pics from the trip

Here are a few photos from our trip. We first flew into Denver (after getting rerouted from our original destination of CO Springs) and then drove to Amarillo or more technically Canyon TX which is about 6 hours away, where we visited Palo Duro Canyon St Park. Then we drove back to CO Springs, visited some friends, and then went skiing for one day at Monarch Mountain near the artsy and historic town of Salida.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX. We spent a few days trapping mesocarnvores (foxes, ringtails and raccoons) with grad student Naima Montacer and her professor Ray Matlack.

Traipsing through fields of dried basketflower in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX.

Savie holding the raccoon we caught in the trap. We didn't catch any ringtails though - darn!!

Dr Ray Matlack, West Texas A&M University Professor and grad student Naima Montacer - out in the field trapping in Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO.

This shot reminds me of that poem about how God is carrying us when we feel that we're walking alone but there are always two sets of footprints in the sand -- taken at Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO.

The kids carrying a gigantic stick (uh, tree?) through the sand at Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO.

Mule deer just outside of Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO.

Another shot of the mule deer near Great Sand Dunes National Park.

It was snowing all day when we visited Garden of the Gods in Manitou Springs, CO. It was awesome! Unfortunately that meant the sky was whited out, and you can't see the peaks in the distance, but it was really neat.

Snow on an evergreen in Garden of the Gods in Manitou Springs, CO.

Sam in a crevice at Garden of the Gods in Manitou Springs, CO.
The kids skiing at Monarch Mountain near Salida, CO.

Now as for me - all in a day's work: I unplugged a huge pile of cat hair and Christmas tree needles from my vacuum cleaner, filed for an extension on my income taxes, met with the Head of my kids' private school about next year, went out to dinner with my kids (why buy food if I'm leaving again in 2 days?!), did some miscellaneous work and phone chats with people, applied for a gig as a wildlife show host (that is my dream!!), started to pack, uploaded these pics, and now it's 2am and I still have oodles to do... but alas I must get some rest. Ciao for now!

climbing mountains

We are in Canyon, Texas and just got finished hanging in the indoor pool and hot tub, and pigging out on pizza. Yum! The kids are watching some ridiculous reality TV show about child TV stars. At one point Savie wanted to be famous, wanted to be on TV, and I was like you know what? No. Way. Not gonna happen. I said, you can act in theatre in school, but I have never seen anything good coming out of child stars. I digress...

This morning, we got up early and went out to check live traps with West Texas A&M University grad student Naima Montacer and Professor Ray Matlack in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. We checked traps in 4 different habitat types - riparian (by the "Prairie Dog Town Fork" of the Red River), escarpment (rock face), mixed-brush-woodland, and mesquite savannah. Escarpment is the only habitat they've ever caught ringtails, but she's studying "mesocarnivores" in general which also includes things like foxes and raccoons. Naima baits the traps with sardines and apples and honey. Unfortunately we didn't catch any ringtails...but we did catch a raccoon which Savannah got to hold (it was anesthetized). Hopefully we will catch one or more tomorrow because they're pulling the traps and that is our last chance!!

After lunch at a Thai place with everyone, the kids and I went first to look at a prairie dog town on the side of the highway then back to the park to explore. I have fond memories of going to this huge prairie dog town outside of Lubbock when I was about my kids' age. My cousin, aunt & uncle lived in Lubbock while my cousin and I were growing up (we're the same age), and we used to go there for holidays. The kids had fun watching the prairie dogs running around, ducking their heads in their burrows, and wiggling their little tails about. There were lots of tumbleweeds rolling across the plain on this very windy windy day.

Back at Palo Duro Canyon, we climbed and bouldered our way up on this cliffside and it was really cool! When we were down at the bottom of the roadside we saw some people waaaay up on top of this cliff and it looked like a million miles up and I thought no way would we make it. But we did! Sam wanted to keep going even further but Savannah was done... we climbed through these cave-like things in the rock. It was just cool. Then we stopped by Wally World and picked up some bathing suits (remember, our luggage is lost... though apparently it was delivered to our friends' house today in CO! Small miracles!). We also picked up some candy... and had dessert before dinner :0)

I took these photos with my cell phone because one of the victims of my lost luggage is my camera... I always pack it in my carry on, but this one time I packed my battery charger in my luggage!! And so the battery is about to die... Hopefully I have enough juice to snap a couple shots of the ringtail we WILL see tomorrow!!! (God willing!!)