Home at last

Can you hear the contented sighs from where you are?

We returned last night from our last scheduled adventure of the season, and 30 minutes later it was raining. By the time we went to bed the rain had turned to snow. SOOOOO happy to have made it over the pass before all THAT started.

The DM didn't have work today (a good news/bad news sort of arrangement), so it's mid-morning and we're still in our bathrobes, puttering around the house. At the moment the DM is practicing and perhaps recording for his new CD. I'm making lists and catching up on several days of correspondence and such. There's work to be done this afternoon, but I'm taking my time getting there. After all.. there's snow on the ground and blueberry tea in my cup. What's the rush?

We've been in the Grand Junction area the last few days, near Colorado's western border with Utah. The landscape on the western side of the Continental Divide is much different from what it is on "our" side -- more like Utah with its mesas and plateaus, canyons and red sandstone. It's curious, because plant-wise the habitat is quite similar: rabbitbrush, sagebrush, piñon pine and juniper are dominant.

So a few pics from the season's swan song of travel, and then it's off to organize for the rest of the week.


The DM and his buddy Matt at "Cold Shivers Overlook" in the Colorado National Monument. Matt and his family were the excuse for our excursion: They live in Ohio but were visiting Utah this past week. So close, and yet so far. Grand Junction was sort of midway between us, so became the meeting point. Dave and Matt performed together in Ohio as the instrumental duo "WindWood," with Dave on Chapman Stick and Matt on EVI. I can't explain it. Look here, too. (The yellow blobs behind them are big cottonwood trees in the bottom of the canyon, just to try to help with scale.)



Despite living in Colorado almost all my life, and despite having a friend and colleague who did vireo research in the park for YEARS, I'd never made it out to the Monument before. Bad me! It's a fabulous place.



More high ridges and roads along cliffs! It's been a theme for months, hasn't it? Royal Gorge, Independence Pass, Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Sheesh. And we don't even LIKE heights.


It was a great afternoon, with constantly changing light and the occasional rain shower. The DM and I are resolved to come back and spend a little more time here... there are lots of intriguing trails to explore.

But for now it's a more introspective and home-based focus, at least that's our plan. Once we empty the suitcase, do the laundry, buy some groceries, go to the bank, pay some bills.......

Uh huh.