Yipee ki yi yo get along little Dogie

Yesterday I was invited to attend the Pikes Peak Rodeo.....it was my first time seeing a rodeo!  It was like another world.  (I need to keep an eye out at Goodwill for a 'snap' cowboy shirt and a big belt buckle).  Teri, John, Terri, and I met, had dinner and hobnobbed with the 'sponsors'.  It was really fun and entertaining.  We saw some performing pigs before going in to the rodeo.  I didn't see anybody 'sagging' or 'low-riding', just lots and lots of tight jeans, snap shirts, and cowboy hats.  Some of the events were calf roping, bull riding, buckin' broncos, barrel racing, a parade, and tributes ot the armed forces.  The cutest one was 'mutton bustin' in which an 8-9 yr. old kid is place on a small sheep and tries to see how long they can stay on him.  I got some pics from the Gazette and will add some of my own later.

Another thing I learned about are the 'Girls of the West'.   It's a very prestigous group of beautiful girls with very good horsemanship skills.  One girl earnes the award each year and it follows you for your lifetime.

I Can Grow Something! Sambucus Nigra

Our Black Lace Elderberry that I planted a couple of years ago is thriving.  It must like acidic soil.  I really like elderberries (a memory from my childhood) but Arn really dislikes them.  When I bought this plant @ Tagawa (a wonderful nursery north of Parker) the specialist didn't even know you could eat the berries.

The bush has yet to produce berries.  Ususally with the monsoons (now here), it will get destroyed by the hail (had some last night) and I'm not sure if that is why it has never produced fruit.  We'll see this year......if not, Meredith knows some secret places (not really secret, people just don't know or like the berries) in Boulder.  Right now I have two bottles of Elderberry Syrup which I'm using to sweeten tea and use on pancakes. 

Charlie's Vacation

Charlie and friend, Dumbo



Chewing fun



Getting a drink after a walk around Palmer Lake



Drinking from the hose.





Good Come........

 Charlie's spending his vacation in Monument this year.  He's had lots of excitement with the forest fire and got to meet Uncle Stan and Aunt Bea while they were evacuated.  He's learning to 'Come', and listens most of the time.  He spends his days exploring the yard , playing with ants and an occasional beetle, trying to eat plants, chewing sticks, and sleeping.  He sleeps all night and does well in the laundry room during the day if we leave him for a little while. I think he really likes his Gma and Gpa!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July! These are pics of flags in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood.  The fire is 80 % contained and last evening the temp was in the 60's with an evening of rain.  It was beautiful. Most of the festivities have been postponed. I think we'll just eat out and watch the fundraising concert televised from the World Arena.

Fulgerites......love them!

Most people know I'm afraid of lightning and avoid being outside with any of it nearby.  With the recent fires I've been thinking of random lightning strikes (even tho these fires weren't caused by it).  These random formed 'rocks' are caused by lightning and I am drawn to them for some reason. Maybe it's their random earthy shape and what caused them......who knows. I try to bring a couple of them home from the beach whenever we go to add to my collection.

'The name fulgerite is taken from the latin word for lightning (fulgur). Fulgerite is formed when lightning strikes moist sand. As the lightning hits the earth it superheats the sand. This causes the sand to melt and fuse together, very similar to what happens when glass is made. After cooling by the lower temperature of the surrounding air or ocean water, a rough and lumpy object is formed.

Fulgerite is very commonly found on the Corolla beaches. It ranges in size from several inches to a foot or more in diameter. Frequently seashells and other objects are embedded in the fulgerite. Low tide is the optimum time to search, as well as after a storm. Don't overlook this uncommon treasure of the area when strolling the beach.'  Courtesy of Google

WCF - Update

Stan and Bea returned to their home Friday night.  They found nothing out of the ordinary.  The freezers were still frozen, no signs of breakins (another neighborhood had 22 burglaries), and no smoke in the house.  The fire is 45 % contained and the preevacuation for Monument and Palmer Lake is lifted.  Time for more organization around our house to be prepared for any future evacuations.  We did have some rain without lightning yesterday afternoon but sure could use a bunch more.  We spent last eve weed eating our tall 'grasses' since the HOA requires us to 'mow' two times a summer. We still smell plenty of smoke though and hear lots of planes going over.