JUNE Snow In The High Mountains

"That's some SNOW, Joe"

These are  a few of the SNOW photos from our trip to the Rocky Mountains HIGH MOUNTAINS from Estes Park across to Grand Lake on Tuesday, June 21, 2011.

My sister, Sandy, said it was 102 in Tampa and felt like 110 degrees according to McDill AFB near her.

It got down to 43 degrees on our trip. We put on our jackets and turned on the heat in the car. The wind was frigid!

The sound of rushing water was beautiful.

 Snow melt in the high mountains - flooding in the valley.

The photo below shows the flooding in the valley - and about 40 elk!!!



Click on the photo for a close up view.



One of the few times in his life when hubby enjoys the "cold".




Icy cold snow ball




There goes the snowball!!!!



People stop and write their name in the snow




Stakes for the snow plows so they don't fall off the edge!



Christmas in June...




No chance of falling off here





Someone put a rose in the snow




Hubby always wanted a photo of himself taken here.



What's a mountain trip without seeing a MOOSE!
(Jim Meikle photo)

More on the trip in another posting...

If you didn't see it, please enjoy the story and photos of my 100th Geocache find. It was spectacular!!!  I climbed a mountain to get it.  Posted at my geocaching blog HERE.


Take Care on the Journey
Your friend in life,
~Linda

Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

No Fear!

When life seems perilous, remember the baby mountain goat,
and enjoy the view.

(Linda Meikle photo)

There's a story behind every picture...

In this case, I saw this baby mountain goat playing on the high rocks beside the road as I drove down the mountain highway. I quickly pulled over to a tiny open area beside a roaring mountain stream, ran to the trunk of the car, and loaded my camera with film so furiously that I broke the camera back. (How many years have I furiously loaded film???)  Most of the rest of the film was ruined. Later, I used another camera to got a few more shots. I'll post them soon, but thought this was so cute!!!

Click photo for a closer view.

Take Care on the Journey,

Your friend in life

~Linda

Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

Estes Park, Colorado, When Sandy Came to Visit.



Isn't he a beauty? He looked right at me just long enough for a portrait!
(Click on the photo for a close-up view.)



This is what Sandy was taking a video of in the next px below. 
(There's another camera in her arms. LOL)
I thought he was going to charge her, but he finally laid down and ignored Sandy.
(Click photo for better view)



Just out of sight is the great big Elk.
I was standing behind a rock watching to make sure he didn't start after her!



Up close and personal at Estes Park, Colorado.



A beauty standing right beside the highway on the way home.
He let Sandy offer him a french-fry, but then declined it.

We took thousands of photos while Sandy was here. I think it will take years to get them all sorted and posted.  Hope you enjoy the ones that make it to publication. :)))

Take Care on the Journey
Your friend in life,
~Linda

Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

Roses for My Sister's Birthday

Update first:  My sister, Sandy, enjoyed a whirlwind birthday week in Denver with us!  My oh my, did we take lots of pictures!!!  I guess between us, we had eight different cameras, videos, digital, and film.

TODAY is her actual birthday, so instead of a paper card, I'm sending ROSES from the rose bushes around our new home.

The woman who sold us the home, and who planted all these gorgeous plants, is still in the hospital but doing a little better. When I visited yesterday, we went out to the courtyard with the wheelchair carrying all her machines. She was able to enjoy the sunshine for a few minutes.

So, here's to Sandy and many, many, more ROSES in her life.

 Remember, you can click on each photo for an up close, personal, view.  :))

 Rose bushes along the sidewalk...

Take Care on the Journey
Your friend in life,
~Linda

Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com

My Sister Is Coming To Visit...Happy Birthday!!!!

Sandy lives in Tampa, FL with her hubby, two dogs and three cats, so it's difficult for them to get away.  But, for her birthday gift on June 15, her husband has suggested she fly to Denver as a great gift. We couldn't agree more, but wish both were making the journey. She will arrive by plane at 10:30 in the morning although I don't think either of us have slept for two days in anticipation of seeing each other again after at least two years apart.

Sandy has been making a list and checking it twice several times a day for the last month. Although she could be here for a week with nothing but the clothes on her back, vacation planning takes on a whole new meaning when it's a reunion with your sister.

We have something planned for every day she's here (Monday - Friday). An overnight stay in the mountains on Tuesday night. The Royal Gorge train Wednesday afternoon and Red Rocks to follow that. A day trip into the mountains including Estes Park on Thursday.

We're geocaching and placing some special geocaches while she here.

Of course, she's the first guest at our new home. She'll get a new electric blanket and her own new pillow.  It looks like a few roses in the front yard will bloom for her while she's here too.

Our expectations are that she and her hubby (and Star) will return in time for MY birthday celebration in September. We've had too many birthdays in our lifetime not to enjoy them to the fullest, don't you think?

Want a super special birthday? Come visit us in Denver!  Celebrate mine or yours or Sandy's. Who's counting?

Take Care on the Journey
Enjoy those birthdays!
~Linda

Linda's E-mail: bestnurse@usa.com