Day off

I have been on-call since Wednesday. If you haven't talked to me much about my job, the one thing that I really don't like is being on-call. The biggest reason is that social workers are on-call for an entire week. A whole week! Every 6 weeks at that. So, there goes any self-care like heading out of town for the weekend or even enjoying a glass of wine with a friend. The one wonderful thing about my new schedule is that, since I have Monday's off, I have an entire day of not working-no call and no regular schedule. So, today, I got out of dodge a bit. I went to Ridgway State Park-I recently bought a State Park's pass, and this park is so beautiful and so close. I walked the nature trail which I hadn't done before...

Then I drove partially on County Road 10 which leads to Owl Creek Pass outside of Ridgway. I didn't do the whole drive to Silver Jack Reservoir which is past the pass because it was 26 miles going 30 miles an hour and I didn't make that much time for myself. But the drive on County Road 10 is full of beautiful ranches and views of the Cimarron and San Juan Mountain Ranges.

I stopped at the Memorial Park where I stacked up some prayer stones for Stan a week ago Monday. They were still there, and still sitting solo on their own small boulder.

 I was going to treat myself to lunch at The Adobe Inn which was a Mexican Restaurant at one point in Ridgway that John Fielder wrote about in a book I own. But I got there and it was deserted, so I opted for Fiesta Guadalajara in Montrose. I realized there are about 7 Mexican restaurants in town and I had only been to two, so I thought I would add a 3rd to the list. Now I am blogging while sitting at Target and plan to head home for a little nap with Chester.

Speaking of Chester, he has been doing okay. I could tell he was down the first few days after Stan died but now he and I try to get out to the park or for a walk every morning. He has discovered some new chews that he is quite passionate about, and I am going broke for. He does have some breathing difficulties but not as bad, yet, as Stan's were. We head to the Vet tomorrow morning for his vaccines so I am going to have them check him out.

Speaking of Stan, I had two curious incidents. One night last week when I got home from work I discovered two of my outdoor plants were tipped over, the front porch bench was tipped back and both out door rugs were out of sort. It wasn't windy at all that afternoon, so perhaps Stan's energy came through to tell me is doing great in his new, strong body where he doesn't have to take medications to feel better anymore. Last night as I was sitting on the couch a lovely rainbow appeared right out the picture window. Stan was there, too, showing me that life on the other side of the rainbow isn't that bad. I still miss his smile with the one missing tooth, but I can picture him with all his new friends running and playing on soft green grass.

Rest in Peace, Stanley "Stan the Man" McClanahan (March 31st 2002-July 20th 2014)

You came into our lives, unexpectedly.

A picture was worth a thousand words,

And in reality, worth a thousand more.

You had your problems, yes...

But the love that filled you outweighed it all.

Your protective ways have kept us feeling safe

And your sweet demeanor has allowed children to play with you and neighbors to love you.

“We have a dog named Chester, and Chester has a dog named Stanley,” we would say.

Your unwavering loyalty to your brother has taught us what that word really means,

And your unconditional love, despite a rough start in life, proves that love conquers all.

You have been my friend and companion for many years, through the good times and the rough times.

You walked with me side by side, or behind sometimes when you were tired, and now you will reside always in my heart.

I will miss you, Stanley.

Love, Mamas

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!