Red Rocks Hiking Adventure

 On Saturday, my friend Stephanie and I went hiking to Red Rocks outside of Denver. If you don't know what Red Rocks is, it's basically an area with a few trails you can mountain bike, horseback ride and hike. Honestly, it's a dessert out there, so if it's the middle of summer be sure to wear sunscreen (especially if your skin is prone to turning lobster red) and bring plenty of water and some snacks. There is also an amphitheater that (pre-COVID) had concerts and events throughout the summer. It's huge!!! I'm not sure how many people it sits but it's pretty cool to look at. Many runners will use the stadium as a way of exercise. Crazy, I know. Not only are there stairs leading to the amphitheater but also the stairs within it! 

After debating for awhile on what trail to go on because of the heat/length of the trail, we set off to the Trading Post trail. By accident, we veered off trail and found ourselves near the highway. At one point, I honestly thought this was our last day on earth. Stephanie definitely has more faith than I do. We got to a bend and I was scared to death to walk any further. From my vantage point, it looked like there wouldn't be enough room between us and cars zooming past. Stephanie prayed for the both of us and set off. I was CLOSE behind her praying the entire way. By the time we started to go around the bend, I saw the path was a lot wider than it started out as. THANK GOD! HONESTLY! 

Eventually, we found the trail again and up we went. By this time, there was little shade and the temperature was probably hovering around 90 degrees. With the full force of the sun in addition to the smoke from surrounding fires in Colorado, we had to stop several times to catch our breath and drink water. I mean, guzzle water. I'm so glad we both brought two water bottles. 

Since Stephanie was so out of shape and also had a reaction to medication, we took more stops for her sake. I wasn't in any hurry so it wasn't a big deal to me, plus I got to take more pictures! She was thankful that I was patient but that's what friends are for! 

When we got to the car, we both collapsed! After we rested for a good twenty minutes, we set off for Golden for lunch/dinner. By the time we sat down at the restaurant, it was almost 3 pm! Good food with good friends is always a win in my book! 

4th of July Weekend

This year the holiday came in the midst of protests for Black Lives Matter focusing on the lives of Elijah McClain because he lived and was killed in Aurora, a suburb of Denver. For the last month, protests have occurred every night downtown, as well as marches, and vigils for Elijah, George, and Breonna during the weekends. Because of the uptick of force used by the police and violent protestors, I haven't felt safe to leave my neighborhood on my own at night. Especially since I am a Deaf African American female without a car. I try not to be pessimistic, but I wonder when justice will come. Will our government leaders bravely take the steps needed to ensure than Black Americans are treated the same as White Americans? Will we always have to live in fear to go jogging around our own neighborhoods? I want to believe there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

For the first time, I questioned whether or not I should be celebrating this holiday. Growing up, I don't remember learning about Juneteenth or the fact that my ancestors were still slaves on July 4th. Honestly, since July 4th is the holiday about freedom....only the whites were free. The Native Americans who were living here weren't free either.

Despite all of it, I did manage to have fun this weekend. My friend Josie and I both had the day off on Friday, so we spent the first part of the day hiking near some lakes up north, in Louisville. It was a gorgeous day and thankfully, we didn't feel the hot sun until we were maybe halfway around the looped trail. Afterward, we went to her place for a BBQ. We had burgers and corn on the cob. I made some spiked watermelon lemonade. Yum! It was the first time I hacked open a watermelon. I usually buy it already cut. Wound up using the whole watermelon since we had no idea what to do with the rest of it after I finished making one batch of the lemonade. I left quite a bit at her place haha but we both drank A LOT of it! We chatted for a bit and played with her dog, Autumn. Then as the sun was setting, we decided to walk off what we had eaten that day. We went for a short walk around a lake near her house. On the way to my place, we saw some fireworks. Overall, it was a fun, exhausting day and I'm glad we were able to hang out. We always have fun and I learned some new things about her background. I always enjoy getting to know people, helps me understand them.

The rest of the weekend was low key. I spent most of Saturday recuperating from Friday!! I was so tired, I slept in till 10! Overall, it was a great weekend! Back to work on Monday!

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.

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.

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

Excitement in Wash Park During COVID-19

Well, our neighborhood got some excitement this past Thursday afternoon. I think the whole neighborhood congregated on our corner when this happened. Let's be honest, this is the most interesting thing that has happened to us in almost two months.

I was on my computer when I heard a sudden screech of tires. Notice, I said I HEARD. The last time there was a car accident outside where I was living, I slept through it. At least, this time I was awake -- that does make a difference.

Anyway, I looked out the window to find a motorcycle lying in the middle of the road. The guy who had been riding it was standing off to the side. At first glance, he appeared to be fine since he was walking but the commotion stopped everyone in their tracks. Since most of us are working from home, many in the neighborhood were walking their dogs, jogging, or just simply out for a walk to stretch their legs. Being cooped up inside all day is super stressful. I typically take my walks just before lunch which is why I was looking out my window instead of being on the street.

About 15 or so community members stopped to see if either the driver or motorcyclist needed help. Within a few minutes, a fire truck appeared with firemen all geared up, including masks. Being a nosy child, I went from the living room window to my bedroom window several times to see what was happening. People were peering down from their balconies too in other buildings surrounding the intersection.

From my vantage point, it looked like the jeep tried to make a turn and possibly didn't see the motorcyclist or someone was going too fast down Emerson St, which people do... It is extremely hard to take a turn from Ellsworth to Emerson since it's hard to see past parked cars.

Within an hour, the police and firemen had left leaving the neighborhood eerily quiet, yet again.

BTW, I found out how the firemen got here so quickly. My roommate immediately called 911when she heard the noise and was apparently the first caller. #NeighborhoodWatchAtYourService