Rainbow Falls Trail

We had another lovely day of Jeeping yesterday.  We did the Rainbow Falls Trail - don't know why it's called that - sure didn't see any falls!!

"Airing down" the tires before we get into the rough and tumble!

 Unbelievable vistas!!  The camera just doesn't do them justice.

 This trail was a lot of fun to drive.  It was undulating, curvy, hilly, and alternately sandy and then rocky.  Some of the curves were pitched enough that it reminded me of the 4th turn at Talledega!  ; )

 There was only one rocky climb where "spotting" was necessary.

This trail is very popular with ATV and dirt bike riders and there are lots of play areas off the main road.  We might not do it again on a weekend for that reason, but it is definitely a fun trail!!

Shubarth Trail

Our first Colorado jeepin' experience in our brand spankin' new 1997 Jeep Cherokee!!

Last year we rented Jeeps here in CO and had so much fun that we bought an old jeep, lifted it, rebuilt the engine and did a lot of other stuff that I don't really need to know about.  We enjoyed jeeping in AZ, but we are excited to start our CO jeeping adventures!!

 Today we did the Shubarth and Hell Creek trails and then went to the Rampart Reservoir which has just reopened recently after the Waldo Canyon Fire last year.

 At the end of Hell Creek trail is a vista that overlooks the Air Force Academy.

 This was a moderate trail according to the book we have, but we it found fairly easy.  There were a few tight spots.

And one "tippy" area that just took some skilled driving.

Local and visiting wildlife.  We saw several female elk, but they were shy and hard to photograph!

 Pikes Peak and, yes, we did get rained on.

This a great trail for a relaxing day in the wilderness.

Best Hush Puppies

JC and I love fried catfish and hush puppies.  The best place to get these culinary delights without cooking them yourself is at The Shack in Jessieville, AR.  But the absolute best catfish and hush puppies are those we cook ourselves.  I've experimented with hush puppies recipes for years and I've finally hit on the perfect one.  Buttermilk Hush Puppies (click to go to the site) from allrecipes.com is the best.  I can't leave well enough alone so I did substitute diced jalapeños for the green onion.  Bet you could add other stuff like corn and bacon!!  Yummy, yummy, yummy!!

Jeepn - Again!!

For the second time since we've been in Colorado this summer, we rented a jeep and went exploring areas where we are not willing to take our 4WD truck.  I think we may just have to break down and get one of these useful toys!!

Some times you don't realize how high in elevation you are and there are such peaceful, lovely meadows.

Then reality sets in.  Many of the trails we did were classified as "4's" which are somewhat intimidating. Fortunately, I'm married to a man with nerves of steel and I can just shut my eyes if I want!!  ; )  You can see the road we had just climbed in the foreground in this picture.

Yep -the air is a little thin up here!

We saw old mining ghost towns - this is in the ghost town of Animas forks and below is the famous Walsh house.  Famous, I think, because it had a bay window.

This is just one of many mining mill remnants.

The vistas and scenery are incredible and pictures just can't capture how amazing they are.

Of course, there are always interesting creatures to see.

Can you find the little darlin' here?

Looks like we may have found a new hobby/obsession!!

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

It's been several months since I've blogged and a lot has happened.  Some very good things and some not so good, but time marches on and we should make every moment count!!  : )

JC and I headed for Colorado in June and spent a couple of weeks at Garden of the Gods Campground but left early due to the tragic Waldo Canyon Fire.  Then we spent a couple of weeks in Buena Vista at the KOA there.  Great campground with a million dollar view of the valley and several 14ers (14,000+ peaks).

We are now in Montrose, CO and yesterday we explored the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  We were last here in 1976 and I had forgotten how stunningly beautiful this area is.

 Pictures really just don't do it justice!!

We stopped at the visitor's center, gathered some information and took a short hike to the lookout there, then we decided to go to the East Portal of the Gunnison River which entails a steep drive down into the canyon.

Oh my!!

Not as bad a drive as it might seem especially since we have a four wheel drive truck, but we had it in low for most of the way down.

This area of the Gunnison is very tranquil because it is between the Crystal Dam and the Diversion Tunnel that supplies water to the Uncompahgre Valley.  We saw several people fly fishing and we could see large trout swimming against the current near the tunnel area.  Nice place for a quiet picnic!!

What retirees carry when they think there might not be a suitable diner near by:  boiled eggs, sliced beef summer sausage, Jarlsberg cheese, crackers, dried fruit, chocolate covered pomegranate seeds and assorted other "junk food" - quite a feast!!

Favorite sushi

We are in Cincinnati for a couple of days helping our daughter, CD, with some wedding stuff (she's getting married in May).  We have become well acquainted with Natti over the years because both our daughters have lived here at various times.  In fact, they ran their first marathon, The Flying Pig, here several years ago.  But I digress - the reason for this blog is to tell about my favorite Thai/ sushi restaurant, The Green Papaya.  

 You would think my favorite sushi restaurant would be in Seattle where we lived for several years . . . no . . . we go to Ohio for good sushi!!

