"Blue Bird"

Dena and I were watching Ken Burn's "National Parks" on PBS. It explores the origins of Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks. It was captivating and the photography was breath-taking. We hope to be able to watch the balance of this series, as we love nature.

I looked up stuff on Yellowstone National Park and took a photo of the "Smokie the Bear" stuffed toy I purchased for Dena on our excursion into Yellowstone's natural beauties.

Last night I was tired and was still trying to find info for the blog that might be interesting to you readers. I came upon the live "webcam" for Mammoth Hot Springs. I could not get it to work, though I tried several times. It finally dawned upon my that it was a "live view" and it was dark outside. DA!!!!! Please, do not make the same mistake when you click on the site above.

When we went to Yellowstone for the first time in the early summer of 1993 it was a magical experience. We had traveled west, first to Steamboat Springs, for the wedding of Dena's niece, Laura and hubby Bob. That in itself was a wonderful leg of the journey. Just to see "The Mountains" is always a high point in any trip for me.

Since we were that far past the Mississippi, we decided to trace some of the head water's of tributaries such as the Missouri River. It seems as if it and many rivers owe their birth to streams that come from the northwest "Rockies" region.

We headed for Wyoming and Yellowstone. We traveled through the park to find it's treasures. There was one wonder after another, geysers, mud pots, water falls, mirrored lakes, mountain peaks, valley moraines and big animals, all seemed to be impossible to top. But, around every corner and over every rise, there was a new and more wonderful feature or inhabitant of this park.

I had an epiphany or revaluation, that transfixed me for some unknown time. The earth slowed down as I watched a surreal mountain blue bird sitting on a branch superimposed on the backdrop of the ultra-white Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces in north Yellowstone Park. I can not describe the blue color of the bird, except to say that it looked as if you held the bird upside-down by it's feet and shook it, that bright blue powder would fall everywhere. As if you were sprinkling fine blue baby powder, or that an excessive amount ladies' blue eye shadow had been applied by an unsupervised child. (Disclaimer: Do NOT attempt this at home, unless if you are a professional blue bird handler. (Ha!)),

Paul McCartney wrote a song about a "Bluebird" and some of the lyrics are as follows: "... Touch your lips with a magic kiss and you'll be a bluebird too and you'll know what love can do. Fly away through the midnight air, as we head across the sea and last we will be free... Bluebird, ah ha, Bluebird, ah, ha...". Not one of my favorite songs, but the title fits my theme. (Ha!)

We looked for and saw some animals in the park, but the easiest to photograph was the ubiquitous ground squirrel, shown here posing for us. He made a stink when we did not offer him "scale" (wages), so we tossed him some scraps before he called his agent.

My favorite large animal is the moose, but the harder we tried to find one the more invisible they became. As we returned to our cabin at Lake Yellowstone back in 1993 we were slowed by a mob of people walking and blocking the road. I waited patiently (though my wife might disagree) for the crowd to clear when a larger than life moose came right past the car. Sitting in the car as it ambled along very near to my vehicle I found that I was looking at his/her (?) under belly. This majestic creature was very, very large. I watched it with some fear, but mostly in awe and wonder, as the question came to me, where is my "darn" camera??? I had put it in the case because we were finished sight-seeing and now searching for food. By the time I got the camera out and was able to squeeze at shot, the moose had moved on and was quite far away. The photo below is with a telephoto lens and does no justice to the enormous size of the moose.

My next and last (to date) moose sighting was a year or so after I had retired and went west, fishing with a friend. I was again in Yellowstone searching for a place to fly fish. I am not the worlds best fisherman, fly or any other kind, but I enjoy the outdoors and fishing is as good an excuse to visit Mother Nature.

I had found a very nice, large and abandoned pond (small lake?). I put on my considerable equipment and walked carefully towards the lake. As I approached the shore, I saw some ripples on it's otherwise mirrored surface. I decided that I would make my first cast to that spot, quite sure there was a nice trout just below the surface. I had seen some caddis flies circling me on my way down. Luckily I had already tied a home-made elk hair caddis on to my line. They are my favorite and relatively easy to tie and I can watch the fly as it floats on the surface, it is a big help knowing were to look for your lure.

