Friday, July 23, 2021

Day 498

Breakfast had a couple extra boys this morning! We moved back into the garage with the new floor. Then it was off to the pool after the rest of the California Cousins Family arrived. After that, an adult trip to the new Scheels in town where we spent most of the time in the gun department. As promised, AJ got his rock experiment going while his Uncle was there to watch. We closed the day with a very nice, cool evening on the back patio, until it started raining.














Thursday, July 22, 2021

Day 497

Another big day. This time we were off to meet up with the California cousins at the Mines Museum at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO. It's not a huge museum, but their collection is quite astounding. I could have taken pictures of every specimen there. Because Aunt Rachel works at the School of Mines, we were also able to visit a classroom, the Drilling Laboratory. Then, of course, ice cream, at Golden Sweets! And to top off the day, our return ship was heavy by two - a couple cousins were coming home with us for a spend over. All the day's photos are here.

Warming up for the day with Jamie's own collection.

The second day of landscape work out front.

Walter's Pizza for lunch before heading out to Golden.



A great little nod to the railroads' contribution


The Pala tourmalines were our favorites
when we had the jewelry store.

Benitoite is the California State Gemstone.

Maybe Jamie's favorite specimen today.
Simple, common minerals but beautiful arrangement.

AJ's favorite specimen today.

Aunt Rachel works at the School of Mines.

Everyone thought this looked exactly like cotton candy.


AJ falling asleep in the Drilling Lab.


Ice cream!


Heavy by two on the trip home.

The landscapers finished by the time we got home.
Even the run-over bush looks good!


Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Day 496

Today was a little calmer than days have been lately. Jamie got to process all the photos from yesterday's trip to the Georgetown Loop Railroad. The garage floor is just hanging out curing. And the landscapers got started on the areas on the outside of the driveway up by the garages. Matt got home from Phoenix more or less as planned, but with a stop at West Main Taproom thrown in for good measure, Matt was thirsty. We discovered a competing gin to Hendricks - Woody Creek in Basalt, CO (southeast of Glenwood Springs). Is that a name for a Colorado town or what?! Like Hendricks, also very floral and very polite, but lavender in color. They make potato vodka, too. The bartender was a hoot to chat with. It was a gully washer from just south of Franktown all the way home. Haven't seen rain that heavy and lengthy in quite a while.

Blast from the past.




Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Day 495

Big day! A trip to Buttermilk for breakfast for Nana and Papa and the four boys. We took Jonny and AJ home (Jonny wasn't excited about a long car trip and AJ was still quite under the weather). Then it was off to the Georgetown Loop Railroad to meet up with the Visalia (CA) cousins for a train ride. What a hoot! Lynn had been trying to tell me that we were there (family reunion) with my parents, sister, her kids, and our own very young children way back when, but absolutely nothing was coming to mind. Even when we got there nothing seemed in the least familiar. Until we got to Silver Plume, the other end of the rail line. And there was the yard where we walked along the rails! Looked exactly like a scene in my mind that I could not place. We were here almost exactly 30 years ago! After the train ride, we went to downtown, historic Georgetown to stroll around a little, had some ice cream (eat dessert first!), and had lunch at Cooper's on the Creek. We got home just in time to see the new garage floor completed (still two days of curing to go, though). The providers let the kids participate by throwing the "sprinkles" onto the floor. All the day's photos are here.

On the back, my Mom had written the names, place, and date.


Back at the Compound, helping with the new garage floor.







Lynn and Jamie and their very young kids walked
these rails almost exactly 30 years ago!





Historic Georgetown. You can always tell a real
Colorado town... The streets end with a mountain.

Life is uncertain, eat dessert first


The cousins