Well, we're trying out something new, so that perhaps my sister will get involved in the blog more often... We will see.
The new section is on the right side, and it is a list of books that we enjoyed reading (both recently and old favorites). We will try to change the list up monthly with new ideas and suggestions. If you have any other ideas, feel free to leave a comment!!
-Alyssa
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Sherlock
So, it's about time for Sherlock to have a post of his own, as the newest member of the family.
We'll start from the beginning... For those of you who don't know, Sherlock is Drew's and my new puppy. He is half Olde English Sheepdog and half Standard Poodle, so he will be a large hypo-allergenic dog (meaning he doesn't shed!!). We found Sherlock randomly on the internet, and decided he was the one that we had been waiting for. I contacted the family and spoke to the wife, who had only good things to say about Sherlock (then called Mason). Next thing you know, we have made a deal, and Drew and I are driving up to Dallas to pick Sherlock up from the husband, Tim. That Sunday turned out to be a REALLY great day because we also were able to go with the Eubanks, the Giles and Shane to meet Hannah at the Dallas airport after her semester in Scotland. So, after a fun dinner at Chipotle with the group, Drew and I left to meet Sherlock.
The ride home went really well, and we quickly discovered Sherlock's knack for falling asleep in the car. We also discovered that he gets the hiccups when nervous (So cute). Once in Waco, we put him to bed, and after a few minutes of crying he went to sleep and slept through the night.
The weeks since then have been good, but pretty busy. He had his first vet visit (he weighed 10 lbs at 9 weeks), he learned to get used to a collar and a leash, he learned to sit and shake, he went to Bryan for Christmas, and he also had his second vet visit (almost doubled his weight, coming in at 18 lbs at 12 weeks old now).
So here are Sherlock's accomplishments at 12 weeks old:
1. Crate Trained (still having occasional accidents outside of the crate though)
2. Sits on command
3. Shakes on command
4. Lays down on command
5. Does not beg at the dinner table (but might steal the napkin out of your lap as a toy)
6. Rides in the car really well
7. Does not run out of the backyard
8. Sleeps through the night
9. Loves to chase tennis balls
10. I'm sure there are many more, but we can read about them some other time.
He really is very smart though, and has a sweet and playful personality. He absolutely loves people and any attention that he is given. The only thing he really dislikes right now is bath time and getting brushed.
The weeks since then have been good, but pretty busy. He had his first vet visit (he weighed 10 lbs at 9 weeks), he learned to get used to a collar and a leash, he learned to sit and shake, he went to Bryan for Christmas, and he also had his second vet visit (almost doubled his weight, coming in at 18 lbs at 12 weeks old now).
So here are Sherlock's accomplishments at 12 weeks old:
1. Crate Trained (still having occasional accidents outside of the crate though)
2. Sits on command
3. Shakes on command
4. Lays down on command
5. Does not beg at the dinner table (but might steal the napkin out of your lap as a toy)
6. Rides in the car really well
7. Does not run out of the backyard
8. Sleeps through the night
9. Loves to chase tennis balls
10. I'm sure there are many more, but we can read about them some other time.
He really is very smart though, and has a sweet and playful personality. He absolutely loves people and any attention that he is given. The only thing he really dislikes right now is bath time and getting brushed.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Zimbabwe
Tamie and I spent the last week of June and the first week of July on different continents. I took a group of just graduated high school seniors to Zimbabwe. Tamie went with her handbell choir to Estonia. Very weird to be out of the country at the same time. (Just for the record, the Estonia bunch had five (5) injuries, the Zimbabwe group zero(0), which goes to show you the importance of good leadership!)
The McCarleys drove us to Houston to catch our first flight, Houston to Atlanta. Short layover in Atlanta and it was nonstop to Johannesburg, South Africa. Fifteen (15) hours of endless excitement, NOT. We stayed over night at some IMB guest apartments not far from the airport. We had dinner at The Boma. Great first dinner in Africa, because it was a huge buffet of local food. We had Kudu, Warthog, crocodile, and, not best of all, MOPANI WORMS. Not everyone bit the bullet (worm), but Jake, Ashley McCarley, Alyssa Eskelsen, RaisinMan and I toughed one out. The look on RasinMan's face says it all.
