Visiting the Cliffs

July 9, 2010 Alamosa is the home of our friends, Tom and Jennifer Cliff and their three sons, Michael, Jordan, and Isaac. Tom was Ben’s first Classics soccer coach when Ben was 12 years old. At the time, Tom and Jennifer were not married and Charlcie and I were the team parents. We have kept in touch over the years and are fortunate to be able to spend some time with them on our journey. Tom is now the head women’s soccer coach at Adams State University here and Jennifer is the devoted coach’s wife. Their boys are involved in all kinds of activities and so they are very busy – but hey, they are still young and have the energy to do it right. We are very impressed with their family – Tom and Jennifer are super parents and it is obvious from the way the kids conduct themselves. They have been delightful to be around. And Jennifer knows how to fix a terrific meal – while Tom serves as the grill master. This morning, we all went to Zapata Falls, a very beautiful spot near the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Mount Blanca. After a half-mile walk we were able wade up through the stream to the falls. The boys were much braver and actually climbed up to the base of the falls and did the “polar bear plunge” in the pool at the base.

Lake City to Alamosa

July 8, 2010 It was a rainy drive from Lake City to Alamosa, but we were able to snap a couple of photos. The most interesting thing was hundreds of “free range” sheep along a remote stretch of the highway.

Last Day in Lake City: The end of a memorable week

July 8, 2010 After a memorable week with our friends of over 30-40 years, we are departing Lake City today. Greg and Diane have been the perfects hosts. Diane has prepared every single meal for the group this week. As evidenced by all the many recipes she has shared with Angie and Charlcie, the meals have been superb – even the brown bag lunches sent with us on our fishing days. Greg has been a great tour guide, fishing guide and chief storyteller. But foremost, they are good people and good friends. It was very special that Kent and Angie were here at the same time as they too are dear friends. What a time we had, the three couples of us, reliving our shared college days and beyond. True friends are invaluable and we are sure glad we still have them after all these years. The friends in the picture, left to right: Charlcie, Angie, Diane, Greg, Kent, Larry. The dogs that provided hours of entertainment are Max, the Australian cattle dog, and Tess, the Brittany Spaniel.

Gold Hill Wildflowers

July 7, 2010 I apologize, but I just cannot resist the posting of the wildflowers out here. The day, the time of day, the type of day, the elevation all contribute to an ever-changing wildflower scene. Every day, every new location, we witness different flowers. The flowers here were all within a few feet of the picnic area atop Gold Hill. This is a sampling, there are many others that we did not have time to photograph.

Steak Cook-Out on Gold Hill

July 7, 2010 You take a 4-wheel vehicle a couple of miles up the road that winds thru the aspen and conifers to reach a cook-out site that is over 10,000 feet in elevation. A cooking pit and picnic tables mark the area frequented each Wednesday evening for a sunset cook-out sponsored by the great folks at Vickers Ranch. They provide the setting and the pit-fire, the participants bring their own meat to grill and an extra pot-luck dish to be shared by all. This evening, approximately 60 people showed up to eat the fantastic food, enjoy the spectacular views, and enjoy the company of some very nice folks. We had been anticipating this event for some time after being told by Greg and Diane that we would be attending. What an incredible venue to be enjoyed with great friends.

Three week anniversary: Part I

July 7, 2010 A very full day, this being the end of the third week on the road. We were invited by Greg and Diane’s friends, Mark and Ann Schooler, to fish and picnic at the Lake Fork Hunting and Fishing club this morning. After Diane fixed us another great meal for breakfast, the guys headed out to fish the private ponds for a couple of hours and then we were joined by the girls for a picnic lunch. Then we went back to the Graham’s to get some chores done, and to prepare for the big evening ahead.

Kent's First Fly-Fishing experience

July 6, 2010 Greg took Kent and I to the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River to fish today. This was Kent’s first time to fly fish and he actually caught fish – didn’t get a picture of the best one because it jumped out of the net before I could get there to take the picture. The girls did the usual shopping, lunching, and reading – they have really enjoyed being able to spend all this relaxation time together.