Nika makes a Friend!

 My second time walking on the trail this season.  It had been just over a month.  Mari Jo said the concrete portion of the Wabash Trace north of Silver City was clear.  We'd been wanting our dogs to meet & today was the day!

Gracie & Nika~

Butch & I had noticed a dog barking, our first walk on the trail last March.  The dogs owner came out & commented on how similar our dogs looked!  That was our first time meeting Mari Jo.  The next, was when I realized she also owned Happy Trails Cycle Shop!  

Gracie was a rescue, so her parentage is unknown.  With so few Buhunds in Iowa, it seems almost impossible she has Buhund blood.  As we discussed habits & the look, it's pretty obvious.  With blue eyes, Mari Jo believes Gracie is also part Husky .  

Bridge replacement~

The first bridge going north, is about to be replaced.  One of the timbers underneath is cracked.  That will limit our ability to walk the concrete & the limestone surface will be too wet & mushy for weeks yet.

Gracie & Nika~

For two females, the two girls got on OK.  Neither making any fuss & both walked out the same speed.  Mari Jo set - I know - a more moderate pace for my benefit.  I passed up the benches on our way out.  I was wearing my muck boots, so the leg got a workout.

Treacherous in spots~

There were a couple places where it was easier to just walk over in the snow.  My tall boots came in handy for that.

Gracie with blue eyes!

The day made it up to the high 40's, but the clouds rolled in & the air turned chilly.

Mari Jo, Gracie & Nika wait~

By the last bench - the leg was more than ready for a rest.  I stretched it out a little before moving on.

Broken Bridge~

If you look at the left top boards, you can see where they bend downward.  The broken truss is in that spot.  It will be quite a project - I just hope it doesn't take too long to replace.  It's one of my favorite portions of the trail!

Heading back to Glenwood.  Water tower off in the distance~

Both Nika & I were happy to have been out!  I'm back to driving the Bronco.  The dealership called today.  The steering box in the Explorer needs to be replaced (a recall item) & none to be found.  They have no idea how long the wait will be, but recommended not driving it.  As I told them, in the meantime, the Bronco will do just fine!  :-)

The Great Melt!

 I've been so anxious to be outside!  The days are sunny, temperatures in the mid-40s feel warm!  I had to make the trek to the Cabin.  I wanted to start the Bronco, since the Explorer will be in the shop for a day or so.  The germanium's needed watering too.

My foot!

Walking along the drivers side of the Bronco, I sunk in to the top of my tall boot! At least the surface is so frozen, no snow fell in. In spots, I could walk on top of the snow.

The Germanium's have a sweet view~

Butch had the job of getting the germanium's dug up & potted, while I was still in WA.  They're doing the best this winter, they have since we've been here.  They love the full south exposure & are growing a set of buds.

The flower garden ~

It was nice to see my first flower bed - re-appear from beneath the snow!  Boxwood's aren't the fanciest of shrubs, but they seem able to withstand the weather & moles.  Just a touch of green during the winter is nice too.  Even as hardy as they are - they won't live through the winter months in a pot.

At Tinkle Branch Trail~

Making my way down the hill wasn't easy.  With each step, I couldn't tell if my foot would stay on top of the snow, or break through.  I was going to enter through the bottom gate, but it was frozen shut.  

Going back up the hill, I decided to stay on the fence & use it for support.

My steps~

You can see where each step sunk into a different depth.  From almost on top of the melting snowpack, to sinking all the way to the bottom.  No wonder Nika hasn't been running across the drifts in the yard.  She sticks to her path along the fences.

With the foreseeable future forecast for more seasonably warm days - I'm still wondering how long it will be before we see the lawn again.

Yet - More Snow~

I had to laugh - when reading through Facebook posts this morning.  I think everyone in town was out taking snow pictures!  Sounds crazy I know - after all the snow we've had.  We'd just enjoyed our first two sunshine days, climbing above freezing!  It felt so warm!  Sitting out with Nika yesterday afternoon, was almost like being under a waterfall, with all the melting snow dripping off the deck roof.

