Day 5: Lazy Lake Day

We broke our adventure friends.  They opted out of trails for the day.  And to be honest, we weren't up for serious trails, but we saw a few small ones on the map near the functioning mine that called to us.

We decided to explore the other side of Lime Creek Road before heading out.

We headed towards the functioning mine and up 52.

We found ourselves at a lake.  And after 10 minutes, it was all ours until we left.

Snow, water and amazing scenery filled the next hour or so.

Rommel was in heaven, two of his favorite things.  Elly just loves everything about being outside and exploring.

It was so peaceful we had our lunch and didn't head back to the Jeep until the approaching monsoon rattled itself around the peaks.

Not long after leaving, the rain began.  We poked about a little more, before meandering back to camp for the evening.

It's days like this that fill the soul to brim.

Onwards to Silverton!

Its summer so the sun sets too late and rises too early.  That didn't bother Elly, who barely slept the night before but was in full lizard hunting mode come morning.

And after an ample struggle, we managed to get four adults, two kids and two dogs still long enough for one photo.

Bye Valley of the Gods!

We blazed through Utah, through Bluff and the Reservation.

And into Colorado, through Durango and onwards east.  The final destination of this journey is Colorado Springs.  Why?  Because we haven't been there.  But first, a stop off in Silverton because A) we love the place and B) its a mid point.

Mineral Springs.  If it aint broke, don't fix it.  Stick with what you know and seek out a camp spot.

This trip was planned a month earlier than usual, for reasons I can no longer remember.  There was a lot more snow on the ground than usual and the waterfalls and creeks were full and raging.  We also hit a small snag.  The Jeep just couldn't get itself and the trailer over this small snow block.  FJ to the rescue!

Hey, I'm not ashamed we got stuck and needed help.  We're hauling a fat bottomed girl, and have lower ground clearance than the FJ.  We wouldn't have anymore issues with this spot since the sun and vehicles were shrink it down for us. 

We pushed through and down into the valley at the end of Mineral Springs.

While camp was erected, I let Rommel briefly play in the creek.  Briefly because it is so cold, your toes begin to burn after a few seconds.  He would play himself into hypothermia if I let him.  So just a few minutes of blissful play with the added benefit of washing away the red dirt from Utah.

To encourage K9 dry time and to stretch our legs, Mike and I ventured around.

After our hike, Mike and Pete played horseshoes while Mandy and I prepared dinner.  I want to say we enjoyed potato soup tonight but I'm not 100% sure.  The June sun is blazing in Colorado, but the second the sun moves behind the mountain, we were chilled to the bone.

Warm showers were enjoyed, lounging commenced and eventually we all tucked in for a restful night soothed by the sounds of Mineral Creek.

Waterslide Fun 2015

It's that time of year again, where the adults and dogs highjack the rented water slide to play.  Its been brutally hot this week and we've been looking forward to this.  The slide this year featured a twist at the end that was quite fun.  The dogs had a blast.

The slide had a leak so Elly and the other hounds found comfort in the shady mud.

Elly was kind of a kill joy today but Rommel made the best of the slide and the wading pool at the bottom.

 Our pitbull friends were self sufficient and were able to make their way up the ladder without aid.

At several points, Elly got lippy and hollered at Rommel.  She wanted him to play with her in the mud, he wasn't complying.  This shot made me laugh.  He's looking at me like "what is her malfunction?"

And without further ado, a video of our fun:

The Great Arizona Flood of 2014

Today, a monsoon hit the Phoenix area with vengeance.  For those not familiar with desert rains, they can be violent.  Not necessarily the rains themselves, but what they can bring.  Deserts have washes. Washes are essentially dry river beds.  Since they can be dry for 90% of the year, or even dry for years on end, humans tend to forget that they exist for a purpose: drainage.  Humans also tend to forget how deadly they can be.  Whole swaths of Interstate 10 were under water and consumed countless vehicles of brain dead drivers who thought that their Honda Civic could really make it through water up to their windows.

(photo from KNXV)

Entire neighborhoods were evacuated due to flooding and downed power lines.  But most people made the best of the new found (and short lived) lakes that sprung up throughout the valley.  Desert people LOVE water. Its rare to see so much of it here.  And the dry soil and high temperatures will make quick work of its disappearance. 

After a wet day at work, Mike and I took the dogs out to enjoy the lakes that formed in our own neighborhood walking path.  This is less water than we have seen in the past, but still enough to make our water dog happy.

The sun came out by 1PM, and by the time we made it out to play it was warm and wonderful.  Rommel and Elly thought we were the best parents ever. While she isn't a huge fan of swimming, she's an enormous fan of splashing and chasing in water.  And Rommel may as well have fins and gills.

Of course we took video again. Who can resist the joy of a dog in water?  (for those who watched my prior dog/water video, I apologize for the same soundtrack.  It's the only watery type music I have on my PC). 

Also, Blogger's mobile site does not like embedded videos.  For those using the mobile site, here is the link directly to the youtube video.