Disclaimer:  first off, this is the first time I’ve ever been over the Alpine Loop of Silverton Colorado.

Heather, Malcolm and I were taking the day off to adventure to Lake City for lunch and back via the 4 wheel drive  mountain pass road called the Alpine Loop which includes Cinnamon Pass and Engineer Pass. There was way too much information to take in about the hot spots along the 4 wheel road journey.  I have tried to remember most of it and validate names and locations, however I may have them out of order.

The idea is to take all of you on this trip with us so that you may enjoy it as we did.  Malcolm was born in Durango and raised in Silverton his whole life. He and his parents have been on almost every inch of the alpine peaks of the San Juan mountains that surround Silverton.  His family owned a jeeping excursion  company for years.  He was an impeccable guide.  Heather has learned much as well  in her ten years in Silverton and gave her own version  and flavor to the trip.

This trip begins at 10:30 am today June 24th, 2011, and ended at 6:30pm. Most of the photographs were taken while the jeep was moving. In other words we were bumping and swaying and lurching along.  Many photos were taken so that you may sit in the back seat with me and experience what I experienced as if you had taken the trip yourself.  This means that there may be reflections in the windows, possibly some blurriness, etc.  Most of the pics are just as the camera took them as there is hardly a place where the panorama isn’t just perfect as captured.

This is a photo heavy post.  I hope you enjoy taking this journey with me,  with Malcolm and Heather as our guides.

Leaving Silverton our first stop was Eureka where the original jail house still stands.  There were once around 500 hundred residents at this thriving mining  now ghost town. That’s the size of Silverton’s now year round residents.

Malcolm and Heather giving us the villain look from inside the old jail.

We passed a couple old mines along the way to Animas Forks, the ghost town that marks the spot where we start up into the passes.

Also along the way Mal and Heather pointed out two cabins that folks currently live in during the winters.  They ski up to them. Check this picture out – can you find the cabins?

Okay  I know not fair, try this cropped version of the same photo.

Now do you see them?  Okay I’ll make a closer cropped version of the same photo.

About now? Yes one is on the far right and the other is up in the saddle on the far left.  The left one looks like a rock almost with a smaller out building  just to its left almost dead center in the saddle.  Now go back and check out the first pic. That’s WAY up there!

After  the mines, cabins, jail houses, and Animas Forks

Animas Forks – this photo was actually taken on our way back down on the way home.  On the way up we drove right through the ghost town but my photos didn’t turn out.  On the way back Malcolm and Heather were discussing the Walsh House. Mr. Walsh who bought the home was the last private owner of the Hope Diamond which he purchased for his daughters birthday present.  Now how’s that for history?  All the way out in the vast primitive mountains of Colorado.  If you look to the middle/right of the photo you will see a building by the road.  Here it is cropped out.

Yep that’s the Walsh House of Animas Forks Colorado.  Amazing!

So then off we go up Cinnamon Pass toward Lake City.  Along the way we spied…

…tundra, flowers, snow and a pool. Then as we managed to traverse to the top of Cinnamon we spied apline tundra and stopped to read the sign that tells about it.

Then more tundra…

…and the top of Cinnamon.

That’s 12, 640 ft!

As  we head down we get a beautiful view of American Basin.

As we drove down into Lake City the terrain changed completely. But before that happened we came to a place called Burrows Park which was renamed White Cross for a strain of white quartz that was found in its natural state forming a cross.  The town had a population of around 300 people, with a post office, blacksmith, and other town necessities.  What you see is what’s left…

A beautiful waterfall running down the mountain face and under the snow.  There are no buildings left in White Cross.

Next we came upon a doe who had no worries in the world as she stood there eating grass until we honked our horn to get her to look up so that I could take her smiling picture.

Before we get to Lake City we pass by the lake (San Cristobal) that the community was named for.

This is tiny section of this huge lake.  If you look real close you can see two kayaks  just at the left edge of the photo. One is red and the other is yellow.

Next stop Lake City and the best calazone’s ever!!

