Oct - Dec 2005

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OCTOBER 2005

Today we have another how at the farm.  This one is not recognized, a smaller version of the one in the Spring.  We have invited Susan, the piano player from Willy D's...  She grew up a country girl, so she really enjoyed getting her boots muddy again.  She said it made her miss her farm and the horses they have. 

We brought Denbeigh with us to the show, to try and find him a new home.  I know, you are saying how can we do that.... but its not fair to him, since we are never home to pay attention to him.  We want to find him a home where he gets the attention he deserves.  There were alot of people that wanted him, but no takers.  There are a few leads, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Tonight we are having dinner with the Family... and some new friends from Poland.  Mike had 2 exchange students from Poland several years ago.  One works in Korea and the other still lives and works here in Arkansas.  Asia had gone with us to Colorado in Feb. 2004.  Her parents are here visiting for a few weeks, so we wanted to have dinner for them and show then where Asia lived while she was an exchange student.  We had a good time, even though there was a definite language barrier...  We invited Daddy to join us for dinner...  get him out of the house and a change of scenery...  When he leaves tonight, he will take Denbeigh with him.  We think we have found a home for him.  One of the Pony Club Mom's has found an older lady who is looking for a companion dog...  she hasn't even met him, and has already contracted a deck and fence to be built for him.  Man we thought he was spoiled before... 

Well today is my birthday... and we are celebrating at Willy D's.  I am not sure that is a good thing.  There is suppose to be several friends joining us...  well that didn't happen.  It ended up just Mike and I, with Susan and her boyfriend Chris joining us.  And of course the rest of the guys at Willy D's.  I received a shot and a kiss from Steve to start the night off, right or wrong, whichever the case may be...  Later in the evening, as they do with most birthday celebrities...  I was asked up on the stage and up on the piano... after several moments of embarrassment, where Mike H. sang a not so pg rated song to me.  I was able to go back to my table.  Susan took pictures, but they may never surface... I am not so sure that is a bad thing.  Well its been a late night, and I still have to get up and go to work in the morning...

Tonight we start off by heading to the airport to pick up Jeff and Cheryl, our friends from Ohio that we met on our Honeymoon Cruise.  They have come to visit and we hoped to show them some the the beauty or Arkansas.  After we have them loaded up, we head to Willy D's to show them our favorite night spot.  Jeff and Cheryl, like everyone else we take there, really have a great time...  even after we get Mike H.  to get Jeff on stage...  while we are there, one of the members of KISS show up to play some drums.  Well it is close to halloween, see for yourself in the pictures...  Great Costume!

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Today I took a vacation, after 2 nights out late, I needed the time to sleep in a bit...  When Mike takes off from work, we are headed to the Buffalo River area.  We are going to show Jeff and Cheryl some of the sites of Arkansas.  We arrive in Ponca, and after checking in at BOC, and getting a fire going at the cabin, we are off to check out the Elk.  Around dusk each day, the Elk seem to make their way out of the woods.  If we are lucky we'll get to see them.  And we are that...  of course they aren't close enough to get some good pictures but, there are 3 good size bucks, and quite a few others...  I think I lost count around 40 or 50....  Let's just say there were a bunch.    We even heard the BIG buck buggling...  That was a first for all of us.  After several attempts at taking pictures, we are back at the cabin for steak dinner cooked by the boys and some cold beer.   

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I am off bright and early this morning to meet with Wilderness Photographer Tim Ernst, for a photography workshop that I received for my birthday.  Even though I have a little point and shoot camera, hopefully I will get some good shots to be able to do something with.  I have been researching new camera's but hadn't quite figured out what I want yet.  I have an idea, but need to learn alot more before I make that decision.  We meet down at the low water bridge then carpool to our shooting destination, which is the Roark Bluff on the Buffalo River at the Steel Creek access.  We shot pictures for about an hour...  most of the others had these fancy Nikon cameras, but I did with what I had.  Afterwards we load back up and head to Cloudland, which is Tim's home and photography workshop.  We spend the rest of the day in the "digital workshop" working on and printing our photos from the days shoot.  It was a long day, and alot of things to process in my mind.  Now my will have to buy me a new camera for sure...  I have the fever now!  Mike, Jeff and Cheryl arrive to pick me up, then we head back to the cabin for a fajita dinner and some time to try and digest the events of the day. 

