What a beautiful day in Seattle. Thanks to Kortney and her talent with cutting and pasting. Paul was the photographer for this picture--Kortney added him him. You notice no one was off the ground--too much turkey. More pictures later. Check out my new favorite quote at the right.
WOW, Paul can really sky in Seattle! Keep your heads down.
I apologize for including this picture! We got caught up in talking, eating and drinking!!!!!!! It was supposed to be a picture of our dinner at Parisi, north of the Highlands Park area. Very good Italian place, Kortney had a big piece of pork in a pastry shell, I had a noodle cups filled with lobster, shrimp and scallops with a cream sauce, Jan had Boar stew--more like a stew over noodles---I liked mine the best! The Chianti was from Florence--so we reminisced about our Italy trip. Sorry Paul--no margarita pizza, but, they had sardines.
Of course, refreshments are in order before the play. The Stone Cellar Cab was pretty good and not that pricey.
Our family tradition of seeing some sort of play, musical during the Thanksgiving to Christmas season is missing some people--Amanda, Kevin we missed you! Thanks to Kortney she brought me up to speed on the story line for "Wicked". It was funny (which I didn't expect) and of course the music was great. The stage props were amazing--I still haven't figured out how they made it look like it was raining. Sorry no pictures inside the Beull!
Snow fell everywhere except on the green--WOW. When we got up this morning, we saw this. The shoveling crew must have been up very early. I'm not sure why they did this--it is supposed to snow for a couple of days. I guess the 60+ weather has affected their thinking.
I'm not sure what the official temperature was yesterday, but we reached almost 80 on the sunny side of the house. I guess the cycling season is not over, but I choose the running shoes instead of the bike--Sadie was pleased to drag me around. Today is in the low 70's--car wash day!
This is in a new neighborhood that does not have very big trees, so the squirrel has to take to the screens. I wonder what the people inside think about this.
An appropriate full moon for Halloween!
Sadie found some drifts to jump in even though it was melting on the hill sides.
This was taken last Saturday after the 2 feet of snow. It had warmed to 63 so we found this green spot on the golf course.
The end of the cleared sidewalk-the end of the cycling season. In sports they hang up their cleats in cycling I hang up my bike and the bike carrier. But, who knows the weather is supposed to be 63 tomorrow and at that temp for the next week.
Bring it on! The snow is forecasted to be 12-14 inches. I have always thought that only wimps bought a snowblower! Well that's me--as my back gets weaker and my mind is slower. I'll post more as we get to play in the snow.
This is the most gold we found--Starbucks in Breck. We traveled through South Park, Kenosa Pass, Breck, and down I-70--lots of bare trees and brown leaves, nothing to take a picture of. The snow must have done it's thing on the leaves. Or last weekend was better. FYI--Guenella Pass is closed at the top so you won't be able to drive over. We took a hike near the top of Hoosier Pass, some snow, wet and we had trouble staying on the path--Sadie loved it.
Ft Collins Oktoberfest--Paul and I are still standing after all this Blue Moon!!!!!! This afternoon, we were looking for some area that we could compete in--pie eating (too old, kids only), yodeling (we couldn't find a good song and the background music was not to our liking), barrel rolling (barrels were too short for us tall guys). So we had a couple of Blue Moons, mom and Kortney tried the pumpkin Blue Moon-more like an ale, kinda sweet. Paul and I visited the Trail Head for cheese fries--to those of you that we have introduced to the cheese fries--they are still the BEST, the Rams lost, then to diner at our new fav Italian restaurant Enzios and then gelato (no new flavors this time so we are still at 47 tasted flavors). Enzios has a nice patio on the street--we all talked to numerous people we know.
I had to put the sweats on today! 42 was the high and it snowed this morning. The story behind the patio chair in the family room--we had 2 chairs break, Costco would take them back and refund the full amount, BUT we can't find a set we like better and at the same price, SO I am trying to fix the chairs, THEREFORE it is repaired and in the family room, BECAUSE it is too cold outside to test it.