As I spooled some line out to begin my back cast, there was a great disturbance in the water. At first I thought I might be gas being vented from the unstable earth below, but all doubt left when the biggest pair of antlers I had ever seen emerged from the lake. A head of a moose was attached to that rack, and that connected to the neck, etc. As the moose rose to shoulder height out of the water it gazed at me with no concern. He must have had his fill and exited the opposite side of the lake. Now, I could get a better guess at the enormous girth, length and height size. It seemed as big as an elephant, though I know it was not. I was dwarfed by the creature. It is an experience that will stay with me forever and I am grateful to have witnessed God's great glory.

Before that day, I did not know upon what the moose feed, but I got a crash course their favorite meal. It seems that the vegetation growing under the surface of lakes is considered a delicacy by them. I found out later that it is not uncommon to find a moose partially of completely submerged for long periods of time while grazing on this tasty (?) flora.

Somewhere in our journeys in Yellowstone we came upon an elk cow that did not seem to be particularly impressed with our invasion of her home. The cow gave us a gesture that I will not put in words, but I think you can decipher it from her body posture. Elk or no elk I hope that you all experience that great national treasure.

Tai Chi

Dena and I went to a Tai Chi class last night. I had it in my mind that the style shown in the video was what we would be learning, but it was very different. Apparently there are many variation of this "sport?" I would like to improve my balance and thought Tai Chi might help. If you can understand any of the words, let me know what they are saying.

"VIVACIOUS"

"I went to the mountain because..."

I started a blog when I was in Colorado and it went pretty well until I tried to do some of the tricky stuff. I asked Erica for some help, because she is sweet and has a very nice blog (and a small amount of time to spare for this silly old Pirate).

Erica "showed me the way" to set up the sight and make it more appealing to the eye. There were so many new things to learn about this subject that my poor brain started to go to overload. She adjusted her speed down to a slow crawl to accommodate me. I hope you like the ideas Erica has suggested for this site. If not, too bad, cause I like 'em. We made a lot of progress with my blog, "the work is good if you can get it"

Debbie & Steve and Sandy & Larry provided the genetics to form this family nucleus of the three sisters and their "baby" brother. Steve and Sandy have done a wonderful job blending the family and raising these delightful children into adulthood. Amy, being Dena's God-Child, got (and still gets) a lot of attention from us. Dena was at lunch with Amy as Erica & I blogged and had our lunch. Mat, (Dena's "fairy" (no not gay) God Child) not to be outdone, then or now, makes sure he is in the picture (thank God for our Mat), but Erica and Krista got overshadowed a little. This was a huge mistake, because they both have so much to offer. They are both such beautiful (inside & out) girls (women).

Krista (a bright penny by her herself) called today while we were hard (right) at blogging, telling Erica of some very good values she had come across. Erica declined, but I think I'm going to hire Krista as my "personal shopper/outfitter", (when I find some extra cash). I wonder how much she knows about fly fishing equipment??? I would love to spend some one-on-one time (scary for her!!!) with Krista to get a fuller picture, get to know and appreciate her better.

Erica is full of live (& light), "vivacious". I believe the "light" is the Holy Spirit resides in & is glowing within her soul. She is a good, sweet, intelligent, outgoing, radiant, strong (although she looks a little fragile), loving Christian woman. (Did I mention beautiful???, silly me). I told Erica that Jeff is a very lucky man to share a life with her and she responded that she is "lucky to have his love and share a life with him". I wished them both a charmed life. A life of happiness, warmth, friendship, sacrifice and true love, a marriage that I have found with my wonderful Dena for the last 25 years. (Let me hear you say "Amen".)

I told her about our ritual of watching "Picnic" every Labor Day and of the part where Mrs. Potts says how wonderful it has been to watch the children next door grow and become ladies. I have come to appreciate that sentiment/understanding. I love to watch my girls, grandchildren, family, friends, neighbors and other's happy families growing and evolving into beautiful children of God.

Erica has a kind ear for this talkative old soul and is a gracious as if I had been royalty. We went to a her favorite Asian restaurant. "Wang Gang" http://www.wanggangasian.com/ (I could not get it to make a link, sorry) and had a great meal and pleasant conversation with the owner. We had to hurry home to get the kids from pre-school, as the time just flew by. All in all it was a very pleasant and informative day (for me) and can not thank Erica enough for sparing me the time.

Fort Zumwalt North-Middle (6/7) Jr Panthers.

Green and gold are the colors to watch this year.

Yesterday they played Francis Howell at the New Mell Community Club. It was a nice facility for a small town. Everyone was friendly and the field was filled all day with the "grid iron greats" from far and wide. Though the Panthers lost 13 to 18, it was not without a lot of hard work and sweat on our team's part. There was a lot of action between the goal posts and it made for a very exciting day.

