the passing of my father-in-law, Walter, on July 29th. Itineraries took us to Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota (in that order). Lots of driving back and forth but it was well worth it as we got to see our families! And, I finally got to meet our new nephew, Lucas! He's 8 months old and what a happy little boy...so cute!
Walter's funeral service in the cemetery chapel was very nice...his brother, John did the eulogy. The graveside service had to be cut short due to a thunderstorm. After the service, we all went to John and Marion's house (Mark's uncle and aunt) for a family get-together. It was nice seeing Mark's side of the family even under the circumstances.
After spending a week in Minnesota, we drove to Pennyslvania and stayed with my Mom and Gene. The next two weeks were spent with them alternating time with Julie, Ray, and the boys, and Larry, Stephanie, and Lucas. We racked up a lot of good memories with fun times spent at Ocean City, NJ, Cape May, NJ, Rehoboth Beach, DE, Lewes, DE, and Chesapeake City, MD.
We also enjoyed watching Alex play clarinet in a summer concert band and Zachary play street hockey with him scoring 2 goals and 2 assists! And, we've heard so much about "train club" and finally got to experience what Alex and Zachary do there, as the club was part of the annual 4H fair that we also took in.
We also were lucky enough to celebrate my sister, Julie's 50th birthday, my brother-in-law, Ray's 45th birthday, our nephews' Alex's 11th and Zachary's 9th birthdays! We had a fantastic dinner at Magianno's at King of Prussia for Julie's birthday and then back to Mom and Gene's for cake and presents...fun time!
We also got a chance to eat real fried clams (not just strips) at a favorite childhood place of Ray's...very good!!! Larry and Stephanie took us to one of their favorite places, too, and we ate along the water in Chesapeake City, MD,...very nice!
We had a nice photo session with Melanie (Stephanie's sister) and her fiance, Nick in Delaware! They are a cute couple and we are looking forward to shooting their wedding on January 21st!
We left the East Coast the day the 5.8 earthquake hit Virginia and that was felt throughout the northeast! Talk about timing! Made it to Minnesota for one more day (went to the Mall of America) and then departed for home.
The day after we returned, we just had to see our new granddaughter, Sophia, so we went down to Sara and Zach's. Sophia is so cute and seems to have grown longer; she's interacting even more! It was great seeing all three of them! Sara looks great, too! Looks like she and Zach have settled well into the daycare and work schedules.
Now that we are back home, we are settling back into our routines. Mark and I are both counting Weight Watchers points again to get the excess weight off that we gained on vacation as well as to try to get a few more pounds off. I'm trying my best to get at least 30 minutes of exercise in a day, whether it be power walking, spinning, elliptical or bicycling. If I can keep this up, I'm hoping my body will be kind to me! :)
I'm back into the swing of practicing drums daily and am busy gearing up for the start of the band season--working on my secretarial duties for the board and newsletter editor for the international band organization (the New Horizons International Music Association). And, one more new responsibility...I'm working with Mark and another couple, Bob and Karen as chairpersons this year for the Fort Collins Newcomers Club Winetasting Club!
I think I have enough on my plate right now. It's good to be home and it's refreshing to be in Colorado! Check out some new photos on the right from our trip!
Walter's funeral service in the cemetery chapel was very nice...his brother, John did the eulogy. The graveside service had to be cut short due to a thunderstorm. After the service, we all went to John and Marion's house (Mark's uncle and aunt) for a family get-together. It was nice seeing Mark's side of the family even under the circumstances.
After spending a week in Minnesota, we drove to Pennyslvania and stayed with my Mom and Gene. The next two weeks were spent with them alternating time with Julie, Ray, and the boys, and Larry, Stephanie, and Lucas. We racked up a lot of good memories with fun times spent at Ocean City, NJ, Cape May, NJ, Rehoboth Beach, DE, Lewes, DE, and Chesapeake City, MD.
We also enjoyed watching Alex play clarinet in a summer concert band and Zachary play street hockey with him scoring 2 goals and 2 assists! And, we've heard so much about "train club" and finally got to experience what Alex and Zachary do there, as the club was part of the annual 4H fair that we also took in.
We also were lucky enough to celebrate my sister, Julie's 50th birthday, my brother-in-law, Ray's 45th birthday, our nephews' Alex's 11th and Zachary's 9th birthdays! We had a fantastic dinner at Magianno's at King of Prussia for Julie's birthday and then back to Mom and Gene's for cake and presents...fun time!
