Run Away With Us: 2011

Friday, December 9, 2011

Mid December 2011

And you thought we'd be moving from place to place and adding pictures every day!
I had this foot surgery before Thanksgiving, Dr. took the wrapping off on Monday, but I'm still hobbling around with the crutches. Can't put full weight on it yet and we're here until the final Dr. appt the 19th.
So it'll be a mad dash to get up to Scott's.
That did give me time to get Christmas Cards out - and the decorating is done. That consisted of putting a Santa hat on teddy. Most of the presents had already been bought, just a few to finish up.
Russ has done a great job keeping me fed - not his favorite activity. Even managed to put together a dinner for guests Bill & Val. Well, ok, Bill brought his homemade cheese bread.
All the pickleball people are gone so that's on hold.
Somebody forgot to turn up the thermostat in this part of the country and it's been cold, cold, cold.
Finally gave in and put our summer clothes away and got out the winter ones!
Looking forward to hearing from you all.

Merry Christmas

Thursday, November 17, 2011

November in Cottonwood

That's me with the blue visor partnered with Tom

Russ with a big serve

More players waiting their turn

Russ in a competitive foursome

It's not all fun & games

Us at pickleball happy hour

Canyon Lands Utah

Our view of the Dutch Shoe rock formation - you don't have to use your imagination for this one.

Dramatic cloud formation as seen from our "house"

This is not Elephant Rock, but that's where we were headed

Lots of different rock formations in this canyon

The sky can change dramatically from one minute to the next

Every corner offers another rock formation

Our campsite - not too crowded

Sunset from the "house"

All those beautiful cloud formations resulted in snow capped mountains in the distance

Dramatic sunset on "Six Shooter"

Newspaper Rock - the ancients answer to Facebook

I named this formation "Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak no Evil"

Russ can't resist taking the Jeep on these roads

These turkeys got suspicious when we fed them Stove Top Stuffing

Heading through Monument Valley

This was the smallest of 3 javalinas in our campground here in Cottonwood, AZ

Durango

The drive between Durango - Silverton - Ouray, "The Million Dollar Highway"
also offers a Million Dollar view - especially when the Aspen trees change
into their autumn colors.

Don't know if anyone lives in or uses the little cabin tucked into the trees,
but what a beautiful setting.

Engineer Mountain peeking through the trees

Or is this one Engineer Mountain - whichever

Breathtaking views - one of my favorite

A beautiful Autumn Carpet

This shows why the area was perfect for mining

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Our experience on the Navajo Reservation

For the last 16 yrs. my sister Sharon & her husband Lindell have been going to the Shiprock Navajo Reservation in NM with a group of people from Denver area churches to assist mainly the elderly or disabled whose houses need interior or exterior repairs. This year we accompanied them and it was a great 4 day experience. The group was split up into units of about 6 people and assigned a specific project. Our group made exterior repairs and completely painted the house for a couple about our same age, maybe even a little younger. He had survived an auto accident that he shouldn't have survived so had some physical limitations.

Mike & Debi, Russ, Lindell - we worked hard but did take short breaks

Estelle & Albert with his sister Mary

And Russ wondered if I'd ever painted!
Debi seems to be further along, hmmm, oh well, I
was taking pictures, too.

This couple was so nice. Always had water available.
Coffee & donuts one morning,
Navajo fry bread one day, very yummy
popsicles a couple times a day (refreshing in the heat),
and this day they'd made Navajo Tacos for us and
they were delicious.