I can not take credit for all these photos. some of the best ones were shot by my able assistant and Jordan's sister, Ashley (11). She has a good eye and a steady hand. She is an excellent student, and a beautiful girl. She is starting to pay basketball. Jimbo my have to get her under contract too. We are waiting for a schedule to find the first game.

Tara and the family came to root for Jordan. The younger children were dressed, combed, groomed, and behaved beautifully. I credit Tara for the great job she (and Leroy) have done with my grandchildren. Keep up the good work.

Towards the end of the game I shot a quick video of Jordan. He looks and is tired, but he still has smile for his Gramps'. His t-shirt was dripping wet, though the temperature was mild. The coach played him most of the game. He initially played offense, but later he played both and did not come off the field much.

Down for the count.

Jordan got the wind knocked out of him. The photo shows him on the ground. He was up with a sore back and a bused spirit, but got back in the game in a short time. As much as I enjoy watching my grandchildren play their sports, I am always conscious of the possibilities of injuries. All I can do is pray and encourage them to be aware of their surroundings.

If you have ever really had all (and I mean all) the air knocked out of you, your lungs will partially collapse. You will not be able to suck in enough air to make the lungs work. The chest and lung muscles, need the lungs inflated to be able to cycle the breath. Gasping for what seems like an eternity and nothing is happening, is very scary.

Jordan carries the ball.

To the right is an image of my grandson carrying the football. He did not make a touchdown, but he gained some critical yards. Another step and he would have been on his way.

A good tackle.

Jordan was not the key player this day, but he made several important plays. The photo to the left shows him holding is prey after a nice tackle. Jordan is not overly big for his age and not as aggressive as some, but at twelve, I don't expect a "Butkus".

I like his even demeanor and easy smile. He is a good boy on his way to manhood. I do not want him to rush forward too fast. "Being old" can wait.

Jimbo and the pirate go to New Melle, MO, 09/19/09

The long awaited (by me, as I missed the first several) game was played yesterday. In attendance was Jordan's (family) agent/manager "Dr. Boombie" doing the play-by play from the end zone. He has not put a percentage on the table, yet, but I think we can get him at a reasonable (family) price.

Jim and I had driven from Granite earlier that day, a distance of about sixty miles west. The trip, as always, was pleasant and comfortable. A couple of old friends sharing a laugh and a listen. Jimbo has become part of my family through my daughters and grandchildren. They have all adopted him everyone makes a fuss over him. If he is not there to see a game, they want to know why.

We were famished by the time we got to New Melle and did not expect to find much in the way of fast food. We were pleasantly surprised by the Bavarian Smokehouse & Deli. We both had a turkey on a big crescent roll, with lettuce, tomato and onions. The meat was an inch thick and the veggies' were very fresh. It took a while to finish the sandwich, but it was pleasant work. I do not usually elaborate this much on food (well, maybe desert), but my precious Dena is the only one to make a better deli delight. You almost never get anything this good, "Out".

The photo is of Jim, his sister (teacher & principle) Margie and actress and retired Ram's cheerleader, Amy. The girls are too cute.

On his way to the goal, again.

Our boy is on the run in this photo. He is leading the first grade defender and then turned the effort into a goal. I can't wait until he is six, grows a couple of inches and puts on several pounds (of muscle). :)

He runs, he shoots, he scores.

This may be a little shaky and not centered, but I was kind of excited during the filming of this video, "Nolan shoots, Nolan scores". I'm sure it will be on the tube soon, so let them all know that you saw it here first.

Move over Pele'.

The "voice-over" for ("...and he scores...") at the end of the video is not one of those over paid actors. You can hire him for your next video at a reasonable price. Just call me, I'm his agent.

Nolan's soccer fans.

Nolan seem to be acquiring a large following for his soccer career. Last night Grandma and Grandpa came up from Granite city to see our boy. John, Sara & Nora Elizabeth graced the green to see Nolan from goal post to goal post. Always on hand is mother, "Mom" and sister, "RyRy". Dad was working late at the Post Office and was crushed to miss his son's goal. Darren is Nolan's Dad & coach (off field), spending hours uncounted, working with Nolan to hone his skills to razor sharp.

Absent from the sidelines was Nolan's agent & manager, "Boombie". Jim is my best friend and could not make it to the game last night. He plans to visit Nolan as soon as he can, as Boombie wants to assure his hold on Nolan's managerial contract. Jim has promised not to charge more than 5% (family rate), but since Nolan is an amateur, not much in the way of commissions has found it's way to the manager's pockets. Nolan has offered to share his soft drink with his agent, but not the candy.

