Back from Florida!

I spent last week in Florida with my Dad and Adele. I found a nicely priced Spirit flight, but had inadvertently booked on the redeye, leaving at 11pm and arriving at 5am, ugh. I picked up Dad after I drove up from Ft. Lauderdale in the morning, and took him to Sara's Kitchen, a nice place near him, that I found by looking online. We both liked it. My cousin had also come down from the north to visit with us, and with Uncle Bill's close friends. Dad hosted a special dinner for us visitors, and a few of his closest friends. I didn't get much walking done, as it was either too hot, or raining, or my plans didn't agree with my host's schedule for her security system. My sister asked me to send her some of Dad's etchings, so I spent some time at the UPS store - it's nice that they will pack up artwork safely for a small fee. It was a pleasant enough trip, but I'm glad to be home, where the humidity is a lot lower most of the time.

Devil's Head Lookout

Just finished a fun short hike up to Devil's Head fire lookout station! Such a delightful trail, with lots of shade. There is still lots of debris lying around, from the F1 tornado that came through here last year. Ranger Bill had a little story about his experience during that storm. We saw lots of beautiful wildflowers along the trail. It was nice to see them sprouting up, between all the trees that were felled by the tornado. A small testimony, to the hardiness of nature. 

I used my Theodolite iPhone app, to identify some landmarks off in the distance - Bill thought it was pretty cool. It's kind of the poor man's version of the fancy sighting guide he uses, to spot fires from the lookout station. There are lots of really beautiful large rock formations in this area. Mandy made it all the way up the 150 stairs by herself – albeit with some trepidation and shakiness, after she could see 50 miles between the stairs, toward the top – what a trooper.  

There is a beautiful vista view from up there, of Denver to the north, the front range and plains to the east, the rocky mountains off to the west, Pike's Peak off to the south, and some interesting weather (thunderstorms) moving through our area nearby. We had a pleasant lunch in the meadow below the lookout station, and were visited by a handful of persistent chipmunks.

Demoing St Jo

I know they think of it as signs of progress, and that I'm surely repeating myself, but still, I am so sad, to see the old St Joseph Hospital being demolished, across the street from Hot Cakes Diner. I have so many bittersweet memories of being with Kristan there, for so many different reasons, from big things like open-heart surgery, down to the toe infections.

Here's the view that really tore at my heartstrings. I've walked down that particular hallway so many times…

So many good memories of the lighter moments, and of going out to check on Mandy, bundled up in the car on those subfreezing winter nights, or to take her for a walk around the block at 3am on a balmy summer eve. The end of an era...