Our trip to CO, day 5

Waking in such close proximity to a river and away from towns is wonderful! Sid made us a great breakfast of hash browns, eggs with cheese and coffee. We girls took turns brushing each other’s hair while the boys shot paper plates tacked to trees with the BB gun.

As I wrote in this journal, Ave brought me a rock and pretty flowers. When my records were up-to-date, I exited the motorhome and was instantaneously struck by the beauty of the wildflowers all around. I know not the name of even one specimen, but I think that circumstance facilitated my sense of wonder and discovery. I thoroughly enjoyed wandering through this fairyland, taking pictures of the flowery scenery filling the space between rivers, pathways and comfy cabins.

Meanwhile, Sid and Jonny were taking aim at a squirrel with plans to skin it later and word on the street is that Miss Aveline kept shoving Sid so that he couldn’t get a clear shot! What a gal! “I dub thee, Aveline, Savior of the Squirrels!”
-Bushybottom, King of Squirluania

I was having trouble getting close up shots of the prettiest flowers, so I asked Sid for help. He found the macro-lens setting on my new camera and showed me how to do it myself. That opened up a new world to me! Like as if I had learned to scuba dive! It took a bit of an adjustment when the time came for me to leave my new teensy, sharp, detailed world, returning to what now registered more like some kind of Oaf-land.

An interesting thing happened to me, presently. Sid and the kids had started back to the motorhome as I was finishing getting what turned out to be my favorite shot of a flower. I looked up into an area of the woods that seemed a little more dense and less traveled. I just felt drawn a bit further, like the Lord was inviting me, although I think my brain does that to me. But soon I began to hear what sounded like a bird in a tizzy. I followed the raucous with my ears and eyes and spied a mama bird perched next to a hole in a tree. She kept jutting her head into the hole and her tail feathers would ruffle as she did so. I assumed she was regurgitating into the mouths of her babies, I think I even heard their tiny chirps. I watched for a minute or so, got a decent shot of her, for not having a telephoto lens or whatever, and then she took flight and I got to see the most brilliant flash of red on the underside of her wings. That was what I went there for! I thanked the Lord and went on my way, probably much more hurriedly than I should have, now that I think about it.

As I was approaching the motorhome I met with Jonny above two giant pipes from which the river gushed, and was appointed the position of lighting his water-proof firecrackers so that he could toss them into the river and observe their muffled, splashy explosions. That was fun!

It was disappointing to leave that special place, but it will live on in my heart (and photos) and I feel certain I will be there again one day, only maybe staying in one of those comfy cabins. How interested we were to see in the daylight, off the very road from which we desperately pulled to crash out, the numerous RV campgrounds that had been completely obscured in the dark of the previous night! Did we regret not having found a spot in one of those cozy campgrounds, perhaps a spot more level than our makeshift one by the river? No way, Jose.

We cruised on into Denver and found the convention center where Sid and his business partner, J.P., would have a booth for the International Christian Retailers something or other. They got a few things set up and we were off to find lodgings for the night. It took us a ridiculously long time, but we ended up at a campground in Cherry Creek, about 20 min. south of Denver.

Once we were settled I did some therapeutic cleaning of the motorhome (it was just what I needed!), while Sid and the kids built an awesome fire. We ate hot dogs and stuff for dinner and I chilled in the motorhome (again, just what I needed!) while Sid put the girls to sleep with a campfire story.