Wandering 2025 - Episode 3 - Utah

On the road to Moab.

I left Grand Junction and traveled into Utah on Interstate 70 then I took a turn south at Cisco on Utah 158.  It's a very pretty drive.

At first you see the Bluffs off in the distance and the ground has very little vegetation-I wondered how folks raised anything here it's so dry.  Apparently, they do as the watch for livestock signs are out along with watch out for the deer and elk signs.

(Many years ago we traveled this road and Larry hit a buck deer.  Killed the deer, and did a number on the front end of the car!  Larry called them car killers ever after!)

If you turn another direction you see this lovely snow capped mountain rising above the bluffs!

Then the red rock formations begin!  Seeing the way time has acted on the rock is quite interesting.

After seeing many red rock formations the road follows along the Colorado River.  (The same river that made the Grand Canyon  and that empties into the Gulf of Mexico.)

It looks quite calm and placid but it has a strong current and is moving FAST !

There were some brave souls on rafts having a float though.  Looks like fun but I stayed on dry land!   

After 77 miles you arrive in Moab, Utah.  Another tourist town that like any other tourist town that sells t-shirts, sweatshirts, and a whole lot more with Moab on them!  The town is located near Two National Parks, Arches and Canyonland and is near Capitol Reef.  I had planned to visit both the parks but they now require timed entry or visiting after 4pm.  Truthfully, after driving Colorado National Monument I wasn't keen on another such drive full of even more large red rock formations.  They are beautiful and interesting but after awhile I just think "Oh, there's another one-whoppee do.!

Instead I walked the downtown, bought a couple of patches for the blanket and a new boho style dress.  I found a small quilt shop and visited with the owners for a bit, bought a couple of new gizmos but no fabric.  

Then there was prepping for the next stage of the trip. . .

No emus in this town!

 

 

Wandering 2025 - Episode 2 - More Colorado

I left the Never Summer Range and the burned trees of Western Rocky Mountain National Park behind for this trip and soon this is what I saw.

Things flattened out in a hurry!

I began this trip by heading into Steamboat Springs.  I have been there before although MANY, Many years ago.  I think Steve was 6 now he's 48.  To say that it has changed a lot wound be an understatement!  It was a small town with a ski resort, now it's a small city!  It does still have the ski resort though.  I had breakfast there and then continued on.

I was headed to Grand Junction.

More flatish stuff,  miles and miles of it.

 I started the day in weather chilly enough for a warm jacket  and finished it wishing for shorts!

While I was in Grand Junction I went up the Colorado National Monument.

Funny things happen when you travel- I gentleman noted my Missouri plates on the truck and asked if  I was from Missouri.  When I said yes, he said they were too.  So, I asked where from and he said Lee's Summit!  He was shocked to hear that I was from Greenwood-we actually only live a few miles from one another!

The following photos were all taken at the monument.

Grand Mesa is in the background.

That's all for Colorado!

Tomorrow, Utah!

 

Wanderings 2025 - Episode 1 Colorado

 

My first trip into the Rocky Mountain National Park I saw this Mama moose and her yearling.

Moose are a rather new animal in the park but I saw another one the next trip in - just sauntered out of the bushes and disappeared on the other side of the road!

Other animals seen:  Elk In abundance! Check this out - you will be amazed! Elk herd I think there area few dozen other videos as well. 

There were some mule deer-I didn't get photos of them but they are quite common.

The first morning I woke to this view from my room!  Still makes me smile.  I grew up visiting and living in Estes Park so I am very familiar with the front range.

This day I drove down to Glen Haven.  We always went there to the Inn for lunch with strawberry -rhubarb jam!  The drive down is crazy steep and full of tight switchbacks but the cinnamon buns at the bakery are worth it.  There used to be more there but now only the bakery and the inn.  On the way back I saw another large group of elk-they are everywhere!

The next morning I woke to the same view only somehow the mountains had disappeared!

It was cold and windy and cloudy!  The mountains are likely getting some more snow but the clouds are very low and as my Mom always said "Socked in." the clouds didn't lift the rest of the time I was there.

