I done r-u-n-n-o-f-t: The Devil's Backbone and Dinner with My Family

***THIS IS A CATCH-UP POST***

June 25, 2013

Loveland, CO (kind of near Denver)
Riverview Campground

As you know, Gordon is still working while we're on the road. This means that he needs a certain level of internet access/availability while we camp. But we also want a certain level of nature and beauty where we camp. We have discovered that those two goals work directly against each other. Booking the campground is one of my jobs. After a couple of delicate internet situations, I was instructed to ask about "Verizon or AT&T 4G LTE coverage", whatever that is. I do ask, but many of the folks running the campground don't know what I'm talking about either. So far G's been able to make it work. Then we checked-in here at Riverview. While G and the desk lady worked out the wifi/internet details, we found out that Verizon doesn't work here, at all. For us that means "no cellphones"! Oops. Of course the kids are most distraught. At least we can get a signal when we venture out, sometimes. Which G, Zoe and did the first day, to a very cool trail called the Devil's Backbone. Cool.

Just a long ridge of rock sticking up out of the earth.

And we can see real big mountains.

Local wildlife...wait, that's my dog.

Scratching her back on the Backbone.

Unexpected beauty.

There's a bird's nest in there somewhere.

The Keyhole Rock.

Here's an opening to the other side. There are houses in the valley below.

I'd love to see the sunrise over this every day.

Hey, Zoe, what's in that hole?

I don't know, but I'm not sticking my hand in there.

Somewhere in there is the tail of a snake that darted across our path,

practically under Zoe, and Gordon too, since he jumped about 4 feet in the air.

It was probably a Bull Snake, we determined from later googling.

Sometimes it's difficult to tell the flowers from the rock lichens.

The wind is tough on delicate pedals.

Another view about a 1/2 mile farther.

Soft Hard

How do they grow in rocks?

The valley below the Backbone.

Calcium? in the rocks.

Towhee?

Water for the parched pooch.

Little backbones on the path.

In addition to the snake, we saw a few birds which were new to us. But they were too far away or too fast to get a photo. We met a nice fellow who had a spotting scope that allowed us to see some up close. I need to get one of those.

Later that day we drove into Denver to visit some relatives on my mom's side. I had never been to Denver and it's been a while since we were in a big city. I must say that 'traffic anxiety' returned really quickly, but it was still fun to see a new place.

Zoe says, "you're not leaving again are you?"

Ugh. Multi-laned traffic. Cool roller coaster though.

Oh, it's the stadium? Fun.

So after several hectic miles through the city, we came to the quiet town of Englewood, and the home of my cousin Rick and his wife Karen. My Uncle Dick (my mom's big brother) and Aunt Loretta live close by and were there, too. Plus extended family of Aaron, Laurie, Sean and Paige. plus some neighbors dropping by. Our hosts prepared a delicious dinner including salmon for us non-meat eaters. It was a great evening of catching-up, reminiscing, and plans for the future. Love you all, and I hope I got everyone's name right!!