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Well last night we decided to change our plans a little and take Jeff and Cheryl to Eureka Springs, and show them our wonderful little chapel.  After our pancake breakfast, we clean up and pack up and we are on the road.  We arrive at Eureka Springs and Thorncrown Chapel just as the services are ending at the worship center.  We enter the chapel, and once again, as it always does, it brings the chill bumps, as I greet and hug Mrs. Reed, who is always there to provide information about the chapel.  She remembers me, and says that we need to stop in at the Worship Center and say hello to Doug, her son, who married us almost a year ago.  He was glad to see us, and to know that we were still together.  He gave us a photo of the chapel, a gift he likes to give to those who visit the chapel again on their anniversary.  We now head to downtown for some lunch at Geraldi's, where we had our lunch with the family after our wedding.  It was amazing, that the owner actually remembered us.  But then how many people go to a pizza place for their Wedding Day lunch?  After a little shopping downtown, we are headed for home.  Its been a long weekend, but a great time with friends.  Tomorrow Jeff and Cheryl will catch plane for home...

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NOVEMBER 2005

We are off to McKinney to spend the weekend with Tommy.  We have the bikes on board, which should prove very interesting with Tommy...

After picking Tommy up this morning, we are off to the REI store in Plano, can't pass up on shopping at an REI store...   Then a stop at the grocery store for sandwich fixings for a picnic lunch, we are off to the a Nature Preserve in Plano to do some bike riding.  There are miles of bike trails, paved and not.  It will be good to get Tommy out of the house and off his butt!  After our picnic lunch we are on the bike and off the road...  these trails are unbelievable, who knows how many there are and how many miles you can peddle.  They aren't the easiest in the world, tight turns over tree roots and rocks.  Tommy had a hard time, but then it wasn't real easy for Mike and I either.  I lost count on how many times Tommy fell down, it looked like he had gotten in a fight with a cat and lost, BIG TIME!  I even ran into a tree or two.  We realize that after about an hour and a half of Tommy crashing, that we might ought to call it quits before he falls and really hurts himself.  We load the bikes and head to the hotel to check in and clean up for dinner.  Tonight we are going to Joe's Crab Shack, one of our favorites that we haven't visited in a while...  After dinner we are off the movies, to see Zorro.  I expected Mike to sleep through it, but it looks like everybody enjoyed it!

This morning we take Tommy to his favorite breakfast spot, Golden Corral, then to the park for some more Bike riding.  The park in McKinney has some good bike trails, ones much easier then the ones yesterday.  After 4 miles of riding or so, we load up and take Tommy home, and head for home.  Its another good weekend visit with Tommy.

Today is a VERY big day.  Today I become a business owner, Mike's Mom and Dad sign their shares of the company over to Mike and I.  This has been a goal of our, since before we got married.  Now the business is all ours.  Its going to be a challenge, but it something we have been working toward.  I will have to try and work my business duties in after my regular work ours at Falcon Jet, but maybe someday we will be able to work in our business together.  It is a Big Day, and a Great accomplishment.

Well we were suppose to be catching a flight to Cancun, but since Hurricane Wilma struck our playground, we had to change our plans.  So we fell back on our old faithful playground spot, Colorado.  Since they have gotten record snow...  we decide to go try some skiing in Breckenridge.  Since I had only gotten to ski that one day in April of 04, I am a bit nervous about whether I will be able to remember how to ski. 

We have several items on our to do list today...  banking issues with the business, and we haven't even begun to pack.  During our errands, Mike decides to get me an early anniversary present...  we stop in at Bedford's Camera and gets me the camera that I have decided on...  with several accessories in hand and an instruction DVD, we are off to Walmart then home.  We still have alot to do before we can start our anniversary vacation...

We are finally able to leave Lonoke at 3:30, with a temperature of 57 degrees.  We stop by the farm to say bye to Daddy and Granny, and we are back on the road again at 4:30. 

We stop somewhere outside of Hays, KS around 1:45 for a few hours of shut eye for Mike.  Cause you know I had already been asleep for a couple of hours...  Up at 6:15 and on the road again with a temperature of 42 degrees.  At Limon, CO 9:00 and 45 degrees we stopped for breakfast, then off to Denver.  After shopping at REI for a couple of hours, we are off to Breckenridge...  its 1:30 and 62 degrees.  We arrive in Breckenridge at 2:30 and the temperature has dropped to 37 degrees.  We check into Trails End, and unpack, then head to town to rent our skis for the week...  then to the grocery store.  Its been a long trip here, its time for some rest for hopefully a long day of skiing tomorrow.

