Autumn

Larry's travel for work has taken a bit of a turn lately -- not to any of the mining properties but instead, to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota -- the college he graduated from back in 1978.  "The Company" is utilizing it's employees who have graduated from the many mining related higher learning institutions to act as recruitment "tools" to entice future graduates to consider "The Company" as an employer once they graduate.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to travel with him considering the destination!

So, while Larry met with SDSM&T representatives and future graduates, I was able to spend the day with Virginia! Yikes but the wind was a blowin'! 

Larry and I then visited our special Aunt Co who was still in the hospital after a slow recovery from what seemed to be multiple health issues.  It was good to be able to see her and how far she has come in her recovery. 

The following day we headed for Harrison for a quick (very quick!) visit with Larry's mom.  The wind conditions had disappeared, thank goodness, which made for a very pleasant following morning spent doing yard work.  Notice all those leaves still on the trees - but at least we made a dent. 

That evening, we visited friends John and Terry who had mutual friends Walt and Pam visiting from New Hampshire!  An incredibly pleasant evening spent reconnecting with these special people.  (l-r: Walt, Pam, John and seated, Terry!)

We arrived in Harrison late afternoon on a Friday and were headed back to Rapid City to catch our flight late morning on Sunday.  I grabbed a photo of Larry and mom Dorothy before heading out.

We returned to our very pleasant Arizona fall weather and a couple of deer hanging out in our "back yard."

And my last photos are of a yucca in our front yard that is working on blooming.  I'm guessing that the stalk grows about a foot a week. 

Below is my most recent picture of the growing process which was probably a week ago.  I have way too much time on my hands to be able to record the growth of this stalk....

What is a shame though, is that this plant will die once it blooms -- a slow process but nonetheless, it'll die.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave

Regarding a health update, I did go for a scan on Friday, October 26, and the report was that "disease remains stable."  I'll take that.  I remain in that darn boot!  Patience...patience I keep telling myself but jeez!, it has been since August.  Patience...patience....

Vacations are good...

We returned from our Colorado/Nebraska/South Dakota/Utah road trip and before we knew it, it was time to hit the road for Las Vegas for Mine Expo 2012!  MINExpo is a once-every-four-years opportunity for companies whose products, services and technologies serve the mining industry. The show attracts more than 38,000 mining industry professionals from more than one hundred countries.  On the personal side, the beauty of MINExpo is that it is a reunion of sorts.  We saw people as far back as from 30+ years ago - friends (Connie & Dave) met on our first assignment as a couple back in Battle Mountain, Nevada.

 

Below is a photo of Virginia and Whiskey - we met them in Cajamarca, Peru.



We saw several other people from our past mining post living locations but I didn't have the camera with me - we had a great time.

We left Las Vegas with a quick stop to see the "new" Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.  Construction of the bridge structure began January 2005, and it opened to traffic on October 19, 2010.

 

We last saw the bridge in the midst of construction in 2008.  For those interested in more information, below is a link which discusses the planning and construction of the bridge as well as a multitude of photos.

 

http://highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Mike_O'Callaghan-Pat_Tilman_Memorial_Bridge

We then headed for the Grand Canyon where we met friends Mike and Sue.  We were treated to close up encounters with elk.

The fellows hiked from the South Rim to the North Rim while Sue and I drove to the North Rim to collect them.  Mike celebrated his 62nd birthday on the day they hiked - what a neat way to celebrate!

Below is a photo from the South Rim looking at the canyon (in the shadows and curves to the left) the fellows hike out to reach the North Rim.  They hike down South Kaibab Trail 6.8 miles to Phantom Ranch and then 14 miles up North Kaibab Trail. 

 

The above photo was taken late afternoon and the following photo was taken just after sunrise.

If you've not been to the Grand Canyon - go.  I like the South Rim but I love the North Rim.  Enough said....

Below is a photo of Larry coming out on the North Rim.  The birthday boy was behind him by a few minutes.

We collected the boys and headed to Jacob's Lake to spend the night and give the guys a chance to rest after their long hike.  The next morning we headed for Bryce Canyon National Park.  If you've not ever visited Bryce Canyon, do!  Once again I was reminded that there are many scenic places to visit in the U.S.!

 

We headed to Zion National Park from here.  If you've never visited Zion National Park - go!  Although my foot was still bothering me a bit, I managed to do some light hiking with the crew, one of which was a hike to The Narrows. 

 

 

Following a day of hiking, we found ourselves under a giant Cottonwood enjoying the shade and the view - the weather was perfect though.

 

 

 

Dinner on the porch of the lodge wasn't bad either!  The below photo was compliments of Sue's iPhone. 

 



 

 

 

Playing with the zoom on the camera...

 

 

And then it was time to leave.  But what a treat to capture the moon setting and some big horn sheep on the side of the road.

 

 

Sometimes this new camera really comes through! 

 

 



 

We stopped for a view of the Colorado on our way home....

 

 



and I'll end with this photo of Larry - he is always so good about letting me take his picture.

