Colorado Springs --- Last days with Chuck and Cindy

We intended to publish this a few days ago; however, worry about our daughter, granddaughter, brother and sister-in-law in Florida occupied our thoughts.  Thankfully, everyone is safe.  Our daughter will probably be driving back to Ft. Myers today, hopefully to find a dry apartment and a return to her life.  We are now on our way back to the Rio Grande Valley.  We are in Amarillo TX right now.  We just now realized that we are several days late in publishing this post.  It has been a long week.

Helen Hunt Falls

Roger here...  Chuck and Cindy began their long trip back to Indiana today.  This post marks the last days of their visit.  We are looking forward to seeing them again in the future.  We know it will happen, just not sure where or when.

Breaking news... It was reported last night that the well-known misbehaving dog, Bandido, crashed through the screen house in site 28 yet again.  Sources report that the escape played out when three deer walked by the motor home while the humans were playing spades at the picnic table.  Witnesses claim that Bandido ran after the deer with incredible speed and was overtaking them when they jumped up a rock wall to safety.  Dianne says that she has never seen Bandido run faster.  A search for the escaped dog found him lounging on the deck next to the office, wagging his tail with a smug look on his face.  The photo below shows Sophie and Tequila surveying the damage.

Wow, look at him go!

The most recent damage to the delicate cloth screens have put an end to the screen house capers.  The photo below shows Roger paying his respects to the screen house while interring it in its final resting place.  Sad.

Gold Camp Road Hike....  We enjoyed one last hike with the Gemmers and our doggies up in the mountains.  We started at Helen Hunt Falls where we lingered for a bit.  Two little girls fawned over the three dogs.  Tequila licked them in the face.

The view  from the   bridge at the top of the falls gives a new 
perspective.

After the falls, we drove up about a mile to Gold Camp Road.  We wanted to walk along this easy and scenic trail until we decided to turn around and head back to the car.  

Our half-way point found us at North Cheyenne Canon Creek, a fresh water source for Colorado Springs.









Back at the Campground....  I took pictures of yet another form of the wildlife that wanders through our campground.  These wild turkeys were walking along the nearby road.  Bandido was walking with me on a leash.  He did not seem to notice them :-).

At the end of the day, Chuck built a campfire for us to enjoy during their last evening at Mountaindale.  

Dianne and I decided to open a bottle of wine for happy hour.  We wanted to display it in a device that mutual friends, Audrey and Pat, gave us.  Unfortunately, I was not able to pound it into the ground through the rocks.  Chuck had the brilliant solution --- sink the spike into one of our potted geraniums.  

After happy hour we decided to forgo eating in the damaged screen house in lieu of dinner around the campfire.

Goodbye Chuck and Cindy and Sophie.  Have  a safe drive home.

We will be at Mountaindale for another week before our five-day drive back to our home in extreme south Texas.  We intend to enjoy the great weather at this high altitude and maybe have another adventure or two.

Pet Picture of the Day...  Bandido likes to hop onto rocks.  This picture was taken on the Gold Camp Road trail.  I think he is looking a little too pleased with himself.  

King of the Hill