I spent some time walking along main street Estes.  Estes Park is a tourist town-they sell

 t-shirts, sweatshirts and coffee cups (and many other such things) with the town name on them.  There are some nice stores, outfitters for camping and hiking etc, some art studios that sort of thing.  I bought a nice long-sleeved shirt at the Park Store but otherwise nothing else.  At some point in the past the town decided to become "Modern" I think" and left it's mountain frontier decor behind I would say they were following in Aspen and Breckinridge but I think Estes was first!

The last day in Estes I paid the bills and did other paperwork.  My leg was hurting quite a lot, I bought a compression sleeve for my knee and got out my walking stick which helped but rest seemed needed.  It's hard when you do what you want and the body says "oh, I don't think so."

I made one last trip through the park in the evening, packed everything and got ready to leave the next day.

If I had been there a few days later, Trail Ridge Road would have been open and the trip to Grand Lake would have taken two hours or so depending on how long a piddled looking at things!  As is was I had to drive down, around and back up to get to Grand Lake on the west side of Rocky Mountain. 

Took all day.  Checking in to the hotel was interesting, no one was there! I had to call and wait for someone to come and check me in.  I wonder how they can make a profit that way.

The mountians around Grand Lake have been hit hard with the pine needle infection some of them have no living trees, just the skeletons.  Then East Troublesome Fire began near Grand Lake in October of 2020 burned for 6 weeks. 

it actually made it over the divide and nearly to Estes Park before it was contained.

The mountains are pretty but the leftovers of the fire are all everywhere.

I spent 3 days driving into the park every day-saw 4 more moose!  and walking the  town.  Where Estes went Modern, Grand Lake retained its mountain rustic vibe. Even new structures are designed to fit that appearance.  Grand Lake is appealing to many folks because of the boating on-you guessed it-Grand Lake!  It too is a tourist town, selling t-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs etc although they did have some nicer stores including a QUILT shop!  I bought a few things there, oh my.

There is an art store there and I just couldn't help myself-I HAD  to take a photo of this guy in the window!

Reminded me of one I saw in Australia!

I still have a bit more to talk about in Colorado but this is already a LONG post (sorry, Chooky) so I'll finish up tomorrow!

 

Wandering 2025- The Prequel

 Don't go into shock, I'm trying again to write.

You can go back over my earlier posts and know that I had a very rough time the past 12 months.

Add to what is there, my lovely Aunt Letha passed away.  At 95 it wasn't unexpected but I will miss her, she was special

Then the 29th of April it became apparent that it was time to let Quinn cross the rainbow bridge.  I realized that I was breaking my rule-to not do anything that was for me just the things for her.  She quit eating.  I gave myself 24 hours to be sure of what I was planning to do, that turned into 48 as her Vet was off.  She had never seen any other vet and I didn't want that to change.  She let me carry her into the vets office and she hated being carried.  Anyway, by the time it was over I was bawling, the Vet tech was crying and I think the vet was trying not to.  Quinn was a very special dog.

Even though I didn't want to lose her it left me free for a long wander.  I needed a long time away from home.  The events of the past year had left me with no space in my brain, stressed  and incredibly exhausted.

We were holding a memorial for my brother in Estes Park Colorado-his favorite place- on May 17th so I left home on the 13th for Denver.  Before that I was a very busy trying to get the house and yard ready for me to be gone-I never again want to come home to a bed without sheets like I did from Australia! I weeded and mulched gardens, planted the big pots for the front, laid out the soaker hoses, and attempted to set the timers for watering.  I was busy, very busy. I also had to gather up the things my oldest wanted from my brothers estate and load them into the truck. Not to mention packing my stuff which included projects for rainy nights.  My pickup/ute was very full.

The memorial was nice only 4 of us which was what we planned, afterward we ate together the three of them returned to Denver.  I drove into Rocky Mountain National Park, just to feel the Peace of the mountains  Then I checked into a hotel for three days. 

And so the Prequel ends.

Missing in action

What can I say.

The process of healing my thumb continues after 9 weeks.  PT is now in progress-for at least 3 more weeks.  It's getting better all the time but I still can't cut straight  with scissors-I can hold them now which is improvement.  Thankfully, the electric ones work pretty well.

Other than healing my thumb, I've been doing jigsaw puzzles (on the 5th one now-good for the pinch exercises.)  I've read some 6 or 7 books.  Worked in the studio getting the ironing station good to go and just generally cleaning, worked in the garage on a couple of small projects.  I have to be careful not to do too much at one time but PT says to use it so I do.