Jimbo sees a very young "Tiger" in the making (as do we all) and plans to market him, making most of the money in future advertising endorsement contracts. (F.A.E.C. for short).

(Let me hear you say "Nike".)

Rylan is always ready to cheer on her brother, on the side lines. Here she is below doing summersaults to encourage him and his team.

Rylan and Nora have become almost as good friends as there moms.

The defender.

Nolan had his hands full with a very skillful opponent, last Thursday night, 09/17/09. She had stripped & robbed the ball several times. She was fast, at least a head taller than him and considerably heavier.

You would not think that he was a match for her, but he was able to evade her advances. (See these two photos.) He cleanly dribbled past her with some fancy footwork and left her in the dust as he pushed toward the opponents goal.

Nolan's soccer game 09/17/09.

Dena and I had a great time in Chatham last night at our grandson, Nolan's soccer game. The trip up was pleasant having a nice conversation with my bride. No distractions.

We got to the field to find Tracy and Rylan on the side lines waiting for Nolan's team to arrive. I tried my hand at some fancy foot work, but it lost something in the translation. Nolan however showed me "no mercy".

I've seen better moves at a demolition derby. Grandpa is very, very rusty, like the "Tin Man" after the rain. Grandpa paid dearly the next day.

Nolan moved like the wind with wings on his heals. He dribbled the ball down field or stopped an advance, no matter how big the adversary. He is in Kindergarten, playing against all 1st graders. That may seem like a small thing until you see the comparative size of the other team. Many of them towered over him especially the girls. (He is a little shy (and fearful) of the "fairer sex", as well he should be. Wait until he gets older!))

He had a wreck with one of the "big girls" and came limping to the sidelines to be consoled by his mother. Tracy encouraged him to go back in immediately. He sat out several minuets, but summoned his courage and went to the field again. His team has only six members, just enough to field a complete team, but no substitutes.

His team "Green" won by a large margin, but who is counting. (Ha!) His proud grandpa that's who. He is a sweet boy and is grounded well by his wonderful loving parents. With his God given and parental encouraged talents, he should go far in soccer & all athletic endeavors. I pray that he will gives his attention to and enjoys school as well, I would like to see him become a well rounded scholar, athlete and gentleman.

LOve, Grandpa Pirate.

Warrant Officer Harry Otto Pierce goes to Vietnam.

Uncle Harry (above, date unknown) was in and out of the US Armed as the country needed his services. His last battles were in Vietnam he served two assignments "in country", 1964-65 and again in 1968-69. He flew and trained others on many fixed wing, propeller driven planes and a any kind of helicopters. He flew and trained other to fly the Bell UH-1H, "Huey", in production from 1956 to the present was a work horse of that jungle warfare. It is seen in many Vietnam era news clip and movies. Harry Pierce was assigned to the 1st Aviation Company, located in Vung Tau, Vietnam, during the war.

His last enlistment the Army offered him the rank of Chief Warrant Officer (CW3), the most senior of Army and Air Force warrant officers. He had had the title and rank of Captain when he resigned during "peace" to go back into civilian life, but upon return to active duty for Vietnam, there were too many Captains in that MOS (Military Occupation Specialty Codes) and unit so he was awarded the CW3, a rank which served him well. Since he was the most highly trained and most senior (time in grade) officer, he was immune to most of the drudgery in the service (marching in parades, CQ "Charge of quarters", etc) and left free to fly, instruct and enjoy himself as much as one can in war. That rank, during Vietnam, was highly respected because many CW3's were mature/seasoned. The older CW3's had served in other conflicts. Lieutenants and Captains did not often challenge this rank as they almost never had first hand combat history. Enlisted men & non-commissioned officers were required to salute him, an honor usually only reserved for commissioned officers. Many high ranking officers and most junior officers saluted him. I was told the the rank/duty (CW3) came from Civil War times and that it was a civilian/military rank, leaving the line vague between the two.

Harry Pierce saw combat in every theater during WWII and in Vietnam. He was awarded many medals, but is most proud of his pilots' "Flight Wings" and Defense Ribbons for "America', "Europe-Africa", Asia-Pacific" and Vietnam. He was also awarded the "Air Medal" early in his flight career. This medal is awarded to a person while serving in the United States Armed Forces, "who shall have distinguished himself by meritorious achievement in aerial flight". He was awarded the "Air Medal" twelve (12) times during his career fighting for the United States of America.

