Nov and Dec highlights

I love being retired! Feeling lucky about that. November and December were warm in Colorado so the outdoor activities were fabulous.  Scott joined me in most of that fun stuff.  Feeling lucky about that too.
Weird how I got to see 2 of 3 granddaughters at DIA in December.

Just before my Dec flight to Illinois, I got to meet my granddaughter Jaymie at DIA when she flew in from 18 months in Paraguay!  It was a quick hello but so great to see her.

One week later.....  Just after my Dec flight back to Colorado from Illinois, I got to see my granddaughter Danyelle at DIA!  She was flying back to L.A. and we got to spend 45 minutes together!

Happy Birthday to the man in my life. We spent a couple nights in Breckenridge and skied 3 days in single digit temps to celebrate Scott's birthday.  Yay for Level 6.1.  Boo for freezing on the slopes.

Ann and I ran Segment 2 of Colorado Trail in November!  Started in snow, ended in warm sun.  

We ran sometimes - this is at McIntosh Lake by my house.

Lunch with the Spice Girlz at Northfield Mall.  Me, Diane, Jennie, Barb, Lynn.  We've been friends since 1980.

Louisville Turkey Trot on a very warm Thanksgiving Day with Larry and Linda and a couple thousand good friends.

A run at Boulder Reservoir with Barb B.

Our beautiful mountain bike ride around Chatfield Reservoir included a flat tire for me - and a cute guy to fix it.

We got the Epic Mix pass again and are skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin....We will get to Vail and Beaver Creek in 2018.  Very little snow fell so far.

Six Dirty Girlz on this Sunday!  Pat, Melinda, Steph, Nanci, Sarah, and me

We hiked!  And saw 3 moose on the Taylor Mountain trail outside of Allenspark. Very exciting.

Hiked to the Boulder Star on a warm & dusty evening with Kent & Terri, Melinda & Chris, Scott & me.

Scott learned how much he likes manual labor and the Sawzall when he helped me gut my master bathroom! 

My birthday run with DGz at Niwot.  I've achieved Level 6.1 That's a better way to look at 61 years I think. Woot Woot!

We made gingerbread houses again with Scott's grandkids and Eleanor.  A nice Christmas experience!

A gorgeous sunrise at my house

No photos but...to remember,
I got to do a Christmas Lights run again this year.  This one started in Prospect and was in south neighborhoods - with Jabe's group, including my friend Jen and a potluck afterwards.  It was a warm and beautiful run!  Such a great way to enjoy the holiday and everyone's outdoor lights.

Phyllis had her annual (Christmas) Friday morning breakfast for the guys and gals from Longs Peak.  So great to see all those people I used to teach with every year at this event.

We did the Longmont Holiday parade followed by a walk through Roosevelt Park for the amazing Christmas lights again this year with Terri & Kent, and with other friends too.  Love those hometown Christmas celebrations.

Holidays and Family

I visited parents, sister, and family in Illinois in early November and again at Christmas.  Mom is generally not happy and is memory care.  Dad is living at home with the same 2 wonderful caregivers (Crystal and Connie) who take him to visit my mom every morning, make lunch, clean up and go home.  Vicki picks up dad for dinner every night. 
Everyone is healthy and going along....
I hope next year Scott and I can be together for Christmas, with families!

Christmas at Craig's included smoked RIBS (yum), unwrap the present game, and Kelly's family.  Nice.

Christmas Eve at Vicki's with Nancy and Bill

Josh's pork belly burnt ends - the smoked & sweet bacon was much tastier

Family at Vicki's for Christmas Eve

A visit to Pilcher Park Greenhouse - warm in there!

A good day at The Cottages

Criag, Colin, Kelly, and Kohlie

Tired out after some two-stepping in Mom's room

Got to visit my mom's life-long friend, Dorothy Gruenwald, in Lawrence, KS.  I love that lady! She's living in Senior Apartments and doing ok. And I got to see Bobby's bar finally - the West Coast Saloon.

October in Manhattan.  Andi, Alex, Kohlie, Colin.  

Learn to love the rain? ....and sunny things.

In October, we flew to Seattle so Scott could meet Kirin and Matt and then we house sat for them while they were away.  We had pleasant weather most of the week Scott was there, but the second week when I was there alone, it rained, rained, rained every day. 

I tried to embrace the rain, go out and do everything in it, and accept it - advice from friends there. But that is not easy when you come from Colorado.  I could never live there but it's great to visit.  Next visit will be between May and September though - with sun.

a rainforest hike in the Quinalt National Forest

Lodge grounds at Quinalt Lake area on the Olympic Peninsula

Our friend builds houseboats and we toured a couple for sale on Lake Union in Seattle. So cool!

Seafood on the bbq with a view at Kirin and Matt's!

Gig Harbor, Washington

The fall trees were spectacular!

A hike to the beach shelter with Kit & Kathy in pouring rain for hours.  Hardy folks. The highlight was picking up oysters at low tide and cooking them over that fire.  Delicious!

Kit & Kathy's new tiny house. Warm and dry after that wet hike.

Kayaking in Gig Harbor

One of many beach hikes

Other fall fun:

Run at Devil's Backbone west of Loveland

Ride to Jamestown with a stop at the Merc, in foothills above Boulder.

Sunday trail runs with the Dirty Girlz.  This pic was at Picture Rock outside of Lyons.

Autumn is here, weather is warm

Scott and I had some great adventures in the warm, fall weather.  We did a 3 day biking trip in Breck, and a week-long driving vacation around our beautiful state.  This blog post contains mixed up pictures from those two trips, a family visit, and some fun with friends.

Blue Mesa Reservoir near Gunnison - beautiful!  But the fish there don't bite.

Our loop route - Gunnison and Blue Mesa Reservoir, Lake City, Creede, Wheeler Geologic Area, South Fork, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Pagosa Springs, Durango, Mesa Verde National Park, Silverton, Ouray, Montrose, and back past Blue Mesa and Gunnison.  There is still so much to see in our state, but we got a good start.

That guy is crazy!  At Hartman Rocks outside of Gunnison

On the driving vacation, near Ouray or Creede...loved the setting for this photo.

Mesa Verde - hot there but so interesting.

September Family time: sweet cousins, mom, mom's sister Catherine, and Linda

Elk on the west side of Rocky Mtn National Park..spotted on girls' getaway!

Justice Run at Hudson Gardens with Barb B. and Scott.  Nice 10K

A benefit of returning to Manhattan, IL - Asparagus picking time!  Very weird that it regrew in late August since it is a spring thing.  But I took advantage when I saw it on my run!

Quilters tracing our lineage and laughing a lot!

Singletrack in Breckenridge - near Blair Witch trail