Life on the High Plains

We made a quick trip to Arizona last week to stay with our granddaughter while her parents went on a much deserved weekend getaway. For the first time ever we got to hand deliver a valentine.  She named him "Valentino" and he was a big hit.  I'm sure he's lost status by now. We got to go to one of her figure skating practices.  On this day she skated before school and again after school.  She spends a lot of time at the rink and her hard work shows. One of her favorite things to do with us is Medieval Times in Scottsdale.  It's a special treat that happens when Grammy and Pappy come for a visit. We were part of the green team and G was all dressed up for the occasion.  Of course she needed a crown--she's our princess. Grammy comes just to see the majestic horses. There's the green knight who was the ultimate victor of the night winning the jousting and sparring with the other knights. It's a fun time for all and I highly recommend it if you're ever...

We made a quick trip to Arizona last week.  As a former NPS Ranger I'm trying to visit all the national parks and monuments in the West so I knew I'd find at least one on the trip.  A national monument that I had never visited was Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.  In fact, I had never heard of this place until I asked Google if there were any national monuments nearby. This structure is thought to be the largest of the Ancestral People of the Sonoran Desert. The structure dates back to circa 1350.  Its walls face the four cardinal points of the compass.  There are holes in the walls that align with the setting sun of the summer solstice, and the sun at moon at specific times. Originally it had four stories, but now only three stories remain.  It was discovered by a Spanish priest in 1694 who named it Casa Grande (great house). The four foot thick walls were built with caliche which is a concrete-like mixture of sand, clay, and limestone. Hundreds of sag...

We jumped in the car for a road trip from Southern Colorado to the Phoenix area yesterday so I thought I'd document the trip.  I apologize in advance for all the grainy photos taking from inside a moving car. We decided to take the scenic way through the mountains of Colorado.  These are the Spanish Peaks near Walsenburg. More mountains on the way to La Veta Pass. A volcanic dome. Mt. Blanca at the southern end of the Sangre de Cristo range on the way to Alamosa. There's starting to be more snow as the elevations rises. Heading towards Wolf Creek Pass. I want to come back here in the summer with my camper.  Beautiful area! We went through a couple tunnels.  Not nearly as long as Eisenhower tunnel on I-70 which is the highest roadway tunnel in the world at 11,158 feet. When you reach the summit of the pass it's time to come down. I loved CDOT's sign for truckers pointing out the hairpin curves that were ahead and the location of the truck ramps.  Who has time to ...