Glimpses of My Days

Since many of you don't do Instagram, and that is where I share a lot of the pictures I snap, I thought it was time for another Instagram update. These go back to March...

I'm finding the #hashtags to be a lot of fun. I like thinking up which ones to use for each post... and then seeing what other pictures people have posted using those same hashtags. Sometimes I get comments or likes from random people who have found my picture from the hashtag. You can click on the hashtags below the pictures to see other what other Instagrammers have posted using that particular hashtag, if you're interested.

Breakfast at The Perfect Landing #airplanesinthemorning #breakfastdate

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Apr 4, 2015 at 8:10am PDT

Flowers from a friend. #cyclamen #touchofspringonmydesk

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Apr 13, 2015 at 5:33am PDT

Crocheting and audio book in the passenger seat... My idea of #roadtrip !

A photo posted by @karlacinid on May 14, 2015 at 10:50am PDT

I need a friend to do my hair for me every day. #fancybraid #goinggray

A photo posted by @karlacinid on May 29, 2015 at 12:33pm PDT

#rockymountainsunset #juneevening #lifeisgood #trustinggod

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Jun 1, 2015 at 7:24pm PDT

#takingthescenicroute #onthewaytochurch #springtimeintherockies #sundaymorning

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Jun 7, 2015 at 9:13am PDT

#rainbow #godspromise #onthewaytochurch #sundayevening #crazydenverweather

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Jun 7, 2015 at 5:16pm PDT

#morningquiettime #trustinggod #coffee

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Jun 9, 2015 at 7:02am PDT

#flowersfrommysweetheart #brightenmyday #lovemyman

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Jun 11, 2015 at 1:59pm PDT

#gottalovehalfpriceafter8 #summerevening #strawberrybanana #milkshake #sonicdrivein

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Jun 20, 2015 at 7:53pm PDT

#sundayafternoon #dayofrest #backyard #icedcoffee #goodbook #summertime #trustinggod

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Jun 21, 2015 at 1:30pm PDT

#datenight #downtowndenver #lodo #summerevening #crazydenverweather

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Jun 25, 2015 at 7:09pm PDT

Sonlight's 25th anniversary celebration at the Downtown Aquarium. #sonlight #denver

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Jun 26, 2015 at 3:48pm PDT

Iced caramel crunch coffee for breakfast? Well... Okay! #saturdaymorning #breakfastdate #303coffee #lovemyman

A photo posted by @karlacinid on Jun 27, 2015 at 7:43am PDT

An Evening Drive

My parents visited us last week for Dad's spring break. One evening we took them for a drive up to Lookout Mountain Park.

A herd of mule deer were ambling around when we arrived. They weren't scared of us.

I was able to get quite close to take some pictures

 We walked around for a little bit, but the wind kicked up and it was pretty nippy.

We decided we could see enough from the car.

 It's neat to be able to see downtown Denver from up there.

 When we got back to town the sun was setting.

 Lyle pulled over so we could enjoy it.

I snapped picture after picture.

These were taken in a parking lot about a half mile from our house.

What a lovely way to spend a spring evening!

Winter Day Trip

After a particularly snowy week we were happy to see sunshine when we got up yesterday morning. Lyle suggested going for a drive in the mountains to see the fresh snow. Rebecca and Cookie accepted our invitation to ride along. 

We started out early because I was afraid the sunshine might not last. Sure enough, it was only partly sunny during our drive. Still, the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.

ICY CONDITIONS MAY EXIST

 Do tell!

Our route took us through the ski resort towns of Breckenridge and Keystone.

MUG SHOTS

 I thought the name of this coffee shop in Breckenridge was clever. I love a good play on words.

 We were especially interested in watching the skiiers. Needless to say, the ski runs were quite busy after all the "fresh powder" this past week.

We pulled into a scenic overlook above the chair lift at Arapahoe Basin. It was neat to have a bird's eye view. Lyle and Rebecca would have liked to go skiing themselves. Maybe another time.

It sure is fun to have beautiful scenery so close to home when we are in the mood to go for a drive.

Autumn in the Rockies

 Last Sunday afternoon was overcast and gray, but we decided to take a short drive up in the mountains to see the aspens anyway.