The next day we flew to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. We were picked up at the airport by Duncan and Tatyiana Pitts, missionaries to Zimbabwe. We were scheduled to stay in a "travelers lodge" called Youngways. Due to some confusion about payment, we ended up staying with the Pitts in their house. The guys took the living room and the girls had the extra bedroom. My position as team leader got me a bed in Duncan's computer repair/third bedroom. As a result, we really got to know the Pitts much better. Tatyiana cooked wonderful meals for us and we did our part by taking care of the dishes, and helping with preparation.
The first morning, we were up at 6:30 a.m. We had our first appearance of the trip at Petra Secondary School at 7:30 a.m. Bryce and Carrie did a great job sharing the idea of True Love Waits. Bryce did a neat demonstration using duct tape. Afterwards, we had tea/coffee with the Headmaster. We came back to the school at 2:00 p.m. for a varsity boys field hockey game against the CBC Falcons, Petra's local rivals. Since none of us had ever seen a field hockey game, it took a bit to figure out the rules, which are similar to soccer. (Only with sticks and a smaller ball.) Unfortunately for our new friends, Petra lost 0-4.
We had a great week in Bulawayo. Some of our activities include visiting the hope of Pastor Mark and his wife, Dorcas. They have adopted nine (9) HIV orphans, with another one likely in the near future. We went with Gloria and Florence to a home where a dozen boys lived who had been rescued from a life on the streets. We heard several of their stories and they were all heart wrenching. I remember one said he was living with his mother and step-dad. His mother went to Mozambique and never came back. He has no idea what happened to her. His step-dad abused him and he ran away. He came for a free meal at Bulawayo Baptist Church and met one of the other boys. As a result, he ended up being invited to stay at the home.
Florence and Gloria also took us to a squatter's town where they feed children every Monday. We helped with the kids and Duncan had the opportunity to share Christ with the group of adults who showed up with the kids. As a result, about 8-10 people came forward. Duncan was already working on plans to continue with their discipleship on the ride home. I spent most of my time with the group working with the kids. That is until two drunk guys showed up. I spent about 30 minutes talking and sharing with them. Their names are Edanna and Stephen. They asked me to pray for them, that they would lose their desire to always drink beer. I'm still praying for them and would appreciate your help in that regard.
Florence and Gloria also took us for a walk through the village. We met some of the people they are trying to help. They showed us the water hole where the community gets its drinking water. It's a small puddle that is filled from a hole in a water line that passes nearby. Periodically, the government patches the hole and then the men come and make a new hole.
One day we worked for the soup kitchen at Bulawayo Baptist. Didn't take an official count, but would estimate they fed about 150 people.
On Sunday we went to both services. The first was an older crowd. They asked the group to sing for them and that went over pretty well. Mostly because I didn't join in! In the second service, the group got up and led a song. Jake had the guitar and Alyssa was on the drums. We picked a song that they already knew and that was a hit, too. That night we came back for the youth service. Lots of fun and more great music. During the activity time, we taught them how to play crab soccer. The kids all took to that game with great enthusiasm! After the service we were invited to watch the USA play Brazil in the Confederate Cup Finals. The game was played in South Africa, which is just to the south of Zim. I video taped some of the cheers, and you can find it at the bottom. They were shocked when we were ahead 2-0 at halftime, but happy when the final score was 3-2 to Brazil.
I would have to write a book to describe everything we saw. Pray for the people of Zimbabwe. They are an amazing people facing incredible hardships. The economy has improved slightly since their currency was abandoned in favor of dollars and rands, but they know it could turn bad again in an instant. Combine all of our heart disease, diabetes and every kind of cancer together and multiply it by 10, it still doesn't come close to the devastation Aids has caused. Parts of Africa have started to show the benefits of the True Love Waits message, pray that it would catch on in Zimbabwe. Gloria said 80% of the people in the squatters' village were HIV positive. She was including the children.
Backpacking in 2009
Well, where should I start? How about at the beginning...