All day Saturday I was looking forward to participating in Parker's Octoberfest. Last year it was hot and I had my first taste of Erdinger's hefervisen beer. I had been looking forward to this all year--Erdinger is hard to find and never I have seen it at a beer fest. We left the house at 4:00, planning on a beer, some kind of German food, and dancing to good um-pa music. At 4:19 it started to rain in Parker, when we arrived at the Octoberfest it was a downpour and must have been for some time because all the venders were pulling down their tents. The worst part the Erdinger beer truck was GONE! I would have had one in the rain--it's that good. All that was left was the accordianist playing basically to themselves. So we altered our taste buds and went for mexican food and Dos XXs amber.
Saturday morning started off with this view of fall in our back yard. The high was 48! Fall is my favorite season, but I think on September 12 that is a bit early, don't you!
While we were granddog sitting in Loveland for Kortney/Paul--they went to a wedding in Nebraska, we found a FREE "Please take this!" house. Someone was doing some cleaning--they had lots of old stuff. I have been looking for a push reel mower for the back yard so I don't have to haul the power mower up and down the side steps. And Kortney/Paul needed wine racks. A good day!
A couple of my favorites--Jan, a stream and Estes Park. Oh, and we had Starbucks coffee and lemon pound cake by the stream--can't get much better than this.
I don't think he got the message about moving closer OR he is either older than me or the sound was too much for him too.
These are out of sequence, but I wanted to show it anyhow! This is the crowd for the concert, it was just as full all the way around to 1st base. The promoter was in the suite and said we had 3 times more people attending the concert than any they have done this year.
The Rockies had a Faith Day! 25,000 church group tickets were sold, our church sent 350 people. Since we sent so many the Rockies gave us 2 tickets to their suite #13. Just like the old days of Lucent, food, refreshments et al.
My camera does not do it justice--the mountain view was spectacular. By the way I'm going to mow my lawn like this-jk!
We watched from the suite. We must be getting old because the sound was very loud even from where we were. Very good concert though!
My buddy Dave, called yesterday afternoon and said "Do you wanna ride over in the vette to Dry Dock Brewery I need to pick up a couple of growlers for some people that are in town tomorrow!" I said "Ok, if I HAVE too!"
What is this growing on my toe? I think I brought it back from the Minnesota lake.
Steve and Lezlee--it was really good to catch up with them after all these years. Thanks to Facebook! He was a college roommate, Mesa Verde working buddy, they were married in November and he helped us get married in December of the same year-1967. After an oil related career, teaching and a couple of kids they are in San Antonio and enjoying their very cute granddaughters. We are so happy that they stayed the night, we caught up where we left off after seeing them last in the mid 70's. San Antonio in the winter here we come!
My bike and bike rack. Sometimes I don't treat my "favorites" very well, I ran the bike into the garage the other day--no damage done. That's the nice thing about being slow.
Dinner on the patio, Bill, DJ, Jan and the photographer--Kortney.
Bike riding from Longmont to Loveland or anywhere around Loveland, dried cranberries and walnuts for snack. Thanks to Kevin for introducing the mix to me.
Our patio, the golf course shadows in the evening and 14 Hands chardonnay.
We finally stayed at the Brown Palace. I guess you can say it has been on our "Bucket List" for some time. We just couldn't see paying their prices, well, the slow down in the economy has it's advantages. They have been running some specials on the rooms. Very comfortable, our favorite part was the shower with water spray coming out of the ceiling. We also did the "Taste of the Brown." We were to have drinks in the Palace Arms Bar, but, because they are an old hotel they are grandfathered on the no smoking law--so they allow smoking in the bar, so we went to the lobby where we were to have an appetizer anyway. We just moved up a room. Had bison and steak in the Palace Arms restaurant--very, very good. Dessert was in the Ships Tavern--can you believe I could not eat all the layered chocolate cake-cookies and cream ice cream and a marshmallow sauce with toasted marshmallows on top. I must be getting old--that's a first. I did eat some of Jan's vanilla bean cream brule.
While checking on Jan's bike rental the bike guy sent us to Aspen Brewery--OH BOY! Good beer, unique sampler holder--appropriate for Aspen. After our bike ride I even took my sandwich over here to go along with my summer blond. A couple of young guys own the place, recently opened, off the beaten path some and not Aspen priced.
Both nights we listened to some fantastic music--5 different groups around town. string, clarinets and an oboe quartet--Jones priced--free.
Jan rented a bike-we rode 14 miles up Independence pass--rather 7 up. The trial had a steady climb, but nothing serious and some great views--this bridge was about 200 yards long over beaver ponds. I made the mistake of taking the highway back--thinking it would be all down hill--NOT--it was a roller coaster. No other cyclist passed me, though. Yipee!!!
