Charlotte in October

One more blog post and I will be caught up for the year! We recently returned from a week long trip to Charlotte to visit our youngest daughter. We were able to celebrate her birthday with her and 12 or so of her friends but I didn't get any of those pictures that was Steve's assignment. All the pictures you see on this site are my own humble pictures with my little Canon point and shoot.

It was a working week for Em and we had a rental car of our own so we could come and go with total dependence on a phone navigator program. We met up with her in uptown just before her lunch break so she could give us a brief tour through the LS3P (yes that is the name http://www.ls3p.com/) office which occupies the whole seventh floor of a beautiful tall office building. I took a picture of her at her office space and at the reception desk and also the lobby sculpture and a couple outside. This firm has graciously consented to her doing some part time work for them to help her complete the work hours she requires for licensure as an architect. These are hours she wouldn't be able to get through her job at BASF. The folks we met were all friendly and the office space is gorgeous and has scenic views from all windows. It is the middle building in the picture.

Later we followed her to her other office in another part of Charlotte. It is more of an industrial neighborhood although the single story office space is nice and has pretty landscaping. Previously she shared an office with a coworker but just recently moved into a space of her own. I took a couple pictures there as well. She has familiar photos of her niece and nephews at her computer. She has her name next to her office door which is kinda cool. So, she is actually working two jobs right now and studying for two more licensure exams. In her spare time she is training to run another half marathon in Savannah, Georgia.

Steve and I did some work around the house and in the yard while we were there. It is a pleasure so help her get to some things that she just doesn't have the time for right now. We got to know several Home Depot stores around town.We enjoyed Leena the dog during our stay. She is a leaner and a lover and craves all the attention she can get. Em's new gas logs were installed during our visit so we got to enjoy the new flames during the cool evenings. We purchased a couple mums and a fall door wreath to bring in the season change and spruce up the house for the birthday party.

The birthday party on Saturday was a “dry run for Thanksgiving” party so Em supplied the turkey and a couple sides and her friends all brought additional sides, desserts and beverages. We learned how to deep-fry turkey breast and how to infuse flavorings and add spices prior to cooking. It was a fabulous feast and a fun time for us to meet her multi-talented friends and neighbors. We hope to reuse some of these great recipes when our family of westerners gathers in Charlotte for the real Thanksgiving this year.

Another highlight of our trip was the day trip to Asheville, North Carolina about an hour and a half from Charlotte going west toward the mountains. Griffin was the driver so we could enjoy the view of the forests, trees and mountains. We spent part of the day in the town walking around and going through the booths at a Jewish festival that happened to be going on that weekend. We had some delicious food (best macaroon cookies ever) and the sights and music. Asheville is hilly so it was a good walk keeping up with the more fit ones. Then Griffin drove us up the Blue Ridge Parkway that heads up the mountain. We stopped at several overlooks to see the trees changing colors in the distance. It was the red color that was the most showy as the yellow haven't quite popped out yet from the greens. It was just lovely. I am glad I finally got to see some of the oaks and maples in color, we just do not have much of that in Wyoming.

Vail Village in September and a hike at Piney Lake near Vail

We spent a week with my parents at their condo in Vail in September and were joined for two days by our daughter and her family. It was as beautiful as ever, we enjoyed the cool evenings and partly sunny days watching the aspens on the slopes slowly turn more golden. Maverick enjoyed the playground, the ice cream shop and swimming in the outdoor pool.

After the Ovrebos left we had a nice birthday party for my mom celebrating her 86^th at a local restaurant called Sweet Basil. My brother and his wife were also in Vail for the birthday which made it very fun. Steve and I also took some drives to view the aspens on the road past Minturn and up to Piney Lake about twelve miles up a steep dirt road north out of Vail. We had always wanted to hike in the wilderness by Piney Lake and we got our wish on this trip. It was the last day of the season for the ranch resort at Piney Lake. Mom and Dad were able to join us for a picnic on the day we drove up past Minturn. We could not find a picnic table but we did find some large boulders to sit on and enjoyed our submarine sandwiches.

Flowers in the gardens

I have let the columbine plants along the front walk and the hollyhocks along the backyard fence come back from seed for the past several years. Both seem to have undergone some cross pollination of colors and varieties. Where once I only had pale pink and white hollyhocks and some newer burgundy ones, now I get some whites with colored centers and various hues of purples and reds. Where I started with yellow and blue columbines, I now get pure white, fuchsia, pale blue, yellow and various shades in between. I love the variety so I am just letting them go. I am a lazy gardener basically!

Kayaking and Hiking

We had the kayak out on five excursions before stowing it for the winter. On one trip we paddled against stiff winds coming back with waves that were starting to white cap. We found out that depending on the direction we are trying to go the wind blows the cold water off the paddles into our faces. On my birthday we spent a couple days in the Snowy Range and took the kayak out to Mirror Lake in fifty degree weather wearing our jackets under our life vests. Climbing in and out with our feet briefly in the water left us with cold feet and numb toes, but the lake views were worth it. We also did some hiking, that mountain range is so scenic!

We also had several great hikes over the summer to places we have been before about a half hour drive west of Cheyenne. We usually bring a lunch and find a pretty spot with a view to eat. We enjoy the summer flowers that change every month and the leaves that change in the fall. We encounter various hikers, bicycles or sometimes horse riders along the way.

Frontier Days and a Birthday in the Park

Our son's family came for a visit in late July for a few days and to attend their cousin's birthday.

Of course we did a few Frontier Days activities; the pony rides and the carnival and watched the Thunderbirds perform their aerial show over the city and attended one of the four parades in Downtown Cheyenne. I only got a few decent pictures. When all the grand kids are around things move along pretty fast. The time always goes way too fast for my liking!

The Van Courts also got to spend a couple days in Vail seeing more of the extended family before returning through Loveland for Maverick's fourth birthday. It was a hot day in the upper 90's, but we had a big shade tree overhead and a portable awning and it was all good despite the heat. The kid's got to design a super hero cape of their own. They took a ride on the train in the park and played on the playground equipment. There was plenty of pizza and a special Ironman cake made by mama Erin. Willie (20 months) was a hot mess.