Sunday, March 29, 2009

I had to kill two rats yesterday, and today I had to kill three chickens.  I didn't like it one bit.  This wasn't in Durango, in case you're wondering . . . it's in Runescape, a game the kids turned me onto when I worked at the school in Maine.  They had me convinced that it was educational, because you have to cook your food, and mine ore and then fashion it into implements you can use.  Now, that I've actually played the game, I see all that is true.  But, what happened with the kids is that they did a whole lot more fighting and killing than cooking and mining!  So, I eventually had to ban the game.  Now I find myself hooked.  I've only done the tutorial, not really played yet, so I don't know yet if I can get away with not killing anyone or anything.  Time will tell.  But, it is definitely a cool game.  I think the first quest I try will be "Cook's Helper."  That doesn't sound like there should be killing involved!  I'll let you know.

Yesterday, Thad brought his dog, Diesel, over.  Diesel is a big lovable hunk of Pit Bull.  He has the most spectacular charcoal gray color.  I love hugging him.  He gets along great with the two little daschunds, but Thad says he's not that kind to bigger dogs.  I guess he starts acting like a pit bull around bigger dogs.  Too bad . . . that's kind of dangerous.  He's not smiling in this picture because he doesn't like having his picture taken.  He's shy.

Friday, Marcy 27, 2009

Last week was "dark" for square dancing, so this is the first time I've danced in two weeks.  The first dance was HORRIBLE!  I didn't recognize hardly ANY of the calls!  I thought I was going nuts and had forgotten everything!  Turns out, the caller hadn't yet gotten out his list of stuff the newbies have learned, and he was winging it.  Phew!  I thought I was a goner for sure!  Even after he found his list, there were still some tough calls.  But, by the end of the evening I was having a blast again!

I was talking to Louis and his wife Judy and telling them that I might rent a new place in Mancos.  Louis asked where I was from.  When I said Maine, he said, "Do you know how I knew you weren't from here?"  Turns out that I pronounced Mancos "Manc-oos" (long O) and its real pronunciation is "Manc-us".  Just like Bangor/Banger!  So I told him about that.  And I will from this point forward try to pronounce it correctly!  Especially if I move there!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Durango, Colorado

On the senior walk this morning, I found out about swing dancing lessons at the rec center.  So, Wednesday evening, I'm off to the rec center.  I went early though, because they have a climbing wall!  I LOVE climbing walls!  This one was different, though.  The one that I'm used to . . . the one I learned on . . . there is a person doing the "belaying."  A person holds onto the other end of the rope that you're attached to.  So, if you slip off the wall while you're climbing, the person takes up the slack so you don't fall down.  And when you get to the top, the person slowly lowers you down by adjusting the rope.

This climbing wall had an automated belayer.  No person to hold the rope!  In one way it is good . . . because if the person isn't paying attention to you, it's kind of scary.  This way, the automated belayer is always paying attention!  On the other hand . . . you're trusting yourself to . . . a machine.  So, I get hooked up and climb up the wall to the top, and when I get there, um, I don't really want to let go.  I start climbing back down the wall . . . I get about six inches when I realize how stupid it is.  So, I slightly lean back and let go, and the automated belayer lowers me slowly to the ground.  My heart was really beating hard when I got there, though!

I climbed up and lowered down a couple more times.  Each time was easier, but still, there was that moment of . . . will it hold me?  It was awesome, though, and I will definitely go back!

Oh, yeah, dancing was kinda fun . . . but climbing the wall was awesome!

This morning while on the walk, Rosemary told me about a guy that she had met who was single.  My first question was, "Is he cute?"  It struck me so funny, and took me back to being sixteen years old.  That is definitely not the first question I would ask if I was thinking.  It would be . . . is he funny, is he happy, is he brilliant, is he fit . . . or something like that.  There aren't too many men my age that are cute!  They can be distinguished or handsome or attractive, but not cute!  I thought it was funny, though, that "cute" was the first thing out of my mouth!

One more thing of note . . . on my way to town this morning, and again this evening, I saw a small herd of elk in a fenced cattle area.  They are pretty cool.  I love seeing them.  

More Moab pics

Moab, Utah

Cortez, Colorado

Durango, Colorado

On Sunday, the group was going to go on yet another hike!  But, Rosemary and I didn't know that and we were pretty done, anyway, so we left Sunday morning.  

It was crowded in Moab because of spring break, so we ended up having breakfast at a coffee place.  We both had a really delicious breakfast burrito.  Then we hit the road.  