We also got a chance to eat real fried clams (not just strips) at a favorite childhood place of Ray's...very good!!! Larry and Stephanie took us to one of their favorite places, too, and we ate along the water in Chesapeake City, MD,...very nice!
We had a nice photo session with Melanie (Stephanie's sister) and her fiance, Nick in Delaware! They are a cute couple and we are looking forward to shooting their wedding on January 21st!
We left the East Coast the day the 5.8 earthquake hit Virginia and that was felt throughout the northeast! Talk about timing! Made it to Minnesota for one more day (went to the Mall of America) and then departed for home.
The day after we returned, we just had to see our new granddaughter, Sophia, so we went down to Sara and Zach's. Sophia is so cute and seems to have grown longer; she's interacting even more! It was great seeing all three of them! Sara looks great, too! Looks like she and Zach have settled well into the daycare and work schedules.
Now that we are back home, we are settling back into our routines. Mark and I are both counting Weight Watchers points again to get the excess weight off that we gained on vacation as well as to try to get a few more pounds off. I'm trying my best to get at least 30 minutes of exercise in a day, whether it be power walking, spinning, elliptical or bicycling. If I can keep this up, I'm hoping my body will be kind to me! :)
I'm back into the swing of practicing drums daily and am busy gearing up for the start of the band season--working on my secretarial duties for the board and newsletter editor for the international band organization (the New Horizons International Music Association). And, one more new responsibility...I'm working with Mark and another couple, Bob and Karen as chairpersons this year for the Fort Collins Newcomers Club Winetasting Club!
I think I have enough on my plate right now. It's good to be home and it's refreshing to be in Colorado! Check out some new photos on the right from our trip!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Vacation is Winding Down
Just two more days left on the East Coast before we head to Champlin, MN for two days and then home by Thursday. We've had a great time out here with Mom and Gene, Julie, Ray, Alex, and Zachary, Larry, Stephanie, and Lucas. We were really happy to finally meet Lucas, our newest nephew!
We are so glad to be able to celebrate Ray's 45th, Julie's 50th, Alex's 11th, and Zachary's 9th birthdays with them this weekend, too! We had a fun time with everyone! Went to Rehoboth Beach and Lewes, DE with Larry, Stephanie, and Lucas as well as Chesapeake City, MD. Julie, Alex and Zachary took us to Ocean City boardwalk, antique shops in Hammonton, and to Cape May. Ray was able to join us at his favorite childhood clam shack in the Tuckerton, NJ area--very good! Had lots of fun playing "Apples to Apples" with Julie, Ray and the boys the other night. And, as always, we enjoyed shopping and visiting with Mom and Gene!
We met with Melanie and Nick and took some very nice engagement pictures. They certainly make a cute couple! We are looking forward to shooting their wedding back East in January, too.
I hope everyone will be able to make it out to Colorado next year and stay with us for a while. I do miss my family back East but do love living in Colorado, too. Just wish we could transplant everyone to Colorado!
We are looking forward to seeing Sara, Zach, and Sophia when we return! Sophia looks so much bigger already! And, of course, it'll be good to see our old cat, Buster! (I'm afraid he doesn't have much time left. According to our cat sitter (a veterinary technician), Buster seems to have developed a hard lump under his armpit...*sigh*.)
I hope our trip home is uneventful. Just want to make it home safe and sound!
We are so glad to be able to celebrate Ray's 45th, Julie's 50th, Alex's 11th, and Zachary's 9th birthdays with them this weekend, too! We had a fun time with everyone! Went to Rehoboth Beach and Lewes, DE with Larry, Stephanie, and Lucas as well as Chesapeake City, MD. Julie, Alex and Zachary took us to Ocean City boardwalk, antique shops in Hammonton, and to Cape May. Ray was able to join us at his favorite childhood clam shack in the Tuckerton, NJ area--very good! Had lots of fun playing "Apples to Apples" with Julie, Ray and the boys the other night. And, as always, we enjoyed shopping and visiting with Mom and Gene!
We met with Melanie and Nick and took some very nice engagement pictures. They certainly make a cute couple! We are looking forward to shooting their wedding back East in January, too.
I hope everyone will be able to make it out to Colorado next year and stay with us for a while. I do miss my family back East but do love living in Colorado, too. Just wish we could transplant everyone to Colorado!
We are looking forward to seeing Sara, Zach, and Sophia when we return! Sophia looks so much bigger already! And, of course, it'll be good to see our old cat, Buster! (I'm afraid he doesn't have much time left. According to our cat sitter (a veterinary technician), Buster seems to have developed a hard lump under his armpit...*sigh*.)
