September in Butte; Fall Foliage begins as our peripatetic pair push eastward

Cynthia and Hudson at dinner

30 Sep:  Tomorrow.  We are praying that Cynthia's sister survived the night and is recovering from her recent covid setback.  Merrilee has been hospitalized with Covid pneumonia and has been on full oxygen mask for two weeks.  She now refused the ventilator.  We intend to keep praying for her.  We found an acceptably pleasant walk from the hotel in the neighborhood, and today we discovered Eagan Central Park complete with Seniors 50+ activity center, but we didn't find the fitness center.  Tonight we have to hope that it will stay dry long enough for us to ride 4.5 miles over to Mendota (click here) to Axels (click here) for dinner with Brett, Jenn and Hudson.  Too amusing; some days we walk farther than that.  Precious how Hudson loves Ron!

29 Sep:  Eagan, Minnesota.  Much like yesterday - exercises, oatmeal, a long walk through the neighborhood, a ride on a different route to Hastings to visit Greg & Donna for a couple of hours, grocery shopping (blueberries & bananas are usually on the list) and home before 5 pm.  Ron is again eating cornbread until his weight goes back down.  Frozen mango & spinach are next.  Cynthia is munching grapes, as usual.  Time for Ron to get back to work on the Peter Gunnarsson Rambo biographical sketch for Candace and Herb.  And at sunset time for a second neighborhood walk over to the Sperry Tower (click here) - not so spectacular as yesterday.

28 Sep:  Today's plan is to ride to Hastings again to see Greg & Donna.  We did awaken early enough to get downstairs to breakfast after the usual exercises.  Ron's back has stopped complaining, so he is again enjoying a pain free body.  The 25 mile ride to Hastings is really quite pretty with lots of yellow leaves and a few red ones, lots of green fields and pastures, and not much traffic.  Greg was alert and cheerful and laughed heartily at my silliness.  (Cynthia and Donna didn't laugh quite as hard.)  We stopped for groceries on our return are are ready for the next few days.  Now, as darkness is approaching, we need to get out for a walk.  Climbing on and off the motorcycle doesn't burn enough calories to keep us svelte.  And we did walk several blocks towards the dimming sunset, then several blocks in gathering darkness on return and were quite impressed by the multicolored lights on the Sperry Tower.  Svelte, that is us.

27 Sep:  Cynthia tells me that Hudson came down the stairs this morning expecting to see us and was sad to find out that we've gone.  At our end, the Hilton Garden Inn not only disappointed us by having nothing we could eat for breakfast, but they also violated their "satisfaction guarantee" when we asked for something we could eat.  The response was "we serve only those 7 items."  No offer of any nature to satisfy us.  We complained to Hilton Corporate and moved to the much cheaper Hampton Inn that will at least have oatmeal for us.  Ron had just finished his morning Sudoku when cousin Lance and Shelley picked us up at our "new" hotel at 1 PM.  We enjoyed their company immensely, enjoyed the hike in Swede Hollow and the early dinner at Axels in Mendota, perhaps the oldest settlement in Minnesota.

26 Sep, Sunday:  and we need to get dressed, fed and ready to leave the house at 7:45 AM to watch Hudson's swimming lesson.  It was a hoot.  The instructors are simply trying to make the kids comfortable in the water.  We were able to pack up and leave without trauma after the swim and before noon.  Ron thought Hudson loved us more than that.  Our relocation to Eagan went without a hitch.  We went out exploring for a walk near the hotel, and Cynthia's feet became unbearably uncomfortable quickly even though we found a dirt trail in Rahn Park. We limped her home early enough that Ron was able to ride the 25 miles to Hastings to visit Greg & Donna for an hour - although it was a bit too dark by the time he left, and it was sobering to see a deer fleeing across the road at the edge of town (Hastings).  Greg and Donna both look good, and Greg laughed at all of Ron's wise cracks as usual.

25 Sep:  Since it is Saturday in Hudson's household, we arose "early" today as soon as we heard the pitter patter thump thump THUD with accompanying vocals overhead.  Hudson is a little live wire, a typical, normal three-year-old boy.  We did lots of playing and rebuilt the new barnyard puzzle.  Ron is puzzling himself about what Hudson sees and how he puts the puzzle together.  Interesting to wonder when the development will include pattern recognition and color matching.  Right now memorization and affinities (cows, stripes) are the strongest aids.  Edge pieces are not noticeably different yet.  Ron aired up the tires on Jenn's bicycle and took it for a test ride but had trouble changing gears.  Then we all went for a walk around the block with Hudson riding his tiny bicycle.  He didn't pedal but was able to really ride fast by just running while sitting.  He had absolutely no problems balancing on two wheels.  Six or eight other older kids were at the playground and easily allowed Hudson to join in with their play.  He was frantically active.  Jenn cooked dinner of rice and potatoes and salmon so that we could all get to bed earlier tonight.  We are grateful.

24 Sep:  is the day we WILL get exercise.  But then, Ron laid abed until 10:15 AM.   Cynthia's digestive system surprised her by pulling out all the stops to rid itself of last night's curry meal.  WELL, except for the rain we would be hiking.  WELL, because it is cold outside, Ron is now tasked with getting groceries alone.  And SURPRISE !!  It wasn't cold outside at all.  Apparently the late morning rain chilled everything to 55 degrees and two hours later it was back into the lower 60s.  After an evening walk and a puzzle with Hudson session, we all went to McCormick & Schmicks for dinner.  Strangely, their chefs didn't pay attention to the no oil stipulation of our diet and served us potatoes fried in oil instead of clean as we ordered.  The manager pleased Ron by deducting those from our ticket.  Puzzling with Hudson is very interesting since his memory is excellent but his attention to patterns hasn't yet developed.  Some pieces he remembers and immediately places them where they belong.  Others get tried every which way - here, there and everywhere.

23 Sep:  We are recovering from our motorcycling ordeal ever so slowly, slept until 8:45!  We did get out for a walk around the neighborhood at noon.  Hudson enjoys having Ron do puzzles with him.  Brett made a delicious rice curry for dinner.

The lion hunt - or was this the retreat?

22 Sep:  Medina, Minnesota, Ron rode to Minneapolis to spend an afternoon with sister-in-law Carolyn.  She also likes sudokus, but Ron forgot to tell her about the cave man cartoon AND he forgot how to get to her house (most embarrassing).  Hudson came home from school with his first, second and third questions, “Where’s Ron?”  Cynthia’s sister in Nevada is hospitalized with Covid pneumonia, but seems to be improving.  Tonight, Cynthia was back in the kitchen baking salmon and sweet potatoes, successfully.  The sweet potatoes caramelized perfectly, and everyone was surprised and delighted.  She and Hudson went on a lion hunt after dinner.  

Brett & Jenn's kitchen.

21 Sep:  We enjoyed a restful nights sleep and a warm breakfast; likely we will hike and go to the market.  That was successful, too.  Cynthia made a pot roast unsuccessfully and steamed new red potatoes just ok.  The pans were so heavy, she could not lift the pan and pull out the oven rack.  I think we are still tired.  The photo aptly describes the kitchen where Cynthia actually cooked two meals.  Ron was delighted to be spared clean-up duties.

Hudson caught on film.  Ron is bald guy.

20 Sep:  We departed from Kathy at noon!  Miraculously, we arrived dry, thanks to a restaurant stop in Sunburg, MN where they advertised Norwegian food, but only on Tuesday's.  No Taco Tuesday's in MN!  Where is Ron now?  Enjoying an abundance of warm embraces from three-year-old Hudson who remembered us from last fall.  Route: Minnesota 9 E to Sunberg, past US 71 to L on county road 33 to merge with MN 23 E, R on MN 4 to MN 55 into Medina, L on Arrowhead, immediate R on Bridgewater, immediate R on Blue Bell Trail.