A wet, heavy snow~

Butch didn't get back from Sioux Falls until after midnight with the Choir.  All was quiet.  Early this morning though, the white stuff started falling & falling & falling.  We've easily another 3" on top of what was still on the ground. 

Woods~

  I tiptoed around this morning, taking photos from the deck & porch.  

Cabin from the house~

The look - is totally Winter with a capitol W!  Most of us I think are totally tired of Winter!  With a forecast taking us into the mid-40's next week - it will be interesting to see all of this melt!

Front Porch~

This storm though, isn't wind driven, so the porch & the deck stayed dry!  A small win in an otherwise ongoing trial by shovel!  :-)

Record Breaking - Bitter Cold!

 As of yesterday, the statistics were impressive.  Sixty-five hours of zero or below.  Tuesday was our coldest day in twenty-five years.  It also made it into the record books as a top-ten coldest day in Omaha's recorded weather history.  Certainly the coldest I can remember during my lifetime - anywhere!  We've all been very thankful the wind has remained - for the most part - calm.

My Tuesday morning wake-up call~

On top of all that - we've been below freezing for three weeks straight.  During this cold spell, it isn't as though we haven't had snow!  We've had lots of snow.  January 25th, we had almost a foot & it stayed.  The snowplow would come through turning the piles brown, but then fresh snow would have them covered again.  Just enough to keep things beautifully white.  As other smaller storms came through - they added about 3" per visit to what was already on the ground.

January 28th,  Full moon on pristine snow~

The stories I've heard of Iowa winters, were brought home to me as truth this winter!    

February 2nd, frost~

 The day's seem to alternate between overcast & sunshine.  Our neighbor Mike, came along with every accumulation & plowed the driveway up to the Bronco.  I think the Bronco is his favorite, even if he did sell  us the Explorer.  :-)

February 3rd, blazing sunshine~

When the sun is shining, it's so brilliantly bright, you have to wear sunglasses!  It was so bitter cold - I only took one walk in the woods...  Besides which, it's deep & crusted over, making it tough to walk through.

On the 16th~

We missed another snowfall while we were in CO.  It was as light as dust & easy to blow off the porch when we returned home.

Today~  Snowflakes in the air~

I was severely chastised by my friends at Mat-Making for not showing up last week on my birthday!  I honestly didn't think anyone would brave single digit temperatures to go.  I was so wrong!  :-)  Butch & I did go out for dinner at Tobey Jacks.  Kathy bought us a homemade brownie covered with ice cream, drizzled with chocolate & topped with whipped cream & a candle!) 

Chocolate cake!

I did bake us a chocolate cake.  Not German Chocolate - Butch's favorite, but he enjoyed it & so did I!

Today, I cowgirled up, picked Doris up & we made it to mat-makers.  It's so wonderful our little group of women continue to meet & make quilts & mats regardless of the weather, Covid, or whatever else tries to deter us from our weekly appointed task!  The moral of this story - is;  Don't mess with Iowa women!  We're a tough bunch!

My leg has been so painful, I haven't even been to the Y since the first of the month.  We're promised a day above freezing this coming weekend & a warming trend back to our seasonal temperatures soon.  The 40's will feel positively balmy!  Time for me to get back in gear!

This day - last year~

Circling the Sun~

 No, it's not possible!  That number can't apply to me?!  Well, maybe so...  

A chronical of my life, can be found in the many photo albums I've filled with pictures.  Since the change to digital formats, external hard drives have served the same function.  I have my parent's albums now - filled with images of their youth & my early years.  

Mom, me & Dad - May 1951 Greenfield, IA

I was born in Creston, IA & lived there until March of 1954.  My parents decided to make a move away from Iowa & join my Dad's older brother in Boulder, CO.  Homesick, they returned to Iowa in November of 1956, moving to Greenfield.  

