Breckenridge to Denver

Today we got to go see Katie, Sammy, and Garrett in Denver. 

This is Katie's awesome, beautiful front yard. We had a great visit and walked up to her neighborhood business district and had lunch and gelato at a little Italian restaurant. 

Sammy greeted us at the front door. 

Katie and Garrett just returned from Florida where Katie was able to see the fruits of her hard work. She helped design the outer parts of the Orion Space Shuttle. It was very rewarding for her to see evidence that all her schooling, training, and work actually produced something that NASA is going to blast off into outer space. She may have the opportunity to work on a satellite that will shoot asteroids as her next endeavor. 

Mom and Dad enjoyed seeing the Cardon's home and playing with Sammy. 

Garrett is working on a project which analyzes the brain changes in people with hearing loss. It sounds like fascinating and rewarding work. They are hoping to be able to manipulate brain development and changes so that people  will be able to interpret sound, perhaps tactally. 

We enjoyed the smiles, laughs, and hugs from Sammy. 

Breckenridge Some More

I often wonder about where sayings come from...

When I reached the 12,000 elevation level today on my run, I understood the meaning of "catching one's breath," as I reached and caught the lung which was dispelled because of my heavy gasping. On the up side, the vistas are absolutely gorgeous. This is an amazing place. 

Mom and I then attended water aerobics and did the underwater bouncing and moving about as we enjoyed a great session of B.S. with our new pal Sue the Italian. 

The Historical Society had another tour, "Denver, Dillon, and the Dam." It was done by the same lady that did our other tour and was very interesting. We learned a lot about the building of the dam and the tunnel that takes the water to cities further east. 

30% of the water goes to Denver. She then took us on a walking tour of Dillon. There's not much  to that city. 

She even made us climb a long flight of stairs in an old building to see the peep hole that the Rebecca's used to allow their members into their meetings. 

The bike trail systems here are amazing and the trail that I took from Dillon to Breckenridge was beautiful. It wound through lodgepole, quakies, and spruce along the edge of the Dillon Reservoir. 

We topped the day off with an amazing session of dominoes. 

My parents kicked my trash as I came in dead last at the end of the night. Good thing we weren't playing for money like they do with their pals. 

Breckenridge New Day

There are a few things I don't notice that are going on in the background relationship of Jane and Mel.

We were sitting at our waffle breakfast and Jane was signing for the breakfast. The waitress left her pen at the table for the signature. When the waitress came to pick up the paper she asked if she could pick up pen as well. Jane slides it out from under the edge of her plate. 

After she left, Mel says, "Didn't work that time Jane."

"Well I keep losing them."

These two rock my world. Ha ha ha ha ha.

We visited Washington Mine Tour north of Breckenridge and learned that mining was a really tough life. 

Old wheel barrel. 

Inside the equipment shed. 

The Cornish came from the coal mines back East and were really good miners.  They were small, strong and knowledgeable about safe mining procedures. The Italians were the good blacksmiths.

The area around Breckenridge was all about getting the gold at first. Later silver was also mined. 

Each miner used a maximum of three candles per day for a 10 hour day. They had to buy their own candles. It was considered very bad luck if your candle went out three times in the mine or if anyone saw three rats leaving the mine. No one else could re-light your candle if yours went out. You had to use your matches because it was considered bad luck to have someone else light yours from his. It would drain the soul of the person who lit your candle. Women were not allowed in the mines or anywhere near because they were considered bad luck. However, the mining claims usually had women's names.

Then downtown. 

Breckenridge Again

Putting in my 3 mile run at 10,000 feet is a lot different than at Orem's 4,500. One of my lungs is up on Cloud Rim Road. 

Water aerobics was part of the morning agenda, so after the run I attended the class with Burt and Sue.  I decided that attending water aerobics is quite the social evert and a good opportunity to stand around waving our limbs with a good quantity of B.S.

And, yes, that's my new swimsuit that I snagged for 17 bucks on clearance at j c penny. 

Mom and I had a makeover with a Mary Kay representative. She was a cute little lady with amazing lotions and potions.  We are now gorgeous. 

This is how my mother naps. She has done it thus was since she tromped hay during her growing-up years in Mapleton. They would throw the hay up in a wagon and her job was to run around the hay and tromp it down. When they came in for lunch, they were allowed a half hour nap and then back out for more trolling. She takes her naps very seriously.

We then visited the Summit Ski Museum.

They only used one pole. There was a film about the 10th Mountain Division during WW II. I didn't know that my dad was waiting to cross the Po River in Italy before the Germans surrendered. He was three miles away. The 10th Mountain Division still comes to Breckenridge for a ski day each year. There are not many of them left. 

We toured the Breckenridge Distillery and learned about how bourbon, vodka, and rum are made.  It is a very interesting and complex process. Bourbon must have a new charred barrel each time it's made. 

We then went to a glass making demonstration that lasted for about two hours. A guy made a huge glass dish and eight of his friends helped in the whole process.  It was very well orchestrated, with each of them taking instructions from him and doing their part. The studio was quite small and they were running around with molten glass on the ends of sticks. Several fiery furnaces helped in the process.

The day ended with another torrential downpour and beautiful rainbows. 

Breckenridge Day Two

The days begin with ease. First Mel starts rambling around, tiptoeing so as not to disturb Jane. He slips quietly out at about 6:30 for a walk, newspaper, and a cup of coffee with the boys (if he can find any - today he didn't). When Jane gets rattling around, breakfast must be set out immediately. She darts back and forth between the bathroom and kitchen, doing a little bit here and a little bit there. Morning and night, pills are dispensed meticulously by Jane. "Hey Mel, get on the other side of this bed," means that the tidying up has begun and the bed is made and the mugs rinsed out. 

Once the breakfast dishes are done, it's time for a little cat nap and a bit more newspaper reading. 

All you women out there who want to stay fit should  follow Jane's example as she flops down on the floor and sequentially works through her exercise routine. 

We took a gondola to the top of Breckenridge....looks like a mighty fine place to plant my sticks come snowfall. The scenery is beautiful, much more green than Utah. 

You gotta love my mom's forgotten tea bags. She gets the last bit of flavor out of each one. 

I then took a ride from Breckenridge to Dillon and back, wonderful!

Shopping at the Silverthorne Outlets was fun. We even convinced Mel to try on a couple of new shirts for his trip to Panama. Didn't need to convince Jane and me. 

After shopping we snagged some mighty fine grease at Smashburger, then some frozen yo at Spooners. While there the heavens released their afternoon dump and we watched from inside. As quickly as the downpour began, it stopped and we were blessed with another afternoon full rainbow. 

Throughout my life Dad has shared insightful words of wisdom. Today as the three of us sat cherishing moments, "Lotta people lookin' for gold at the end at the end of the rainbow."  Long pause and the last spoonfuls of frozen yogurt were slicked up.  "We've got it." And I do not believe he was referencing the yogurt.