We found a building here that reminded me much of the building I live in, the Benson Hotel.  It’s apparent the architecture that was appreciated in the days these building were built.

After a nice lunch, we were off toward Engineer Pass and the second part of our day long Alpine Loop.  But first he drove through some beautiful  rock outcroppings.

After which Malcolm and I hiked down a short steep path to take a picture of  this water fall that comes out of the side of a mountain.

I cant remember if this was before after the waterfall, but we also stopped to view this rushing river.

Exquisite, yes?

And up we go…

Soon we were seeing sights such as this.  Water running under the snow and then looking up on the other side of the jeep we see this.

Mind boggling  don’t you think.  But wait… we haven’t seen anything yet.  Everything so far as just been a teaser.

Next we come to White Death a mine that was re-named after its demise. Destroyed by Avalanche. This actually may have been before the last pics.. But it doesn’t matter, it’s all breathtaking and awe inspiring.  If Mal were here or even Heather they’d be correcting me for accuracy and chastising me for messing some minute thing up.  They should be tour guides.

Ummm… we start climbing, and if you look through Mal’s jeeps sun roof, you see we are just a spec on this mountain with snow towering over us.  This is late June and this is still a lot of snow for this time of year.

This was my/our view.

This is just before we reached Engineer Pass’s summit.  You think that’s it huh… nope.

Then we received a treat from Mother Earth.  The top of the world. Hold on  to your horses folks, she is breathtaking.

Way over there……….  is Utah!

Heather and Mal at the lookout at Engineer Pass.

The lookout at Engineer pass. No words…

Then back down we go… What more snow?

After a long  bumpy drive down Engineer we find ourselves back at Animas Forks and then past there the beautiful valley that marks home is near.

On the way home we ran across this little guy…  Can you see the marmot?

How about now?

Cute little guy… most locals distaste these critters because they crawl into your cars if you leave parked to hike and chew your wiring.  So there is a feud going on between marmots and man. I’d say from the marmot population that they are winning.
With that we say this was one fabulous day. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

 

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I’ve been amiss in my Thankful Thursday posts.  With building my Rum Felicity and Catt Paw Massage websites there has been plenty of  online creative processing.  That and along with working on a web presence for my friend, Simrat’s online art home, and facebook posts and meanderings  I’ve been pretty busy.

I need though to acknowledge some wonderful things that are happening in my life.  So here goes.

1) I feel so fortunate to be employed by Montanya Distillers.

They are great people with a driving force to succeed.  What other kind of people would I want to align myself with.  If you apply yourself you can’t fail.  Apply myself  is what I am doing and I feel like my employers recognize this and appreciate it.  Yet I have had a couple set backs thanks to San Juan Mountain weather, having to cancel rum tastings in Grand Junction and Montrose last Friday.  Heather and I are suppose to be taking off today to get those tastings done.  I wake up this morning look outside and  argh… more snow!  The Mountains look socked in. I hope its just a dusting and we can make this trip as I don’t want to cancel on these folks again.  This is the first time I’ve been bummed by the snow.  I’m thinking that no more trips planned around the state until after April. Do all my driving this summer and settle back into phone calls this winter.  With that said, I am going back to Arizona first week in April to do tastings there which brings me to my second item to be thankful for.

2) My car is a good little car, but its not a long distance car by any means.  Its wonderful in the conditions I live in here in Silverton,  yet it struggles a bit out on a road.  I worry that if I take it too far from home, I’ll get stuck somewhere and have to call my son-in-law to come get me.  So, I have this Montanya trip planned for April to Arizona.  Its a good gig, worth the effort in the potential income it could generate.  So what did my company do?  They are renting a car for me to take on this trip so that I can get our product established in Arizona.  I know that other companies do this sort of thing… it’s just never been done for me before.  I am so thankful!!  I want this job to blossom for all concerned, I’m loyal and dedicated to the company and it feels good that they recognize something in me and are willing to take a risk on me.   Well its not really a risk… but some folks would see it that way.