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This morning we are up and getting ready for our first day of skiing...  I am a little nervous, hoping I remember how this works.  We are on the Quicksilverlift at 8:30 when it opens, its a cold morning on the lift, but the sun is shining and its a beautiful day...  We make it off the lift and down the slope... me snowplowing the way down I am sure.  Back up the lift again, this time doing much better.  I am getting the hang of it again.  Of course these are just the green runs, ___ trips up and down Quicksilver.  Its time for a lunch break and rest the knees and legs.  My right knee sore, guess its the weaker of the two.  Don't seem to turn as well with it as I do with the other.  Maybe it will just take some practice.  After lunch, we are back up Quicksilver and down part way to the Mercury lift.  It goes to some of the blue runs.  This lift takes you way up on top of the mountain.  Man what a view...  will have to bring the camera up to this level and take some pictures.  Its an awesome site!  Ok, this run could have been better, I guess its more paranoia, but it was really slow going.  Once I got down to the green part, I could really tell the difference...  We make a couple more runs up and down Quicksilver, then its time to call it a night.  Its been a long day, but a good day of skiing.  Dinner in the room and a movie...  not enough energy for a hot tub, so its to bed early for another day of skiing tomorrow.

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Its out the door and on the lift again at 8:30 this morning...  straight up and down Quicksilver.  Man I did good that time... best run I have done to date.  Mike was even impressed!  Next its up Quicksilver and then over to Mercury up to the top.  We make a stop for some coffee at Peak 9 Restaurant.  Its a great view... afterwards we make our way back down the Bonanza run then down the green run that I have gotten decent on...  I think we made a couple more trips up Quicksilver then back in for lunch.  I guess my confidence is getting better, cause it isn't taking me near as long to get down to the bottom...  but that time on the lift gives my knee some time to rest and enables me to catch my breath.  After a quick lunch we are back at it...  this time with the camera.  Up the Quicksilver lift and down and over to Mercury.  We took several shots on top of the mountain, pics of each other and the surroundings.  I hope they turn out like I think they will.  How can they not turn out great with this scenery...  After taking advantage of the photo opportunity, we are down the bonanza run again.  This is an intermediate run, one that I have done twice before, but this time was different.  Guess I got too confident or cocky one...  We have gone about have way down this run, and I have been using most of the slope to make my turns and to slow myself down...  My right knee still sore from the strain, guess its weaker then the other, or I am compensating and working it too hard or something.  I go to make my turn to left, with most of my weight and pressure on my right leg, and crash...  I go tumbling down, feeling and hearing a pop in my right knee.  I land head down hill...  Mike and others ask if I am ok...  I'm afraid to move.  All I can say is I felt a pop.  I manage to sit up and swivel my legs around so they are on the downhill side of me.  After a few minutes, I am able to stand, thinking that I may be ok...  I am up on my skis and and able to stand so I decide to ski off to the edge of the slope, I may be ok... NOT!  I try and make the turn, and as my knee twists I realize that I won't be skiing off this mountain side.  Of course the thoughts of me ruining Mikes' vacation keeps entering my mind.  Mike flags a girl from the Ski Patrol down and in no time she has another girl from the patrol there with a sled.  I am then bundled up and taken off the mountain, with the help from the Ski Patrol with Snowmobile, I am taken to the emergency center at the foot of the Quicksilver Lift.  Its a weird feeling riding down in one of those sleds, on your back with your head facing downhill covered up with plastic to keep the snow off you.  Can't see where you are or where you are going...  Once in the medical center, they ice down my knee, ask me all sorts of questions, and put me on oxygen.  Then after some x-rays are taken and quite a bit of waiting time, I get to see the doc.  There is alot of activity in this emergency room...  from two of three knee injuries, a broken wrist, and one unwilling head injury patient that was being sent by ambulance to the hospital.  Well I have them puzzled...  I have break in the bone of my knee, kind of more like a chip out of it, I guess you'd call it.  A grade 1 tear of my LCL and the possibility of a torn ACL.  I was told to get an appointment with an Orthopedic Doc when I get home...  So with brace on my knee, and the words "No More Skiing", we are out of there...  He didn't say no hiking, we will wait and see how I feel in the morning...  we are suppose to be hiking to Francies Cabin tomorrow to spend a night, the cabin all to ourselves...  I hobble to the room and we get dinner going.  After dinner its a ice pack on the knee, while Mike sends the word out, and a picture of me being hauled off the mountain...  I guess I would laugh too, if I didn't feel so bad.

