Nap time...

Even the middle of a full day hike, even in the sprinkling rain, even at 11400 feet.... the opportunity for a great nap is never far away....




And after some rock scrambling and bushwhacking -over lake Peak into Nambe lake-, it feels GREAT!!!!

Rocky Mountain paradise...

We went on a road trip to the so-called Switzerland of America: Ouray, Colorado. Doug grew up in small town Colorado and I spent a few weeks every childhood summer in Graubunden, Switzerland. Guess it was bound to be a good fit!

We made a stop in Pagosa Springs and admired the natural hot springs in the middle of town as well as the name choice of a local restaurant.



We spent the night in Durango, a cute but overly trendy mountain town and drove over 2 mountain passes; Molas pass (10,910 ft./3325 m) and Coal bank pass (10,640 ft./3243 m) to Silverton, an old mining town.






We than took on the heroic journey of driving "the million dollar highway" over Red mountain pass (11,018 ft./3358 m) to Ouray. I was happy to be in the passenger seat, enjoying the amazing views of this white-knuckle-ride. I am no expert in mountain driving but I think I would feel safer in a 25 people skydiving formation than I feel seeing grandpa driving his texas-sized brand new RV at serious speed on this no - guardrail road.

View of Ouray

Happy hikers

Vista's and video's

This is my first time trying to post some video's (I hope nobody gets seasick watching them). I really did want to put "The sound of music" songs to the clips but am too "techno-challenged" to do it ;-(......

Wild -or not so wild- animals and flowers

The town of Ouray has a bear problem (or the bears have a human problem, the bears were there first!!!). Somebody was actually killed by a bear a few days before we arrived! We didn't have any bear encounters, but we did see the results of their visit to town; the neighbors to our B&B put their trash out the night before pick up and the next morning it looked like a few bear cubs had a ball playing around in it!

We did see some elk, a deer, a golden eagle and a fox and just have to go back to find big horn sheep!



The prime season for wild flowers was over, but there were still some left, brightening up the mountain views...

Yes, she's coming...

My friend Lisa's back in town, searching AND finding a place to live!
The cross country drive from St. Louis is coming closer.... only a few more weeks before the big Labor Day move!

Filling out the rental application over lunch at Annapurna Cafe in Albuquerque

Only in New Mexico.... I think...

- are pink and purple just ordinary sunset colors.
- are wait staff routinely asking: "red, green or Christmas?".
- are patients after a hip replacement concerned about how to put on and take off their cowboy boots adhering to hip precautions.
- are people unanimously happy to see clouds and rain.
- can you experience desert, pine and oak woodlands, aspen forests and tundra in one small(ish) area.
- is every 3rd car a Subaru (well, at least in Santa Fe)...

Santa Fe: Snap 'n ride...

I love bike riding through Santa Fe... So often in the past I wished I'd had my camera with me.
So yesterday, I packed lots of water, my cellphone and a bike lock and off I went, camera in hand...



















I am so excited to be moving to Santa Fe at the end of the month... I am looking forward to so many things and in the meantime I am trying not to lose the joy of the day in the dream of the future...

Mountain man trade fair - Santa Fe

To be correct: Mountain man and woman trade fair ;-)....