9000 Words

  Photo credit:  Scott Cain  "Touching the sky" Thursday: Steamboat Springs, Colorado Wake at 5:45am Awoke having slept a bit better. Not feeling so dizzy or rundown. Today was the day we had chose to memorialize David (Dad). The chatter in the kitchen as we all greeted the day was quieter than it had been. At 10am the whole lot of us piled into three cars and drove the three minutes to the gondolas at the base of the ski resort. We all laughed at how we could have walked. From our rental house nobody could see or understand how close the lift actually was.   It was only steps from the front door to our house. Obviously, no one thought ill of our short drive, and also the sun was bright so it was a cheerful looking day.   At the top, I quietly made my rounds and asked the group to follow Mom’s lead in selecting a spot to place David’s (Dad’s) ashes. We did not walk very far. Mom was concerned about the two of our group who were having trouble walking (Brook, Nichole). Mom

  Photo credit:  Scott Cain  "Mountain Ride" Wednesday: Steamboat Springs, Colorado Awake at 5:30am Woke up not feeling rested after trouble sleeping all night. Suspect the 2.5 drinks I served my self at dinner. Today the group is set to go horseback riding. Colin is not excited, but going because he said he would. Before our departure, I was feeling a bit dizzy and had to sit for a few minutes. Not sure if it was the coffee, the lack of sleep, last nights booze, our elevation, or something worse. However after sitting for a bit I felt a little better and we were on our way. Our journey took us to Dells Triangle Ranch.   Thirteen of us had set out to ride. My horses name was Aspen. She was a palomino with lovely blond hair. She followed second behind the lead horse rode by our guide Samantha. She was a tailgater, with her nose almost touching the Samantha’s horse the entire two hour ride. For most of our traverse the two lead horses were a considerable distance ahead of t

  Photo credit:  Scott Cain  "Upper Fish Creek Falls" Tuesday: Steamboat Springs, Colorado Awake at 5:45am Our house rental at 1020 Montview has proven a perfect place for our family to convene. This morning I was the first one up and about. I was hoping for some sort of sunrise to photo. Unfortunately while I am sure there was one I am new here and not yet in tune with these things. After coffee and some writing mom and I went for a walk. We both found a small trail north of our rental. There was a wonderful view of the mountains and a few old barns. After breakfast I rallied a group of us to go for a hike. We opted for Fish Creek Falls as our destination.   Attending our group mom, Karen, Alex, Maisie, Nichole, Rebecca, Mark, Brook, and my self. The hike was stunning in it’s beauty. The trail reviews have it rated as a moderate hike. However for our group of un-experienced flat landers, this moderate was kind of challenging. We hiked 2.2 miles up hill for 2400 feet. The

  Photo credit: Karen Bryce Monday: Custer, South Dakota Awake at 4:30am, up at 5. At the Bavarian Lodge in Custer, there is a breakfast restaurant called the Feel Good Cafe. With sunshine in the air Mom, Karen, Alex, Nichole, Rebecca, and I all enjoyed a wonderful meal before our departure. Mom and I had vegetable quiche, blue berry muffin, and a large coffee. Our posse then headed west out of town towards our destination in Colorado. Much of our journey took us through Wyoming, which at times felt like driving across the moon. Beautiful, desolate, and NO cell service. Ten miles out side of Lusk Wyoming we found a stoplight in the middle of nothing. There was a crew doing road work. Two miles away at the other side of the valley you could see the stopped oncoming traffic at their light. The ordeal added a 20 minute delay, however it seemed like much less, because there was so much good conversation to be had with Mom.   When we reached Laramie where the elevation is 7200 feet I ha

  Photo credit:  Scott Cain  "Monument" Sunday: Sioux Falls, South Dakota Awake at 4:30am, up at 5. I am surprised to have slept so well in a hotel. The people in the room above us had finally stoped banging around at about 9:30pm. After that it was quiet and cold all for the rest of the night. Mom awoke at 6am. We took the elevator down stairs and used the exercise room for 30 minutes. I did weights, pushups, crunches and 20 minutes on an elliptical machine. Then we returned to our room. Cleaned up, showered, and made our way to the breakfast area in the hotel. There was not much there for mom to eat. Only a banana and some coffee, so I suggested that we go some where else. I quickly located a Cracker Barrel near by so we drove there and had a tasty breakfast.   As it turned out, the location of the restaurant was a perfect spot for My sister Karen and her family to meet and connect with us on the road. Our plan had been meet up and drive with one another to the black hill

   Photo credit:  Scott Cain  "Real Farmhouse Vittles" Saturday: Decora, Iowa Awake at 6:30 am.           In the second floor bedroom at Arles and Laredo’s farm. I was surprised to find I had slept so well. The fan in the old farm house window blew in the most delightful cool country air. And despite the lack of a second pillow I found the bed very comfortable. I had only got up once during the night. Getting up during the middle of the night was quite the adventure. The old farm house with it’s practical old Norwegian sensibilities had it’s steep stairwell located in the bathroom just off the living room. A door on the third step opens next to the door to the room next to the toilet. The door closed with a friction fit and no latch. I was thankful that I was fit and healthy enough to traverse this unique feature in the dark without much fuss. I wondered to myself just how my two 80+ year old host’s managed this configuration every day. But they both seemed spry for their yea

  Photo credit:  Scott Cain  "U-Turn" Friday:   Northport, Michigan Awake 5:30am, Very hungover. I don’t know what I was thinking. Oh wait, yes I do. Pamela has been in an awful mood and there was so much to do before leaving, that by the end of the day drinks were needed, and it turned into more than too many were consumed. now I was paying for it. However we had a scheduled to keep. I got up showered and tried to finish packing. What a mess. I threw things pellmell into the first bags I found and decided it will just go as it is.       We were on the road by 6:45am. We drove for one hour south and then stopped in Traverse City at the Bob Evans to eat breakfast. An hour later we were back on the road and pointed north. We drove towards the Mackinac bridge. The sun was out and the conversation with mom was lively. Our drive took us across the entire North end of Lake Michigan. We did not make a second stop until Marrinette Wisconsin.      There we found a lunch spot at a Jimm