Life on the High Plains

More views from my hike to the Crags last weekend.      For those who make it to the very end of the trail, this is what you're treated to.     Was it worth it?  Oh yeah...you better believe it!     Pikes Peak granite is especially beautiful.     Don't you love all those trees?  So thankful for relief from the drought this summer.  All that rain is greatly appreciated.     I love sunshine.  I love the feel of sunshine on my face.  Luckily I live in Colorado where the sun almost always shines.     In awe of God's work here!     I think I'll go back here one more time before winter arrives.  Who wants to join me?   Happy Skywatch Friday!

Still missing my mom after 11 years. September 17th is always a hard day for me. Love you Mom!

I'm in the middle of a building project again.  Last week my partner and I made the trip to Burlington to meet with contractors and electricians about cabling, audio/visual, and security systems for our new office out there. We went room-by-room looking at the furniture placement plans to determine where to put the phone and data ports.  There are also security cameras throughout the building that require data connections as well as TV and digital signage boards plus analog lines needed for fax and elevator lines. Lots of things to think about...not only the current needs, but plans for future growth.  It's easiest to get it right now before all the walls are in. Hopefully we did our job well.  We asked for 180 data drops for an office that currently only has about eight staff members.  The contracts are signed, the supplies are ordered, and our cabling guys are ready to get to work. The projected move in date is around the first of the year....

On Sunday I tagged along with some friends to two of my favorite places--the mountains and the forest.  Our destination:  The Crags.  The Crags are amazing rock pinnacle formations that face the northwest slope of Pikes Peak. We started at about 10K feet and headed upward from there. Up, Up, Up.  The first 1/2 mile and the last 1/2 mile were the most difficult.  It's about a 5 mile out and back trail. I was distracted by a lot of things including lots of aspens that are starting to change color. Lots of rock formations along the way too. The middle part opens up into a beautiful mountain meadow.  Our group consisted of about 20 people including a set of 3-year old twins who did an amazing job.  We were spread out along the trail...some moved faster than others.  I was surprised to find myself in the faster group.  I told Irv that I found out I'm a better hiker when he's not along.  I have no one to whine to if ...

Fall is in the air.  I've had to dig out some sweaters and jackets already.  This was the sky on the way to work yesterday.  It was cold and drizzly and somewhere behind all these clouds is my mountain--the 14,000 foot Pikes Peak.  Isn't that hint of a blue Colorado sky just glorious? I bet they were getting S**W on the crest of my mountain.  Around my house we don't say the "S" word until at least November although the weather forecast calls for possible S**W flurries tomorrow. Happy Skywatch Friday! My words of wisdom for the day:   If you continue to expend your energy trying to change things that don’t really  matter in the long run or that are not within your sphere of influence, you’ll wind up exhausted and frustrated, with no positive results to show for your effort. - Julie A. Ross, M.A. and Judy Corcoran

We had a really nice relaxing weekend mostly because it's the start of football season.  We had to be home on Sunday to watch "our" teams. We wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather and go for a hike before fall officially arrives.  Since the Chiefs were playing at 11:00 this morning we had to get up a little early so we could be back home before the kickoff. We made our first visit to Cheyenne Mountain State Park.  We chose the longest trail that the park has to offer--The Blackmer Loop which is about 3.5 miles. Upon pulling out my camera to take the first shot of the day I realized I had a camera problem, or more specifically an SD card problem.  Luckily, Irv had his phone with him and agreed to be my photographer for the day.  (I need to be more like my brother and bring multiple cameras along wherever I go.) Here's Cheyenne Mountain.  Look at that blue sky! We were very impressed at how well the trail was marked.  We p...

Last month we laid my wonder father-in-law to rest in the National Cemetery in Santa Fe, NM.  Although I grew up in NM, I had never visited this place.   It is an incredibly beautiful and serene place full of history of some of the heroes who have served our country.      I can't imagine a more perfect resting place for Irv's Dad. Rest in peace, Dad! Enjoy your Skywatch Friday !