Sunday night blues

We spent most of the day around the house.   We did make several trips out to check on the fire.  As of this evening it looks like they are closer to getting this licked.   The wind has changed this evening.  We took a drive out around 6:30pm and when we came up over the hill on 21^st we couldn't believe how smoky it was.   Downtown about three miles away and you couldn’t even see it. While around the house today I took the camera out with me out on the back porch.   Took pictures of all the birds that came around to visit the bird bath and get a drink or take a bath.  I took this picture this evening of the sunset through the smoke and clouds.  Need to get ready for the work week.   Catch you later.

Waldo Canyon Fire Pics

Here are some new pictures from today of the fire.   These were taken from Highway 24 and 21st street.

Waldo Canyon

A fire started up in Waldo Canyon today.   I didn’t even now about it until Candy came home from the store and said did you hear about the fire and pointed to the smoke.  I grabbed the camera and headed off in the truck to Manitou.   I needed gas so I stopped at the 7-11 located on Highway 24 and Manitou Avenue. I took these pictures around 2:15pm from the parking lot while filling the tank.  

As of tonight they are still fighting the fire.   Waldo Canyon is very well visited hiking location.  I have done it a couple of times but don’t like the number of people on the trail.  A lot of tourist visit it so if I had to take a guess, we will find out that this fire was probably started by a cigarette.

The heat that we have had the last several weeks hasn’t helped any.  I believe today they reported that we broke a record as it was 100 today.   Everything around here is drying up.

Salt Lake City, UT

I was in SLC this week for business.   We had client meetings with two companies in the area on Wednesday.   I got up at 4:30AM and showered and got dressed.  I was on the road to DIA at 5:15/AM and arrived at 6:40AM. We had our meetings and both went well.  I dropped my coworkers off downtown after the meetings.  They had a late evening flight home and they were going to have dinner.

I have an uncle that lives outside of SLC in the country, so I stayed an extra day to hang out with him and play some golf.   I got to his house about 7pm on Wednesday and we headed out to have some dinner. 

That next morning we were at the course at around 8:30AM.   We didn’t have a tee time and it wasn’t an issue, no one else was around.  I was at the register ready to pay the green fees and then the owner came out and told us it was on the house, whatever we needed.  My uncle does some plumbing work for the golf course owner, so they must be pretty tight with each other.  That was the first time I have ever gotten to play golf for free.  

The course was in decent shape and it was pretty wide open so I didn’t loose too many balls.  I had two decent rounds, at least for me.   I definitely need to get out and practice if I want to improve my game.  It’s tough to do, expensive and eats up a lot of time.

At my uncle’s house they had some columbine growing in the flower garden.  I hadn’t seen any of this color before.  Around here the ones in the wild are purple and white. This was a larger and very healthy plant.

When we got back, we cleaned up and went and had an early dinner.   Said our goodbye’s and I headed off to the airport. 

For lunch today I came home and did an hour on the treadmill, was able to log 4/miles.   Managed to get a few chores done around the house this evening, load of dishes, folded clothes and watered the plants.

Tomorrow I am flying to SLC to visit with clients.  Early morning flight and it takes an hour and half to get to Denver, so that makes it even earlier.   Need to go pack and get ready.

Happy Fathers Day

Here is wishing all you dad’s out there a Happy Father’s Day!  I spent time over at the shop this morning, and with Eric’s help we hung two more panels of sheetrock.   I hope to get back over their tomorrow evening.

This afternoon Candy and I went out and played Frisbee golf.   We went to a new course that we hadn’t played before, Cumberland Green in Fountain CO. http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=4531   We ended up only playing six holes, it was hot out and the course doesn’t have much shade.  The course was ok, not great.  Being the first time we played their, we weren’t sure exactly where we were going and what pin we were aiming for.

Candy made up an awesome salad and I cooked some chicken thighs and legs up on the grill.  The boys showed up and we all ate together.  They got me a Angry Bird’s shirt and pair of shorts. 

Happy Fathers Day

Well let’s see, what have I done so far this weekend.   Yesterday I spent most of the day cutting and hanging sheet rock over at the shop.   I am just about done with the east wall.  Four more sheets and then some framing in around the window and then I can move the south wall.    I still need to find someone who can insulate the ceiling for me.  This week I will make a few phone calls and see what I can come up with.

We went to see the movie That’s My Boy with Adam Sandler.   This move is socially and politically incorrect but funny as can be.  If you go see it, leave your morals in car and have some fun.  

Not sure what is on the agenda for today.   I think I might head back over to the shop and see what else I can get done this morning.   Maybe I will drag everyone out and make them play Frisbee golf this afternoon.

Don’t forget to call you pop, it is Fathers day you know!

Returned to the wild

Two days had passed and I was unable to get the pigeon in the chimney to move.  I had assumed it was dead.  But alas, last night I heard him/her flapping and decided to give the rescue attempt another shot.

I stripped down and actually had to get most of my body into the fireplace.  I used a coat hanger that I bent up so that I could get behind the flu.   Several attempts finally got some movement and with my other hand I tried to grab the pigeon, the first attempt resulted in a handful of feathers.   The second attempt I was able to grab him/her and pull it out.