 

Our next trip will be a short visit to Rapid City, South Dakota.  Larry has business associated with recruitment of future South Dakota School of Mines & Technology graduates, which then will allow for a quick trip to Harrison and quite possibly raking those fall leaves I so enjoy. 

Health update:  Stable.  Dr. Paripati is back from maternity leave and it felt like seeing an old friend at our appointment on the 9th.  A scan will be scheduled for late October.  The foot is slowly recovering - very slowly!

Fall is almost here...

Goodness but summer is flying by.  We've been to Tucson for a getaway thanks to Larry's Freeport business; we escaped the summer heat for a weekend getaway to Christopher Creek in the White Mountains in the northeastern part of Arizona with brother Jim and Liz and Jimmy; we escaped the summer heat for another weekend getaway to Prescott to visit friend Laurie; we're enjoying Wednesday night freshman football thanks to nephew Jimmy, and we hosted Jim, Liz, Jimmy and friend Mike last weekend.

Check out the deer we spotted one evening just outside the back yard.

 

 

Life in Carefree is very relaxing and we never tire of seeing the sunsets - life is good!

This was the view from our hotel in Tucson -- just pretty.

We then traveled to Christopher Creek for a relaxing escape from the summer heat -- highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s, but those nice temps evidently come with mosquitoes -- I got a million bites. 

Larry and Jim went hiking and saw a bear! but neither had a camera.

The below photo is of Woods Canyon Lake. We need to return with the kayak.

It was a pretty day....

Jim's wife Liz's family has had this cabin in Christopher Creek for 25 plus years - it is just a 1 1/2 hour drive from their home and they can escape the summer heat!  Very nice - even with the mosquitoes.  Although, as I think about it, I was the only one that got bitten...hmmmm?

We've enjoyed some monsoon rains in Carefree - love it!

We traveled to Prescott one weekend and met up with friend Laurie - always a pleasure to spend some time with her.  Laurie and her husband Mike are friends we met while living in Peru.

I joined Sue for a Harper Monday.  Harper is now 19 months young and a joy to watch grow.

Shouldn't that new camera be giving me totally in focus pictures? -- could it be operator error?

Check out this one though - Harper has very pretty eyes!

And yikes, almost a year to the day, we found another baby rattlesnake in the pool one morning.  I couldn't get the camera to cooperate due to the low light but this at least gives you an idea of how he gets critters out of the pool.  However, I wanted him to vault it into the desert and he instead gently set it down on the other side of the fence.  I guess I can't complain if I'm the one that doesn't need to deal with it. 

Can you see him amidst the rocks?  He was only about a foot long.  He does look bigger in this picture though?

We're thrilled that nephew Jimmy (#77) is playing football.  He plays right tackle - I'm finally learning a lot about football, and I've been watching it for how long?

And here we have the cheering section....

Darn it anyway that the below photo isn't in focus but I know it was operator error because I was hurrying.  Jimmy's team, the Saguaro Saber Cats, is 3-0!

Last weekend, the Whites and friend Mike ventured our way for an on the back porch and some pool time.

We leave this weekend for a few days in Las Vegas - business and pleasure for Larry, pleasure for me!  We'll drive, because we can ha!  So, we'll travel to Vegas and from there drive to the Grand Canyon where we'll meet up with friends Mike and Sue.  Larry and Mike are going to do their hike across the Canyon.  Sue and I are reversing our roles and this time we'll drive from the South Rim to the North Rim to retrieve them.  From there we head for Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park for a few days of exploring - maybe Larry, Mike and Sue more than me regarding the hiking front....

Just before our trip to Nebraska, way back in late July, Larry and I went golfing and it was my first time in probably a couple years and after a year of a lot of doing nothing.  Well, a few days after our golfing outing, my right foot started bothering me and that bother progressed while traveling through Colorado, doing what we did while in Harrison, etc.  An x-ray doesn't show a fracture but I'm tellin' ya, it is a Google search textbook case of a stress fracture.  My doctor agreed that something was wrong so put me in a boot.  I was five weeks out before I went to the doctor and now I'm three weeks into wearing the boot.  I can report that the foot is getting better, but I don't see myself doing any heavy duty hiking while visiting the three hiking destinations we'll be traveling to.  Good thing I like to read! and take pictures!

September was my first time of not seeing my oncologist since July 2011!  Dr. Paripati has been on maternity leave and returned this month but scheduling of all of her patients means it'll be October 9, before I see her again.  I've been seeing a physician's assistant while she has been on leave and am thankful that I've remained stable during this time.  Nonetheless, I look forward to seeing Dr. Paripati again and I imagine she'll be scheduling a scan for me soon which is always the measure that really shows how I'm doing.  I feel great though - onward and upward and may I add, Life is Good!

Summer Road Trip Vacation!

It's been too long since we've done a U.S. road trip so corrected that situation by driving back to Nebraska this year rather than the usual air method of travel - we loved it!