I thinks it speaks to the quality of The Green Papaya that it is in a tiny strip mall with very little parking and has thrived for years.  If you are ever in the area of Oakley/Hyde Park, make sure you visit this little jewel!!

Painted Gourds

Part of the beauty of being part of a community like Palm Creek is the plethora of activities and new endeavors that one can experience.  Today I took the gourd painting class and below you will see the results.  I was quite pleased with how they turned out since there was a point during the class when I thought about "chucking" that orange and heading home.  Glad I stayed with it and I will certainly take more gourd classes in the future.

Yep - just another day at the retirement farm.  ; )

Black Pepper Dungeness Crab

Living in the Pacific Northwest gave us a true appreciation for the absolute freshest seafood and one of our favorites is Dungeness crab.  We would either trap the crabs ourselves or go to Pike Place market or Uwajimaya's, buy the crabs live, clean, and then cook them in a salt solution (equivalent salinity to ocean water) with added spices and herbs.  Dipped in melted, clarified butter, there is not much better feasting.  Fulltime RVing rather limits our ability to get fresh Dungeness, but we recently found some frozen in a local market and couldn't resist trying them.  

We decided to try to duplicate a recipe that we used to enjoy at Christine Keff's restaurant, Flying Fish. While not quite the same flavor, this sweeter version of Black Pepper Dungeness Crab is very good and since it did not involve all that butter dipping it is probably healthier!!  

Blueberry Muffin Heaven

CD's friend June (I miss your blog, June) brought some wonderful blueberry muffins to work recently and CD just couldn't stop talking about how good they were.  Blueberry muffins are one of JC's favorite breakfast food so he decided to make them . . . there are not enough superlatives to describe these beauties.  They are light, full of gooey blueberries and have a crunchy streusel topping.

Here's the link:  To Die For Blueberry Muffins.

Make these.  You won't regret it!!

Oark General Store and Cafe

 Today, JC and I decided to take a road trip to the oldest general store in Arkansas.  This little piece of history is located in the Ozark National Forest high on a mountain ridge north of Clarksville, AR.

 The store is fully functional and tries to meet the needs of the locals.  It is also a cafe and is known for serving delicious pies.

 It is eclectic and quaint with numerous tables in the midst of canned goods and the dairy case.

 We both ordered the burgers and found them well crafted and tasty.

 We had to try the pies and were told the most popular are the coconut cream and the buttermilk custard. We tried them both and they were delicious.

Today is Sunday and there were a lot of people out exploring.  We were amazed at the number of folks who made the Oark General store a destination today.  It's a beautiful drive and well worth the time.

Grandparenthood

JC and I are now grandparents and we are absolutely thrilled.  Because this is a public blog and I am overly cautious (not that many read it), there won't be much personal about the little darling.  We are absolutely giddy with delight.  We are half a world away from him and that is hard but we have had many updates, including videos, which makes the distance easier to handle.  Just can't decide what he should call us!!  : ))

We call them little B#%$&@*'s

If you recall, the last blog dealt with the thrill of discovering cardinals at our windows on our first morning at Cloud Nine RV Park in Hot Springs.  We rushed around at the crack of dawn, looking for the video camera, convinced that we would miss filming them if we didn't hurry. 

We certainly could have saved ourselves the trouble because multiple cardinals, including at least one female, have taken up the fight to rid their territory of the cardinals that they see reflected in our coach windows.  We are in the process of taking measures to discourage the birds.  JC likens it to the antics of the poor coyote in the old Road Runner cartoons.  We haven't ordered the TNT or anvils yet, but we are close.

Here's the result so far:

Our Morning Visitor

On The Road Again!!

Just a quick note and a promise to do better with this blog thing.  We have said good by to our friends (the ones who hadn't left yet) at Palm Creek and are now in NW Arkansas visiting my mother who had heart surgery recently.  Moving on to Hot Springs for several months to check out the Village and base ourselves while we make several trips, including one to Denmark go visit our new grandchild.

Just before leaving PC, I got together with a group of ladies who are big beaders.  We call ourselves the "Bodacious Beaders" and I'm looking forward to next year and learning more about beading.  In the meantime, I've made trips to Michaels and Jo Anns and have several projects planned.

I leave you with this picture of a cactus flower that I took before we left AZ.  Love it when the desert blooms!!

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

Recently JC got a hankering (southern speak = desire) for those cheesy, garlicky biscuits served in a certain seafood chain restaurant.  He researched the numerous recipes for these lovely bundles and this is the result.  YUM-O!!!

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

2 C. buttermilk baking mix (Bisquick or Jiffy)
2/3 C. milk
1/2 C. shredded sharp or extra sharp cheese
1/4 C. butter, melted
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. garlic powder or salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Combine mix, milk, and cheese with a wooden spoon until soft dough forms
Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet
Bake 8 - 10 minutes until golden brown
Combine butter and garlic powder and brush over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet
Serve warm
Makes 10 large biscuits