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Well its Wednesday morning, and we were suppose to be off to Francies Cabin.  Besides the knee injury I have been fighting a cold since we left home, and last night, it wasn't the knee that bothered me it was the blasted cold...  There is no way that I can make it to Francies.  Its a mile and a half to the cabin from the trailhead, with an elevation gain of about 2000ft.  Even with a good knee, I would have trouble making it with this cold.  A lost opportunity...  Doubt we will ever get the chance to stay at the cabin by ourselves again...

So instead we pack up and head toward Taos...  I have never been, and its a special place for Mike.  Taos is where he first started skiing...  Might not be able to do much, but at least we will be able to do a little site seeing.  We depart Breckenridge at 9:30 with a temperature of 19 degrees.  On our way to Taos we make a stop at the Great Sand Dunes National Monument...  its a strange site.  Out in the middle of nowhere there is this pile of sand, that the wind blew in and formed.  Its something you have to see to believe...  We then get back on the road to over the Rio Grande Gorge bridge and in to Taos.  We check in the hotel then off to find some dinner.  Mike has a major disappointment...  his favorite restaurant is closed and won't reopen till Dec 9th.  Guess we'll just have to come back then...    

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Up this morning with a quick breakfast at the hotel, then we are off to the Rio Grande Gorge, 1000ft down to the river...  Mike remembers there are some hot springs located on the rivers edge.  He asks a local that tells him the road to take to get to one.  We head off down this dirt road, not sure where it might take us.  We are amazed at the homes in the area...  so many look like a work in progress, don't know if that is just they way these homes are like, or if they really are in progress.  There are a few homes we pass, Adobe style, that are pretty impressive.  We wonder what these homes look like on the inside.  Just when this starts to seem like a wild goose chase, we find a road that takes us down to the river and across a metal bridge to the other side.  Its not the spring that Mike remembers, but we grab our towels and head down the rocky trail to a small spring on the rivers edge.  Its nice and warm where the water comes out from earth.  After a short stay in the spring we are back up the trail and to the car.  We stop to take some pics of a flowing stream and a few of a guy rock climbing, then we are off again.  This time we are heading toward the Taos Ski Valley, just to see what its like.  Today is opening day for skiing, but there isn't much snow at all...  nothing what it was like in Brec.  After our Thanksgiving dinner of a burger and fries from the snack bar at the lift, we are back on the road down toward town.  Later, after a short rest at the hotel, we head to the movies and see "Walk the Line" the story about Johnny Cash....  Its an exciting Thanksgiving, at least we are celebrating it together.  Guess it doesn't really matter what you do or what you have to eat, as long as you are thankful for what you have...  and we are thankful.   

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There is a craft fair that starts today in town, so we are going to start the day with a little shopping...  from the craft fair to some of the shops around town.  There are 100's of galleries, all sorts of shops...  you could spend a week here just going to the different shops and galleries and I still don't think you could see it all.  After purchasing a Christmas present or two, and having ideas for others, we decided to try and find the other spring that Mike remembers from when he floated the Rio Grande years ago.  Its going to take some hiking to get to it, but the knee feels pretty good, so we are going to make the effort.  We park the car at the top of the gorge, and hiking poles in my hands and a pack on Mike's back, we make our way down the rocky trail to the rivers edge...  its about a mile down the 1000ft to the spring.  We arrive at the pool realizing there are others already there.  We wait for them to depart and then it is our turn...  this pool is not as warm as the one from the previous day, but its a great time to be together.  Well its our time to leave, others are wanting to get in, so we dress and we are back on our way out of the gorge.  It doesn't take as long to get out as what we expected.  My knee is doing alot better then we had hoped.  Back the car we take some shots of a Hot Air Balloon flying over the gorge...  however the wind doesn't cooperate with my picture taking, and takes the balloon away from the perfect photo op over the gorge...  Oh well, wasn't meant to be I guess.  Instead I take some shots of 3 guys from New Jersey...  we will email them copies once we get home.  Now its back into town, to clean up and have a nice relaxing sit down dinner together.  Doesn't seem like we have had too many of those this trip.  After dinner we are back to the room, for tomorrow is our anniversary and we start toward home. 