Both my maternal & paternal Grandparents lived either in Creston or Greenfield.  It was the perfect place & time to be a kid.  We went swimming at the pool & shopped on the square.  I took lessons in both ballet & tap dancing.  I started Kindergarten. 

Ten-years old~

Summer of 1958, my family moved to Boulder permanently.  I had a tough time leaving my grandparents & school friends.  I did love Boulder & the mountains though!  It had to be one of the best places anywhere - to live - in those days. I attended Foothills Elementary & started Violin lessons in the third grade.  (My parents divorced when I was eleven, ending my carefree childhood.)  I helped raise my younger two brothers & sister.   

I loved riding my bike & roller skating at Peppermint Square on weekends.  I worked a part-time job at Twinburger drive-in, to earn enough for riding lessons at Green Meadows Stable.  Dad often took us camping.  Summers were spent in Iowa on my Grandparents farm.  My High School didn't have an Orchestra program, so I learned to play guitar.  (Mom & Dad remarried each other, the year I turned eighteen.)

August, 1971 - Shadow Mountain Lake, CO

Turning twenty - I'd been married for two-years & Courtney was a toddler.  When she started school, I took a part-time job as a bookkeeper for Singer Sewing Machine.  

Eight-years later, Jentry arrived.  I worked part-time for a School Picture company.  The girls kept me busy.  I usually had a garden & did some of my best crocheting.  We camped often with friends.  I also signed up for a few college classes; bookkeeping & photography. 

Maroon Bells, CO - January, 1981

  By the time I was 30, Butch & I had been together for a year & decided to move to Washington.  Arriving October of 1981, Butch's native state became our home for the next thirty-five years.  Courtney played softball, Jentry was bat girl!  Butch Umpired the games. 

We managed apartment communities & camped every other weekend.  Whidbey Island & the Oregon coast were our favorite destinations.  Many times, especially in the winter, we'd have the campgrounds to ourselves.

Connie & Butch, December 12, 1986

I soon transitioned to managing condominiums & residential income properties.  I was awarded Manager-of-the-Year for western, WA by the Institute of Real Estate Management - in 1986 & 87.  

Courtney had graduated & moved into her own apartment in a building we were managing.  She & I worked together at a resident screening company, for a couple years.

We purchased the Homestead in 1990, moving to the country 40-miles north of Seattle.

Alexi, Connie, Butch & Jentry - February, 12, 1991

  My fortieth birthday, we bought a chestnut Arabian mare, from our neighbor down the road.   Not long after, we brought home a young gelding.  Butch needed a horse to ride, until Khaz was old enough.  We purchased a gray Arabian mare. The materials he had planned to use for a shop, became a barn.  We rode both Competitive Trail & Endurance.  We volunteered on the Centennial Trail Coalition, working to make the point-to-point trail a reality.  

Courtney married in 1991 & Jentry graduated in 1995, moving in with a friend, shortly after.

Tiring of long hours & longer commutes - in 1998 - I found a position as household manger & nanny for two wonderful kids!  Close to home with flexible hours, I had more time for the horses.  I was with the family for almost ten-years & missed them terribly when the kids grew up!

Benjamin, Connie & Jentry - November, 2000

  At forty-nine - I became Grammy!  Daughter Jentry & Chuck, presented us the first of our Grandkids!  Benjamin was born in 2000.  2001, Courtney & David gave us our second grandson Mason,  followed by granddaughter Cassidy in 2003!  Being Grandparents was our most favorite thing ever!  Weekend & overnight visits, Birthday parties, holidays, sports, camping!   Those years seemed to fly by...  

(My only slow-down was in 2003 - when I was bucked off a crazy little mare.  Airlifted to Harbor View in Seattle, I had broken ribs & a broken femur.  Three-months later, I was back riding.)