19 Sep:  Leaving Webster, SD.  Wind gusts forecast to be 28 mph today.  We slept 9 hours after an exhausting day yesterday.  Cynthia was excited about egg white omelets, but refused to walk alone to the cafe, and Ron wanted to eat oatmeal and leave early.  We left at ten and we are now eating lunch in Benson, Minnesota because we cannot find Kathy's address.   Our "early" departure didn't help with the wind; it was still bad.  Route: again US 12 all day.

In the lonely shack by the railroad track
I spent my younger days
And I guess the sound of the outward bound
Made me a slave to my wanderin' ways

And the wayward wind is a restless wind
A restless wind that yearns to wander
And I was born the next of kin
The next of kin to the wayward wind

Oh, I met him down in the border town
He vowed we'd never part
Though he tried his best to settle down
Now I'm all alone with a broken heart

And the wayward wind is a restless wind
A restless wind that yearns to wander
And I was born the next of kin
The next of kin to the wayward wind

18 Sep:  Leaving Lemmon, South Dakota.  The wind worsened today, Lemmon to Webster, SD took six hours. We are exhausted. Dining in Aberdeen, I asked a little boy his age. He answered, “eight next week.” I asked, “Are you in college?” Laughing hard with his hands on his face, he said, NO!” I asked, “Are you married?” Now, red-faced, rolling his eyes, “NO!” Then he pointed his fingers at me and whispered, “I’m waiting for you!” All is good again. The meal at the Millstone Family Restaurant was not as good as remembered. As we rode out of town we espied a Ruby Tuesdays still in business. If only we had known. As expected, there was not much of interest in Webster, but we were able to walk about town for an hour. The hotel was a bit better than expected although other guests were noisy. Route: US 12 east for another whole day.

17 Sep:  Leaving Miles City.  Heidi, owner of Horton House, B&B prepared an excellent, fancy breakfast for her guests, and oatmeal with blueberries and bananas for us.  Visit the Horton House in Miles City, and Eat a huge breakfast!  Whipped by wind, but still upright. The ride from Miles City, Montana to Lemmon, South Dakota, on this, the third day of riding against brutal Winds. We are the only wildlife to see today, but I am curious about huge golden yellow fields in North Dakota. Shorter than corn, about two feet high, the golden top looked like a lily or tulip. Does fighting wind count for exercise? Maybe not, so we must get in a good walk in this town of 1200. We walked through the Petrified Wood Park (click here) tourist attraction, crossed the railroad tracks into ND, toured six more blocks of town, and enjoyed a nice visit with the new, young Roman Catholic priest. Route: US 12 east through Plevna to Lemmon, SD.

This was AFTER three pecan or cinnamon rolls.

16 Sep:  Leaving Billings. The usual activities completed, it is another one of those glorious days to be alive, just like every other day.  Our next stay is the Horton House B&B in Miles City, MT, only two plus hours northeast. Yikes!  The wind was BRUTAL! The cold was COLD!  And we were STARVED!  Miles City has several fast food places that can't feed us; Ron remembered a drug store lunch counter last year, and the owner found things we could eat for salad.  On our second pass through town, Ron accidentally parked right in front of Vintage and Rustics of Montana, with the same lovely, helpful staff and the same antique drug store lunch counter.  Ron had forgotten all the pastries that one walks by upon entry and all the antiques arranged EVERYWHERE throughout the old department store building.  Cynthia was agog over the assortment of pastries and cinnamon rolls.  Owner Vicki made large vegetable salads with turkey and toasted dry English muffins, but ... we were still hungry!  Ron remarked off hand that if Cynthia wanted to taste a pastry, he would be willing to finish it.  Never, ever, ever, has Cynthia seen such huge cinnamon or caramel pecan rolls.  Yum!  Yes, they were indeed delicious, especially since Vicki warmed them for us - all three caramel pecan and cinnamon rolls.  By now we were warm!  Having eaten all that contraband, Ron decided to splurge like old times with a quart of ice cream - three scoops each of three flavors.   If you ever plan a trip west of the Mississippi, Vintage and Rustics Montana is the best place in Miles City.  Vicki said that we made her day by breaking our long-held diet for her pastries.  This was the most brutal day of the trip, and the cold wind had rendered Ron practically unconscious by the time we arrived in Billings - justifying the dietary binge.  Route: I-90 east to I-94 to Miles City.

Goodbye Butte - until next time.

15  Sep:  Leaving Butte.  Any bets on what time we get moving?  Here is a hint: Cynthia wants to eat lunch at the Rib & Chop House before we leave, which we did!  Pam insisted that we say goodbye before leaving and was eager to take our recycling; only then did Ron remember that she did that last year too.  The ride to Billings was brutally windy but warmer than we anticipated.  We arrived in Billings at 4:30, just in time to eat cedar plank salmon at the Rib and Chop House next door to our hotel.  Once we saw them, we remembered from last year the rabbits in the parking lot of the Doubletree Hotel.  Route: I-90 Butte to Billings.

14 Sep:  Ron still needs those few stitches, receipts and recycling.  Cynthia has a full list of chores for Ron: take box to UPS, pick up cookies at bakery in town, deliver cookies to cemetery crew, added to Ron's list: air in motorcycle tires, recycling drop off, walks in cemetery.  Busy, busy, with no room to postpone much because we leave tomorrow.  Cookies picked up and delivered to a happy crew at the cemetery.  Walk #1 done, and Cynthia is now at the spa for pedicure & manicure.  Boxes delivered to UPS.  There is no recycling drop off in Butte; Ron checked two, both closed at least five years ago.  Tires got air, fuel tank got gas.  He rode through a couple of nicer neighborhoods while meandering around on the way back to the Copper King; Park Street is really quite nice.  Ron discovered that Miles City is 370 miles on the interstates - 70 miles beyond Cynthia's maximum comfortable distance.  Oops.  We might be able to do it, but it would be smarter to reschedule ALL of our reservations.  Cynthia was up to the task and had it done immediately.

13 Sep:  We begin our last two days in Butte; Wednesday we relocate to Miles City.  We woke up early, exercised (as always), and ate oatmeal (as always).  Now Ron is putting on shoes preparatory to purchasing frozen mango at Walmart (as almost always).  Then we will see if Cynthia wants to hike Maud S. one more time.  She did, and we did, although it was a struggle with legs tired from too much sitting while avoiding smoke in the last week.  It was a delight to see the fall colors expanding and brightening.  (The air quality is rated good although Our Lady and the Montana Tech "M" are not as clear as we'd like.)  Ron's goal for the day is to pack his bags once, log his receipts, sew a few stitches and rinse recycling before resuming computer projects.  Well, he did get his bags packed.  We walked the cemetery after sunset until too dark to see on the way "home."  Our Lady was crystal clear by evening.  Ron ate pretzels and cornbread in hopes of sleeping more tonight.