We visited the Paridise Cafe and tried their gelato--some of you may recall a year ago we were in Italy--one of our goals was to try as many flavor of gelato that we could--32 in 21 days. We did 3 in 2 days--peanut butter cookie dough was the best, cappincino was right up there, the tarimisu was not so tarimi....--the other offers were not new so we stuck to these.
We found a great patio place with a Jones priced happy hour! Their calamari ranks up there with the best I have ever had--calamari, gelato, beer and wine are what I try almost everywhere. Notice our color coordination--Jan's was the best. We did not see any celebrities.
The Dixon clan and some in laws-ft row left to right-sisters Shirley, Jan, Sharon, bk row--me, Harlen (Shirley's husband), brother-Ken (his wife Judy has the Shingles--poor girl!), Bob (Sharon's husband) and brother Larry. This was at the Fairview grade school reunion--all the Dixon's attended this school, Jan and Larry were close enough in age that every other year they were in the same class room, their mother taught there too. Bob (red shirt) sang an hour long concert the next day--his second and another outstanding performance. 
I took a couple of bike rides around Cedaredge. Some beautiful scenery like this one--peach orchard, wind mill to keep the frost off the fruit and Grand Mesa in the background. The area is NOT flat enough for this old bike rider.
No! I didn't ride my bike up here! We were orchard hopping for cherries. We are on Antelope Mesa looking north toward Grand Mesa, Deer Creek Golf Course (Kevin and I's favorite), Cedaredge and Hart's Basin. Jan spent summer days here swimming and sun bathing in her high school years.
My plane ride was in this flight simulator (sim), which is one of three at the CAE center near DIA. Airlines rent time on the sim for $500/hr. My pilot buddy, Dave and my neighblor Craig, the instructor worked it out for me to ride along. Every pilot has to test out on the sim once a year, usually a two day test. The purpose is to give them real life flight situations so that they can practise what to do--wind sheer, lightning, micro bursts, trucks on the runway, abort a take off, several instrument and engine failures and issues, air turbelence of following a jumbo jet too close, fire in the cabin and incorrect tower direction.
Riding in the sim is just like flying, we flew in/out of San Francisco so that I could see the Golden Gate Bridge and water. The grapics were so real-sorry about the pic (no flash because they video most of the test)--can you make out the runway. One test was to avoid a head on airplane collusion--the sight, sound and movement of the sim caused by the plane flying over us was very real. I flew--correction I crashed my landing and did a fair job of taking off, lots of swerving down the runway though.
Today I rode 21 miles to Cherry Creek dam and learned that I ride like a 40 something woman. She joined the trail near our fitness center--she pulled ahead on the curves and tunnels and I would catch up on the hills then she would pull away again. You are probably wondering what the 3-2 is for---3 bugs in my mouth and 2 snakes on the road. The woman and I both picked up speed around them, I couldn't tell what they were I had my eyes closed and I was movin'.
I have ridden several times since my last posting, so I will do this one to catch up. We drove to Loveland to pickup Kortney and Paul's dog-Maddie. They drove to Coer D Ilene, Boise, and Sun Valley for a trip to visit Kevin and stay with Kortney's teaching partner that ran an Ironman. I rode 15 miles on Monday--Kortney called to warn me about a tornado about 5 miles north of me, the mailman stopped me to tell me and two women that were out looking at the sky told me too. The storm went northeast. Tuesday I rode 25 miles near Carter Lake--lots of horse smells and one of my favorite golf courses Marian Buttes--this building lot is still available, hmmm.
Not the kind of balloon ride you were thinking of! I'm in here somewhere. The balloons were for Fred Dixon's (Jan's cousin) memorial in Jan's hometown-Cory. They were released in pairs to commemorate Fred and Fay's life together. Jan had a chance to catch up with relatives from Minnesota, Idaho and various parts of Colorado. We made a quick two day trip, stayed with Bob/Sharon-learned how to play Mexican dominoes with their friends Bob/Sharon, drove home through Montrose, Gunnison, Salida, Woodland Park, Colorado Springs and the back road through Parker. Colorado is really green and the mountains still have snow--a beautiful contrast.