It was a full size pigeon; I took it out in the back yard and sat it on the bird bath.   It sat there for about 30 seconds and then flew off.   So I guess it was ok, it could fly, probably a little in shock.

After work this evening I came home and jumped on the treadmill.  Did 3/miles on the setting Hill Climb.  That brings me up to 20/miles for the week.  Later in the evening I spent about 30 minutes lifting.  I threw together a spreadsheet so I can track my miles and try to keep track of what it eat.

I checked the chimney to see if I could stir up the Pigeon.  No luck and I didn’t feel anything behind the flu.   Maybe it founds it way back up and out.

A buddy of mine called me this evening and offered up to help me hang some sheetrock this weekend.  I jumped on his offer as I can use the help.   Will need to do a quick inventory to see what I need to get before Saturday.

Pigeon in the Chimney

Just returned home from a car show this evening, there is a group that meets on Tuesday’s at Culvers http://www.culvers.com/restaurants/colorado-spring-lake-plaza .  When we got home from work, we were trying to decide what to do for Dinner.   Remembered about the meet up at Culvers, so we dusted off the corvette and headed to the show and dinner.

About twenty cars all together of different makes, models and years showed up.  Two other corvettes were already there, a 1962 and a 2005.  I got a lot of nice comments and answered a few questions about the car with other enthusiast and customers.

For showing up the owner of the Culvers gave us a card that gets us 10% off our order anytime we go in, so that was cool.

I had gotten home earlier than Candy this evening and I was sitting in the living room on the phone and I heard what sounded like squirrels running over the top of the house.  But this time is was louder than usual.  A few minutes later I heard it again and then again after that.   When I finished my call it happened again.  I went outside and looked and didn’t see anything on the roof.  When I came back in I heard them again.   I walked over to the fireplace and it happed again only louder this time.   I opened the doors on the fireplace and looked in, didn’t see anything.  It was dark so I found a flashlight and stuck my head in and look up the chimney and there was (and still is) a pigeon sitting on the flu.

It was trying to fly back up to get out, that’s what I was hearing.   I tried to reach up and grab it so that I could get it out, but when I did it dropped down behind the flu and now I can’t get to it.  I bent a hanger to see if I could get it back to a place where I can catch it but that didn’t work.   Not sure what to do now.   We decided to leave the doors open with the hopes it would come down and out.   I don’t really want a bird in the house but I don’t want a dead one in the fireplace as that will smell the place up.   I may end up having to call Billy the Exterminator to come over for this Job.

More to come on the Pigeon story, I will let you know how this all plays out.

Got home from work and thought I would hit the trail.  A little warm out it is, so instead I hopped on the treadmill and knocked down, a quick 3/miles.  I have to be in Denver tomorrow afternoon so will need to hit the treadmill or the trail early in the AM.  YOU CAN DO IT.

With the 3/miles today and Saturday’s hike that puts me up to 17.5/miles for the last three days.  Feels good!  Just need to get back in the daily routine.

Mt. Rosa

Sunday June 10^th is Eric’s 21^st Birthday.  We had talked about making a trek to Cripple Creek but we settled on doing the Mr. Rosa loop.   I picked him up at 4:45 AM and we were in the parking lot and headed out by 5:15 AM.

We moved at a slow steady space for the 6.77 miles with an elevation climb of 5131 ft to the Mt. Rosa summit.  We arrived at 9:30 AM and sat atop while we ate the bagel sandwiches Candy had made for us.  We snapped off a couple of photos and after catching our breath we headed back down.

 

Just after leaving the summit we came across four couples who were working their way up.   They must have come up the back side of the mountain.  Other that them we didn’t run into any else until we were on Seven Bridges almost back to the parking lot.

Working our way down the west side of Mt. Rosa we encountered Moths.   I am not talking about a couple Moths for about three miles we came across, I don’t know, hundreds of thousands, millions, a shit load!   I tried to get some pictures that would capture what we saw but nothing came out.  Here is a link (http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05597.html ) if you are interested in Moths/Millers and where they come from and causes for over population.  The warm winter that we had must have allowed the cut worm to go crazy.

The loop took us 14.3/miles today and took us about 8/hours.  Not one of my best times.  Considering the elevation gain and the fact that I haven’t done any distance hikes lately I can live with that time.

The way down was hot!  I think today has been one of the hottest we have had this summer.  The heat was just bouncing off the trail and back up into your face.   I ended up with a little sun burn and so did Eric.

I picked up some new tunes for the hike, four new bands:

Rev Theory http://www.revtheory.com/

Burn Halo http://www.burnhalo.com/

Egypt Central http://www.egyptcentral.net/

Adelitas Way http://www.adelitaswaymusic.net/main.aspx

Each one of them, have some decent tracks.  One song that really sticks out to me is Adelitas Way – Somebody wishes they were you.  Here is a link to the song on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4YbPaa5E1I

Check out Sick by them while you are there.