Henny Penny

Sometime in early 2001, a young brown tabby cat invited herself into our lives.  She showed up at David's house a few days in a row.  One evening, David called saying "Your cat is here." When I arrived, she was enjoying a dinner of tuna and milk.  I was hooked and so was she.  I don't know where she came from, but I was certain of where she belonged.

 She was sweet and curious, but always dignified.  I think she was born an old soul.  She'd play with cat toys (or just about anything) with abandon, until she'd suddenly walk away with her head held high, as if she hadn't been acting so silly after all.

She talked and talked which is why she was named Henrietta - after the cat puppet on Mister Roger's Neighborhood.  If she wanted, she could carry on an entire conversation with you.

Henrietta was so sweet that she could even charm people who don't ordinarily like cats into letting her sit in their laps.

No cat has ever appreciated sun more, and she could often be found lying on her back with her feet in the air, enjoying a spot of sunshine that she'd claimed.

 Open windows were almost as good as a sunny spot.  She could happily birdwatch for hours.

 I'd forgotten that she was ever as skinny as in her younger years.  This is how I remember her best...as the one I'd sometimes call Chubby Checkers.  Look at that furry tummy!  That's not all fluff. ;)

 As much as we could, we indulged Henny every chance we got.  We didn't get rid of Gracie or either of the dogs as she might have wished, but if she was laying on the dryer, we'd keep turning it on (even empty) as long as she was there.

At the very beginning of our vacation, our dear friend Patty who was looking after the cats called.  Henrietta seemed to be having some trouble breathing.  Patty took her to the vet, who determined that her chest cavity was full of fluid.  She spent the night at the emergency vet, then was picked up by my parents the next evening.  We talked about turning around and coming home, but we were quite a few hours from home and knew that Henny was getting the best care.  After a procedure to drain the fluid, Hen seemed to be doing better.  She was loved and cuddled and spoiled while at her Grammy's house and I enjoyed the daily pictures of her.  We picked her up when we arrived home and she seemed pretty good for a few days.  Soon though it was evident that she was again having trouble breathing.  A return trip to the vet and an X-ray revealed that the medication wasn't enough and that the fluid was back.  Poor Hen wasn't eating or drinking, and her doctor and I made the hard decision to let her go.

We miss her a lot, but I know she lived a good kitty life.  I won't pretend to know what happens to an animal's spirit when they die, but I do know that Henny will live on in our hearts and memories.  Unfortunately for any future cats we may have, Henrietta will be the yardstick by which any other cat will be measured.  I can't imagine another one living up to her high standards.  She was quite a girl and we'll miss her.  Love you, Henrietta!

Good Food, Good Vacation

Our vacation was winding down, but we still had a couple of stops to make.  Santa Fe is one of our favorite towns, so I was very happy that we were able to spend a night and part of a day there.  I was not a big fan of the southwest, but David has been for a long time.  Many moons ago, he took me to Santa Fe and I'm now sure that he was using it to hook me on the southwest. ;)  It worked.  Much like the ocean, if I don't get a desert fix every few years, something feels off.  So we had dinner at a place that we've been returning to since that first trip together to Santa Fe, then the next morning spent some time walking around downtown.

 I love the architecture, quirky art, and the weather...oh that lovely sun!

 Sadly, we had to leave Santa Fe and head on toward home.  As we approached Amarillo, I began looking at Trip Advisor for a place to eat.  The Coyote Bluff Cafe had almost a perfect score and sounded like something we would like.

 Not only were we not disappointed, but we were really impressed!  I have a feeling that we may have to make a stop every time we pass through Amarillo.

 I'd looked at the menu online and decided that I'd stick to my healthy eating plan and order a salad with grilled chicken.  See it above? ;)  Once we opened the door, saw the decor and smelled the burgers, I realized that I'd be missing out if I didn't have a burger.  David and I both thought they were excellent, and they had some of the best fries I think I've ever had.

It's hard to see in this picture, but as you walk in the front door there is an old clawfoot bathtub full of ice and beer.  To say this place has personality is an understatement.  If you're ever passing through Amarillo, it's worth a stop!

Ouray, Colorado

After leaving Ironton, our next stop was Ouray, CO.  It's a larger town than Silverton, but just as charming.  We checked into our hotel, then changed into swimming suits to go check out the hot springs pools.  No pictures of that, but it was one of my favorite things on our vacation.  It was so nice and relaxing...up until we had to get out in the cool mountain air.  Brrr!

