Colorado or bust!: Ready? Here we go again...

Off we go...into the wild blue yonder! Last Sat., we headed out to spend the summer in our favorite area - the Colorado Rockies. Bill is doing great, finally (although it's really only been 3 months since the surgeries!), and has been able to do most of the driving. We feel so lucky to be able to do this this summer, and to be able to spend the time in such a gorgeous place! So pull up a chair, and we'll take you there...

(above photo credit to friend Karl)

Heading east on I-8, Zou notes our progress through all the cool rocky hills.

And a disclaimer: All these photos are with my little point and shoot. My REAL camera broke a week before we left. Great timing, eh? But Canon got it fixed, and I had them send it on to our friends' house here in CO - we'll be reunited when we see them tomorrow!

She also takes notice of all those strange giant white whirlygigs!

Dog is our copilot (at this moment, MY copilot - Bill's in the back on the bed, napping, which is very good because once he woke up he had to take over again since I'd gotten a migraine! Fortunately, it wasn't a real bad one and some meds and a nap cured me).

First stop: Camp Verde, AZ. At the Zane Grey RV Park, just like last year. We liked it so well, we wanted to make it a pit stop again. The campground is full of huge cottonwoods, which are so pretty and provide that ever-so-valuable commodity in the desert - shade!

Zou, trying out for a circus act... As you can see, she's a very well-balanced doggie...

And speaking of well-balanced, or harmonious...

Neato nighttime lighting effects...

Time to go again! On to Cortez, CO. But enroute, Zou and I played musical chairs - every time I would get out of the passenger seat, Zou would steal it, in a heartbeat!! So we finally called truce, and shared.

Tracky spent most of the drive on Bill's lap. Here, he's leaving for a rest on the couch. Can't spend all your nap in just one place!

So the drive to Cortez was sort of tiring and strange. Not only was it pretty darn windy from AZ through NM and into CO, but NM was NOTHING but blowing sand and smoke. I'd show you proof, but I was driving that section (yeah, lucky me - Bill saved the best for moi!). We'd never seen anything like it in NM before, but Bill said it was like that nearly every day in Odessa, TX, where he grew up. YUCK!!!!! The skies were mostly a light tan color, and dirt drifts were charging across the road in front of us off and on all day. Dirtiest blizzard I've ever been in. Then, there was the fire we drove past. Looked to be burning the only stand of trees in that whole part of NM. All in all, a lovely day. Even though Cortez is not our favorite place (not so pretty for our tastes), it looked mighty good when we pulled in for the night!!

Next day - the good stuff!!!!!!! And so here is where I stop telling you exactly where we are... Why? Because while the rest of the world seems to already know (and thanks a lot internet, and now especially Facebook, youtube, etc.,...!!!!!!!) about these magnificent places, I cannot bring myself to add to the crowd pollution and unpleasant cultural changes!

But boy it is pretty, ain't it?!!

Yeah, my favorite mountain. Those of you who know me will know which one it is!! And for the rest of you, let me just say it's somewhere north of Las Vegas, but you might prefer to just stay in Vegas... (please!)

Me and my buddy seat-sharing still...

Ah, home at last. We will spend the next two weeks in Site 112, our favorite. Only 30amp and the sewer hook-up is a pain in the butt, but one of our neighbors is a giant patch of empty lawn and a pretty nice view! I'd be here longer, but Bill is eager to move onto our next destination, which is where he will hook-up with several good RC plane-flying buddies and we will spend the entire summer.