In the beginning there were six Compass staff girls all planning a backpacking trip through the Colorado wilderness. The plan was to leave on Wednesday, July 8, and return four days later. These girls planned ahead, shopped for appropriate necessities (including food, fuel and iodine), and planned a basic route for the trip. The Compass boys had recently completed a backpacking expedition the week before, during which they ran out of fuel, ran out of iodine, and were forced to return a full twenty-four hours earlier than planned. The girls, being more intelligent and generally superior, did not want to repeat the mistakes of the boys, and so decided to equip themselves for success.
The morning of departure, the girls all woke up, gathered their things, packed their bags, and got in the cars to be dropped off. The drop off location was about forty-five minutes back on an old jeep trail to Hotel Draw. The adventure started off seamlessly, as the group started off hiking down the Colorado Trail. The first day started with a climb up to the saddle of Blackhawk Peak. In the spirit of adventure, the brave and fearless women walked up Blackhawk Peak to reach the summit by about 3:00 on the first day. Without even the use of a trail to aid them in their travel to the summit, the girls completely dominated the twelve-thousand-plus foot mountain. Having already exceeded their goals for the day, they hiked down the other side of the saddle to make their first camp in a grove of trees in a picturesque valley. Here they set up camp and enjoyed a delicious meal of macaroni and cheese, followed by an early bedtime at about 8:30.
The next morning, the hardcore women woke up and broke camp in order to depart at about 8:00. Doubtless, the men of Compass Wilderness were still asleep at this time, dreaming of pancakes and other equally manly things. The second day, of course, went just as well as the previous one. The girls had considered another summit, this one to the top of Hermosa Peak, but upon actual inspection of this peak, they realized that it would not be possible, as it would be a dangerous endeavor. Thus, the girls continued down the Colorado Trail to another mountain, named Flat Top Mountain (which the girls discovered to be deceitfully named, as the approach was better characterized by it's rolling structure). After dropping their packs at the base of the lowest sub peak of Flat Top, the girls began an attempt to summit the mountain. An hour and a half later, they had yet to reach the official summit, but decided that they better start back down so that they could continue on to the day's campsite. Before turning to head back to the base of the peaks, however, someone (me) decided that the peak should have more accurately named "Fat Lady's Rolls Mountain". The hardcore mountain women returned tiredly to their packs and continued upon their way. Exhausted, they arrived at that night's campsite in time to pitch the tarps and start on dinner preparations. They quickly discovered though, that the location of the campsite, near Celebration Lake, also meant staying at the home of the world's largest and hungriest mosquito population.
One billion mosquito bites and a couple of insanity checks later, the brave (and now mosquito-bite-covered) women began their third day of exploration by starting off down the Colorado Trail. Knowing that the trail would depart from the main trail on which they started, the girls kept their eyes open for any trail signs off to the side. In this endeavor, however, they discovered that they had utterly failed when they arrived at the dead-end of the jeep trail after three hours of descent. A few of the girls seemed to consider mutiny, desertion, or both, upon discovering that they would have to turn around to face three grueling hours of ascent back up the exact same jeep trail they had just come down. However, they all gathered their spirits back up to start the return journey. They discovered the missed trail marker a mere ten minutes from where the trail had started that morning, meaning that they had hiked about 12 miles total off-trail!!
Not having many options at this point, the girls chose to start off down the correct trail, despite the six hour delay. After a short break to avoid being caught in a lightening storm above tree line, the girls reached the top of the saddle (a point that they most likely would have reached by 10:00 that morning, were it not for the detour). From this point, the exhausted girls continued down the trail, making sure that they did not miss the turn-off to the trail that would provide them with the shortest route home. The wilderness athletes made it down the trail in record time, arriving at the crossing of the hiking trail and the jeep trail in plenty of time to eat a quick dinner. At this point, the women knew that they had a decision to make...either find a flat area to pitch their tarp for the final night of camping, or barrel on through the wilderness to return home a day early. Although some discussion preceded their decision, they knew what must be done. Their determined minds far outweighed the influence of their exhausted bodies, and thus they started the journey home. The evening stretched before them as they hiked toward their final route down Cascade Creek Trail (a welcome and yet depressing end to their journey due to its lack of novelty for the majority of the group). As evening approached and dusk fell upon the travelers, they recalled the unnerving possibility that, as a group, they could appear as a tasty appetizer to the bears that would likely also be frequenting the woods as the skies began to darken. And this is how the singing session began. For the remainder of the evening hike (which was a new experience for the majority of the group), the girls belted out song after song as the hiked down the Cascade Creek Trail toward the inviting arms of their home at Cascade Village. The musical numbers included everything from hymns and praise songs to old classics like "It's Raining Men" and "There's a Hole in My Bucket". Just as the Compass women finished the final verse of the "Hokie Pokie", they rounded the corner to see the glorious water towers that each individual recognized as marking the top of the final descent in the three days of hiking.