The next morning we did some souvenir shopping and checked out the town.

Before moving on, we went to Box Canyon to see the falls.

From the visitor center, it's a short walk back into the canyon.  You could really feel the temperature difference as you walked down the stairs to get closer to the base of the falls. 

 The host at the visitor center said that the falls were at about 75% of their peak and that it's both spring-fed as well as snow melt.

 Leaving the falls on another trail we saw a beautiful view of Ouray below.

The Old West

Once getting back on the San Juan Skyway, we stopped at Molas Pass.  Molas Pass has an elevation of 10,910 feet and has incredible 360 degree views.  

Our next stop was Silverton, where we had lunch at the Pickle Barrel.  It was delicious!  We walked up and down the main street in Silverton, checking out a few shops and just enjoying the mountain air.  

Now it's a picturesque little town built in a little valley, but evidently it has a much more interesting history.  One block off main street, there are lots of former saloons and bordellos.  The average snowfall is about 155 inches, which is about 154 inches more than I need to see during winter (sorry Keetha!) but it was beautiful in May.

I had read about some of the abandoned mining towns in one of the tourist magazines, so when we saw the sign for Ironton, we stopped to check it out.  

 

According to a sign along side the road, within a few weeks, construction began on over three hundred buildings.  Just a few are left.  According to the tourist magazine (which I can't find therefore can't site), the last residents left in the 1960's. 

 The buildings were interesting, with their layers of wallpaper and linoleum.  I really expected to see a ghost or two in these pictures and will have to admit that I'm a little disappointed that there isn't one.

 If any place were haunted, this one would certainly make sense!  We poked around there for a while before getting back on the road to Ouray, CO.

Lime Creek Road

We took a great dirt road off the San Juan Skyway on our way to Silverton from Durango.  It was called the Lime Creek Road, but we didn't learn that until we reached the end.

Here's where we started, with beautiful views of the mountains.

 The road took us into high elevations where there was still quite a bit of snow on the ground,

 and down to Lime Creek.  With all the snow melt, the creek was flowing very fast.

 I was a little alarmed to see this "Road Narrows" sign on the already narrow road hugging the edge of the mountain.  I was very happy that we didn't see another car on the road.

 I know the views from the highway were beautiful, but I can't imagine that they could have been better than the views at every turn on this old road.

At the end of the road, we saw this sign telling the history of the road.  Very cool!  I think David really got a kick out of driving on this old road.  I'm glad we were in the truck, rather than in a wagon as many before us were.  That's an adventure I'm not sure I'm up for!

Durango

After Mesa Verde, we headed toward Durango on the San Juan Skyway drive.  After eating a delicious New Mexican style meal, we turned in.  The next day, we were up to check out the depot and museum for the Narrow Gauge Scenic Railway.  We didn't take the train ride this time, but we are taking my parents and aunt and uncle back there, and we ARE going to do it!  It looks really neat...and a little frightening!

 Here I am, waving to all my fans.  What?  You don't see my fans?  That's alright...I see them! :)

 David driving (do you drive a train?) a real train...in the museum.

 Poor David...practicing shoveling coal in the engine.  Imagine if that was really his job - what a hot, dirty mess!

We'll be back someday to ride the train from Durango to Silverton!

Mesa Verde National Park

David has long wanted to go to Mesa Verde National Park to see the cliff dwellings, and we were glad this time to be able to go.

The drive up the mountain was beautiful, even if the drive back down left me gripping the door handle for dear life. 

 We carried sandwich stuff with us throughout the trip, and it make for nice picnics along the way.

 David and I bought tickets for the walking/hiking up close tour of the Cliff Palace.  This is taken (with zoom) from the area where the tour began.  We climbed down steps of metal, steps of limestone, and up a ladder to get right up to the incredible palace.

 Pardon the silly chin strap...it was so windy!  I didn't want to chase my hat right off the mountain. :)

 The tour and our guide were very interesting.  We were glad to get to take the tour and get right up to the stone structures.  It's amazing that they've been there 700+ years.

After the tour, we drove on a loop to see some of the other structures.  Most can only be viewed from a distance, but this area was available to walk right up to.