This brings me to the third item.

3) Risk.

I’ve been looking at horses for a while now – trying to decide whether I want one or not and if I do, which kind.  Well I settled on the fact that I do want another horse. Its really hard though, because I am in love with a certain kind of horse a certain quality and personality. I’ve been spoiled by the likes of Asad, Kindlewood, and Madrid.  Elegant athletic, comical and loving companions.  These horses knew how to be friends.  They also had a certain beauty and grace that made the heart and soul sing when you gazed upon them.  So as I studied different breeds and individuals I became aware that what I really wanted was something similar to them in type and being.  As much as I admired other horses and types of horses, my heart would start when I came across certain ones.  In the process I tried to buy three different horses and either was turned down or became apprehensive and backed out.  I have a real fear of facing the pain that disease can cause for my horse after the devastating effect Kindlewood’s suffering and death had on me.  I could not bring her son home, because I was too afraid, and he reminded me of horses of the past.  A risk I just could not make myself face. I needed to move forward not backward.  I just could not look upon Pro everyday and not see him , but rather see his mother and her death,  and the loss of his grand sire and grand dam.  Not fare to him and too painful for me.  Heather said it yesterday… Mom, you had to sever yourself from them in order to move forward with a horse.  How profound of her!

So move forward I have…  and this is where I have landed.

Just a gorgeous 3 year old filly named Shades of Gray. A registered Spanish Mustang, gaited and appy.  Definitely my type of elegance and fluidity. I have never liked gray horses.  But I have fallen in love with this girl.  She is appy but she is turning gray which means that she will lose her spots someday and become a white horse.  I see fine China!!

Isn’t Shade one of the most feminine and sweet girls you’ve ever laid eyes on.  She’s a girly girl and I love that about her! I am back to being excited about the future and making plans for how we will live together. What kind of gear we’ll use together and what kind of education we’ll share together.  New journeys… new adventures.

Shade will remain in South Dakota at Don and Terri Harwood’s until June 2012 then she’ll make her journey to Silverton to play with me in the mountains for the summer, learn about human idiosyncrasies like climbing up on her back and such nonsense.  Then she will spend her first Colorado winter on pasture near Silverton.  I’m thinking of bringing her in off pasture in February of each year and boarding her for three or four months each spring where I can take lessons and brush up on my dressage training as someday this is what I want to do with her.  Haute Ecole…

 

Dreams… I want to thank Don and Terri Harwood of Blue Moon Spanish Mustangs for making this new dream possible. I’m so full of gratitude.

4) I want to thank everyone who has traveled this journey with me and have remained good freinds and valuable support.  Those who felt the impact of my experiences and shared their warmth and kindness as we waded through the muck together.  YOU all mean the world to me!

Thank you!

 

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It’s here!  Time to put up the Silverton Christmas Tree!

My understanding is that the tree is donated every year. I have no idea who the donor was, but it’s a pretty tree.  About 1/3 smaller than last years tree, but still a very pretty tree.

I have a bit of a problem with cutting down our trees for a town ornament and wonder… couldn’t we plant a patch of Christmas trees to grow for this purpose.  I have to admit I enjoy the tree all winter.

Just one of the many special characteristics of this town.  Thanks guys for all your hard work that makes this town so comfortable and enjoyable to live in. You are all very much appreciated!

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October 28, 2010

The other night I was asked a question about  whether or not I would return to Arizona.  That question was qualified with “you love where you are“, and it is true I do love Silverton.  I love things about Silverton and I do intend on keeping my room here.  However from the beginning the reason for moving here was to be closer to Heather and the original plan was to move somewhere close by where I could have my horse more comfortably.  I’ve been thinking of Bayfield or Ridgeway, both of which would provide more work. Bayfield is about two hours away and Ridgeway about an hour and a half.  So Silverton was never meant to be my “home“.  What I love about this community is the old town buildings, the sense of living in the wilderness, a good many of the people. What I don’t like about it, is that most of those shops close up for the winter, a lot of bickering goes on in town that you cant escape from.  I miss a swimming pool,  I really am not fond of having to bundle up every time I go outside.  Opportunity has sprang up from this move and the lifestyle I have adopted and I love that part about living here.