Thus, after a traumatizing twelve and half hour hiking day, the six mountaineering women arrived at the condo at 9:30 pm to great applause and boisterous cheering from the Compass men. (Well, maybe it was more like surprise and confusion from the boys) For the six brave women however, their exhausted and tired state led them to a state of complete euphoria upon stepping through the condo door, which led to a fit of giggling and laughter (as it often does with girls).
And this is how the tale of "The Great Backpacking Adventures of the Compass Mountain Women" ended. There are many details and fragments of the story that the world may never fully understand, but one thing is certain...in the summer of two-thousand and nine, the six women of Compass Wilderness dominated and tamed the Southern Colorado Wilderness with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the gear in their packs.
In the beginning there were six Compass staff girls all planning a backpacking trip through the Colorado wilderness. The plan was to leave on Wednesday, July 8, and return four days later. These girls planned ahead, shopped for appropriate necessities (including food, fuel and iodine), and planned a basic route for the trip. The Compass boys had recently completed a backpacking expedition the week before, during which they ran out of fuel, ran out of iodine, and were forced to return a full twenty-four hours earlier than planned. The girls, being more intelligent and generally superior, did not want to repeat the mistakes of the boys, and so decided to equip themselves for success.
The morning of departure, the girls all woke up, gathered their things, packed their bags, and got in the cars to be dropped off. The drop off location was about forty-five minutes back on an old jeep trail to Hotel Draw. The adventure started off seamlessly, as the group started off hiking down the Colorado Trail. The first day started with a climb up to the saddle of Blackhawk Peak. In the spirit of adventure, the brave and fearless women walked up Blackhawk Peak to reach the summit by about 3:00 on the first day. Without even the use of a trail to aid them in their travel to the summit, the girls completely dominated the twelve-thousand-plus foot mountain. Having already exceeded their goals for the day, they hiked down the other side of the saddle to make their first camp in a grove of trees in a picturesque valley. Here they set up camp and enjoyed a delicious meal of macaroni and cheese, followed by an early bedtime at about 8:30.
The next morning, the hardcore women woke up and broke camp in order to depart at about 8:00. Doubtless, the men of Compass Wilderness were still asleep at this time, dreaming of pancakes and other equally manly things. The second day, of course, went just as well as the previous one. The girls had considered another summit, this one to the top of Hermosa Peak, but upon actual inspection of this peak, they realized that it would not be possible, as it would be a dangerous endeavor. Thus, the girls continued down the Colorado Trail to another mountain, named Flat Top Mountain (which the girls discovered to be deceitfully named, as the approach was better characterized by it's rolling structure). After dropping their packs at the base of the lowest sub peak of Flat Top, the girls began an attempt to summit the mountain. An hour and a half later, they had yet to reach the official summit, but decided that they better start back down so that they could continue on to the day's campsite. Before turning to head back to the base of the peaks, however, someone (me) decided that the peak should have more accurately named "Fat Lady's Rolls Mountain". The hardcore mountain women returned tiredly to their packs and continued upon their way. Exhausted, they arrived at that night's campsite in time to pitch the tarps and start on dinner preparations. They quickly discovered though, that the location of the campsite, near Celebration Lake, also meant staying at the home of the world's largest and hungriest mosquito population.
