Leaving on a jet plane: Friday, August 22, 2014

Jade's pirate face.  First leg from Austin to Houston was fine.  Not too early in the morning (10:25 a.m.), short flight.

A few hours into the 4-hour layover in Houston:  not possible to sit still any more!

Finally!  On the plane from Houston to Charlotte, where we'll rent a car and drive to Asheville.  This is baby Sade and me.  Sade is just like Piper's baby doll that Jade fell in love with back in March.  Guess what Uncle Ryder, Aunt Brandy, and kids gave Jade for her 3rd birthday?

Jade and Sade.  Mellow flight.

Papa's in New York City

Papa's visiting Beka, Scott, and Sadie this week (August 19-22, 2014).  Coincidentally, Sarah is in NYC on business this week.  They all went to see "Chicago" last night:.  Papa said it was a "tremendous" production.  I'm not sure what this is: view of East River?

Radio City Music Hall:  Emma, will we see you perform there someday?

The Chrysler Building.  One of my favorite examples of Art Deco architecture.

Thanks, River, for Papa's lollipop!

When River talked to Papa on Papa's birthday, River promised to send Papa a picture of a lollipop.  Here it is!  Thanks, River!

Emma's officially a high school freshman!

Emma and her friend Holly have been to Fish camp and are officially freshman at Midway High School.  First day is August 26.

Go Class of 2018!

Cowgirl Fox

Today (August 18, 2014) was "hat day" at the Montessori School.  Fox decided she would be a cowgirl, complete with her Easter hat, pink tutu, and boots.  It's hard to tell, but she has two braids, like Anna from "Frozen" (of course!)

Tomatoes for Cheryl

Cheryl dropped by on Saturday, August 16.   Papa Tom still has tomatoes in the garden and picked for Cheryl to have with her anasazi beans from Colorado.

The sunflowers shaded the tomato plants through the summer so they didn't burn up.  As soon as the weather cools in September, the plants should bloom again for a fall crop.

Happy Birthday, Papa Tom!

Mmm!  Chocolate torte at North by Northwest.

Make a wish!

Queen Elsa!

Queen Elsa, partaking of Papa Tom's chocolate pecan cake from the Perini Ranch, and hanging out with Daddy.

She's dressed as Queen Elsa to watch a bit of "Frozen" on YouTube.  We've seen many, many "Frozen" re-enactments with Barbie dolls on YouTube.  There's a whole world of Barbie dolls as Queen Elsa out there!

Mater's metamorphasis

So this is how 'Mater Caterpillar looked when Papa Tom found him in the garden, fattened up from eating lots and lots of tomato leaves.  We put 'Mater Caterpillar in the butterfly habitat and he was a cocoon when we left for Colorado on July 30.

By the time we returned on August 5, 'Mater Caterpillar was 'Mater Moth!  Papa didn't release him in the yard though: he was re-homed to a park several miles away in hopes that no 'Mater Moth eggs get laid near our garden!

Perini Ranch burger, one last time: August 5, 2014

So we made a 6:15 p.m. reservation and drove 9 hours from Pagosa Springs to Buffalo Gap, arriving about 3 minutes early, so Papa Tom could have one more Perini Ranch burger.

Pagosa Springs: August 4, 2014

Cheryl, Tom, and hollyhocks at the Springs.  The three of us soaked in the pools every night we were there.  Will we ever not smell like sulfur?

So happy that the springs are between 93 degrees and 107 degrees!

Tom and Cheryl in one of the 22 pools overlooking the San Juan River.

Time to outrun the rain!  We made it to the restaurant across the river just as the storm broke.

The Springs are perched above the San Juan River.

Must be time to head back to Texas.  Tex-Mex, oh yeah!

Durango, Colorado: August 4, 2014

Our friend Cheryl was right at home with the horse sculpture.  She lives on several acres in Bulverde, outside San Antonio, and has four horses.  She brought us some of Ace's manure for Papa Tom's tomato crop last Spring.  Good stuff!

How could we resist the chocolate factory?  Papa Tom got three chocolate-covered cherries; Cheryl and I went for truffles and mint covered in dark chocolate.  Decadence!

Stopped at the James Ranch for cheese made with raw milk.  And look!  What book is that on the shelf?

Lunch at the Steamworks, our favorite Durango restaurant.  Our first visit must have been about 10 years ago.  The years blur together!

Chimney Rock National Monument: August 3, 2014

What unique rock formations!  They protrude 1,000 feet above the valley floor.  Much, much larger than they appear in this photo.  Chimney Rock is between Pagosa Springs and Durango, Colorado.  The Anasazi lived in this area from about 900 A.D. to 1100 A.D. before moving on, possibly due to climate change.  We visited the site because our friend Cheryl, from Austin, was taking an Anasazi pottery class for the several days that we were in Pagosa Springs.  The class made pottery the way the Anasazi did; Cheryl said it's very difficult to paint designs with a yucca stem!

At the edge of the trail to the Chimney Rock.

Pueblo ruins

Papa Tom taking a photo of me while I'm taking a photo of him

Papa Tom, our friend Cheryl, and tour guide Susan descending from the uppermost pueblo.

View of the valley from the pueblo.  As far as is known, the 200 years that the Anasazi resided here were very peaceful.  The view would have allowed them to see anyone coming from very far away.  Archeologists believe the only interaction among area peoples was peaceful, for trade and festivals, for instance.

Mesas, far away.  Archeologists posit that the pueblo dwellers could communicate with each other via fire/smoke signals for up to 90 miles distance.

Top of the trail.  The chimney rocks are very far behind me, much larger than they appear in this picture.  Turns out there are chimney rocks in Nebraska, Oregon, and the Carolinas, to name a few other places. 

Williams Creek trail: August 3, 2014

Folds of rock along the Williams Creek trail in the San Juan National Forest, about 25 miles outside Pagosa Springs.  The trailhead begins at a campground for people and their horses.  The horses were whinnying to each other from their corrals when we arrived.  Some riders were on the trail with us.

They aren't in the photo, but I'm talking with two hikers and their dog Darwin about other great hikes.  Remember: Conundrum hot springs off a trail outside Vail.  Another year . . . .

How deep will the snow be after Labor Day?

Pagosa Springs, Colorado: August 2, 2014

Started the day with latte and mocha latte at the Pagosa Springs Bakehouse.

Stopped at the Farmer's Market in hopes of finding fresh goat cheese.  Sold out!

Princess the grizzly lives at the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Park.  She was taken in at 10 months old after her Mom was shot and killed while raiding an Alaskan village.

Do you see the bobcat enjoying the sun?  He reminded us of a big ole house cat!

The elk dropped his antlers.  They're more than 3 feet tall!

This emu was found galloping through the streets of Pagosa Springs.  I don't know how he was caught.  Emus can run up to 40 miles per hour and have a 9-foot stride! 

The bearded dragon was spikey on top but had a very soft little belly.

We checked out the Williams Creek trail for a hike the following day.