No sewing, I am going to try to thread a needle in a bit! 

Anyway, I'm here just silent.

A Cautionary tale of a Bidet, two toilets and 12 stitches.

So, it all began a couple of months ago.  My youngest son has a bidet on his toilet and I mentioned to him that I thought I might like one.  He said "they aren't expensive (true) and take 20 minuted to install" 

Right.

So I ordered one and Amazon helpfully delivered it.  Last week I decided the time had come to install it.  Three trips to various stores and I had sat the required materials here.  I read the installation manual, then fiddled with the parts.  No problem. Until I tried to attach it to the existing toilet (which was original to the house.) for a couple of days I worked on and off at removing the Nut to attach the water supply line.  It finally came off but in the process broke the flushing mechanism.  I happen to have one of those (don't ask) but to change it you have to remove the tank from the bowl in order to attach a gasket on the bottom.  After 30 years every bolt/screw, washer and nut was corroded so for two days I tried to get a the nuts loose to do that.  I simply didn't have enough muscle and in the meantime I broke the top.

Sometime, this past Wednesday night I decided that rather than continuing to attempt the impossible (cause that's what it seemed to me) I would just buy a new toilet. So, the next day after my chiropractor visit I trotted off to Lowes and acquired a new one.  Got back home took the old toilet out on a furniture dolly.  It fell off the dolly going down the outside stairs and broke a chunk off, I got it back on and rolled it over by the trash,  Then, knowing that I would not be able to carry the whole box the new toilet was it I opened it up and took the pieces out-carefully.  Set them up on the front porch and went back for the furniture dolly.

Disaster struck when I attempted to lift the old one off and it slipped (due to mist) and sliced into my right hand at the base of my thumb. Started bleeding furiously in seconds, slapped my left hand over it and ran for the house.  Washed it off put a dish towel over the gash and pressed down hard for 5 minutes.  (It's only supposed to take 3 to stop bleeding but I waited a couple of extras minutes.)  When I took the towel of to see the damage it only took one look to know that I needed stitches!  The next stop was the Emergency Room where it took a couple of hours to have 12 stitches in the wound.  Fortunately, it wasn't as deep as I first thought so there wasn't any damage to tendon or muscle.  Needless to say I was not installing a new toilet or a bidet that day!  

But Scott, that same youngest was coming to stay overnight and  saved the day  by installing both the toilet and the bidet.  He even said he knew I was capable of doing it - very straightforward- but stitches and swelling prevented it.

I have a lovely new toilet and a bidet and in two weeks the stitches come out, until then I'm not going to be doing much of anything as my right hand is my dominate hand and my left hand is barely capable of feeding me!  Should be boring. Maybe I can catch up on reading blogs.

There is light!

 Still a bit far away but visible!

A lot has happened since I last posted.

The most fun part was Chris visiting for 3 nights!

We had a mini-shop hop, I took her to Quilter's Station (my local shop) which was packed with fabric.  Poor Chris could hardly get around with all the bolts on the floor!  That didn't stop her from shopping though!  Then the next day we went to Quilting is My Therapy  in Liberty, Missouri before we headed north to Hamilton and - get ready- Missouri Star Quilt Company  that place is exhausting!  I did buy some fat quarters in Liberty and a Jelly roll at Missouri Star, oh and a pattern.  Chris bought a few things as well.  I missed her straight away when she went home!

The day after she left my middle son came in from Nashville to sort through my brother's tools.  He found a lot of tools but I have never seen little hearts flying out of his eyes as they did  when he saw the big compressor! He found enough that he rented a Uhaul truck to take home!   

Everytime I go up to the other house it seems I bring something else home and by the time he went back to Nashville, my garage was impassable and so was my living room!   Things are clearing up now, while not everything is put away in the garage, or the living room for that matter, you can walk through them and a bit more is being done everyday.  On top of the things ToDo inside there is much to do outside before the real cold.  I will be finished with most of that tomorrow, then I have to wait for my "muscle" to have time to haul a few things around before I get organized again.  

But as I said, there is light.

P.S. The day after we voted--I had a very long list of adjectives that would have described how I felt, none of them good.  Enough said.