One billion mosquito bites and a couple of insanity checks later, the brave (and now mosquito-bite-covered) women began their third day of exploration by starting off down the Colorado Trail. Knowing that the trail would depart from the main trail on which they started, the girls kept their eyes open for any trail signs off to the side. In this endeavor, however, they discovered that they had utterly failed when they arrived at the dead-end of the jeep trail after three hours of descent. A few of the girls seemed to consider mutiny, desertion, or both, upon discovering that they would have to turn around to face three grueling hours of ascent back up the exact same jeep trail they had just come down. However, they all gathered their spirits back up to start the return journey. They discovered the missed trail marker a mere ten minutes from where the trail had started that morning, meaning that they had hiked about 12 miles total off-trail!!
Not having many options at this point, the girls chose to start off down the correct trail, despite the six hour delay. After a short break to avoid being caught in a lightening storm above tree line, the girls reached the top of the saddle (a point that they most likely would have reached by 10:00 that morning, were it not for the detour). From this point, the exhausted girls continued down the trail, making sure that they did not miss the turn-off to the trail that would provide them with the shortest route home. The wilderness athletes made it down the trail in record time, arriving at the crossing of the hiking trail and the jeep trail in plenty of time to eat a quick dinner. At this point, the women knew that they had a decision to make...either find a flat area to pitch their tarp for the final night of camping, or barrel on through the wilderness to return home a day early. Although some discussion preceded their decision, they knew what must be done. Their determined minds far outweighed the influence of their exhausted bodies, and thus they started the journey home. The evening stretched before them as they hiked toward their final route down Cascade Creek Trail (a welcome and yet depressing end to their journey due to its lack of novelty for the majority of the group). As evening approached and dusk fell upon the travelers, they recalled the unnerving possibility that, as a group, they could appear as a tasty appetizer to the bears that would likely also be frequenting the woods as the skies began to darken. And this is how the singing session began. For the remainder of the evening hike (which was a new experience for the majority of the group), the girls belted out song after song as the hiked down the Cascade Creek Trail toward the inviting arms of their home at Cascade Village. The musical numbers included everything from hymns and praise songs to old classics like "It's Raining Men" and "There's a Hole in My Bucket". Just as the Compass women finished the final verse of the "Hokie Pokie", they rounded the corner to see the glorious water towers that each individual recognized as marking the top of the final descent in the three days of hiking.
Thus, after a traumatizing twelve and half hour hiking day, the six mountaineering women arrived at the condo at 9:30 pm to great applause and boisterous cheering from the Compass men. (Well, maybe it was more like surprise and confusion from the boys) For the six brave women however, their exhausted and tired state led them to a state of complete euphoria upon stepping through the condo door, which led to a fit of giggling and laughter (as it often does with girls).
And this is how the tale of "The Great Backpacking Adventures of the Compass Mountain Women" ended. There are many details and fragments of the story that the world may never fully understand, but one thing is certain...in the summer of two-thousand and nine, the six women of Compass Wilderness dominated and tamed the Southern Colorado Wilderness with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the gear in their packs.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Starting a new Summer!
Well, here I am in Durango once again! This is my third summer to work with Compass Wilderness, and it has been fantastic thus far. It is so nice to escape from the heat and humidity of the Texas summer, although it's always a little sad to leave friends and family behind for a couple months. We just finished up with our second group of campers on Friday, and a new group arrives on Monday afternoon. The last group was a camping group, which was fun even though it's still pretty cool up here at night. We'll be in the condos for this week, and I am glad to escape the mosquito problems that we faced with the camping group last week in Chris Park.
This summer we are trying something new as a staff, which I am still not sure that I like all the time... Lance decided that we would have "optional" staff workouts this summer ('optional' meaning that you don't HAVE to participate, but that you will likely face peer pressure and ridicule if you decide to opt out). It has been fun though to see some improvement already, even though we've only had about two weeks total of workouts. The program that we follow is called CrossFit, and each day there is a new workout posted online called the WOD or Workout of the Day. The program is designed to be an overall cardio workout, which means a lot of timed workouts and a lot of repetitions! Anyways, it is exhausting, but usually rewarding and even kind of fun. This is a picture of Hannah and I hanging in the doorway after a WOD during the first week when we had to do 100 total pull-ups!!!
I don't have a picture yet with all of the staff members this year, but it is a really great group!