12 Sep:  Another beautiful morning in Butte, although there is too much smoke for us queasy types to go up the hill.  We walked in the cemetery this morning until Cynthia remembered that it is Sunday.!!  The day that she can get an omelet.!!  But at the restaurant, she opted instead for eggs Benedict.  Ron walked for frozen mango as usual and is now beginning the shivering cycle.  Our lodging is booked for Miles City at the Horton House, the Dakota Lodge in Lemmon, South Dakota, Boomers Outback Motel in Webster, SD.  Then we meet Cynthia's cousin Cathy in Benson, MN for two nights.  Cynthia’s bag is almost packed, and the box is ready to be shipped on Tuesday morning.  Ron finally finished the draft of Peter Gunnarsson Rambo biographical sketch for the next edition of The Rambo Family Tree.  Two down and one to go.  Then we walked and picked up debris at the cemetery again.  It is beginning to be hard to find debris.

11 Sep:  We awakened unusually early and were finished breakfasting by the time the pill alarm sounded at 9 AM.  It looked smoky until Ron walked to Walmart for frozen mango and noticed clear skies to the north.  Yay, the clear skies means we can hike the canyon trail.  Yay!  We did, followed by lunch at the Montana Club, followed by computer work, followed by an hour walk in the cemetery, followed by doing laundry.  The day did not pass without remembering.  We will never forget.  What irritates Ron is that all this "remembrance" of 9/11 is totally silent on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan - which is where the 9/11 plot was hatched.  So now the people who HATE America have even more reason to plot more carnage - and we have an open border in the south to give them unlimited access.  Ron is betting that there will be another savage 9/11 type carnage visiting us from ancient Persia in the next couple of years.  Any takers?  How can anyone find appealing a religion which promotes suicide to eliminate people of other religions?

10 Sep:  Apparently Ron is insensitive because, when he walked to Walmart this morning for frozen mango, he didn't even notice the smoke in the air, now rated as "unhealthy for sensitive groups."  At least we can still see the outline of the East Ridge mountains.  Now Ron is well provisioned to consume 3 pounds of frozen mango while editing his biographical sketch of Peter Gunnarsson Rambo and shivering.

9 Sep:  Let's hope for less smoke, but the forest fire reports are not reassuring.  Ouch!  The smoke is again so thick we cannot see the outline of the mountains.  We awoke at nine AM, and Cynthia rushed to eat without doing exercises, and now, way too much over full, we exercise.  Ron did all of his crunches, but still needs to do his pushups.  The air quality is approaching "unhealthy for sensitive groups" but is still moderate according to the web site.  The view outside the window tells a different story.  Regardless, Ron walked to get frozen mango after pushups, so now he is approaching shivering as he freezes his tummy.  Cynthia will probably hold out for swimming and whirlpool today.  MIT dorm-mate Joel has written a book entitled Who's My Daddy (click here).  Oh, no! Cynthia is continuing a lazy day.  We must find out the days Katie works at the Rib&Chop House and surprise her. 

8 Sep:  The heat is up to 88, and the smoke appears to also be way up!  Bummer!  We want to hike the Canyon Trail.  But air quality reads low moderate.  Speaking of bummer, Ron hasn't gotten off his duff all day. We've been up until nearly midnight too many days in a row.  Today we WILL break that pattern.  (11 PM + a few minutes)  Ron has finished the first draft of his speech.  Now he needs to find the number of words Candace wants - only 3000.  We couldn't see the East Ridge mountains at all when we walked the cemetery once, but after Cynthia's dinner of salad and potato, the air had cleared so that it didn't appear any more smoky than "usual."

7 Sep:  Will we see or be smoked out.  The 15th is getting closer.  I see only smoke and feel 85 degrees today.  Our morning cemetery walk produced one full bag of trash, plus we had a lovely visit with the cemetery superintendent (named Kenny) and secretary (named ??).  Kenny postulates that the flooding outside the office door may be due to a homeless guy he believes is camping at times in the cemetery.  

6 Sep:  Will we see or be smoked out.  The 15th is getting closer.  And smoke it is.  No rush to get out into the smoke-filled air this morning.  Cynthia is now on the treadmill while I look at the air quality.  High moderate, upper 20s.  Best was 19 at 6 AM.  Again Rib & Chop House salads followed our usual cemetery walk and pick up.  Brandy was our waitress/ asst. manager (and Steve is the manager we usually enjoy).  SURPRISE this evening when we discovered clear skies on our slightly chilly sunset walk through the cemetery.  It seemed strange today to not see the groundskeepers, but then I guess it is a holiday.  Ron is making progress through Herb's list of materials to add to his biographical sketch of Peter Gunnarsson Rambo although most of the additions are already there with different dates or places according to the documentation.

5 Sep:  Another smoke-filled day dawned here in Butte, and we walked the cemetery before lunching at the Rib & Chop House for another egg white omelet for Cynthia.  The air quality rating is still moderate although the numbers are higher.  Next project is underway, preparing a biographical sketch of ancestor Peter Gunnarsson Rambo.  Good grief !!  Here it is already 12 minutes until midnight.  Amazing how time flies when one is preoccupied.

4 Sep:  And another beautiful day dawns with smoke in the air here in Butte.  We walked three miles in the cemetery for two reasons: 1) smoke, 2) recovery from Maud S. yesterday.   Cynthia says I should tell Oke that I am gluing the second envelope inside out to send completed sudokus back to him.  I expect to mail both envelopes on Monday.  (Cynthia's note: Oke amuses Ron, so Ron wants to keep Oke amused, too.)  Cynthia enjoyed getting a haircut!  And we walked the cemetery again tonight for an additional three miles. Sunset was really quite pretty with reddish tint on the southern horizon and a clear view of Our Lady providing hope that the smoke is being pushed out of our air.

3 Sep:  Only 12 more days until departure towards Medina.  We hiked Maud S. Trail (click here) again and met a new friend, Leo, at the Vista point.  He is on the board of the East Ridge Foundation and claims to be the board member who hikes the trail most often.  We learned a lot from him and can respond that we have hiked "his" trail 9 times since August 12.  We meet the nicest people hiking!  The desert sage has blossomed full of brilliant golden flowers.  Air quality in Butte (click here) today held steady at "good" although visibility decreased significantly throughout the day as local Montana wildfire smoke flowed eastward.  After hiking, we ate (huckleberry) salad and baked potato at The Montana Club.  Cynthia is a judge for the virtual 2021 Mrs. Iowa America Pageant, having served as the 1980 Mrs. Iowa America.  Ron was "terribly" disappointed that none of the contestants wore bikinis.

2 Sep: is another slightly smoky day in Butte.  We did our morning ecumenical ministry by walking the Catholic cemetery picking up trash to the amusement of the cemetery custodian.  One of the workers said he appreciated our help after we let him know he is appreciated.  Dinner tonight was at the Rib&Chop House, with a delightful waitress named Katie.   She has a same-age adopted sister and a fraternal twin.  (Ron was hoping for identical as he thinks Katie is absolutely beautiful.)  Our second walk was at sunset, apparently just after a cool breeze improved the air quality hereabouts.

Cynthia caught Ron unaware again

1 Sep: in Butte, Montana, we rode around to the Maud S. Trail again and pushed our bodies in somewhat smokey air up to the "Vista" for another look at the valley.  Lunch was salads at the Montana Club, and Ron finished his on-line "Defensive Driving" class to attempt to remove Colorado points from his driver's license.  He converted all of his web sites to Google's new sites yesterday, but apparently a couple of the sites did not convert.  I wonder what Google expects anyone to do about that.

