Leaving town.......

On Jan. 27 Peter & I left for Las Vegas. We had never been there before and really did not have any plans to go, but listening to others talk about the sites that were close to Vegas, we decided to take a chance and go for it!

We traveled on Thursday and stayed overnight in Richfield, Utah. We made several stops along the way for pictures and some geocaching in States that we had not been to before.
Weather was great the entire stretch.

64th birthday celebration

This January 14th marked the 64th birthday of Peter. This is momentous because it is Peter's first birthday celebrated in Colorado and the first time it was celebrated with all members of his immediate family. Andy and Tara and the girls traveled from Lander and stayed the weekend and Doug and Heidi joined us on Saturday. A wonderful Packers victory was another gift.

The dining room table was twice surrounded with smiling faces admiring birthday cake complete with lit candles, once on Friday and again on Saturday.

Time was spent with granddaughters, Hailey and Emily, playing at the playground and on the living room floor.

Time was also spent with sons, Doug and Andy, being introduced to frisbee golf.

Renée planned the event and was instrumental in pulling off it off.

The girls helped Peter open gifts of a rust colored shirt, slippers to replace my holey ones and a new chalk bag for climbing. Andy and Tara hid their gift before returning to Lander.

First Winter Hike

Fort Collins has wonderful Natural Areas that are both supported and patronized by the citizens of the city. The Gateway Natural Area was the spot I chose to explore, hike and photograph. Historically this site functioned as a water treatment facility that outlived its original usefulness. This spot is where the North Fork and the Cache La Poudre River meet.

I took a short and steep hike up the Black Powder Trail to the summit of 5800 feet. The trail runs up a rock and dirt trail through ponderosa pine, rocks and grasses. The dam creating the Seaman Reservoir is visible along the upper reaches of the hike. There is evidence of past fire with the charred tree bark and trees fallen and burned.

The water of the North Fork River flows out of the Seaman Reservoir to the north and joins the Cache La Poudre at the Park Area. There is a parking area with restrooms available.

It appears that trout fishermen try their hands year round stalking their version of rainbows.

New Puzzle

When we arrived home from our trip to Arkansas, we found a puzzle waiting for me on our dining room table....courtesy of Doug & Heidi. They had finished it and were giving me an opportunity to put it together as well.
As can be seen, it was a bit confusing, but I put it together in about 24 hours. When I start something like that, I like to finish it. It is now back in the hands of another puzzle aficianado. ...a friend of Heidi's. I am now trying my hand at a puzzle that is a replica of one of Jackson Pollock's works of art. Intense splashes of color on canvas. I estimate that this will take me about a year to complete. Lucky if I can get one piece/day.