Are you done for a while?

Yes, I think I am done and will be home for the next couple of weeks.   We have been crazy busy at work and I have been traveling pretty consistently for the last several months.  On my days off last week, I worked like a mad-man to get my shop walls primed.   I finished up on Saturday afternoon, came home and packed and left the house at 6:00 AM on Sunday headed to Ohio.   Just returned home this evening.

That's it for now, I am pooped and need to go lay my clothes out for tomorrow so I can walk to work.

Being that I am on PTO this week, I have been working hard to make progress on the shop.   Today I finished up sanding and then worked on cleaning up all the dust.   Moved just about everything out and brought in the hose and sprayed the floor.   When the floor was dry I brought everything back in and stacked it in the middle of the shop.   I moved everything away from the walls and then sprayed out the west wall with primer.    It will need another coat, will do that tomorrow and start working on the other walls.   I would like to get this done by Saturday.

The 80906

I got out this morning and did 3.5 up through BCP.   I took my camera with me and this is what I saw today.

Home again, home again!

We made it home this evening.   We had a great trip but, I have to say I am glad to be back and am already working on my list of things I need to get done around the house.  I do have a few stories to tell from the trip.  I will try to get some photos and stories up in the days to come.  I did see myself in a few pictures and have some serious work to do.

Relax my ass

Not that I need to relax my ass, although Candy would say I need to when it comes to spending money. Yesterday we hung out by the pool and then grabbed a cab to take us to Paradise Village.  We got a coffee and hung out and watched the people scurry back and forth.  We decided to walk back and it was a little further than what we thought.  I don't know the exact kilometers but it took us a good 2/hours so I am guessing about 6 miles.   I was soaked from the sweat and probably smelling a little rank, but we made it.

When we got back we headed down to the pool to see who could drink the most rum and cokes!  We sat at the swim up bar and I think we tied at 7 each and then stumbled back to the room.   Showered and changed and then it was off to dinner.  The food has been great so no complaints from me.

Today we were up early and caught a cab to take us to the pick-up for our ATV adventure.  Our ride never showed up at the pick-up point so we grabbed a cab and headed back to the hotel.   When we arrived I checked in with our tour guide and told him it was 10AM and I wasn't riding ATV's.   He got on the phone and about twenty minutes later he had a ride for us from the hotel to the ATV company at no cost.   When we got to the ATV company they had a very mucho special trip for us as they had made a mistake.  We got

checked out on our ATV's and away we went.  The first part of our trip was through town and then we were on the trail up into the mountains.   The area we were in was a very depressed and I am sure it was a rude awaking for Candy and Clark.  After a good 40 minutes we were close to the top and we stopped at this little hut where they gave us free beers for the screw up and then they fed us lunch.

Following lunch we had a tequila tasting, we tried about six different types.   Man you have to love Mexico, the rent you ATV's and then load you up on beer and tequila!  The place we stopped at was pretty cool!  It was on the river and had several large natural swimming pools.   We opted to sit down by the

water and ate our food and drank our beer.  They had lime, avacoda and several other fruit bearing trees.  Candy wanted to get her picture with this fruit and I will be damned if I can remember what they called it.   We saw lizards, a snake and several wild dogs.   I tried to get some pictures of all the butterflies that were buzzing around, but no luck.

After lunch we made our way back down the mountain!  Driving through town was an experience, but we all made it.   Once back we walked down to the coast and checked out a few shops before finding a cab and making the 40 minute trip back to the hotel.   When we got back it was back into our swimming suits and

back into the pool.  Tonight we had a reservation for the steak house located on the property.   It was nice and the food was good!  Even better when it is all-inclusive and you don't have to pay.

Every night they have a show, the first night it was a ballet.  I think last night they had a rock band and tonight it was a tribute to Michael Jackson.   We plan on keeping it low key tomorrow and getting boogie boards for swimming in the ocean and the off to the market.

View all of today's pics here: https://plus.google.com/photos/115678648713324071004/albums/5895863684370907505

Time to relax

We left the house at 7:45 AM and headed over to pick up Clark's friend Zachary.   Got on the highway and headed up to DIA.   Traffic was light this morning, which was nice.  The last couple of days it has taken me 2 hours plus to get up to or back from Denver.   We arrived at DIA about 10:30 AM and began working our way through the maze of people, United Airlines screwed up check-in process and the joy of our government s attempt to make you feel safe, by having you go through silly procedures.

Our flight left on time and a couple of hours later we were on the beach in Puerto Vallarta!   Traveling through a Mexican airport is fun, as you arrive and get through customs, they are ready to start selling you time shares, etc.  We made our way through the fast pitched sales efforts and found our driver to take us to the hotel.

We are staying at the RUI Palace Pacifico and so far so good.   We checked out the pool and took a stroll up the beach.   Tonight we ate at the buffet and it was very tasty and lots of items to choose from.   It is all inclusive so I am sure that this is going to kill my diet.  It’s hot though, so maybe I will lose as much as I gain.  We lost Clark and Zachary after dinner, I am sure they are finding plenty of things to keep them occupied.  They have a room to themselves and the mini-bar is free.  On the wall above the fridge is four bottles of liquor for mixed drinks and the fridge is stocked with beer.  Free room service, oh man we are set.   Free Internet is included so I got everyone hooked up this evening.  If you need to reach me text or email me.

More Snakes

Been busy with work this week and have failed to get an entry in.  Worked in Denver on Monday and Tuesday.   Was back home today so I walked to work and back.   It was hot out this afternoon and I was pretty sweat soaked when I got home.

This morning I came across another bull snake in BCP.   This one was  a little smaller than the one I saw last week.    I  got behind him and snagged this picture with my phone.

Then when I get home tonight I let the dogs out and Roxie found a garter snake in the yard.  I have seen more snakes this year already than in previous.

So this is the way that things work sometimes.   We are leaving on a trip soon and the dryer blew craps last Sunday.  Repair guy will be here on Monday.  So I worked up a couple of clothes lines in the backyard, I am sure the neighbors are happy, but I don't really care.

Still Smoking

As of tonight the West Fork fire rages on.  We still have smoke, but it isn't as bad has it been the last couple of days.   Evacuations are in effect for the town of South Fork.   From what Candy told me this was the town that they shot the camping scene in the movie Vacation.

The week is over and it's Friday!   We just kicked back at the house this evening.  Candy made up some crackers with cheese and grapes.   I cooked up a couple of beer brats on the grill.  Made for a nice littler dinner.

While we were sitting out back this evening a Monarch Butterfly came to visit us.   Held still just long enough to let me get a couple of pictures with the phone.

The Smoke Rolls In!

I went to the shop after work and slapped some mud up on north wall.  Will try to get back over tomorrow night and get another layer on.   Once again this evening the smoke came rolling in.   As I was driving home this evening I pulled over in BCP and snapped this picture.   There are more mountains behind the ones you can see in this picture.   The smoke is blowing up from the fire burning in the south.   I checked the weather and we don't have any rain in our future.  I also found a map with all the current fires that are burning in the state

More Smoke

Being that it is Wednesday night we had dinner at the Village Inn with Marv and Bell.   When we came out of the restaurant the sky was thick with smoke.   I would say visibility was two miles at best.  Quick check on the news and we have fires to the north and south of us.  The thick smoke was coming up from the fire outside of Walsonburg, CO.  Walsonburg is about a 100 miles south of us.

With all the fire activity we have had and one so close to home last week, you get a little freaked out.  The smoke tonight was so thick and the odor so strong you start thinking the fire is close.  Most of Colorado Springs must have thought the same thing as they were broadcasting on the local channels to stop calling 911, unless you see flames or billowing smoke.