August on the run - Peregrination

View from vista point on Maud S. Trail

31 Aug:  Wonderful to consider dinner with Kerry and family this evening.  But first Ron has to convert all of his "classic" Google sites to New Google sites (vastly inferior new sites); today is the deadline.  And since we are up, exercised, fed, and ready, it is time to walk the cemetery in the smoky haze from California fires.  (Yes, we consider it really bad when we cannot see Our Lady - but the air quality site says "moderate," meaning not quite unhealthy.)  Dinner was delightful, Kerry and Jarett were lovely, the two boys behaved amazingly well (2-year-old and 4-year-old).  The boys were transfixed when Cynthia showed them photos on her iPad.  This Rib & Chop House provided a quick plate of apple slices and yogurt for the boys that kept them happy and quiet.  Meethinks that restaurants which do NOT do that are decidedly inferior and inconsiderate of their guests.  Ron went for a second walk around the cemetery before dark and continued to Walmart for frozen mango for tomorrow.

30 Aug:  Poor SmoochSmooch did not sleep well last night, and then her Smooch dragged her up the Maud S. Trail to the vista on a warm day.  She is about to nod off immediately after her favorite huckleberry salad at the Montana Club.  We did meet a very pleasant Continental Divide Trail hiker, trail-name Just Awesome.  Once he passed us by, he vanished ahead quickly.  He hiked the Pacific Crest Trail last year and reports that it is becoming popular and consequently quite busy.  He had no prior backpacking experience and couldn't wait for the hike to be over - - - until it was, and then he wanted to go again.  Our visibility is diminishing; California wildfire smoke is back.

29 Aug, Sunday:  Cynthia wants to attend the church nearby that offers indoor services (Gloria Dei).  Aaaauuuggghh.  That was not a worship service; it was child care.  The pastor’s small children were running, climbing onto the chancel railing, dancing in the aisle … very distracting and disrespectful.  At least we enjoyed our usual cemetery walks today, and even espied one lady tending the forlorn graves of the forgotten children in the most remote part of that property.

28 Aug:  And today dawned with crystal clear skies here in Butte.  So after exercises, pills and breakfast, we hiked up Maud S. Trail again to the "Vista," and it was delightful.  Lunch of salads at the Montana Club was followed by acquisition of frozen mango.  And now Ron is set to resume shivering while finishing confirming his copies of web sites onto his computer.  (We hope.)

27 Aug:  The end of the month approaches rapidly.  Poor Ron is still trying to confirm that all of his old web site pages are copied onto his computer (while also correcting links).  Again more smoke in the morning, but a chill breeze from the north seems to have cleared the air by afternoon, bringing along with it a black mass of clouds.  The typical daily walk to Walmart for frozen mango is delayed by a very full tummy and threat of imminent rain.  We did walk the cemetery picking up detritus this morning.  And that wind from the north brought VERY welcome clear air.  During our evening walk around the cemetery, the scenery was crystal clear.

26 Aug:  Another day in Butte, Montana, much like all the others recently except that there is more smoke in the air again today.  We walked the cemetery twice today but only picked up debris in the morning.

25 Aug:  Another early morning.  Ron is sleeping better since he has resumed eating pretzels and cornbread before bed.  What a surprise to be given a lovely card and flowers by the hotel staff from that school councillor we met on the trail yesterday.  We called and invited her and her family to dine with us.  Thanks to God for such wonderful people! We walked in the cemetery this morning and picked up debris from cheap plastic flowers.  The smoky haze is returning to the skies. Tonight we swam … Cynthia did 28 laps, and Ron swam 14 laps backstroke and 12 crawl, followed by a very hot jacuzzi.  

24 Aug:  The skies are a beautiful, clear blue, and the temperature is a perfect 67 degrees.  We successfully (and speedily) trekked up the Maud S. Trail.  Even though we thought we were quick, another hiker passed us, a school councillor who was on her lunch hour !!  At the Vista we shared an apple and a couple of carrots and enjoyed taking time to gaze at the viws in gratitude.  Ron left the Apple core in the same hiding place as all of the apple cores last year, perhaps for the same little critter.  Despite the lovely day, dis-ease over the dilemma in Afghanistan is ever present.  We only thought about additional exercise walking or swimming.  Six miles.

23 Aug:  We are in Butte, Montana, and the end of the month is approaching posthaste.  The good news is that Cynthia removed her hand brace and can begin gentle strengthening exercises.  We decided to take a break from uphills and walked the cemetery twice for 6.5 miles total today.

22 Aug, Sunday:  Up early, but it was too cold for us to attend outdoor church here in Butte (48°).  We exercised, breakfasted and went to hike the Maud S. Trail again, all the way to the vista bench.  The distant mountains are hazy, but air quality is good.  We met three people of note, one was a female runner who scared Cynthia witless by saying nothing until she was right behind her.  I yelled at her substantially for being too quiet and scaring Cynthia so.  The other two were much more pleasant, one a local who graduated from Montana Tech and the other a Continental Divide Trail hiker girl who started May 1st and is already here.  We again had huge salads for lunch at the Montana Club and picked up frozen mango on the way home.

21 Aug:  Tomorrow.  And we were up early, breakfasted and off to hike Maud S. by 11:12 AM.  Rain is forecast for this afternoon.  We made it to the first switchback, then turned back rather than risking getting wet, walked through a bit of cloudy mist, and arrived back in town dry, although it had rained in the vicinity of Walgreens.  After shopping for groceries, we ate a nice little lunch at the Rib & Chop House, because the very nice manager had told us yesterday that he could make Cynthia the chop salad that she so enjoyed last year.  Now we are back to work on our electronics devices, and Ron is shivering while enjoying frozen mango.  Looks like the smoke is again shrouding our view, but the air quality report says the air is unusually good.  Must be humidity.

20 Aug:  There was a little more rain overnight here in Butte, and the mountains are as clear as we've seen them this year.  Let's hope the smoke continues to track south of us.  We walked the cemetery twice today, ate lunch at the Montana Rib & Chop House, and otherwise spent the day on computer projects (after Ron walked to Walmart for more frozen mango and frozen veggies).  Here it is 10:20 PM again already.  Goodnight.

View from bench atop Maud S. Trail

19 Aug:  Up early, exercised, breakfasted and out the door to hike the Maud S. Trail again. Today we hiked all the way to the vista bench overlooking the city and valley.  (We think the bench has moved since last year.)  No smoke in the air and a great view.  We had huge salads for lunch at the Montana Club and picked up frozen mango on the way home.  Ron worked at migrating his websites onto his computer all evening.

18 Aug:  Today we awoke to wet roads and a rainy forecast.  But additional rain held off long enough for us to hike a few miles in the cemetery and locate the Peiro graves.  A couple of hours after lunch at the Rib & Chop House, we again went swimming.  Cynthia swam 24 laps, Ron did 14 backstroke and 14 crawl (in two installments).  Ron was reading about wildfires, smoke, Delta varient, covid in children, etc. until midnight.  We did not take a second walk today, since we were somewhat worn out from that unaccustomed activity, swimming.

17 Aug:  We are having great fun talking with DJ and Rose Marie over morning breakfasts, and today we saw Pam, our favorite hotel manager, briefly.  When it is this smoky, we eschew overexertion by only walking on flatlands in the cemetery.  The cemetery superintendent introduced himself thie morning by saying, "If I appear cranky today, it is because I am cranky today."  We thoroughly enjoy all these fine people, even the cranky one.  Ron again walked to his mile for frozen mango and is shivering as he writes this.  Today's plan is more swimming, more walking and rain avoidance.