It was a leisurely drive back, and we stopped in Cortez for a wonderful Dairy Queen chocolate malt!  It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend!  What an awesome time I had!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Moab, Utah

I couldn't fall asleep last night for a long time . . . first time camping in so long and all.  I was a little nervous, I guess.  I thought I heard something outside the tent - - nothing big - - just something . . . unknown.  This morning I thought I found some fresh deer tracks nearby.

We had breakfast and hot chocolate, and then car pooled to the hiking area with Ted and Marcia.  Today we went to the Devil's Garden area of Arches National Park.  First we start out on a well worn path, with a lot of up and down hills on it.  I'm huffing and puffing at the top of each of the hills.  What gave me some satisfaction, though, is that I'm walking this stretch with Ted, who is super fit, and he is also huffing and puffing.  Although when I mention it to him later, he looks like he doesn't agree!

Although the hike is much easier than yesterday's, it does have its moments.  There are several places where it feels like we're going to fall off the side of a rock.  Bill says to trust your boots.  That advice helped me, but I was still scared on those spots!  At another place dubbed Walter's Rock because Walter had problems with it at some point in the past, we had to climb up using a rope.  When Walter had the problems, there was no rope!  Some of the more experienced of this group didn't use the rope, either.  I did, and I was glad to do so!

There was another spot where we had to walk across a "fin."  But, we were told in advance that it was wide and not scary.  Well, it wouldn't have been if it hadn't been for the strong wind gusts that made it feel like it was going to blow me over.  There was another fin earlier on, and every time the wind blew, I had to kneel down.  So, when we got to the main fin, I started out hesitantly.  Bill came to my rescue, and basically balanced me the whole way . . . and the wind did give me a couple shoves here and there.

Later in the day, we finally came to a sign that said, "Parking Lot, 1.1 mile."  Hallelujah!  But, just down the path was an option to go to two other arches, and surprisingly, I went!  I couldn't believe myself.  I guess I'm in better shape than I thought!  One was Navajo Arch, and the other was Partition Arch (pic above), which was really cool.  Then back to the crossroads, where we met up with everyone else, and we headed toward the parking lot.

Somewhere either right before this or right after (I can't remember!), we passed Wall Arch which was cool, because it had fallen down!  We still had to walk those infernal hills toward the end of the path.  After a long day's hike, they just about killed me!  But, we all made it safely back to the parking lot.  I went about 6.2 miles.  Some of the group went 7.2 miles, but I had earlier skipped Dark Angel.  It looked too far and not cool enough to go the extra mile for.

Back at the camping area, we sat around the fire, and relaxed after a hard day's hike!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Moab, Utah

I was wrong about the last time I went camping.  Dale and I ended up going to the college we looked at, and during spring break we went with some college friends to . . . Canyonlands in . . . Moab, Utah!  Isn't that an incredible irony?!  The last time I went camping was in Moab, Utah and forty years later, the first time I go camping is in Moab, Utah!  Awesome coincidence!

We pulled off the main highway onto a dirt road that got more and more 4-wheelish as we went.  Luckily, Rosemary's car had 4 wheel drive!  We drove quite awhile before coming to the very remote campsite in the Klondike Bluffs area of the park.  No facilities.  The most we had was a shared firepit.

Rosemary and I started putting up the tent.  Her husband had given her a five minute lesson on how to set it up.  As we struggled, Eric came over to help.  Luckily!  With Eric's help, we got the tent set up in no time.  Then, we all ate lunch and started off on the first day's hike.

It was a hot day, and when we got to an area of deep sand, I knew I was in trouble.  Slogging through that deep sand makes it that much more difficult.  I tried to stay near the front of the group (I think there were twelve of us), because I knew I'd be at the very end of the pack coming back, and I didn't want to seem like a total wimp!

At some point during the first portion of the hike, I am about fourth in line. The leader and the first two people climb over this steep, scary spot . . . too scary for me.  So, I find a way around the scary spot and end up crawling through this hole in a rock, but come out past the steep, scary spot.  I thought I'd be the only one wimping out like that . . . but everybody else followed me!  How cool is that!?

After what seemed like a long walk, we come to the bottom of a large outcropping that we have to climb.  I had to rest numerous times, but only a couple people pass me.  I'm not the only one who's tired!  Somehow I manage to stumble to the top, and thankfully, we have a rest and snack stop there.  My face was so red at this point, that one woman thought I was getting heat stroke.  My sweat was drying, and the wind was blowing a little up on top there, and when I told her I was chilled, she really thought that.  I don't know why my face gets that red, but I assured her that I was fine.  I wasn't really sure that I was fine, but after I assured her, both of us felt better!

I can't remember the order of things, but I think next we came to Tower Arch.  It was cool.  Then on our way back, we have to go through "Chap's crack" . . . a crack between two vertical sheets of rock.  We all made it through fine, with no casualties!  After we finished going through there, we realized what an memorable experience it was!!