 The brilliant gold is a sharp contrast to the dark green of the evergreens. Just breathtaking.

 I especially enjoyed this scene with the farm pond and the barbed-wire fence... and the little bit of blue sky peeking through the clouds.

 And, of course, we had to pose in front of the leaves!

 This one is just to embarrass the kids. Because that's what we do.

 What a privilege to live so near such beauty. It's almost worth putting up with city life. Almost.

Wonder if I can talk the man into going again this Sunday. Maybe the skies will be clear? You never can tell about Colorado weather.

Helen Hunt Falls

We had company for the 4th of July weekend this year. Two of Lyle's brothers and their families were in the area. On Saturday we drove into the mountains outside of Colorado Springs to hike along Helen Hunt Falls.

Some of us only made it up to the bridge over the falls looking out over the parking lot.

 It was lovely shady place to sit on the rocks and enjoy the splashing stream tumbling over the rocks.

The men and kids hiked on up the mountain. I'm not sure where it took them and or what they saw, but I guess it was a pretty good hike.

They stopped at the bridge on the way back down.

No telling what the brothers were talking about... but they enjoyed being together. They don't get to see each other very often, since one lives in Kansas, one in Idaho, and one in Colorado.

We look forward to finding other pretty places to hike around here.

Mount Evans

Our afternoon drive the last Sunday of June took us up above the tree line to the summit of Mount Evans at over 14,000 feet.

It is the highest paved road in North America.

We had driven the Pikes Peak road several years ago on vacation, and this one was every bit as dramatic, with no guard rails!

We learned that originally this highway was meant to connect three "fourteeners"-- Longs Peak, Mount Evans, and Pikes Peak-- but according to the brochure it "proved unfeasible at the time" so they gave it up. That would have been really cool, though.

Since it was a hot day in Denver we hadn't thought about taking along jackets. It was breezy and in the 40s at the summit.

We walked around a bit, but didn't take the time to hike the additional 100 or so feet to the actual summit.

The park entrance fee was $10 per vehicle... a bargain compared to the $40 fee for Pikes Peak! Besides, it's closer to home... so I expect we'll be buying a season pass for $25 next year. 

It's only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but it's a great Sunday afternoon drive destination!

A Drive in the Mountains

Yesterday morning Lyle asked if I'd like to go for a drive up in the mountains. I'm always up for a drive with that man, so I immediately said yes. Then he asked if I wanted to do the "short drive" or the "long drive." Apparently he's been planning various scenic routes for just such occasions. I chose the long one... which turned out to be a 300+ mile loop! The kids chose not to go since we didn't have a particular destination in mind.

The calendar says it's spring, but we've learned you can't always go by that in the mountains. We've been turned back by snow-covered roads on early spring drives in Idaho, so we weren't sure what to expect. However, most of the mountain roads in Idaho are Forest Service roads. There are more "main highways" traversing the mountains in Colorado, even though the altitude is higher, so we didn't run into any difficulties on this trip.

It was too overcast for spectacular pictures, but we enjoyed the scenery anyway. We learned that Mount Elbert is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains. Lyle wondered why Pikes Peak is more famous. I speculated that maybe it was the first peak the pioneers could see as they were crossing the prairie... but I don't really know.

I love mountain streams in the springtime.  I would love to see this vista on a sunny day.

We stopped at several scenic overlooks and "points of interest." Unfortunately, we weren't actually able to read the signs at this pullout, with that big snow drift between the parking area and the signs, not to mention the ginormous puddle!

We enjoyed learning more about the history of mining in Colorado, and seeing some of the popular ski areas.

We are looking forward to summer when the camping and hiking areas will be accessible.

Spring Break Staycation

This past week was my dad's spring break (as a school bus driver) so he and Mother brought Rebecca home and spent the week with us. Regrettably, I had to work most of the time they were here so we didn't have time to do a lot of sight-seeing during the week. Mostly we just enjoyed visiting in the evenings. They headed back home on Friday morning.