16 Aug:  Air quality turned "unhealthy" before sunrise this morning and continues unhealthy.  Our Lady is no longer visible at all.  We walked an hour in the cemetery, ate lunch at the Rib & Chop House, and intend to swim after Ron returns from Walmart with more frozen mango, a staple for his afternoons.  Oops, he forgot to get pretzels, so he will have to return to Walmart this evening.  Cynthia realized that her tried and true diet no longer works now that she is diabetic, so after her second filet mignon, she had to give the diet up - she was too tired besides being shaky.  Ron swam 12 laps backstroke, 7 laps crawl and one frog kick.  Then he rode to Walmart for those pretzels and did more tweaking to his nephew's web site.

15 Aug, Sunday:  We continue in Butte despite the smoky air.  After breakfast, we walked two miles in the cemetery, ate lunch at the Rib and Chop House, and swam for 45 minutes, especially enjoying the jacuzzi.  We opted to not walk in the more unhealthy air in the evening.  Ron finally finished tweaking his nephew's web site: eaxtellcoinvarieties.com.

14 Aug:  Butte, Montana, more of the same.  We again spent an hour after breakfast talking with D.J. and Rose Marie, compatible folks originally from Butte and Missoula respectively.  According to the Montana state air quality monitoring (click here), the air quality index is moderate = unhealthy for unusually sensitive people.  We could see Our Lady of the Rockies (click here) indistinctly through the haze.  Same with the Montana Tech's M on the mountain.  Our morning cemetery walk was quite enjoyable since we stayed in the shade of big pine trees in the cemetery.  Ron then rode to Walmart to obtain his favorite ice cream substitute, frozen mango.  Soon he will be shivering.  Cynthia has gone to the pool to indulge in exercise without smoke inhalation.  Now it is time for Ron to copy HTML from this blog into Eric's RPM coins web site (click here).  By 4 in the afternoon, the air quality had deteriorated to just plain unhealthy.

13 Aug:  We enjoyed a lovely breakfast-time conversation with D.J. and Rose Marie before we walked the Holy Cross Cemetery.  The superintendent smiled broadly when Cynthia told him that we had missed him.  He is forecasting that snow will put an end to the smoke, so we probably will have smoky skies until we leave here.  They didn't have much snow last winter, rain has been scarce this year, and the pump for the cemetery's watering system was broken for two weeks, so most things are parched.  Two miles there, two miles to the Montana Club and back for dinner at 5 PM, and a final two miles in the cemetery again this evening.  Apparently we have survived this close brush against Friday the 13th.

12 Aug:  Our first morning in Butte, and we atttempted to hike up the Maud S. Trail - - - somewhat unsuccessfully.  We only made it as far as our first attempt last year.  But we are happy with that, especially since the smoke is significant today.  We ate dinner early at the Montana Rib & Chop House adjacent to the hotel and were pleased that service was not nearly as miserable as last year.  The salmon was excellent and baked potato huge, making us very happy.  Then we walked around the cemetery for a couple of miles this evening.

Cynthia loves baby Blaire bowling

11 Aug:  The skies were very clear today, giving us hope that our stay in Montana will be wonderful.  Winds were a bit of a nuisance, but not nearly so difficult as on previous days.  Riding along the Yellowstone River on US 89 was quite scenic and interesting, the interstate much less so, and the winds were only occasionally extreme.  Ron had thought to exit the interstate when travel on it became unpleasant, but continued past Three Forks all the way into Butte, arriving about one PM, in time to have lunch at the Montana Club (but too early for a baked potato).  Cynthia really likes their huckleberry salad with a piece of salmon topping it.  The Copper King hotel is terrific, great showers, nice towels, marvelous bed, and a salon in house.  Plus the free breakfast is a feast, and we get a fabulous discount for staying an entire month.  After the heat of mid-day faded, we walked around the cemetery.  Ron has been delinquent with his foot care and now has blisters on left big toe and right pinkie toe.  route: US 89 north from Gardiner to I-90 west into Butte, exiting at Continental Drive, still familiar from all those hiking trips last year.

Miss Smoochie watching water and bugs

More sunset from motel room

Yellowstone River at sunset from room

10 Aug: Riverton, Wyoming through Yellowstone Nat'l Park to Gardiner, Montana is not a ride we look forward to because of the potentially long, long lines of tourists taking photos of chipmunks.  There was much less smoke and much less wind today, and the ride to Moran Junction on US Highway 26 went quickly and pleasantly.  We crossed the Continental Divide again today.  We stopped immediately inside the park at Coulter Bay, discovered the Jackson Lodge (where we've stayed before) and enjoyed a marvelous fine lunch, seated at a window looking out at the Tetons.  The views and food are certainly worth the price at the Mural Room. (click here)  We thanked God for encouraging us to stop just there and then as we rode onwards, delighted with the scenery of the Tetons and Yellowstone.  There wasn't even much traffic ... until we had just 40 miles left to Gardiner.  Then we came upon a line of parked cars that lasted about half a mile.  The cause was a herd of buffalo very close to a large pull-off parking area.  Not too many people were actually parking on the road, but traffic was stop and go going past the parking area.  The line in the other direction stretched for miles.   Within another couple of miles, a buffalo was walking on the road while crossing it.  Those guys are HUGE.  We rode by about 30 feet from him.  Thereafter our trip to Gardiner was without incident although there was too much slow traffic to enjoy the very twisty, downhill road out of the park.  Gardiner, Montana doesn't have a lot to offer for people with restricted diets, and our hotel was basically just OK, but we booked a room overlooking the Yellowstone River.  And it was marvelous to look out the window at the river rapids.  (Miss Smoochie stood on the windowsill all night, mesmerized by the water in the river and the bugs outside the window.)  route: US 26 west joins US 287 north to Moran Junction into the Tetons, north on US 191 to Coulter Bay, north to the Grand Loop Road alongside Yellowstone Lake and the Yellowstone River (frequented by buffalo herds), exiting the park on US 89 north into Gardiner, Montana.

Ron's green hood is wind abatement

9 Aug:  From Rawlins to Sweetwater, the wind was just as horrendous as yesterday, but we were greatly surprised after turning towards Riverton that the winds abated nicely.  During the two plus hour ride Cynthia counted about one hundred head of cattle, twenty horses, one antelope and maybe six ranches with trillions of sagebrush.  Wyomingites would be wealthy if they could market wind and sagebrush.  The mountains close to the road were quite remarkable, but smoke again obscured anything very distant.  Today we crossed the Continental Divide twice.  By the time we reached our hotel Cynthia was starving, and Trailhead Restaurant fed us ranch hand portions.  Feeling way too full we opted to walk the .08 miles to mail Ron’s traffic citation check and instead overshot Main Street a few blocks.  Now that we are back in A/C it was a good idea, but we will see how sunburned we are tomorrow.  Well!  The A/C was set at sixty, and now we are bundled up trying to get warm… Ron has a jacket on eating frozen mango, and Cynthia is buried under blankets eating grapes. That is hilarious 😹!  route:  US highway 287 north to Sweetwater, Wyoming 135 north to Riverton.  (We hadn't intended to go to Riverton, but that is where Cynthia was able to book a Comfort Inn using points.)

8 Aug:  Fort Collins, Colorado to Rawlins, Wyoming… whipped by wind, but still upright.  The ride north on Colorado 14 was delightful although much obscured by smoke.  We paused in Walden, Colorado for delicious jumbo-portioned salads at the Antlers Inn.  Once we got into Wyoming, the wind became fierce.  We were very happy to have a short mileage day (180 miles) in such punishing winds.  The blasts from trucks was unbelievable.  Wyoming grows mostly sagebrush, and the smoke obscured any more distant scenery.  Ron has decided that Wyoming is an ideal place to set up a large wind farm supplying cheap power to a full services retirement community.  Provide cheap power, cheap taxes, shopping, a hospital and a rec center and retirees would flock here from all over the country (since so many retirees seldom venture outside anyway).  route: Colorado highway 14 west to Walden, CO 125 north into Wyoming, becomes WY 230 to WY 130 north to I-80 west into Rawlins (to the Comfort Inn there, booked with points instead of money).