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Its our 1 year anniversary...  there was never any doubt.  This morning after calls of well wishes from Mom and Dad, we pack up and head south.  From Taos we are heading to Bandelier National Monument, 33,750 acres with over 70 miles of trails, with Archeological sites and Ancestral Pueblo Cliff Dwellings with Petroglyphs...  We were only able to see a small portion of this site...  storm coming in, it became very windy.  Backcountry hiking possible for a future visit...  There was just too much to see in such a short period of time. 

Back on the road toward Santa Fe, just a short drive through, another place to add to our future destination list.  On the road to Albuquerque with a stop at yet another REI store...  man bet they liked us this trip.  With light snow falling from time to time, and the wind blowing wildly the night will end in Amarillo to spend the night...  Wasn't a really exciting anniversary, but it was quality time spent together...

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We are up, not bright and early like we had planned...  I think we got out of the hotel around 9:30, we stop at the Waffle House down the road for some breakfast, and while eating it starts to snow, big wet snowflakes...  this day is going to prove to be a very interesting drive home.  Temperatures from 35 degrees and heavy wet snow, to 74 degrees and heavy winds and tornadoes 65 miles from home...  what a way to end a vacation.  I type while we are stuck in traffic on the Interstate.  Major accident ahead of us, soon we will find out what it is...  well it wasn't pretty...  jaws of life cutting into a car that was upside down in the median.  We couldn't really tell how many cars were involved, but with debris all over the road, signs and trees twisted and distorted from the tornadoes, we are sure there will be fatalities... hopefully we will make it home some time today.  I love our adventures, but then its always nice to make it home safe and sound.  We are already planning our next adventure, hopefully during the Christmas break.  It will all depend on the knee as to what type of adventure we will have.  Our main adventure to think about now, is the business, the challenge is ahead of us, to balance my "real" job as Mike calls it, and all of our activities...  I am sure we will work it out.  So stay tuned, as our next adventure unfolds...

Today I had a visit with a knee specialist, he has set me up for an appointment with the surgeon to talk about options.  He is puzzled as well as the other doctor I saw, that I should have pain and swelling.  Figures the surgeon will want an MRI, to find out for sure if it is the ACL.  Guess will find out sooner or later!  Suggests that should start Physical Therapy.  Will have that for 2 days a week for a few weeks.  Whether it is the ACL or not I will still need some PT on my knee.

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DECEMBER 2005

Mike goes with me today to talk to the Orthopedic Surgeon, after waiting for what seemed to take forever, we were in to see Dr. Stewart.  He too was amazed that I have had no pain or swelling, but is pretty sure that it is the ACL.  Suggests MRI which is scheduled for the following week.  Gets me in touch with a place to get a custom brace that I will wear for all physical activities.  We set up an appointment for after the MRI to get those results.

Today was my MRI...  now that is a bit of a weird experience.   Of course any time any body tells me you can't move, I end up having to move somehow whether its an itch or whatever...  today is was a coughing fit.  I couldn't help it...  so we had to do that scan over.  Glad that was finally over...  I don't know what they do with people that are claustrophobic or large people that can't fit in those tubes...

Back to see Dr. Stewart today, and we get the results of the MRI...  it seems the ACL is torn and there are very few fibers still left intact.  Said there won't be any skiing till next ski season, which I pretty much already knew that, and then it will have to be with my brace...  so I have screwed up 2 more trips for me now.  He says normally he does not recommend having ACL reconstruction after the age of 40, but due to our activity level he says that would be the only way I can continue with the activities we have done before the injury.  So I will be having yet another surgery sometime in the spring.  I go back to him the first of January to discuss the options and details.

Tonight Tommy gets home for a visit before Christmas...  the logistics of Christmas has become a nightmare.  But we will have him for a couple of days before that all starts.