We finally got back to camp, none the worse for wear.  And to end the day, here is a funny, but embarrassing story.  There were no "facilities" at this camping area, so before bedtime, I ventured out away from the camp to use the open air bathroom.  I had my trusty no-battery (to prepare for the poleshift) flashlight with me.  This flashlight is cool because it also has a compass, a radio, and an alarm on it.  The way that it gets power is by winding it up.  I turned off the flashlight when I got where I was going, so as not to draw attention to myself and my business out there.   Unfortunately, when I went to turn it back on, I accidentally hit the alarm button.  Since I've never had any use for the alarm before, I didn't know where the button was to turn it off!  It quickly used up all the available "juice" the flashlight had.  But, everytime I wound it up to get light, the alarm would start going again!  I had to wind it to get a second of light so I wouldn't trip on a bush or anything, and then take several steps in the dark.  It took me awhile to get back to the tent that way!

When I got back to the tent, I shut off the alarm by the light of the lantern in the tent, and I proceeded to wind it up.  When you wind it, it makes kind of a loud whiny sound.  Rosemary looks at me and says, "You're not going to be doing that in the middle of the night, are you?"  Point taken!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Durango

Today on our Wednesday hike with Seniors Outdoors, Rosemary and I planned for our camping trip this weekend to Arches National Park!!  Yes!  I am going camping for the first time in about forty, count 'em, FORTY years!  

The last time I went camping was when Dale Two Eagles and I had driven up to Glenwood Springs to check out a college we wanted to go to.  We went to a movie which didn't get out until after dark.  So, we drove part way up to the college and pulled over onto the side of the road onto a flat area.  We pitched our tent in the dark.  And when we woke up the next morning, we were covered with ANTS!  We had pitched the tent on an anthill!  And this was one of those old fashioned tents that had no bottom to it, so we were right on the anthill!  No fun!  Hopefully, I'll have more luck in Utah!

More pics of McElmo Canyon

The first pic and the last pic are from Cannonball Ruin.  And the middle one is from Sand Canyon.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

McElmo Canyon

Utah and Colorado

Today was my first outing with the Archeology Club that I just joined.  While I waited for everyone to get organized, a woman named Pattie started talking to me.  When the group leader asked who needed a ride and I raised my hand, Pattie offered to let me ride with them.  So, I went there with Pattie, her husband, Ray, and a physician's assistant-in-training, Melissa.  Off we went.  It had snowed the day before, and from Durango to Mancos was a beautiful white, winter wonderland, with snow and frost making everything wonderfully scenic.  The place we were headed was out past Cortez, about an hour and a half from Durango.

First we stopped at a grocery store in Cortez to use the restroom (last one on the trip), and to buy some donuts.  Yes, I ate one.  I had to.  Peer pressure, ya know?

As we drive toward our final destination, I am amazed at what I see.  It is like a mini Largo Canyon.  It is not as beautiful as Largo, but it was a close second.  It all looked so "familiar!"  I loved the area . . . lots of horses, canyons, cattle . . . my kind of place.

Our first official archeology stop was at a place called Ismay Trading Post.  The guy that owned it, Robert, had the key to the gate for what we were about to see.  It's his land.  He's a quiet guy of few words, and his trading post matched.  There were a variety of items, a few cans of beans, a few cans of soup, a few mousetraps, some soft drinks and bottled water, some hand made Indian Jewelry, and a beautiful Navajo rug.  Not much else!

We drove off on a close by road and stopped on the dirt road.  We climbed up toward a large rock, and there on the face of it were some cool petroglyphs.  There were lines carved in, also.  I haven't seen them before.  They have some kind of meaning, but we don't know what.  Then, I climbed up quite a ways to see the ruins of a pueblito.  There wasn't much of it left.   After showing us some of the pottery shards in the area, we got back in our cars and moved on to the next spot.

This was deep into private land.  We had to go through a locked gate (with a key!)  Then we got out and walked around another rock with cool petroglyphs on it, including one of a pregnant woman!  Very cool.  If you want to see that, let me know and I'll email you a bigger copy.  If I put it on this blog, it would be too small to see.

Then, back in our cars again, out through the gate, and on to the next spot.  After parking, we climbed up a hillside, sat on rocks, and ate our lunch while a couple of the archeology/geology guru's told us interesting stuff.  Then we walked on over to the ruins.  I found a piece of pottery . . . took a picture of it . . . and left it so other people could see how cool it was.  It's illegal to collect pottery shards on public lands, and I signed an agreement when I joined the club that I wouldn't do that . . . even on private land.