When I think about it, Arizona has always been my first love, I never really wanted to leave her. What I wanted was to move to a cooler climate as in  maybe Payson, but the drive to get closer to Heather  had me looking at Show Low, Arizona, and places in New Mexico, and if you have followed this blog for any length of time you may have noticed that the trend then moved up to Mancos with the final destination, a last minute decision, being Silverton. Moving here was a logistic move and a financial one. It turned out to be a healing experience.  I have found beauty here in amazing bounty. But I do not find that Sultann Mountain or Kendall Mountain are more beautiful or awesome than the Superstition Mountains. The Sup’s, they were my home for 16 years. I miss the Sup’s. What I don’t miss is the smog, the cars, the people.  Those things bring tears to my eyes and thus unhappiness when I think of how they have overrun the home I loved for so long.

Would I ever return to Arizona…  maybe.  I find beauty wherever I am.  I think that if my life’s unfulfilled needs, those things I am researching about myself and for my peace, pleasure and well being, were to be bulstered  or brought to fruition by a move back to AZ, I would go.

I am certain that Heather will feel threatened by this knowledge.  The responsibility toward her heart’s feelings weighs heavy upon my own heart.  So if I ever took that journey regardless of where it might take me it would be with her in mind.  I would keep my room and remain present in her life.  Now Heather, don’t get all panicky, nothing is happening. I am not planning a move. I am quite content right here. I do have a future laying itself out before me though, and if it takes that turn, I may move.  Nothing is written in stone in life. Everything is always swirling around like  a pool of water and could change at any moment. I am the type of person who likes to move with the water and see what lays upon the shore just a little farther down stream. Which is how I viewed coming to Silverton and how I viewed moving to Arizona so many years ago.  Like another friend suggested today, I tend to be a bit of fish that way.  Swimming with the current…

Look at me!  I’m a neon fish.  I cant wait to see where this new life of mine takes me next.  Like Jonathan Livingston Seagull…  in the water or upon the wind… it really doesn’t matter. All I want to do is to continue exploring this kingdom called life with all the gusto I can manage.  I am so lucky to be in a place where I can venture wherever my heart takes me if I so choose. To celebrate my life in all of its completeness.

A celebration for which I am so grateful for.

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September 23, 2010

What the simple life has to offer if one just has the moxie to go for it.  How many wonderful things you experience if you just have the willingness to see them.  Here are some things I have to be thankful for.

1) Foremost  the rekindling of an old friendship that brings such deep feelings to bear.  I’ll be headed to Arizona in November to visit my friend there. His presence in my life has had such a wonderful impact on me.  We don’t always have second chances at friendships and this one means the world to me.

2) How wonderful it is to be close to my daughter sharing in her and her families lives.  She has a new house, all pretty with deck and rock wall. Lots of new things inside.  I am so thankful to her in laws Cindy and Bill MacDougall for making it possible for Heather and Malcolm to build an investment for themselves while living in a new comfy home.  That is what family is all about!

3) Being here in Silverton to witness such dramatic beauty.  I will never have words to share that will express the  grandeur of this place at any season. But “The Colors” as we call them, just blows your mind.

Stepping out my door onto Greene Street.

View from my cash register at the convenient store (Conoco Station), family owned with Bill and Cindy MacDougall, Malcolm’s (my son-in law) parents. Mal is part owner and manages the store and Heather is their primary employ.  I am so lucky that they have offered me employment so that my transition to Silverton has been seamless.

Another view from my cash register.  How lucky am I??

And yet another view from inside the sore.  If you look real close you can see the construction of the new bridge over Mineral Creek. But who cares about that when you see such amazing beauty just beyond.