My uncle retired from military service in 1970 and now at 86 he has spent much time in blissful retirement and has out-lived most of his original WWII and many Korean era veterans & buddies. He boosts of a good constitution, diet and exercise. I hope he lives to be a healthy hundred. He is a hero to me.

Fort Huachuca, Arizona. (gazoontight!!!!!)

Captain Pierce became the Air Base Commander of the 416 Aviation Unit at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. According to my uncle the town around the base had no name. They called it "Sierra Vista" and the name stuck. He was now flying the de Havilland, L-20, "Beaver" (bottom above). It was developed in 1947 as a rugged, highly-versatile aerial truck which could take off and land almost anywhere, carry large load and be very reliable.

Later while at Fort Huachuca he learned to fly and later taught other students to fly the deHavilland, C-7A, "Caribou". The "Caribou" could carry 39 people or 2 vehicles and a crew of three. (Top photo.) It was a work horse used in Viet Nam, capable of carrying 33,00 pounds. The "Caribou" resembled the Air Force Lockheed, C-130 "Hercules", but smaller. Uncle Harry having flight seniority, regardless of rank in the cockpit, was always the pilot in charge. It could carry a jeep, arms and troops.

Harry Otto Pierce goes to the sky. Part two

Uncle Harry was again returned to San Marcos, AFB, Texas. This time he was destined to become a helicopter pilot. He was trained and later became an instructor in the Bell H-13 "Sioux" helicopter. (shown at the right). This was the same helicopter that was flown in the Korean War. You will see this bird flown in the old TV series "M.A.S.H." It had a litters attached outside to fly the critically wounded to an advanced hospital.

Harry was again sent to Fort Sill, OK to learn advanced navigation and forward field artillery direction.

Next stop Europe.... Harry was sent to post WWII Germany where the US and Allies had a strong presence to both rebuild Germany and insure that the Nazis' would not rear their ugly head again. Arriving In Bremerhaven, Germany, by troop transport, Harry took the train to Stuttgart, Germany and was stationed at the Air Force Base there for three years. Uncle had fond memories of his time in Germany. He would fly down the Rhine River to Koblenz where the Rhine and Moselle rivers came together. He flew past castles and vineyards. The wine from the region is reported by some to be the very best in the world. I personally prefer California and Australian wines.

Harry Otto Pierce goes to the sky.

After a six year hitch in the Navy during WWII, where he was a radio Operator 1st class (1940-1945). At the age of 17 he made E-4 before many sailors in that era. After the "A" bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, he was discharged along with many thousand of other Army, Navy & Marines.

He reenlisted May of 1951 during the Korean War. He was sent to San Marcos, AFB, Texas where he started his flight training. They put him in a canvas covered, 60 hp, Aeronca, L-16, Grasshopper. The plane had a maximum speed of 80 mph, just enough to keep it in the air. He made his solo flight in the L-16 after many, many hours in the air with an instructor. Harry was to learn he bulk of his Army Aviation skills seated in this fragile plane. He learned to fly, directed by beacons and land marks.

Fort Sill, OK was the next in a long line of assignments for Uncle Harry. He learned advanced navigation and technical armament directioning.

Blake in "The Box".

ALL ALONE IN THE.....

Blake's tournament came to a 2 minuet halt, for him, when the ref called a penalty on him (#22, see the score board) you can make out Blake sitting next to the yellow and red "Dobbs" sign. I was told it was a good call and that the referees are very careful of the boys in the fast and dangerous sport. I think it is great to keep the boys in check and safe. It great to win, but much better to learn to play honestly and not cheat yourself out of an honorable victory.

BLAKE OUT OF THE GATE, A SHORT CLIP.

"And their off".... This is a short-ish video of Blake going onto the ice during his regular rotation. The kids normally play short periods of time on the ice (40 to 60 seconds) to keep them fresh and shorten their recovery time. I was told that the game is just one long sprint. I agree.

BLAKE'S 2009 LABOR DAY HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

BLAKE TAKMAJIAN'S 2009 LABOR DAY TOURNAMENT, 98 AAA ST LOUIS BLUES.