7 Aug:  Onward… after a final breakfast at the Happy Cooker with Pat.  Ron's chosen route to Berthoud passed through Nederland and around Ward (where we did NOT see any evidence of flood damage).  This was another day much obscured by smoke.  We thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon with Cousins Dick, his wife Fran, and his sister Jean!  Lovely people, and Fran made a delicious dinner.  We spent the night in Fort Collins.  route: I-70 east past Idaho Springs to Central City Parkway (a 4-lane mountain road paid for by the Central City casinos), CO 119 north to Nederland, CO 72 N to Lyons, CO 7 east to US 36 south to CO 66 E towards Longmont, US 287 N to Berthoud, then County road 2E east to County road 15 N (bypassing town).

6 Aug:  In Georgetown, Colorado in the early AM, we walked around the reservoir and learned about Big Horn Sheep before mid-morning breakfast with Pat at the Happy Cooker.  Cynthia remembered the delicious Eggs Benedict from years ago, but it wasn’t the same today. At two PM, we walked back to the restaurant for a late lunch.  The warm tomato and basil bread tasted great WITH butter, but that’s enough dietary digression for a few years.  Again the smoke casts a film over everything distant.

We didn't see this guy, but we did see
his harem.

5 Aug:  Salida, Colorado.  GREAT NEWS!  At 5:00 AM, we arose!  After exercises, we walked to breakfast at Patio Pancake’s, then rode northeast over Guanella Pass (click here), a twisty narrow road that climbs to 11,670 feet before dropping into Georgetown.  My gosh, but the views along this road are wonderful and expansive until it drops into a narrow canyon.  How fun to see two big horn mountain ewes as we descended.  Today the smoke obscured much of the more distant scenery, but everything up close was clear.  Pat met us at the Happy Cooker (click here) for lunch, and Ron spent remaining daylight hours talking with Pat.  Our Microtel room was the smallest motel room we have ever seen!!  route: US 285 N to Grant, Colorado, left on the Guanella Pass road to Georgetown.

4 Aug:  The plan is to be on the bike at 7 AM.  For Cynthia, this is a cliffhanger.  Almost!  The saddlebags were on the bike at 7:03, and the rest of our belongings slowly found their way onto the bike, including us at eight AM.  Not bad from Ron's point of view.  We dropped off recycling at Fort Lewis College in Durango.  What marvelous views, non-stop breathtaking as we traveled north past Silverton to Ouray to Montrose where we enjoyed delicious blackened salmon at the Stone House Restaurant.  OOOPS!  A state police officer clocked Ron coming downhill at 74 mph in a 55 mph zone.  Ouch !!  That was a big disappointment because Ron’s drivers license is squeaky clean for eons.  But the day was sunny all the way to Salida, Colorado and the scenery remained beautiful.  route: US 160 to Durango, US 550 to Montrose, US 50 to Salida.  On the Million Dollar Highway (click here) we passed over Coal Bank Pass at 10,640', Molas Pass at 10,970' and Red Mountain Pass at 11, 018'.  On US 50 we passed over Cerro Summit at 8,000', Blue Mesa Summit at 8,700' (this is where Ron got his ticket), and Monarch Pass at 11,312'.  Had Ron remembered that I-70 is closed from a mud/rock slide, he might have thought that the highway patrol would be more active on the alternate routes.

One last look at our lake view in Pagosa Springs

3 Aug: This arising at 5 AM is wearing, but it is our best strategy to get through Colorado during monsoon season.  We again walked slightly past Rhonda's house this morning and enjoyed a brief conversation with one home owner and his dog that loves to run.  Ron took our packages to UPS to send them to Conroe, TX and Butte, MT.  Lunch at Boss Hogg’s was exceptionally good.  Our belongings are almost packed, except for Ron's litter covering the floor.

2 Aug:  We walked to Rhonda's house this morning, but lightning and thunder from black clouds convinced us to turn back early this evening.  We did see lotsa deer quite close, a doe followed by six young bucks.  An adorable little boy named Billy runs to greet us.  Lovely parents!  8.1 miles and tomorrow we pack. 

1 Aug, Sunday:  This is the day we didn't leave for Butte, and Ron had to check the weather at Monarch Pass to check out his decision.  Looks like prudence failed us although the pass is foggy.  Rain didn't start until 5 PM.  Ouray might have been wetter.  Ron wonders what photo Cynthia will select for this month's "focus" photo.  She is searching for the right image.  (Cynthia) Monarch Pass sounds interesting and dangerous with advice to travel this pass early in the day before it gets crowded.  Our hikes today were under cloudy skies, and we wondered about rain, but the day stayed dry here.  We were delighted on our way home in the evening to come across five bucks with huge antlers, at least six and eight points.  This was close to the hotel and they crossed the street about 50 feet in front of us.  11.4 miles total. WOW.   27, 035 steps.  

Monarch Pass photo taken (by someone else) in late May 

July the Birthday Month

Cynthia still likes food

31 Jul:  And tomorrow we leave through Durango and Montrose to Salida, a 300 mile day.  Oops, no we don't.  There is a huge swath of monsoonal moisture in the atmosphere just waiting for us to attempt to cross Monarch Pass at 11,000 feet.  We decided to err on the side of Miss Prudence and delay departure until Wednesday.  Amazing that the one time Ron is ahead of the packing for departure game, the weather trumps him.  The quick brown fox is not the one we saw.  Ours wasn't much concerned with our proximity at 30 feet and leisurely crossed the road faster than one-handed Cynthia could get her cell phone ready to photo.  Half a mile later we saw three does equally unconcerned about a similar proximity.  Momma stopped on the trail and watched us approach before wandering 10 feet into the woods.  We were watching her and didn't notice the younger does until we were passing them.  Cynthia was so surprised when I pointed to them slightly behind us.  We turned to watch them and the bigger one in the lead stopped on the road with a very quizzical expression, as if asking, "What am I supposed to do now?  Mama is watching.  Is this a quiz?"  After several seconds, the two decided to detour a little to avoid us by an uncomfortable 15 feet.  9.1 miles 

30 Jul:  In Durango, wheel balancing at Handlebar Motorsports and physical therapy both went well, and Ron even managed to drop off recycling at Fort Lewis College.  On our way up the hill to Fort Lewis College, we saw a tiny fawn with spots right beside the road as we passed... cute fawn.  Our daily walk went well despite being too hot and we did see several of those impressively antlered bucks. 7 miles 

29 Jul:  Bummer, our internet connection failed this morning, and we missed our 11:30 AM Zoom meeting with Dr. Gleeson about Lea DNA analysis.  We did arise at 6:30 and walk at 8:30, waaay early for us, but we need to become accustomed to getting up and on the road early for our first several days of travel through Colorado during the "monsoon" season.  After lunch at Boss Hoggs, we are now sleepy and lethargic.  About the time we were deciding when to go for our second walk of the day, significant thunderstorms rolled in.  No second walk. 6 miles

28 Jul:  One more day closer to departure from Pagosa Springs, and perhaps because of hiking hot the last two days, we got an earlier start this morning and were not quite so hot on our hike.  Ron rode over to Walmart for pretzels and frozen mango that he is happily munching while writing more to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.  Our evening walk include bonus wildlife spotting: five bucks with awesome antlers, a quick brown fox leaping impressive distances, a magpie close up, and us.   9 miles total for the day. 

