Strange summer.  Treats mixed with heartache.
We've had fifty-two days over one hundred  degrees. The old record set in 1936  was fifty.
I made four trips to Colorado.
My family lost three beloved people.

All the animals weathered the heat well. We went out each afternoon and sprayed all the animals with water.  Three of our animals spent the summer in Colorado for breeding. They brought cooler weather home with them.

-First trip to Colorado, was taking three animals to be bred.  Thought we wouldn't be back until August!? Sophia and Isis went to Sedalia,  and Ebony went to Colorado Springs.   Sophia and Isis are breeding for new blood in the U.S.  The sires are from Canada.  Ebony is bred for a rose-grey cria. 

-Second trip to Colorado, was taking 2/3 of my grandchildren on a camping trip.  We rode the Cograil train to the top of Pikes Peak, made camp flags, swam,  roasted marshmallows over a campfire, road the train through Royal Gorge, walked over Royal Gorge Bridge, broke three fishing rods, they went white water rafting, go-karts, looked at stars, painted  a picnic table and a souvenier hand print picture, told ghost stories, collected pressed pennies, toured Cave of the Winds and  Manitou Cliff Dwellings.  Due to burn ban - smores over a Coleman stove.  As years go by - I will remember this trip and sleep well.

-Third trip trip to Colorado was with 1/3 of my grandchildren. This trip was a luxury. We stayed in a hotel.
We swam in the pool every night. Toured a prison museum, ate at an Italian restaraunt, rode the Royal Gorge train, drove over Royal Gorge Bridge, saw white buffalo at Royal Gorge park, I went whitewater rafting, greasy burger restaurant, mexican restaurant. As years go by - I will remember this trip and sleep well.     

-Fourth trip to Colorado was a whirling zip of traffic and watching the gas gage.  Hubster and I were toodling across I-70 listening to Blue Collar comedy network on satellite radio and didn't hear the ping of low gas warnings coming from the Tahoe!  Hubster says "We're out of gas!"  Minutes later we were on the side of the interstate with 16 wheelers buzzing by at 75 miles an hour.  Checked the Magellan and called on the cell phone for help.  After a tense/quiet one hour,  we got gas at a cost of $187 for five dollars worth of gas  (we paid it gladly) !  Later we watched a car in the lane next to us  run a red light, swerve in the middle of the intersection in Colorado Springs  and barely miss a car turning left in front of us. God was watching this!

Hubster and I have been involved in pre 1840's re-enactments.  Our daughter married the son of our favorite
camping partners.  Her father-in-law passed away this summer, unexpectedly.  The grands and I were in a mountain man shop in Manitou Springs this summer.  I told Lucas that his grandfathers G.& S. would really like this shop.  Lucas says "Grandma,  you know that G. died!"   I said " Yeah, but he would still like this place".  I have a mission to tell my grandchildren about their Grandpa G. as often as I can.  He was a hardworking, honest, humorous, gentle man.  

Hubster's mother passed away this summer.  She missed her 91st birthday by 3 days. (See the post in December 2010). She and Hubsters father had been married 69 years!  Her loyalty and faith were an inspiration to all of us.

Aunt Reida passed away recently.  She was our red headed aunt.  She always said what was on her mind, within reason. Her daughter Kim is my favorite cousin.  I am so sorry for her loss.

Strange summer!

Colorado x4

Our first trip to Colorado this summer was actually in May.  Before the official beginning of summer.  We took Ebony, Isis and Sophia to be bred. This pic is the view Ebony got to look at all summer.  The tallest peak is Pikes Peak.  Ebony would walk along the fence between her and the breeding boys, with a "See look at me" attitude!  But when her boyfriend came into her paddock she screamed and ran in the other direction!  Eventually she settled and she is now pregnant!!

Then we took Isis and Sophia to meet their boyfriends.  I don't have pics of their summer digs but it was beautiful also.  Sophia got pregnant immediately (she knows the ropes),  Isis was a little more iffy, the sonogram (yes, we do sonos on alpacas) showed twins, which is not a good thing.  Alpacas only have one  at a time. They will abort twins 8 or 9  months into the pregnancy.  So if you have spent a nominal amount of money on the breeding you don't want a miscarriage half way through.   So Isis is still at the breeders to get a viable pregnancy.

During this trip I thought about showing my grandchildren beautiful Colorado.  None of them had seen Colorado and I felt I needed to fix that.

Trip #2 is camping with my daughter

Trip #3 is luxury in a hotel

Trip #4 is picking up pregnant alpacas.

Stay tuned for these retrospective trips!!!