Our trip began with destination Durango, then Ouray, then Frisco, then lunch in Denver with Marvin and Jennie, then Estes Park, then lunch with friends in Loveland from our former living in Peru days, then several days in Harrison while Larry and Wayne were helpers in the reshingling of their mom's roof, a quick trip to Chadron for me, then Rapid City to visit friends and relatives, then back to Harrison to drop Larry's mom off, then Steamboat Springs, then Moab, and then...home.  All this travel was done  from Friday, July 27, through Sunday, August 12, and involved a lot of picture taking.  AND, I got a new camera in the middle of the trip with more zoom than the other camera but still not as much zoom as I'd like ha!

Lake Vallecito near Durango...




View from hotel porch in Ouray....

Black Canyon of the Gunnison...

Is Colorado countryside beautiful or what!!  I was always deeply impacted by the scenery I saw when we traveled in South America, but this road trip through Colorado reminded me of the beautiful scenery we do have in the U.S.

Along with the beautiful scenery we were treated to, we also enjoyed the weather!  Although it was warm by Colorado standards, we absolutely loved it!  We particularly enjoyed the rain whenever we were treated to it.

We ventured out of the Colorado mountains into Denver to meet up with stepfather Marvin and wife Jennie.  FYI: this photo and the previous ones were all taken with the "old" camera.

There was a Costco near Marvin and Jennie's where a sort of impulse purchase was made of our new camera which I expect to provide us with better focused with more zoom photos...we'll see.  We traveled to Estes Park and stayed at the Stanely Hotel where parts of the Steven King movie, The Shining were filmed -- what a beautiful historic hotel with a perfect front patio to enjoy a glass of wine at the end of a day of travel....

I need to watch The Shining again...



We left Estes Park the following morning to meet up with Phoenix friends Buck and Susan who are now living in Loveland (in the summer - such lucky, smart people) for coffee.  We then went to the beautiful home of friends, Gary and Lori.  We met Gary and Lori over ten years ago when we were all living in Cajamarca, Peru.  By the way, the background of this picture is their front door!

We'd had a great time traveling through the Colorado mountains but it was time to head to Harrison.  Larry, Wayne and godson Jared were to start reshingling Larry's mom's roof the following morning -- off to northwest Nebraska!  Nephew-in-law Doug helped too allowing the job to be done in 3 1/4 days.  Nebraska was experiencing high temperatures so add the heat to the tough job of shingling - ouch.

While the fellows worked, I headed to Chadron to visit Virginia and Cheri...

The following evening we traveled to Fort Robinson for the play Oklahoma at the Post Playhouse.  Is Sophi catching up to Linda and me in height or what...

The parade in Harrison is always a highlight of the visit, particularly for the kids...

 In addition to the parade over the Sioux County Fair weekend is the annual picnic that Larry's mom hosts for the Shriner's as a "thank-you" for participating in the parade.  Wayne has taken over the job of cooking...

And then there is church on Sunday morning -- Larry's mom Dorothy plays piano...

A special treat this year was that at the end of the day, we took a drive into the surrounding canyons twice and saw several doe with their twin fawns!!, buffalo!, wild turkey, what appeared from a very far distance as Ostrich? and a coyote along with a beautiful sunset.

We were able to spend an evening with old friends John and Terry....  By the way, the below picture was taken with the old camera.  Not good quality but I had to include it...

So, with the shingling done, Fair over and other family members gone, we headed to the Black Hills.  Larry had a half day of business to attend to allowing us to see family and friends there.  We first traveled to Spearfish to visit Larry's Aunt Dee who makes 96 look easy! and his Cousin Judy and her husband.

(L-R: Cousin Judy, Aunt Dee and Larry's mom Dorothy)

 Aunt Dee is just a little thing -- okay, maybe Larry and I are big things...

It is always a pleasure to gather with Larry's friends from his college days -- I need to go find a photo of the guys from those days so you can see if they've changed much...

(L-R: Larry, Bret, Danny and Brad)

 We now take a picture of the wives as well.  (L-R:  Diane (Danny's wife), Miss (Bret's wife) and Ann (Brad's wife).

We then met with Larry's Uncle Richard and Aunt Marj and Aunt Co for breakfast before heading back to Harrison.  (L-R: Larry, Uncle Richard, Aunt Co, Dorothy and Aunt Marj)

So, back to Harrison where we dropped off Dorothy and we were onto Steamboat Springs -- it was time to start the return trip to Arizona.

Following a lovely evening in Steamboat Springs (and rain!) we headed for Moab, UT, as a destination and came upon these birds in a field near Meeker -- Larry thinks they are Sandhill Cranes -- huge! which you can't fully appreciate in this picture.

In past years, we've been through Moab on a few occasions and this trip, as with Colorado, Moab countryside affected me to a higher degree than in the past in it's beauty.

Enjoyed the drive through Monument Valley -- gotta love The West!!

The vacation officially ended on Sunday, August 12, but we look forward to our next trip at the end of August when Larry's work takes us to Tucson for a short get away. 

Today is August 15, which is significant in that one year ago today I started chemotherapy.  I'm thankful to still be here.   I'm thankful for the supportive family and friends.  I'm thankful that I feel good (last scan showed "disease stable").  I'm thankful for the continued opportunity to be -- to be able to take a trip and enjoy the beautiful countryside in the U.S.  Ha! and I'm thankful for hair!  Onward and upward...