27 Jul:  And another wonderful day dawned here in Pagosa Springs.  Peculiar that we were too hot earlier and now are cooler.  We had hoped to hike early, but Ron got wrapped up while forming a response to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.  Now it is nearly noon again. Hiking at high noon is hot!  We did survive.  Dinner at Boss Hogg’s was tasty as usual, but we waited forever to leave because it was raining.  Then the rain continued to lighten so that we were able to walk to the lake and return "home" just before dark.  8.6 miles. 

26 Jul:  Will Ron actually start "packing" this early?  Not yet, although he is going through his stuff looking for items to jettison.  We awoke late and walked to the lab for Cynthia's blood tests this morning, mailed a package off somewhere and have been engrossed in electronics ever since.  It rained once and looks foreboding now at 5:30.  At 7 the skies were still dark, but the color radar promised that the rain was leaving, so we did indeed venture out (with raincoats) for our usual walk to the lake and back.  Today we saw two handsome bucks and a young doe keeping them company somewhat timidly.  6.8 miles 

25 Jul, Sunday:  Life is good when we can locate porta potties for our suburban hiking destinations.  Again we were up not so early and commenced walking near noon.  Ron made another trip to Walmart for more frozen mango and red grapes.  (Our life is so hard.)  There was one LOUD clap of thunder at 4:05, and the rain began.  Cynthia has been packing in preparation for our ride through Colorado to Butte, Montana on the first of August.  (Count it, only six days away.)  One box will be shipped ahead, another box will be shipped home.  After checking the color radar, Ron decided that we could wear raincoats and walk our usual walk to the lake with only a little chance of drowning.  (We stayed nicely dry.)  Sunset through the clouds was very nice.  7.9 miles 

24 Jul:  Up not so early and started walking at 11:30 because the forecast was so pleasant, but at our most remote distance from the motel it started raining.  Fortunately, Rhonda, who lives there, invited us into her garage to escape the rain.  Good thing too because it rained quite heavily for ten minutes.  Then we continued our walk only a little damp, and got caught by another, much lighter, shower.  We walked to Boss Hogg’s for an early dinner.  After rain off and on all day we ventured out again at 7 PM and made our entire walk and sighted  two nice does on the dam embankment before the rain began a block from the hotel.  Life is good. 10.1 miles. 

23 Jul:  Arriving soon at a sunrise near you.  We were up early, but life interferred, so we didn't get started walking until nearly noon, partially because the forecast was so pleasant.  And it was indeed a pleasant walk.  Ron resupplied frozen mango, oatmeal, blueberries and grapes at Walmart and City Market.  Cynthia is now snoozing a bit this afternoon.  Rain interfered with our shortened evening walk, but we are grateful for 6.8 miles and seeing three deer.  Or maybe two.  

Lookie !! much, much smaller brace.

22 Jul:  Oh what fun!  We walked to see Lonnie, our Durango hand therapist, in Pagosa, and she made a new, smaller brace for Cynthia to wear in the daytime, but she will still have to wear the longer brace at night for two more months.  Cynthia's new exercises are to move her fingers and her wrist, but not her extensor tendon.  It rained again in the afternoon but was dry enough for our usual evening walk early at 5:45 so that we were ready for bed by 9:30 when Ron became absorbed in Orange County deed records instead of going to bed at a sensible hour.  6.8 miles walking today.

21 Jul:  Today's big "excitement" was walking within ten feet of a young buck before he decided that this was wrong and bounced ten feet further away before resuming nibbling alongside the road.  The skies looked ominous for rain, but the color radar reassured us that it was dissipating, and we did indeed stay dry.  Ron had planned to avoid the "wet" and tarred asphalt path, but Cynthia wanted to see if we could resume our usual habits.  The wet asphalt didn't adhere to our shoes, so we nervously walked our usual path and found no problems.  9.7 miles

20 Jul:  Our trail to the lake is being tarred … but we didn’t see any feathers.  After dodging traffic on our morning walk, we opted for a different direction this evening and explored a bit.  It was a pleasant diversion through more expensive neighborhoods.  Pagosa Blvd is torn apart for a bridge remodel; looks like the crew tore it up and went on vacation - no equipment, no road, no progress.  9.4 miles and lotsa antlers 

19 Jul:  On this mornings walk, we saw the tiniest deer we have seen this year.  9.6 miles. 23,000 steps. 

18 Jul, Sunday:  Today we get to visit with Greg and Cindy at Boss Hogg's at 3 PM, and Cynthia will get to see just how pregnant little Eliza, the waitress, is now. And a fine, fun visit was had by all.  Eliza is due in two weeks, so she is very, very pregnant.  We walked twice, once before noon, when Cynthia became nearly faint from the heat and dehydration, and once at 7:20 in the evening.  We saw a momma raccoon crossing the street with three babies trailing behind her shortly after again seeing two  bucks on the embankment.  We arrived "home" after it was too dark to see well enough.  WooHoo!  10.7 miles today, 24,000 plus steps.  The legs are working great, and only two more months until Cynthia’s left hand functions, God willing. 

17 Jul:  And we are up !!  Another day is begun and we are exercised, fed and preparing to walk.  Nephew's DreamHost web site is still loading slower than molasses in winter.  It rained hard this afternoon.  Cynthia isn’t wearing a sling, but she is able to keep her left arm comfortably cross body while walking.  After Ron finally finished nephew's DreamHost site, we walked late and saw two bucks on the embankment of the dam as we passed the lake.  By the time we finished, it was dark, and we are celebrating that we surpassed ten miles for the day.  Yay for us.  We also discovered one of those walking essentials on a little driveway at the lake, a Johnny on the spot, thanks to the Pagosa Lakes Home Owners Association.

16 Jul:  Happy Birthday to my beloved.  SmoochSmooch.  I love you.  Our morning walk was delayed by Ron's preoccupation with nephew Eric's new web site on DreamHost, which is preset to use WordPress (whatever that is).  So we got out the door at noon and it was hot until the increasing clouds gave us some shade.  Near the end of the walk, we saw a couple of bucks grazing near our walkway, about 20 feet away.   After a day indoors, we ventured out again at 7 PM for a much cooler walk, totaling eight miles for the day. 

15 Jul:  After all, Tomorrow is another day.  We are now halfway through July, and we leave Pagosa Springs the 1st of August.  We awakened too early and were able to walk comfortably since the haze has reduced the heat.  The mountains are reasonably clear, but you can tell that there is smoke haze dimming the views.  On our usual walk this morning, we saw three handsome bucks and several does.  There were five handsome bucks out and about again tonight.  The walk was pleasant, giving us another day of nine miles and over 20,000 steps.  Ron got four more steps than Cynthia.  Plus, he won the first I Love You of the Day "competition" twice! 

14 Jul:  The actual birthday birth date approaches.  Birthday month celebrations continue in the ability to wear clothing that did not previously fit over the massive soft cast.  Physical therapy begins today in Durango, maybe ...  Rain was forecast, but at 8:00 AM the weather looked ok (and was).  The therapist removed the stitches and cut the brace shorter to free the fingers at the first knuckle.  And we returned home dry.  Yay!  It was marvelous to see far less smoke and much more scenery on the ride today.  Despite the ominous clouds overhead, we walked our normal route to the lake and back and thoroughly enjoyed seeing a doe grazing RIGHT beside the road.  We walked to the other side and passed by her while she was preoccupied with the lush clover.  Then we saw another couple of does later.  Ron mapped out a route to Butte through Berthoud, Colorado.