We were invited to watch Dena's nephew's son, Blake, play in this weekend's tournament at the Hardee's Iceplex in Chesterfiled, Mo. They played a number of invited top teams across the US who were eleven years old. This AAA hockey is purported to be the highest level of play for kids born in 1998. The round robin (?) event was won by Blake "single handedly" (just kidding, but he played very well). Other notables were Braeden (?) Tkachuk, son of their coach Keith Tkachuk who's day job is an NHL St Louis Blues player. I do not know any of the other player, but they were great, too. Since I do not follow many sports (I know, that it is a sin not to), I'm not sure of much about all this, but I was sure proud of Blake and his effort on the ice.

I was told that after he tried-out and was accepted by the club last year, the team traveled far and wide to become the North American AAA title holder for that age bracket. Pretty darn impressive.

The clip above is of Blake's team receiving the awards, after winning the tournament. The last game (which we saw today) was won by a margin of 5 to 2 playing against a very good Chicago team. If you listen closely you will hear the name Takmajian by butchered (as usual). It took me a long time to get the name, and especially the spelling, correct. The photo to the top right is Ray and his son, Blake Takmajian. My hat is off to Gina, Blake's mom and Ray for taking him around the country and paying a small ransom ice time and sporting goods, to give their talented son the opportunity to play at this level.

Through all this Blake is a polite, modest, courteous, happy, funny and sweet boy. Dena and I are proud to be his aunt and uncle. We salute his parents for doing such a good job. I pray the Blake stays the course and becomes the man we all expect of him.

I may never go to a professional hockey game, but I will gladly go to see more games like these. The excitement generated by the players and the fans could light up a portion of a small city.

LABOR DAY.

I had been looking forward to this gathering since Frisco. We had a great time in the mountains, but it was time to go home and see our friends.

Carrie and Mark provided a very excellent adventure today. We had great food and plenty of great friends old and new. The Faulkner and Svezia girls represented their respective families well. The little ones were angels. Ava, Kim & Kathy F. and Madelyn, Amber & "Crash" (see photo). (Ella Fanning was hiding out in the basement at the time of the photo.) It was nice to see and hear the girls running, laughing and screaming in the back yard followed by a very scary T-Rex (Scotty).

The Duncan's house and sun room are an excellent place to party. Mark brought out some specialty "micro-brew beer. There were margaritas, wine, Bloody-Mary's and beer. The deserts were very, very tasty.

We met the neighbors, who were very nice and funny. The neighborhood had a block party the night before and by all accounts, (including someone dancing on tables in skimpy t-shirts, reportedly the guy next door???) it was a success.

All the ladies brought wonderful food (I was starved only having breakfast). If I could eat like the old days I would still be at the table. I had some or the deserts when home and it too was delicious.

I want to thank Mark and Carrie for all their hard work and pray we get invited again, soon. Maybe they could fix us a room and a bed (King size, a big flat screen TV and maid service would be nice), so we don't have to go home at all. If they adopt us we will let them declare us as deductions. (Terry and Dena Duncan has a nice ring to it.) Ha!

We had a great time in Frisco, Co, but we are back to Earth here in Granite. The trip back was nice and cool for the dogs in the back of the truck... (Thank God) The truck was filled to the brim with more stuff than we need, but the bargains were too great to pass up. I hope that we get to see all of you, as we have certainly missed you all.

I hope this video works. It is my first attempt. This blogging thing is like my first erector set first out of the box. A lot of miss shaped artifacts. You should have seen the "Robot". My granddaughter Rylan could have done a better job. I hope I get better at this bloging stuff.

As we walked through Breckenridge today we came upon a stairway that lead to a roof patio???? It looked to me as the "Stairway to Heaven" What do you think??? Maybe you had to be there.

The Butterhorn Bakery in Frisco has the best breakfast and lunch. The service is great and the portions are large. We have eaten there several times and would go there again. The Blue Spruce Inn has ,on Fridays, good entertainment and great fish & chips.

The Boathouse has a very good menu and the sweet owner gave us very helpful information about places of interest. Her husband has quit the day to day world of the restaurant and in found repairing antique CrisCraft wooden boats

The Arapaho Cafe in Dillon also has great food and a great view.

We Went to Georgetown and had a wonderful pizza. We ate twice on a small.

We are not going to get on the scale until Christmas!!!!!!

"High" from Frisco,Colorado. We are getting ready to come home but we leave with many great memories. Though we have no snow , Dena has become a very good downhill racer. (See photo.) She has won many race (as no one else shows up.) She went ot yoga today and a girl named Bridgett lead the class and worked her as hard as her name sake Dr Brasfield.

The dogs have enjoyed the nature preserve and have chased many Magpies.