As it turns out, Lyle and I both had Friday and Saturday off, and the weather was beautiful, so we decided to do a little sight-seeing with the kids. On Friday we decided to visit the Garden of the Gods outside Colorado Springs.

It was a beautiful, sunny day but the breeze was a little chilly so this turned out to be a good choice, as we could see a lot from the car.

We stopped at several pull-outs to take pictures.

We did go on one short hike. 

The rest of the family even climbed on some of the rocks for a better view. I was content to stay on the trail and snap pictures.

We are thoroughly enjoying exploring our new home area. We have a long list of things we'd still like to see and do, and as the weather warms up I'm sure we'll manage to fit in a few more.

Sunshine Tag # 2

It's been a busy week! But then... they all are, aren't they?

As we've been getting settled it's been fun to explore our new home area, and discover neat new-to-us places. Somebody Lyle works with had recommended a restaurant at a nearby municipal airport, so Lyle took me there for breakfast last Saturday.

I think that may be my favorite breakfast date so far! Our table was by the window overlooking the boarding area with the runway beyond... and the Rocky Mountains off in the distance beyond that. Being a municipal airport, it was all private jets and small planes, but several took off and landed while we had breakfast. It was really fun to watch.

My homeschool convention started this past weekend in Loveland, Colorado. This was my fifth year to do this event, but this time it was "local" for me. I drove back and forth each day and spent the night at home.

Rush-hour traffic coming home on Friday evening through downtown Denver was a bear! Made me re-think the wisdom of not spending the night in Loveland. But I made it! And then Lyle did the driving for me yesterday. I will miss having him be my driver/loader for my other events this spring, as I will be flying.

I had hoped to post more often than weekly, but for now, I guess it will have to do. So to wrap up this week's post, here are my answers to Laura's questions on the "Sunshine Award" blog tag game:

1. Favorite thing to do on Friday night? Hang out with Lyle.
2. What is your favorite movie line? "I like people who make me like them. Saves me so much trouble forcing myself to like them." --from Anne of Green Gables.
3. Android or Apple IOS? Android. I've never owned an Apple product.
4. Favorite game? Phase 10.
5. Do you like coconut popcorn? Yes. But I like plain buttered popcorn best.
6. Favorite blog? Through My Eyes. ;-)
7. Favorite candy? toffee
8. What kind of car do you drive? Volkswagen Jetta and Ford Excursion
9. Favorite place to live? Wherever Lyle lives.
10. If someone wrote a book about your life, what would they title it? I'm pretty sure that would be Ramblin' Roads, dontcha think:?

Settling In

 I guess it's way past time for an update. We are gradually settling into our new home. The weather has been quite variable. January was overall pretty mild. Last weekend we got a good bit of snow, turning our backyard into a Winter Wonderland.

 Two weeks ago we made a quick trip to Kansas over the weekend to meet up with my parents so the girls could go home with them. They are planning to stay in Arkansas until the end of March. Laura will probably come back to Colorado at that time, but Becky intends to stay and raise a new flock of chickens this spring, since last year's Girls had to stay in Idaho. She's thinking of adding some guineas to her flock as well.

We drove home across southern Kansas, and drove parallel to an Amtrak train for many miles. Sometimes it would get ahead of us when we stopped, but then we would pass it again.

 In the evenings we're trying to get more unpacking and setting up done. Last weekend we got some pictures hung which makes the house feel more like home. I was happy to get Lyle's string arts hung in the family room. (This is a craft he was into as a teen. Even though they are somewhat "retro" by now, I have enjoyed hanging them in our home throughout our marriage.)

Work continues to go well. Each week is a little better than the last... which is a good thing, I think. Lyle is getting to know his co-workers and enjoying more variety than just running the printing press, which is what he mostly did the first couple of weeks. I've been making plans for the upcoming homeschool convention season. Turns out I'll be doing 8 events this year... 3 of which are in Alaska! I'm very excited about that, as I've never been to Alaska before. That will be an adventure, for sure!

One thing we are thoroughly enjoying is exploring the area. Last Sunday was sunny after a big snowfall the previous two days, so we went for a long drive up in the mountains. Suffice it say that fresh snow in the Rockies shimmering in the sun is breathtaking.

Until next time...