About two or three times a week I eat breakfast at “The Bent Elbow”. I am sitting at my table  on the outside patio waiting for my food when taking this picture.  Yep this is my breakfast view.  Who would not be thankful for this?  The buildings across the street are part of what is known as the “Old Town Square”  They include the stores, The Emporium, and Olde Tyme Photo shop both ran by my good friends Tommy and Patty Wipf.   Up stairs over The Emporium on the right, the Wipf’s rent out  the weekend vacation retreat, Lola’s Place. The rental use to be the home and place of business of Lola one of Silverton’s well known Madame’s on “Notorious Blair Street” famous for its many brothels.  In fact, The Bent Elbow was a brothel housing several ladies of the night.

Another view  from my breakfast table.

Here is a shot of Kendall Mountain, the mountain I climbed in an earlier blog post. Isn’t it just gorgeous!!!  This shot was taken outside of the convenient store. To think this mountain is in Heather and Malcolm’s back yard…

No words can describe this…  heading North-ish toward Ouray and taken out side the convenient store.

One of Sultann Mountains peaks as seen through an ornamental fence belonging to my yoga instructor.

.. and now for the  grand poo pah!

Arrastra Gulch This where Heather and Malcolm were married 2 years ago. Malcolm took Heather up to see the colors there on their Anniversary this last September 20th.  He took this picture.   Makes me want to burst out with tears of awesomness!

Happy Thankful Thursday everyone. Try to find beauty in your life and embrace simplicity and give yourselves a break.  Be grateful…

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September 19, 2010

A day late for Thankful Thursday… yet never too late to have gratitude.

Hiking did you say?  Breathing fresh out door exhilarating air?  Listening to the gentle calls of birds singing their songs of life to each other?  The buzz of bees, the sent of flowers, grasses, evergreens?  The bubbling rush of water in a nearby stream? Silverton’s San Juan mountains bestow these and so much more upon your soul as you trek through their inspiring awe struck beauty.

The town of Silverton sits at 9,318 feet above sea level. Kendall Mountain reaches a grand 13,660 feet above sea level. Climbing Kendall Mountain is no easy endeavor.  It is a steep grade of twists and turns that make for a great training ground  for the strongest of hearts.

An example…  July 17, 2010  Kendall Mountain Run – video by Nina Hunter.

The next video is by Patrick Swonger.

I’m sure you get the idea…

In no way do I compete with these extreme athletes. I tend to mosey up the mountain to experience nature while strengthening my overall fitness. I’m guessing I climb about 2000 feet upward from Silverton’s 9,318 feet with a goal of making the entire trip to the top sometime soon.

I’m not thinking that my photos will compare to the grandeur of Nina Hunter’s video, or convey the stimulating atmosphere in Silverton that Patrick Swonger’s video conveys.  They do however depict how gratifying being up on Kendall’s winding trajectory can be to someone who finds peace and harmony in a mountain wilderness.

I hope you enjoy…

I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to experience such a magnificent measure of what Mother Earth has to offer…

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July 8th, 2010

Its been a few months now since my last post. Snow has melted,  rivers have over flowed with raging waters to settle down to good fishing. Wild Flowers are blooming and wildlife is on the move. People have steadily converged upon our little town to explode during the 4th of July festivities.  Now we are on the down side again, people slowly drifting away.  Mountains are green. We had some warm summer days  that have given way to cooler temps and thunder rains.

I’ve made new friends, am working on cultivating more friends and made a  mistake that caused some discomfort with someone I care about. But hey we are all human right. We get past the crap and move on.

All in all I am so very happy and content in my little town.  I have spent three to four days a week jogging back trails or hiking steep mountain sides to sit under the sky and soak up the sounds and smells of the wilderness.  The soft touch of the wind on my skin always puts a gigantic smile on my face.  If I can find someone to casually share these things with my life would be at its most perfect space in time.

