What a weekend!

I love the summer because it means that I have a lot of guests! My friends Kristin and Greg came for the 4th of July weekend. They came in late on Thursday night and we stayed up until midnight just chatting away. On Friday, we went to Paonia with my friend Maggie for the Cherry Days festival. Funny thing is there were no cherries there! There was a beer garden, which was where we spent a lot of the day sitting...

We did get cherries and other sundries at a little orchard store just outside of Paonia called Delicious Orchards. It is a cute little place with a little restaurant, a tasting area for their hard cider, and a lot of other little goodies. We were hoping to go to dinner at the Horsefly Brewpub but they were closed for the 4th, so we ate a really hearty dinner at the Stonehouse. We then went back to my place and found the perfect spot to watch fireworks over Montrose.

Saturday Maggie joined us and we went to Telluride and Ouray. They did the Bridal Veil Falls hike and I shopped in town. We went to Ouray and hiked to Cascade falls. We then did some shopping and sat at an outdoor restaurant before heading back to Montrose. We got our Horsefly Brewpub fix for dinner that night.

Yesterday, we got up and went to the Red Barn for breakfast. I took Kristin and Greg to The Black Canyon and we wandered around the various stops. We were all pretty tired, since every night we got to bed late and our days were filled with lots of stuff to do. They headed home and I headed to bed...for a nap!

Denver Botanic Gardens Chihuly Exhibit

I came to Denver this weekend once again. I was supposed to come in early June but I couldn't secure a place or person to care for Ches and Stan. I got off work on Friday around 2pm and headed to the Eastern Slope. Friday night I spent time with Mom and Dad and we just chatted and watched some TV. Yesterday we went to see the Chihuly exhibt at the DBG. We had seen the exhibit when we went to Arizona at the Desert Botanical Gardens so I was excited to see the difference between the two installations (see my March postings for pictures from that exhibit to compare!).

Yesterday afternoon I met my friend Amanda, who I haven't seen since her wedding last August. We had a great time catching up and I realized how much I miss her. We made promises to keep in touch better. I then met the family for dinner at La Loma and then met Meg, Amy and Susan at The Village Cork for a night of "girl talk." Today is a much more chill day. I am hanging out with Mom and we are getting ready for a little family BBQ this afternoon. We are going to take a trip to the cemetery and then Robert will come over later. I am planning to meet my friend Kristin tonight so we can talk about her upcoming trip to visit me over the 4th of July. I will head back to Denver tomorrow after meeting up with my friend Jen in the morning. 

When I have come to Denver in the past I would pack in so many visits to friends that it often felt like a whirlwind. So, this time I chose to see people I haven't seen in a while (with the exception of Meg, of course!) and also plan for lots of down time. It has been relaxing and nice to have a change of scenery!

Two really great weekends

The past two weekends have been really wonderful. I think a huge part of this is that I haven't had to go to work on Mondays because of my  new schedule. So the weekend is extra long. Last weekend, the Pellegrino's came to visit. Meg, V and the kids had never been this side of Glenwood before, and Meg's  bucket list included a trip to Telluride. They all stayed at my house-my bedroom is pretty big and has its own bathroom, so that was their travel headquarters. The boys and I slept in the guest room. We had so much fun! They came in last Sunday afternoon. They enjoyed seeing the house and then we went into town. We painted pottery, played putt putt golf, and ate dinner at Colorado Boy Pizza. The highlight of Sunday though was our spur of the moment trip to the Orvis "clothing optional" hot springs in Ridgeway. We got there later in the evening and promised the kids that all of us would wear our bathing, not birthday, suits. It is a really nice hot springs, with an indoor pool as well as smaller outdoor, hot pools surrounded by beautiful landscaping.

Monday we headed to Telluride. When we got to town, the four of them hiked to Bridal Veil Falls. I stayed behind, as I am not in shape to keep up with kids and two fit adults on a moderately difficult trail. After that we ate a picnic lunch in Town Park, went into town for ice cream and souvenirs, and then they took the Gondola up to the top of the mountain. I am not really a fan of heights so I wandered around town for a bit. That night we ate turkey tacos, drank some wine, and the kids relaxed in front of the TV and Meg, Vince and I had insightful conversation. They left on Tuesday, and it took me a few days to recover. I missed them and loved having them visit. The kids were so well behaved, patient, loving...just good kids...the whole time. And Ches and Stan were excellent furry companions, being patient when the kids petted and played with them.

This past weekend was the Montrose Botanical Society's garden tour. I became a member the minute I heard we had a botanical society and a botanic gardens in town. It is small but well maintained and very pretty. I volunteered to sell tickets being stationed at the botanic gardens. There were five homes on the tour, and each home was unique. That day, they had musicians playing at different homes, and also plein air artists painting at various locations. The Thursday before, all the volunteers and home owners on the tour got a preview. It was super fun to meet new people and see these garden gems around town.

Today is Monday, and it felt so good to not wake up and have to think about going to work. I am headed to Ridgeway for a walk along the river trail, and then to Ouray to the hot springs. I think I am going to really like this part-time gig!

Visitors!

I love it that the weather is warm enough to start having some visitors. Last weekend, Mom and Dad came. They came last Thursday night and when I was working on Friday they went to Ouray. Saturday we drove to Telluride and enjoyed a nice picnic lunch at Town Park and meandering around downtown. We ate two excellent meals out and one great meal at home.

Robert came this past Friday for Memorial Weekend. We ate at Ted Nelson’s Steakhouse, one of the best restaurants in town! Yesterday we did all sorts of stuff. We went to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and enjoyed the views. We took CHes and Stan on a small adventure at a local partk. We went to some stores in Montrose and to the Horsefly Brewing Company. We topped the day off with a great dinner at Amelia’s Hacienda. He and I were both pretty tired last night and the boys and I slept until almost 7 which pretty much never happens...

Here are some pictures from our morning at the Black Canyon. I also can't help putting in an updated photo of C&S!