The girls include: Hannah (20 yrs old, junior at Missouri St), Samantha/Sam (21 yrs old, senior at Baylor) and Emily (20 yrs old, junior at Abilene Christian).
The boys are: Justin (22 yrs old, just graduated from Baylor), Brian (22 yrs old, graduating from Baylor in December) and Will (21 yrs old).
Of course we always have our fearless leaders as well: Lance and Courtney (and their two boys Nash and Beck).
Anyways, I am really looking forward to the rest of the summer, and I will be sure to write again and tell of all the wonderful ways that God is using our ministry.
God Bless!
--Alyssa
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Colorado Camping Pics
Snow on the mountains above Molas Lake by the end of the week.South Mineral Creek CG
The hidden falls on the South Mineral Creek Road.
Heading up to Cinnamon Pass
Camper parked at Molas Lake, notice lack of snow on mountains early in week
Worthington Falls on the Lake City side of Engineer Pass, about 150 feet tall, mas o menos.
Fishing at Clear Lake , not catching, just fishing
Tamie in the Jeep
Worthington Falls on the Lake City side of Engineer Pass, about 150 feet tall, mas o menos.
Fishing at Clear Lake , not catching, just fishing
Tamie in the Jeep Colorado Camping
On Friday, September 5, 2008, Tamie and I left for our camping adventure in Colorado. We went through Waco and head breakfast with Alyssa, Avery, and Jordan at Lolita's. GREAT breakfast tacos. I also picked up some sweet potato empanadas for later!
We then proceeded to Weatherford to pick up the camper and we were officially on our way. Friday night we got in late to the KOA campground outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. Saturday morning found us shopping in historic downtown Santa Fe. After Tamie made a serious dent in one store's necklace inventory we had lunch at Coyote Grill. Great food!! They brought us stuffed jalepenos as our appetizer by mistake, so I got to try one. Tamie passed. Smart move, cuz I was sweating by the time I finished just the one. On our way to cooking class, Tamie made another score in a dress boutique. Gorgeous pink and brown number. Have to provide pics later, cuz it looks like it was designed just for her.
Spent two hours being taught how to make salsa by Chef Rocky Durham on the Santa Fe Cooking School. Teamed up with a couple from San Francisco. (Town famous for Rice a Roni.) Actually learned quite a bit and will be making more salsas for occassions in the future.
Sunday we got up, broke camp, and headed on the seriously "back" way in to Durango. Saw some pretty parts of Northern New Mexico. Also saw a new Rolls Royce Silver Shadow in Chama. After shopping for groceries in Durango, we headed for Silverton. As we went by Molas Lake, we decided to stop and camp while it was still daylight. Even got to do a little fishing and caught a nice rainbow flyfishing with a little grasshopper. Tamie fed the ducks and had them eating out of her hand.
Monday we reloaded and headed in to Silverton. Stopped and talked to the great folks at San Juan Back Country. We parked in the campground in the farthest part of South Mineral Creek. Had the place almost to ourselves all week. In fact, on Thursday night we were the only campers. Monday afternoon we put the truck in 4WD and headed up to Clear Lake. Hairy set of switchbacks had Tamie pretty white knuckled, but the drive was worth the trouble. Even though the fish didn't cooperate, we got some great pics and had a good time. Went back and cooked hotdogs over the campfire. Had the stuff for S'mores but were too full! (We never did get around to the S'mores.)
Tuesday we headed back to the guys at San Juan and rented trusty No. 2 from the Jeep fleet. We took the "Alpine Loop". Out past Animas Forks, over Cinnamon Pass and down in to Lake City. Coming down from the pass the generator quit working. Jeeps have an electronic fuel pump, so the Jeep died at the bottom when the pump drained the battery. Tightened things up on the batter and wiggled a few connections. After the 2nd jump, and a 45 minute delay, we were back on the way. Kept watching the gauge, but seemed to be working. Then, when we do get to Lake City, guess what?? Just before we got there, the electricity went out!! We were contagious!? Found a hamburger joint that was cooking with propane and only taking cash. Had a great Sloppy Joe Cheeseburger. We will be trying to duplicate these for a Thursday night dinner. Appeared to be italian sausage, cheese and grilled onions in homemade bread. No tomato sauce at all. VERY GOOD!! Well, we tried to call San Juan, but the tower was apparently also without power and we couldn't get a call out. Wanted to tell them to come looking for us if were late because the generator went out again. Oh well, nothing to do but head back. Turned out to be fine, never had another problem.