Debbie, Connie, Charlotte & Joyce, Feb. 2011

My 60th birthday, seemed a bit surreal.  I'd been riding for twenty-years.  Most of my friends were horsewomen & a small group of us met four times a year, for lunch on our birthdays!  

More excitement was soon to follow - when Jentry & Joe presented us with granddaughter Skyla in 2011 & fifteen months later, Josie in 2012.  

I lost my father in 2012 & mother in 2016.  2016, was also the year we made the decision to move to Iowa.  (Chronicled in this blog.)  

2018, I unexpectedly lost the vision in my right eye.  This resulted in a diagnosis of a genetic heart condition; Hypertrophic Cardiomyopahy .  I decided to send my mare Farah - back to Washington - putting an end to over twenty-five years of riding.   That fall, Courtney & I traveled to Italy! 

 2020, I returned to the trail, this time on a bike - completing one of life's full circles.

___________________________

My last two birthday's - I've either been in Washington, or on my way home.  (I'd already spent two-weeks, plus the first six-weeks of my recovery there last fall.)  

When Butch asked how I'd like to celebrate our birthday's - I thought of one place right away!  Glenwood Springs, CO & the hot springs pool.  We lived there 40-years ago (Just before moving to WA.) & it's always been one of our favorite places.

Connie & Butch, Rifle Falls - February 2021

We made the trip a weekend early, to avoid the Valentine's Day crowds.  The town has doubled in size.  We enjoyed talking with local shop owners who remembered the area as it once was.  Now, it's become the vacation destination, for hoards of people from the ever expanding metro populations.

Today - is the five-month mark since the accident that brought me to an unexpected halt.  It's still uncertain, how much use of my leg I will regain, or if the nerve pain will resolve.  I'm determined to get back to doing the things I love. 

With our move to Iowa, another circle of my life, was complete.  I had returned home.  

I'll continue to follow our friend Dean's sage advice - head up, eyes forward - as I travel into my seventh decade ~

Rifle Falls ~

 Our last day didn't quite turn out as we'd planned, it ended up much better!  We started, as usual on weekends, with hot latte's!  Out to town - Bullocks - so I could purchase a sweater I'd looked at the day before :-)  We had lunch at the Daily Bread, where I enjoyed my first potato pancakes in forever!

We had reservations later in the afternoon, to ride the Gondola to the top of Iron Mountain & visit the caverns.  With plenty of time to spare, we decided to take Hwy 82 south from town, toward Basalt.

Mt. Sopris~

As with everywhere we went, towns that hadn't been much more than wide spots in the road, are now small cities.  The valley gradually infilling with homes & acreages.  It was tempting to go further, but we were looking forward to the gondola ride..  

The truck waits~

Returning to Glenwood on time, as we parked, we noticed the gondola moving slowly with lots of stops. Only a few of the cabs were occupied. Our tickets were refunded - the wind had come up enough - the ride was suspended for the day. With the afternoon free, we decided to drive on west to Rifle. We'd lived there when I worked on the Colony Oil Shale Project just outside Parachute.

Roan Cliffs~

It was a beautiful afternoon!  Rifle sits on the edge of the Piceance Basin, making it the go-to place when Oil Shale was being touted as an emerging energy source.  The fairgrounds had been  updated & the town itself had new stores & lots of new houses.  We didn't stop in town, our destination was one of our favorite spots on this side of the state - Rifle Falls State Park.

Rifle Falls

The entry fee to the state park was $10.  Since it was Super Bowl Sunday, we didn't expect many people.  The small parking area was almost full - but several cars were leaving as we parked. 

Trail Map~

There was plenty of snow on the ground.  We took the trail going past the falls & to the caverns, before looping back.  It was icy in the shade.  The dirt & rock inside the first cavern was powder dry.

Me in the first cave~

We continued on down the trail, with the footing more slippery as we went.

Along the edge of the cliffs~

I told Butch I was doing OK on the way down, but getting back up would be a trick.  After the last cavern, we decided to turn back.