I haven’t taken any pics this spring or summer to share.  Some things you just have to experience in person to understand the impact they have.  To represent how I feel though and how free I am and the joy in life I am experiencing…

I give you Celt’s Prophecy…

(Photo Courtesy: Kathy of Kickapoo Center Spanish Mustangs – Wisconsin – Pro is my 2 year old colt from the last of my breeding program who is staying with Kathy for the next year before I bring him home to Silverton, Colorado.)

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We are so lucky to have such great people come to our little town nestled away in the San Juan Mountains. Recently SixEleven (a filming company visited out town to snow board and film their adventure here in Silverton Colroado.  One of our towns more active extreme athletes found the video below online and shared it with us on Twitter. Seeing the video I had to ask if SixEleven would consider allowing me to share it on my blog and thus offered for them to guest blog as well.  Below you’ll find their response – what great guys!

(Guest Blogger)

FEBRUARY FLIPPY FUN

Silverton is a really rad town that is nestled high in the San Juans. Growing up just an hour away in Durango I never really knew what I had lying in my backyard. The amount of terrain and features in and around Silverton is absolutely endless and each time I go down there we end up finding a new zone or new features to hit. It is truly amazing that I had so many of these spots accessible to me as a child and didn’t even appreciate it. The people of Silverton have always seemed to open people of the snowboard community with open arms. Our last trip down there was one of the most memorable. We rented a house downtown for the month of February and were very anxious to get up in the mountains. We actually almost had more fun riding in town then up on the pass. The locals were nice enough to push jumps with their Bobcats, they even let us jib a public works dumptruck. Within a few minutes of setting up the dumptruck word had gotten around town and we had an audience. Even the local Deputy cut us a break for skitching behind the truck down Green Street, something that is most likely illegal and not all that safe. All in all the town of Silverton is a great place to visit, and the laid back homey welcome we received from everybody in town we came across will ensure us to not only coming back again, but to make it an annual adventure for SixEleven.

SixEleven February Flippy Fun from SixEleven on Vimeo.

You may want to plan your next winter vacation in Silverton Colorado…

About SixEleven Productions…

On June 11, 2004 SixEleven Productions was founded with the desire to provide a new outlook on filmmaking in the snowboard industry. For all of us at SixEleven, snowboarding is not only a hobby but it is also a way of life. Through the production of our films we want to show our love for snowboarding as well as the fun, passion, and comradary that exists within the sport.

SixEleven has a reputation as being a driving force in Colorado snowboarding. With films like “Far From Finished”, “Football! and “This Is Serious” we have proven we can produce a high quality, marketable, and entertaining film. The new film, “Stop…Hammertime!”

will be the fourth full-length snowboard film produced, filmed,edited,promoted, and distributed by SixEleven. With new additions to the crew, we plan on delivering the same fun and entertainment that people have come to expect from a SixEleven film, while tailoring it for a much broader spectrum of people.

In past videos, our limited budget has only allowed us to film in Colorado and surrounding areas. This year we hope to go far beyond the normal realms of what we have done in the past, from a circuit of premiers in other states to international viral edits released regularly, as well as distribution both online and in snowboard shops across the country. In other words, we are setting the bar much higher for this next season.

For more interesting film adventures please visit SixEleven Productions or visit their Facebook page.

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I promised hot cowboys, fast horses, and top notch ski talent in this post well here you go…

I want to take him home.

Warming up for the races while the morning snow falls.

More warm ups…  right in front of the Stellar Bakery and Pizzeria

On looker Mike G. one of our towns acclaimed musicians. He’ll be playing at the Velvet Lounge (in the Villa Dallavalle) tonight. You should drop in and put in a request for some Buddy Holly.

Happy mom’s pulling happier children in toboggans.

The races are on!  The horses seemed to love the run too!

And I mean they ran!  This was one very VERY fast horse!

Setting up for the last jump!

Pam (on right) and her good friend Diane watch as a team rushes by! Pam is my friend who runs the  Villa Dallavalle Bed and Breakfast and Velvet Lounge.  For you Twitter folks you can find Pam and the Villa Dallavalle B&B at ( @VillaDallvalle ).