Tonight we are taking the kids out for dinner and bowling.  Sometimes I thought that was a mistake!  The competitive spirit got quite heated from time to time.  You know I have created a new saying...  there is only one thing worse then a sore looser, and that's a sore winner.  That would be Chase.  Man he gets ugly.  He and Mike were at it from they put the shoes on...  well actually it started in the car on the way, Chase wanting to know how much money was on the bowling.  Tommy and Chelsie did pretty good, except for Tommy with the bumpers, it looked more like pinball then bowling.  In the end Chase kicked butt, but he got nervous from time to time.

This morning we had a big breakfast with a very pleasant surprise.  Santa came early for me...  I was fixing breakfast and Mike told me to look out in the driveway.  It kind of scared me at first wondering what he would have for me in the driveway.  Well it wasn't anything like that, it was my Daddy and Granny coming for breakfast.  Mike had said something about inviting them, but I told him they wouldn't come, guess I was wrong...  We had a great breakfast, and took some pictures of the 4 generations.

After that it is madness to get stuff done around the house, then we have to run Tommy to Benton so he can hook up with his dad in Hot Springs Village.  After that we are back to Lonoke to pick up Chelsie and Chase to go to church.  After that its back to Lonoke, and drop Chelsie off at a party and Chase to pick up his truck at our house.  Now its time for Mike and I some quiet...  whew its been a long day, but tomorrow it will be longer.  I was getting ready to go to bed, and Mike decides to give me an early Christmas present.  It is GPS mapping software for the laptop.  Once installed I realize that I am not going to bed anytime soon...  we are in the car in no time, checking it out.  Man this is going to be fun!  After playing around with it for a while, I realize its 1:30, and we need to be in bed.  I am sure this software will take us to lots of future destinations.

Merry Christmas...  Mike and I get up and open our presents, then dress for church.  After our Christmas service, we go to the farm and spend some time with my dad and granny...  then we are off to pick up Tommy.  Now its back to Lonoke to pick up Chelsie and Chase, then back to the house to see what Santa brought the kids.  Once all packages are destroyed, we load the rest of the stuff and head to Little Rock to Mom and Dad's house for lunch and present destruction there...  not necessarily in that order!  Its seem it only takes seconds to get through all the presents, and before long we are having to figure out where to put all this stuff in the Suburban.  Its a good thing we didn't bring Beaner.  We would have had to strap the kids on the roof!  After lunch, or early dinner, whatever you want to call it, we are off to North Little Rock to my sister's house to do Christmas with my side of the family.  Tommy is majorly wound, which I guess is expected, but it doesn't help those of us who are trying to settle him down.  Its time to pack up and head to the house.  Its been a long day, but Mike and I unload all the loot and put everything away.  I think we finally make it to bed around 11:30pm, but at least that is something we won't have to do tomorrow.

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Tommy got some money and gift card for Christmas and so I am taking him to go spend his money...  also have to return a couple of things for Mike.  It doesn't take long for Tommy to spend $75, at Best Buy purchasing games for his new Nintendo DS.  After that we are back in Lonoke and off to the community center for a little swim time.  Tommy did really good and actually did what I told him to do.  He is a totally different kid when he is physically active.  Not near the hyper child of norm.  Later we met Wendy and Jerry for dinner...  Tomorrow is Wendy's birthday and since Tommy will be leaving in the morning we decided to get together one last time.  After dinner we head out to the farm so Tommy can see Gramps and Granny one last time.  It will be the summer before they see him again.

This morning we are up and at it...  Mike is at the office and I am packing up Tommy's things.  Today Tommy goes back to Texas with his dad, so I take him to NLR and say my goodbyes...  Then I go and pick up Mom to take back a pair of pants that they gave me for Christmas...  then back to Lonoke.  We were suppose to leave today for our trip but there is just too much to do, and we haven't even packed yet.  On Christmas day, Mike's second cousins wife passed away and tonight we are going to the rosary.  I have met alot of the family, but there is so many of them, that I can't keep track of them. 

Well we are off to Colorado again, this time to Estes Park for a few days then New Years Eve and Day in Breckenridge...  It is now 11:45 leaving town, and its 59 degrees.  Mike gave me this new GPS software for the Laptop for Christmas and it will be fun tracking our route with it.  We also now have internet service that we can run in the car.  So we can chat and broadcast webcam while we are in route.  Now we can bring others on our trips with us.