The creek~

The water in this little creek was almost turquoise~  With a trout farm just north, a great place to fish I'm sure!

Going back up~

The climb back up, gave me & my injured leg a workout :-)  Butch offered an arm more than once!

An icy trail~

As the afternoon progressed, the temperature dropped & the trail changed from slushy to icy.  Once we made it back around to the cliff front, I couldn't resist climbing up to get a photo of the spray.

The Falls~

The falls have an amazing sound.  Possibly because of the caverns below.  We were the last vehicle in the parking lot.  Even the Ranger had left for the day.

Rifle Gap Reservoir~

Driving past the very low reservoir - the color of the water & sky were so intense.

Driving through the Grand Hogback toward Rifle~

The view above might be familiar to anyone living in CO during the early 1970's.  This is where the Valley Curtain was constructed. 

For old times sake, we had dinner at the Rivera before heading over to the pool.

Entrance to the Pool~

Our last night in town & last evening to enjoy the pool.  The weekend tourists were all gone, as was the line waiting to enter, due to Covid restrictions.  Staying at the Lodge - we had wrist bands allowing us unlimited access.

Looking up at the Lodge~

In earlier years, especially in the winter months, we'd come down after work & have the pool almost to ourselves.  (My leg had been tingling since our first soak.)  We soaked & enjoyed the beautiful evening, stars shining against a blue/black sky.  It would be hard to leave~  

Around Town - Glenwood Springs ~

 After spending late Friday evening soaking & watching snowflakes melt in the steam from the pool, we slept in a little on Sat.  The hour time difference helped!  Butch made us latte's & we enjoyed the view from our deck.

View~

There are plenty of good restaurants in town now.  We picked the Blue Bird Cafe for a late breakfast.  Just a little shopping was on my list of to-do's.  By the time we left the restaurant, the sun was out & the day was already warming into the 40's! 

 Bullock's is such a great western store!  The staff was so friendly, we caught up on all the local issues since we'd moved.  We left carrying bags of course!

Our idea of shopping nirvana :-)

We also found Fine Things.  The shop where we'd purchased our third set of wedding rings in 2008, was still in business!   We stopped in to say "hi" & admire the jeweler's latest works.  

We took a drive to the south end of town to find our old house - it took a while!  The neighborhood looked totally different.  Once we found the bridge across the Roaring Fork River,  I remembered the street.  Everything on both sides of the old road was built up in huge condominium projects.  I'm surprised this house & the two others on each side, haven't sold out to development.

Our old house~

After 40-years, it didn't look anything like it did when we lived here.

2-1981 Jentry flying down the hill!

The back yard was a big slope, right down to the river.  Butch packed the snow for the girls to have a sled run.  They almost ended up in the river!  He had to add a berm :-)

We stopped for an early dinner - deciding on Chinese - we have it so seldom at home.  The food was as good as ever.  It was nice & quiet, off the tourist track.

New pedestrian bridge & steps down to the park by the pool~

  Back at the Lodge, it was such a beautiful evening, we took a walk over the new pedestrian bridge.  A perfect place to view the pool.  

Glenwood Springs Hot Springs Pool~

Largest in the world, there had been changes since our last visit.  The bubble chairs were gone :-(  You can still put in a quarter to get bubbles, but the rails that held you in place have been removed.  The huge slide is gone too...  Replaced by a Sopris Splash Zone, open only in the warmer months.  The fountain is new, placed where the picnic area used to be.  There is a nicer park like area with grass now, that you can see in the photo of the pedestrian bridge.

The Lodge~

By staying at the Lodge, you pay a higher rate, but get unlimited access to the pool.  (Pool fee is $28. a visit.)  I had quite a discussion with the manager when we returned home.  She discounted our room & I received a promise of a nice upgrade next time we visit.  I'm going to confirm that in an email.  (Yes, Butch's skills come in handy in all circumstances.)

A fun day & the best part!  Heading back over to the pool!