Our handsome cowboy and his steed streaking up Blair Street while skier literally  flies through the air right in front of the VillaDallavalle Bed and Breakfast.

And another competitor puts in his bid on the last jump.

One of  Heathers best friends, Audry came to town to watch the event.

And Audry’s husband Kyle, one of our volunteer Fire Fighters!

End of the day, another handsome cowboy cooling down his horses right along Green Street!

And in case you didn’t get enough of that handsome cowboy dude in the beginning of the  post…

Sigh…..

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Dec 23rd 2009

The guys removing the towering wall of snow from our streets in preparation for the next Big One!

Look Ma! NO SNOW!

Then Dec 24th

I must apologize here. The Fire Department puts on a Santa Clause treat at the Town Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve and I was not up on it in time to take pictures.  From out my window I did see our fire guys drive their trucks old and new down Green Street waving to everyone in preparation for the celebration.  By the time I got my camera turned on they were gone. 

Next year I’ll be in attendance. This Town Rocks on Holidays!

How ever I was laying on my bed watching  TAPS (Ghost Hunters) marathon when I looked up and saw these beautiful ice cycles on the building across the street.  They weren’t moving too fast so I was able to get my camera turned on and capture them in time.

Christmas…

It was the best I have had in many years. Somehow being in snow country enhances the Christmas experience, and the people of Silverton are so into it that you can’t help but be jolly, feeling the spirit. Christmas Eve was spent with friends at San Juan Grill.  Had the most succulent duck ever, and some amazing cocktails. The treat though of the night was the in house made eggnog! Yummm….  After dinner Heather, Cindy and Claudia and I all went to the local Catholic Mass. It was quaint and a nice old tradition that Heather and I use to partake in when she was growing up.  It was a good way to bring in Christmas.

Christmas day was spent at Heathers house. Malcolm had to work so Heather and I played board and video games most of the day. Had some great home made pork and beans. Probably the best pork and beans Ive ever had. Of course that’s no surprise since Heather was the cook.  Around 3-ish in the afternoon we headed off to Cindy and Bill’s (Malcolm’s parents) house  to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” (Jimmy Stewart classic), drink some hot cider and wait for Malcolm to get home from work to open presents.  The kids as usual made out like bandits. I think the favorites for them were the sewing machine Bill and Cindy got for Heather and the boot warmer/airdryer they got for Malcolm.  The kids got me several things one of which was a large chunk of the money needed to buy my Xbox. That’s on the agenda for right away. Probably just order it online next week. Can’t wait. It will be my stereo system, my dvd player and I can play online and video games from time to time too. An all-in-one unit. Also I’m getting my snowshoes!!!  Yes next week I’m ordering them too. I cant wait to go out and tromp around on our many groomed trails that surround Silverton.

After opening presents we sat down to quiche and all you can eat finger food. It was a tough  decision between which was best the quiche or the cranberry salsa. Oh-my-goodness, both were delicious.

Well after dinner we all departed and the 2009 Christmas festivities were drew to a close.

Another thing I want to share is how wonderfully celebrated this 2009 Christmas was across the country by folks I have met online.  Twitter all-a-tweet, and Facebook bubbling over  with Yuletide joy and sharing.  Christmas this year seemed to be blessed with joy and love.  Even those struggling with their what-ever’s seemed to beam with “Light” this Christmas season. It was good to see and be part of.

Dec 26th, 2009

I woke this morning with that oh my – lull after the storm feeling.  Took my Christmas stuff down and spent some time this morning out and about town. Had a leisurely breakfast and took pictures for your enjoyment.

This is the alley at the back side of the building I live in. Several business – retail, restaurant, apts, hotels, and the bank all reside within this block long 150 year old building.

Check this out!!!

I have tons more  pictures of ice formations from right out my back door. Well sorta I don’t have a back door because I live upstairs on the other side of the building.  We all share this winter wonderland back yard.  Sometimes exploring down little out-of-the-way alleys really pays off.

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