I hope our trip home is uneventful. Just want to make it home safe and sound!
Monday, August 8, 2011
On the Road for Awhile
My father-in-law, Walter, died on July 29th around 3:30 p.m. Mark and I quickly changed our vacation plans and moved everything up a couple of weeks. We headed out to the Minneapolis area the next morning at 6:00 a.m.
After 15 hours, we rolled into Champlin, MN and a gully washer of rain greeted us. The next couple of days were busy finalizing details for Walter's funeral. And, on Monday, August 1st at 1:15 p.m. in the cemetary's chapel, the viewing began. At 2 p.m., the casket was closed and the service began. It was a very nice service with about 30 people in attendance. An Army color guard played taps to begin the service, folded the flag that was draped over the casket and presented it Carol, Mark's younger sister and she accepted on behalf of the siblings.
I held it together until three different times during the service. First, the closing of the casket in front of everyone was very symbolical to me of the finality of life on this earth as we know it. Second, was the playing of taps and the rest of the military part of the service. And, finally, the singing of "The Old Rugged Cross" (one of Walter's favorite hymns). This hymn was one of my grandmother's favorites, too and was played at her funeral 18 years ago.
After the service, Mark, Joe, and four others were pallbearers, walking the casket to the hearse for the brief ride to the gravesite. Because it was raining and lightning, there was a very short prayer spoken at the gravesite by the pastor. We all went back to Mark's Uncle John and Aunt Marion's house after the service for a short get-together with family.
The day after, we went back to the gravesite and Carol, Mark, and Sue decided on what inscription they wanted on Walter's headstone.
The last 10 years have been particularly challenging for Carol and Sue since they've had to deal directly with Walter's sicknesses, operations, etc. not to mention all the moves from apartments to assisted living to nursing homes. They can all take a deep breath now.
We spent a few days with Mark's family and are now in Pennsylvania with my Mom and stepdad.
Larry, Stephanie and my new nephew, Lucas (now 8 months old) came over right after we arrived and stayed for dinner. It was the first time we met Lucas and boy, what a cute little guy he is!
Had dinner last night with Julie, Ray and the boys. Alex and Zachary look so much older and they are really sprouting up in their height, particularly Zachary!
I've been taking lots of pictures but probably won't get to upload them for another week or so.
So, my updates will be rather sporadic until we get back home in Colorado. That's it for now.
After 15 hours, we rolled into Champlin, MN and a gully washer of rain greeted us. The next couple of days were busy finalizing details for Walter's funeral. And, on Monday, August 1st at 1:15 p.m. in the cemetary's chapel, the viewing began. At 2 p.m., the casket was closed and the service began. It was a very nice service with about 30 people in attendance. An Army color guard played taps to begin the service, folded the flag that was draped over the casket and presented it Carol, Mark's younger sister and she accepted on behalf of the siblings.
I held it together until three different times during the service. First, the closing of the casket in front of everyone was very symbolical to me of the finality of life on this earth as we know it. Second, was the playing of taps and the rest of the military part of the service. And, finally, the singing of "The Old Rugged Cross" (one of Walter's favorite hymns). This hymn was one of my grandmother's favorites, too and was played at her funeral 18 years ago.
After the service, Mark, Joe, and four others were pallbearers, walking the casket to the hearse for the brief ride to the gravesite. Because it was raining and lightning, there was a very short prayer spoken at the gravesite by the pastor. We all went back to Mark's Uncle John and Aunt Marion's house after the service for a short get-together with family.
The day after, we went back to the gravesite and Carol, Mark, and Sue decided on what inscription they wanted on Walter's headstone.
The last 10 years have been particularly challenging for Carol and Sue since they've had to deal directly with Walter's sicknesses, operations, etc. not to mention all the moves from apartments to assisted living to nursing homes. They can all take a deep breath now.
We spent a few days with Mark's family and are now in Pennsylvania with my Mom and stepdad.
Larry, Stephanie and my new nephew, Lucas (now 8 months old) came over right after we arrived and stayed for dinner. It was the first time we met Lucas and boy, what a cute little guy he is!
Had dinner last night with Julie, Ray and the boys. Alex and Zachary look so much older and they are really sprouting up in their height, particularly Zachary!
I've been taking lots of pictures but probably won't get to upload them for another week or so.
So, my updates will be rather sporadic until we get back home in Colorado. That's it for now.
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