The Vacation Slideshow

So last week, Thursday through Saturday, I got to take my dear husband to Western Colorado on a mini vacation to celebrate his 43rd birthday. The big kids offered to babysit, all the children took up a collection so that we could go without guilt (aren't they the sweetest?), Dan's parents supervised, and I... Well, I provided directions to all the Starbucks enroute and snapped lots of pictures to document the occasion.

But, I don't want to bore you with too much build up. Let's get this show on the road! Hang onto your hats, here we go!

(Lights click off. Hear the humm of the projector. And with a wave of my arm...)
These first two are in the Ridgway area (Where True Grit was filmed).

These next few were taken in and around Ouray, except for the sheep you see there that we ran across on a mesa top ranch west of Montrose. We rolled down our window to take a picture of those sheep and were amazed at just how much they did not care that we were taking a picture of them. And baah-ing at them. And making snide comments about their apathy. They wouldn't be baited and wouldn't laugh at our jokes. Sheep really are rather dull, bless them. Serene, but dull.

This is the house overlooking Ouray that I would buy if I had a million dollars. (You see the picture in the header? That's the view this house has from its front porch!)

Always have to get a picture of a black crow on a red barn when I see one...


This next series of shots we took at the Ouray Ice Park. Next week is the Ice Festival in Ouray, which draws ice climbers from all over the world. You see the picture of the nice young ice climber taking a picture of his buddy climbing? We got to talking to him and he told us that the "clamp ons" that they wear on their feet start at $500 and the ice picks they use are about $200 a piece. I guess if you're climbing up ice waterfalls, you spare no expense on the best equipment. I don't blame them.

He also told us that the ice climbers spend so much time hanging from their picks in their ascents that the blood drains from their arms and their joints and muscles become extremely stressed, so that when they finally get to the top and put their arms down, the pain is so intense, the climbers call it the "screaming pukies."

Isn't that nice.

I had one question for him: Does your mother know you're doing this?

You can't see them from this high angle on top of the bridge, but there are ice climbers lined up all along this chasm, climbing down into the river bed below.

--straight down--

--and then back up again--

And here's the birthday boy...

The father of ten children,

who could teach these guys

a thing or two

about courage and daring!

Happy birthday again, love of my life!

Here's looking at you, kid!