Waldo Canyon Fire 6/23/12

The Waldo Canyon Fire started 6/23/12 and is now only 5 % contained.  Stan and Bea were evacuated a couple of nights ago and think their home my be ok.  We're getting reports of 300 homes being destroyed in the Mountain Shadows area.  Monument and Palmer Lake are on pre-evacuation west of the hwy.  We're ok so far but have started 'gathering' things and trying to make a
plan.  Hopefully today we'll
get a big thunderstorm (with no lightning) to help the firefighters.
It's devastating to watch and I know several people who think they may have
lost their home.  Right now the fire is at the south end of the Academy and in several canyons. 

CB

 We took another fun trip to CB and did some hiking this past weekend.  The first hike with Mere and Clyde was beautiful but a bit long.  We had to drive out past Gothic, walk a couple of miles on the road past Emerald Lake due to the snow plug and hiked up the Maroon West Pass Trail.  We think we went about 12  mi. or so due to the 'shortcut' we too.  Saturday Arn, Teri, and I
hiked Scarp's ridge but found another loop we'll try next time.  Mere, Tim and John mountain biked the 401 Tr.
Of course we went to the Avalanche a couple of times and the West End Public House.   We had to come home via Canyon City due to the Waldo Canyon Fire.

Tired Arn......

Cooling off in a snow patch.

Almost done, Emerald Lake.

Snow plug (old avalanche) from last year!

Mel and Teri on top of Scarp's Ridge.

Too Close for Comfort

We went to Crested Butte for the weekend and on Sat. while we were gone a fire started in Waldo Canyon which I've hiked before several times.  It hasn't been contained and is growing.  Manitou Springs was evacuated but the residents can now return.  Hopefully it will be contained soon and no one will be hurt and no structures will be lost.

Happy Father's Day!

Memories.......

ONEN

Today was the Old North End Neighborhood garage sale day.  I've made it an annual activity.  I love the neighborhood because of the big old houses, their yards, flowers, and trees.  There is such a variety of houses and loads of sales. We did get a few treasures.  I found a Vera Bradley purse.  Arn went with me and was thrilled with is $.50 drill bit set.  We walked for a couple of hours and then had breakfast @ Smiley's on Tejon St. ....great organic food.  I could have walked and shopped for another hour but somebody had a TWB.

Lost in the Lupine




I'd like to get lost in the lupine like this guy.

 We need to plan a trip to CB soon.....

MHCC vs Broadmoor

 We hosted the Broadmoor ladies yesterday for our interclub match play.  The day went great for the most part.  I could have played better golf but our opponents were very nice.

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

This might be a better recipe for the winter but I tried it anyway today.  It's very easy and comes out great (falls off the bone). All you need is a whole chicken and I try to buy when on sale, mine cost  $5.93 Toss some foil balls or clumps into the bottom of the crock pot, wash and season your chicken and cook it on low for 6 hrs.  I cooked it longer since I didn't get home from work in time and it was falling apart when I tried to remove it from the crockpot. The foil balls keep it above the juices and foil wrapped potatoes could also be used.  I'll probably use most of the chicken for chx salad, quesadillas, or sandwiches.  I'll try this again sometime with chx breasts since I like it better than boiling it.

Patty Jewett

Today was another 'team golf' match.  We played @ Patty Jewett.  Co. Springs had a huge storm last eve and it ripped thru the golf course.  There was lots of debri, branches, and flooding from the rain and hail.   All in all it was a fun day and our opponents were fun to play with.  I again shot 109 and didn't play very well.

Patty Jewett is the third oldest public golf course west of the Mississippi. 
Golfers enter the grounds through an elegant, black, wrought-iron gate that opens onto a road lined with a canopy of 100-year-old trees.  The course is always in beautiful shape and always in use.  All of the money taken in is put back into the golf course.  The clubhouse is historical with lots of wood and a painting of 'Patty' looking down on you from above the fireplace.
'Patty Jewett has been a city-owned course since 1919 but it was designed by
Willie Campbell in 1898. Large trees, a small creek and curving fairways make a shot selection important.The course started out as a private club called the Town and Gown Clubbut it went bankrupt and was purchased by a group of men one of them being William Jewett, who was a good friend of Colorado Springs founder, Gen. William Jackson Palmer.  Jewett eventually bought out all of the other partners and by the late 1910s to early 1920s was in a position to give the golf course to the city.  His two stipulations for the gift were that the course be named after his wife (Patty) and that the grounds must never be anything but a golf course or park

The patio is perfect for lunch or happy hr.  In fact, I recently asked if they had mint for a mojito and the waitress walked over and picked some and asked if that was fresh enough!

Gatorade....homemade!

Homemade Gatorade
1/2 cup orange juice (be sure to use OJ from the US ...as other countries may allow the use of fungicides)
1/4 cup sugar - I might try agave next time (lower glycemic index)
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. Lemon jc. (I use organic)
Water
Makes 1 quart

According to the internet....the ingredients of gatorade are 94 % water, citric acid, flavoring, salt, and sugar.  They claim their product 'rehydrates, refuels, and replenishes better than others'.

I've tried this recipe and I enjoy it and think it tastes like the real thing and for pennies less.  I found it on onegoodthingbyjille.com . She adapted the recipe from dailygarnish.com.
I usually like it more diluted so I just add water to my taste.  Arn isn't sold on it yet.  Another summer drink I'm enjoying is iced tea made with PG Tips tea (thx Tiffany for introducing us to this tea) sweetened with homemade elderberry syrup (.Encourages Healthy Upper Respiratory and Enhances Overall Immune Functions).


  Arn isn't sold on that either but I feel it is similar to the passion tea at Starbucks.

Craftsy Block of the Month - April

I finally got the April blocks completed and out of the way.  It looks like I should have put that upper left hexie on the interior...oh well.   I can say that I am not thrilled with 'hexies' as many are in the 'modern quilt'  interest groups.  I enjoy hand applique but found 'hexies' boring.  I'd rather have a project with more variety in the different shapes and over all design.   I have started a future project which are different leaves and will use alot of scraps.  I could get bored with that too but I plan on doing most of the hand work while watching TV next winter (helps to keep me awake).