13 Jul:  This is the day after we saw the doctor.  We slept well but woke up before we were ready.  Oh well, nephew's site is nearly complete, and it is time to walk.  The smoke is pretty bad.  Skies were very hazy again today, and no mountains could be seen.  Two young bucks were very close to us.  8.1 miles total today. 

This is the new cast (stitches are on palm side)

12 Jul:  We saw the doctor. YAAAAay!  We had to get out of bed at 7:30 and start riding at 8:45 to make it to the hospital by 10 AM (for a 10:15 appointment).  The doctor unwrapped miles of bandages and was very pleased with the appearance of Cynthia's hand.  Cynthia herself was aghast to see her skin looking - - - old.  The doctor sent her off to San Juan Physical Therapy where nice folks fitted her with a brace that is more restrictive!!  On the plus side, it frees her thumb to do more things.  This new brace cradles her hand and fingers more thoroughly.  It will stay on for six weeks except during therapy.  The best part is that the brace can be worn in the shower, so Cynthia can again be clean.  We had sort of a yummy lunch at Nature’s Oasis although the two prepared salads Cynthia chose had dressing on them.  The broccoli and fig salad was yummy, as was the roasted beet and walnut salad.  (Ron opted for a loaf of french bread and mango popsicles )  Unfortunately the smoke from forest fires dulled the scenery terribly.  On our walk today, starting at 7:20 PM, we saw a deer, and a multicolored fox dashed close by in front of us.  The mountains were entirely obscured by smoke.  5.9 miles. 

11 Jul, Sunday:  Tomorrow we see the doctor.  Today we arose early and were out and walking by 9:30 - but alas, it was already too hot.  No deer.  We completed our walk and spent the day in the hotel working on computer projects.  Nephew Eric is transferring his coin web site to DreamHost and has gotten frustrated trying to make the required changes.  On our walk tonight we had a great view of a red fox (w/ white tail tip) and a deer, plus totaling 9.1 miles. 

10 Jul:  Cynthia wanted to start our walk at 9 AM, but instead we had a delicious sleep, arising at 8:46 AM, and had time for breakfast before we began preparing to visit with Becky and Doug at Boss Hoggs.  And it was a delightful visit with the women on one side of the table and the men seated next to the aisle.  The women talked about DNA (I guess), and Doug and I repeated our previous conversation about hiking, computers, and social observations.  A fun time was had by all until Becky suddenly announced that they needed to leave in order to check out the Sand Dunes National Park.  Ron prevailed upon them to drive along our walking route to see just how pleasant our daily walk is.  Cynthia and I finally went for our evening walk at 7:15 after the worst of the heat had dissipated.  

9 Jul:  HOT, HOT, HOT.  But we went for our morning walk anyway and didn't suffer too much.  No deer to be seen though.  As we started our second walk this evening, we again saw John and Laurie (and their dog, Riser) and chatted for several minutes - which meant that we returned to the hotel in early darkness. 8.4 miles.

8 Jul:  It seems unreal, in view of our recent behaviors, to be awake, exercised and fed before the pill alarm goes off at 9 AM.  Cynthia told me that Black Lives Matter has declared the American flag to be a symbol of hatred - to which my response is that people who are full of hatred see hatred everywhere.  Due to the idiots driving fast past pedestrians here, we walked on the "treated" loop of the subdivision as opposed to the dusty loop (where we have better chances of seeing deer).  We passed the lake by several blocks (since we were early enough to be cool) before returning.  Four PM we walked over to Boss Hoggs and discovered that Tess is the name of another waitress we like there.  (Eliza might not show back up until after delivery of her baby, expected in about a month.)  The evening walk was quite delightful, especially since we met John and Laurie, new friends, owners of the horseshoe game we've noticed before.  Then we walked by a group of four bucks in someone's back yard, "bedded down."  We missed the bucks on our return but saw three does instead.  After successfully completing 9.4 miles total today, let’s eat some popcorn.  Our late evening walk followed by a bowl of cornbread seems to be a good recipe for uninterrupted sleep, thank God.

SmoochSmooch with cast & sling

7 Jul:  Day 10 of 14… thank you, Ron, for being an incredible care-giver in every way.  SMOOCH!  Well, after the previous night of limited sleep, Ron (and Cynthia) both slept so well that we didn't awake until 9 AM, didn't start walking until 11:28 AM, and were relieved that the day was not as hot as the 80° temperature indicated.  We went for a second walk at 7:30 PM and found it delightfully cool.  No deer to be seen either time.  And Yaaay, 9.3 miles!

6 Jul:  Ron awakened unable to sleep at 4 AM, so he stealthily arose and worked on his computer until Cynthia awoke at 7 AM.  We exercised, ate, and were out the door for our morning hike by 10:30, early for us.  We meet the loveliest people on our daily walks/hikes, like effervescent Olivia and her delightful mother, Kathleen, this morning.  Afterwards, Ron shopped for frozen mango, etc. and is staying cool therefrom.  Cynthia is napping as we speak. Our second walk achieved a total of 7.7 miles.  

Jon and Tina are engaged !!

5 Jul:  Thank God!  Another day, just like the other days, of exercise, oatmeal, bananas and berries, followed by a morning walk and work on our electronic devices.  DNA and genealogy are never-ending. We eat the same dinner at Boss Hogg’s and repeat the same evening walk.  Tonight we cut it a bit short with today’s total mileage 7.5 miles.  And all of our same old days are plenty of reason for thanksgiving.

Baby Blaire in Forth of July red

4 Jul:  Blessings on your Independence Day weekend and celebration!  We Thank God for this incredible creation, for the freedoms that we cherish and for life in this 21st century America.  We accomplished our daily hike to the lake twice for a total of nine miles, witnessed by three deer and a multicolored fox.  Cynthia is counting days until she sees the doctor again, hoping for freedom to move her fingers again: Day seven of seven… Blaire: Our best dressed Independence Belle.

3 Jul:  Cynthia's legs and feet woke her up in the night, so we were unable to get started walking until after the temperature reached 75 degrees at 11 AM.  Uggh.  Now it is 12:26 PM and 78 degrees and off we go.  What a surprise to discover cloud cover and a threat/promise of rain.  Today's highlight was a 6- or 8-point buck browsing within 15 feet of us at one of the corners in the subdivision.  We walked through light rain to Boss Hoggs for lunch.  At 7:15 PM we repeated the walk to the lake and back accomplishing 7.5 miles by evening and steering clear of a big bushy-tailed momma skunk and her cute little baby. 

2 Jul:  Since yesrerday was too hot, we "rushed" to get our morning walk started as early as possible today: 10:30 or so.  And we were rewarded  by seeing a forest of antlers in one of the forested vacant lots where the bucks like to relax.  We also saw several individual does in various places this morning.  Cynthia added photos below from last month.  Ron is proud of himself that he is finally attending to his mending - before spending inordinate times daily on genealogy and DNA.  Our evening walk was pleasant and cool and gave us a total of 8 miles today!

1 Jul:  Birthday Month is kicked off, and we are already celebrating by dressing Cynthia in her favorites ... anything that fits over her cast.  As we returned from our "morning" walk, we saw two fine young bucks with good velvet-covered antlers a block from the motel.  And tonight’s walk gave us a 7.9 total mileage, and we saw another two or three deer.  

Pagosa Springs, our daily walks end at this lake

Baby Blair, Mommy Rachel, Jon and Lauren

Handiwoman Lauren