This week's events

 

Me and my Leo friends!

Yes, my windows were quickly closed when the steam engine toot tooted by this morning around 9 am. They go up to Silverton almost on the hour in the mornings. I have less information about return trips because my west facing windows are shuttered by the blinds to keep out the bright sun in the afternoons.

My son, Russ,  is quite proud of his daughter who was in the Washington Post!

What do you think of Olive Oil Ice Cream?

Our air quality has gone down to moderate due to the nearby fires. But our wind is from the NNE so it's not directly coming our way. I went out before 11 (on Wed. when I wrote this) and didn't notice any problem...but I'm still adjusting to the altitude and using oxygen continuously.

It was delightful going out around 8 and not feeling hot at all! Air quality was ok too. (You may have seen some of these photos before if you ever read my musings on my other blog, Inner Workings.)

I got my exercise bringing things in from the car which were purchased the day before, most of the work is hiking down the long hallway to my apartment.

By Wednesday afternoon I could walk without holding onto the railing...and not be completely out of breath. This altitude of 6512 constantly makes my lungs work harder. My apartment is second from the end!

With windows open at dawn, I was cool enough to wear my Alpaca shawl!

I made buckwheat pancakes for last Sunday night supper. They were ok tasting, but crumbled more than regular wheat ones.

Silly little things to adjust to. 

A dark towel works to combat sunlight streaming along the bottom of the bedroom blinds,

I often nap around 2-3 when that sun just blasts against these windows.

The first train of the day is a diesel. The steam engine seems to pull the second one. I don't know if this is the pattern all the time, but it seemed to be this last week.

A nice fortune-teller type forecast! I do hope you have all these things come your way!

Just a grand-pup ( and some bees)

 

 I already shared the Unitarian deer.

My son plays almost daily with my grand-pup, Zora. He throws a ball, she brings it back, over and over again.

Tai with Zora on a back packing  camping trip.

She's happily resting on the remains of her  doll.

And speaking of dolls...

My friend Teresa made sure I'd remember Black Mountain with this little stuffie. "You've got a friend in Black Mountain NC"  Of course the bookshelf didn't remain  empty for long.

I just saw a wonderful mural (among several) by The Good of the Hive. Here's the video.

This beautiful mural is part of Matt Willey's The Good of the Hive mural project: hand painting 50,000 honey bees—the number in a healthy hive—in murals and installations around the world. Located on the former Honey & the Hive building in Weaverville, this beautiful mural was painted in 2016 and still remains on the building (as of Sept 2025 Google Maps).

This mural became a loving tribute to Honey & the Hive founder Sarah McKinney, who sadly passed in 2020.

The mural can be found at 23 Merrimon Ave/US-19 Business.

Sharing with Saturday's Critters

On the Road - almost done!

 What's for Sepia Saturday this week? And just look at all these skies...so sharing with Skywatch Friday!

In my life, I have some photos that need sharing...but they aren't quite sepia yet.

Along the highways as we traveled from Black Mountain NC to Cortez CO. Here's a feature of Memphis TN.

Going over the Mississippi. I kind of missed Little Rock. Perhaps that was where the road was almost the worst. I think Memphis won that prize.

Three nights in similar configurations. Second night in Fort Smith AK.

Webbers Falls OK

Webbers Falls OK. At the truck stop, I saw this strange military truck.

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City 

Oklahoma City OK. An interesting vehicle, a command center truck for the US Marines.

Calumet OK

Erick OK. Last stop in Oklahoma. 

We stopped every 2 hours for gas and restroom breaks. It meant taking more time, but kept us sane. And this is where we lost the credit card (and noticed it within 2 hours). No charges were made, but ordering a new one meant switching to using another bank card the rest of the trip. (I moved funds from the lost card account to the second one that evening!)

A short hop across the panhandle of Texas.

Adrian TX

Yes there's more. The desert country will be next week!

Sepia Saturday offers this interesting view...

I have no idea what's going on, but am reminded somehow of Noah's Ark.

Last Sunday at the Animas River

 

Several white water rafts went by, with the steering person directing the raft across the river to the right channel. Flow of river is directly right to left here, but some shoals are near the far bank. My  daughter-in-law said earlier in the week the water had been orange from the  upstream mud and rain.

In the past mines would have their runoff going into the river, but environmentalists have restricted them to using pools for the toxic mining leavings.

My apartment building is right under the yellow arrow pointing at the park. It's very convenient!

 I already introduced you to the Rotary Park on the Animas River. These photos were all taken there.

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Tuesday morning I shopped in three different stores before 11. I had to leave the lamp shade and the two folding chairs, and the two gallons of distilled water in the car for later pack-ups to bring upstairs in my little rolling cart (on the elevator then down the long hall). I got all the groceries from Walmart and Natural Grocery in it however! 

Goodwill provided two used folding chairs with padded seats at a nice low cost. I should have waited to get the lamp shade there, rather than Walmart...but it is done.

I'm so thrilled the stores all had grocery carts to carry my oxygen generator (5 pounds) and my purse (it balances out pretty well) and then can lean on the cart.  Fortunately at 8 am Walmart was pretty deserted, so my slow wandering didn’t cause many people worries. Actually I saw two other people aimlessly wandering without carts.!

I was sad to look out my window at 1:30 to see the haze of smoke from  fire south of Pagosa Springs, about 65 miles east of Durango. It cleared by 5 when I next peaked through the blinds. I can’t open the blinds till after sunset, being a west facing apartment. And the 100 degrees on the other side of the glass also makes it a good idea to have another barrier. But being up in the mountains the nights cool down to 58 sometime before dawn. 

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"It goes without saying that you should never have more children than you have car windows." Erma Bombeck

water lillies. oil on canvas...frank depietro...american painter....landenberg..pennsylvania...born 1975

--------Sharing with Thankful Thursday