Our route took us back to Silverton by way of Engineer Pass. As we neared the top, the light rain turned to SNOW!! It wasn't cold enough to stick and didn't last very long, but was still fun.
Got in to Silverton in time to turn in the Jeep. Made arrangements to meet Grady at 9 a.m. the next morning to go fishing back at Molas. Hit Handlebars Restaurant for dinner. MUY EXCELENTE! Even better, Tamie got to take a shower in the facilities at Peaks RV Park behind the baseball fields. Say "Hi!" to Bob if you go there, he was a good friend to Tamie cuz she took several more showers there before we left and we also got to wash clothes there later in the week.
Rain fell all night Tuesday night, and it was still drizzling when I went to meet Grady. The temp outside the camper that morning was 37 F. Inside, it was a balmy 39 F!! Tamie was snug and warm inside her TWO sleeping bags. As I got to Silverton the clouds broke and we could see that the rain had been snow at higher elevations and Kendall Mtn. wore a white cap as did Silverton Mtn. It was about 42 F in Silverton when Grady and I headed for the lake. It was 37 F at the lake and rainy. Despite nearly freezing to death, we caught our limit of 4 each in just over an hour. Weather broke as we cleaned fish and by the time we left we had taken our coats off and the sun was out. So unfair.
After getting back to camp, Tamie and I headed out in the truck to explore the end of the South Mineral Creek road. After about two miles, we deadended at an old abandoned mine. The valley floor was flooded by a series of beaver dams. Took some pics of the dam and headed back. On the way, Tamie spotted a Yellow -Bellied Marmot. She got some good pics of him sunning on a rock. Had to back up the trail about 100 yds to let a Jeep pass going the opposite direction. Spotted an area that had to conceal a hidden waterfall. Tamie spotted a little walking trail. I grabbed the camera and got some pics of a gorgeous waterfall carved entirely out of red rock. Brought a piece of it home to include in our future backyard water feature.
Grady decided his wife, Margaret, needed to cook the fish for us. It was arranged for us to come into town at 7 p.m. for dinner. Brought Tamie in at 6 and she got a shower and was all cleaned up to go to dinner. Margaret cooked the skinned trout by coating them in mustard and then corn meal and frying them whole. They were wonderful and we had a great meal and a great visit.
Thursday, we drove up 550N to Ouray and then on to Ridgway State Park. Checked out the facilities and then headed in to Ridgway for lunch at the True Grit Cafe. Totally decked out in John Wayne posters and artifacts. Cool place with really excellent food. Try the onion straws, but only a half order so that you can save room for Mud Pie. Did a little shopping in Ouray and tried our luck at fishing in Ironton, but they weren't biting. Water was crystal clear. We could see the fish and could put lures and powerbait right in front of them. Could not catch a single one.
Tamie still wanted fish for dinner, so we decided to head back up to Molas. Fished Andrews Lake first, no luck. Fished Little Molas Lake second, no luck. Went to Molas and caught three fish right away. I caught 2 and Tamie caught 1. As she will gladly tell you, hers was the biggest. Took 'em back to camp and cooked them for dinner. Almost as good as Margaret's!
Friday, we decided to start home a day early due to Hurricane Ike. Stopped to fish on the way. Caught one at Molas and two at Haviland and put them in the ice chest. They are in the freezer now, saving them for a special occasion. Got to Waco in time for breakfast with the girls Saturday morning after driving all night. Had another great breakfast at Cappucino's ( or something like that) (Alyssa, help?) Ayla went with us and Jordan joined us before we left.
Got home around 2 p.m. and hit the sack for a nap before we even unloaded. No damage from the storm, only lost a few small branches. Tamie's brother Roy had already picked those up for us.
SO, WHO IS GOING WITH US ON THE NEXT TRIP??
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