Sunday, June 28, 2020

Meadow Loop and Ridge Trail

Yesterday, my friend Josie and I went hiking FINALLY! We talked about hiking last year and even though we made plans something always happened to ruin them. Not this day! Though, when we first made plans to go hiking the weather report was different a week prior than the day before, so I was a bit nervous I would turn into a puddle of chocolate.

Thankfully, I did not, however, my friend who does not have nearly as much melanin as me, turned into a bit like a lobster. She brought her sunscreen...but forgot to put it on. Yeah......I"m still laughing at her for that mistake. It could have been worse.

Anyway, the day started off as windy but not cold which I liked. We had beautiful views of the reservoir in Dillon, CO as we walked on the Meadow Loop and Ridge Trail. We were so caught up in the views of the mountains and people on the lake that we missed the turn for the trail! We walked all the way to a dead end!

Josie brought her dog, Autumn, who did very well on the hike, I thought. Like most dogs, she wanted to stop and smell EVERYTHING. I tried not to walk behind her, but whenever I did I almost ran into her because she stopped randomly and abruptly. Sometimes I wondered if she was doing that on purpose. Or maybe she was just checking that I was still behind her. Who knows!

Autumn does have a funny habit of laying down whenever she sees another dog. It was interested to watch. Sometimes she would go over to the dog but most of the time she just watched them.

I was glad to have time with Josie to catch up and just talk about what's been happening with BLM and possible re-election of President Trump. I learned a lot about her and am glad she's my friend. We met at a Deaf event maybe two years ago and we hit it off. We are both silly and love swapping crazy stories. While some of our conversation was heavy and sad, I enjoyed hanging out with her and taking in more of Colorado's beauty. Can't get enough of it.














Sunday, June 21, 2020

Paint Mines

Yesterday, my friend and I went exploring through the Paint Mines Interpretive Park. It was amazing! I have never seen so many different colored rocks. The park was kind of an adult playground. You can bring kids, but be mindful of where you are stepping. The view from the tallest peak of the park was breathtaking! You could see the city of Colorado Springs from where we were, which was a 30-minute drive from the city.

There were tunnels and caves you could explore. To get to them, sometimes you had to climb on all fours! So, we definitely got dirty!

We took a TON of pictures. I love that my friend was a photographer too, so we were constantly snapping pictures of each other being silly. We did girl power poses and fashionista.

Since we hadn't hung out since before COVID took over the world, we had a lot of to catch up on. From work-life to personal life, I enjoyed being with my favorite hiking buddy again. I look forward to our next adventure.

It was a gorgeous day for a hike. We started around 10am and finished at around 2pm. By then, the sun was getting brutally hot, so we headed toward the city for lunch which was CAJUN FOOD! Both of us are foodies, so it did take us a while to pick a place. I would definitely go back to Mamma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen. Even though I don't like seafood, there were menu options that didn't involve animals from the sea that looked amazing!

Overall, it was a fun day! Now I'm sore but I am grateful for the beautiful day I had with my friend at Paint Mines.






























Monday, June 1, 2020

Pr Ron's 20th Anniversary

Yesterday, the church surprised Pr. Ron and Carolyn, his wife, with a car parade. We still wanted to celebrate this occasion and their milestone during the pandemic. We met at an elementary school parking lot nearby and decorated the cars with streamers and balloons. I think at least half of the congregation showed up. It was AWESOME!

I made this sign for Grammy and Grandpy's car since they picked me up for the parade.



I also made brownies! The first time I laid out the number 20 in MnMs, they sank! I was bummed, but thankfully I had just enough to do it again. YAY! Hopefully, they enjoyed eating them.



Overall, it was a beautiful day to do it and I got to say "Hi" to my church family that I hadn't seen in months! I think we were all excited to see each other!

Pr. Ron and Carolyn were overwhelmed with gratitude! I look forward to seeing everyone again :D