We stopped 9 miles from the Colorado border, at 12:15am, to get some sleep, as usual I was already asleep.  The temperature was 35 degrees.  Traveling through Denver and Boulder really uneventful...  arriving in Lyons, CO just outside of Estes Park we stop at a little cafe for breakfast.  Back on the road at 8:45am to Estes Park.  15 miles from our destination we see our first snow flurries at an elevation of 6000ft, and temperature of 39 degrees.  Continuing on, we come to snow on the road...  it must have been snowing really hard, cause the road is wet and covered with we snow.  15 minutes ago it was 50 degrees.  We have only seen one car off the road so far, looked like they were driving too fast for the conditions, slid from one side of the road the ditch on the other side...  ok there's another one, this time a 4-wheel drive vehicle, went nose down into a ditch.  Surprised it didn't flip on over.  Wonder if they wet their britches?  Mike says that this is a first for him, has never come into Estes Park with snow on the roads...  We arrive in Estes Park, elevation 7500ft?, temperature 32 degrees at 9:15am.  After unloading the car and taking a short nap, we venture out to see the sites of the park.  At Moraine Park area we saw a heard of approximately 300 Elk grazing and lazing around in the valley.  It was a pretty awesome site...    After spending some time taking pictures in the cold and wind, we headed up the road past the Glacier Gorge and Alberta Falls Trailhead and up to Bear Lake Trailhead, where lots of wind prevented us from seeing the road from time to time.  We figure there were sustained winds of about 40mph, and gusts in the 60's.  We head back down the mountain back to the hotel to shower and change for dinner.  Tonight we are going to a place called "Fusion 451" a recommendation from a buddy of ours in Estes Park.

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This morning we are up and packing for a day out in the wind and snow.  We stop for breakfast at a place called the "Egg and I" and then we are off to the park again.  Mike has been wanting a panoramic shot of the mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, with Long's Peak being our focus.  With the wind being so bad, the pictures didn't turn out too good, but I guess we get some credit for trying.  We stop to take some more shots of some elk grazing on the hillside.  It was an incredible view...  While we were stopped the wind gusts were so extreme, that it felt like suburban was going to blow over.  Off to the Trailhead for Alberta Falls...  we made this hike in September this year and wanted to see if snow and ice.  The wind is REALLY blowing, we are assuming its sustained winds in the upper 50's, with gusts of close to 80mph.  You could not close or open doors very easy, and walking across the parking area the wind would knock you down with you weren't careful.  Even if you were careful it was pretty difficult.  I am thinking to myself, what in the world am I thinking....  With snowshoes on, we hit the trail.  Alberta Falls is approximately 1 mile from the trailhead.  While in the cover of the trees, the wind wasn't quite as bad, but it was still pretty bad at times.  We arrive at Alberta Falls, and of course there is no water flowing, it is nothing but ice and snow.  There is a lake up the trail past these falls and we decide to continue on for a while.  We get about another mile up the trial and realize the conditions are to severe to continue.  I get blown down to my knees, scaring Mike to death worried that I had hurt myself again.  I don't know how, but I didn't...  We've had enough so its time to head down.  The wind gusts here almost to timberline were 80 plus and sustained were reaching the 80mph mark.  It didn't take near as long to get down then it did up...  I guess I was on a mission to get the heck out of all this wind.  We still had to get across the parking area to the car, where there was no cover and no other cars around the suburban to block the wind.  But we did arrive back at the car safe and somewhat sound.  Some would say we weren't sound to begin with doing what we did today, but it will be a hike that we will remember for the rest of our lives.  Back to town and the hotel, for a quick shower and change of clothes, then grab some dinner.  Tonight we are eating at a Mexican Restaurant called "Grumpy Gringos".  It was descent food, and really close to the hotel.  After dinner we head downtown, to do a little shopping at a few of the stores that are still open.  This is Estes Parks low season, so most places are shut down till the spring.  Now its back to the room, making it an early night.  Tomorrow the plan is to get up early and head to Breckenridge.  Not telling what that trip has in store...

Photos this Adventure

Today we are off to Breckenridge.  Doing some more site seeing and picture taking.  We stop in Boulder for a visit to the REI store, for some "needed" items, then we or on the road again.  This time instead of going through Denver we opt to go a more scenic route.  And man was it...  traveling through the mountains along a frozen creek.  This is a must route for the future, when we have a little bit more time.  We arrive in Breckenridge at about 12:30, park the car and start walking the streets, doing a little shopping.  Didn't buy much but alot of the time our v