After this, Ray wanted to take us to a place he had been last week when he went with the guys scoping out the trip.  He said that it was a cool ruin that wasn't all a pile of stones . . . which a lot of them are now.  He asked if I wanted to go, or if I wanted to go on with the group.  Yeah, I'll go!  Cannonball Ruin was very cool.  And he showed us where there water supply was, and that was beautiful, too.  It was a nice little detour.

Then, we went on to meet with the rest of the group at Sand Canyon, but they were just finishing the hike.  We did the hike ourselves, and it was pretty cool also.  After such a long day, I wasn't sure I could make this hike, because it was the longest walk so far, but I made it!  Besides the ruins in Sand Canyon, it's a very beautiful place with nice rock formations.

Pictures:  Ismay Trading Post; Petroglyphs - the things that look like upside down peace symbols in the middle are actually turkey tracks, a common petroglyph drawing; piece of pottery

Many days at the beginning of March

The first Sunday, I went to Bunco again at Linda's beautiful house.  I had a great time, and met some new people.  I lost, though!  Bummer!  I still had a great time, though!  

I went walking on both Wednesdays.  Rosemary is out of town, so the first Wednesday, I talked to Larry, and the second Wednesday, I talked to Sue . . . who I had met at Bunco.  Sue and I and Nancy, who we also walked with, all talked about going on the tougher hikes together, so we don't have to feel guilty about going slow!  I am one of the youngest of this group, and they are all so much more fit than I am.  It's downright embarrassing, is what it is!

I had a blast again last Friday with square dancing.  I'm learning some really advanced steps now, and I get called in a lot for the regular dancing.  I still need some pushing and pulling to get to the right places sometimes, but I'm doing a lot better.  And the people are all very understanding and supportive.

Oh, yeah.  Pam brought a new puppy home!  He looks just like Marley from the movie, and so he is named Marley!  This puppy is a sweety.  I could fall in love with this one, but I really want a border collie or a border collie mix, and he's a retriever.  But, oh what a little sweetheart he is.  He's been here a couple weeks already, and he's going back tomorrow.  But, Pam thinks she already found someone to adopt him, so he won't be at the humane society long.  This is one sweet pup!

The other picture is of a Hereford/Holstein cross steer.  He moved in down the street a few weeks ago.  I talk to him every day when I walk by.  He usually picks up his head.  Sometimes he even moos at me.  I stopped and talked to his owner a few days ago, and found out his name is Porkchop.  But, I decided that he likes Porky better, so that's what I've started to call him.  Before I knew his name, I was just calling him Bovine.  He didn't seem to mind.  He's a couple blocks away from my house, but sometimes when the wind is just right . . . or something . . . I can hear him mooing from home.

I had to switch my car insurance over from New Mexico to Colorado.  I didn't know what agent to choose since there are a lot in Durango, so I let the New Mexico place choose for me.  They chose just right!  I went in and talked to Holly.  Not only was she wonderful to work with, but as we talked, I found out that she was in Oregon when Rajneesh aka Osho (from the ashram) was there!  She even drew a picture of him when she was in high school, and she's going to try to find it for me!  This is another synchronicity, which I believe is the universe's way of saying that you're on the right track!

This past Thursday night, I went to my first meeting of the Archeology Club.  They had a great presentation of a guy who had worked at several national parks that had ancient ruins.  He had lots of cool pictures and stories to go with them.  It was nice.  While I was there, I signed up for another hike that's in about two months.

Friday night square dancing was a blast as usual.  I found out that when I officially graduate, I get my own name tag as my entrance into the club!  Cool!

Mesa Verde - - more pics

Pics:  Snowy walk to Far View sites; Far View; view leaving park.

Friday, February 27, 2009 Part 2

Mancos, Colorado

Mesa Verde Part 2

After I left the museum, I turned right onto Mesa Top Loop Drive.  There are pithouses and a few cliff dwellings on this road.  I stop at the first spot, and it is a pithouse inside a metal building.  There were others along the route, also.  One of the cool things that I saw was Oak Tree House.  That was pretty awesome.  There were some other overlooks that were cool, too.

When I completed the loop, I drove to Cedar Tree Tower.  It was similar to the tower in Largo Canyon, but not as nice.  It had another larger room attached.  After that, I drove to the Far View Sites that I remember from thirty years ago.  I had to walk quite a ways to get to them.  I thought there was another kiva that I could get into it, but it didn't work out that way.  It was mostly muddy and snowy, but still accessible . . . if you don't mind slogging through deep mud!

On the way driving out of the park, I took a picture of the amazing view.

Pictures:  Pithouse; pithouse building; Oak Tree House.