Monday we just took care of some errands around our trailer, so all in all it was simply a “normal” day. However, on Tuesday we picked up Aunt Erma and headed for Red Feather Lakes to see more family … my cousin Mike and his wife Erika, my cousin, his brother Dan, and my aunt, their mother Shirley. Did that confuse you? Sorry, it makes sense to me! We also were able to see Mike and Erika’s daughters Kristen and Lisa. Kristen was on her way back to Denver so it was a short visit, but it was great to see her. We haven’t seen these girls since they were very young. We also met Erika’s mom, Emma, and Dan’s stepson, James. Erika fed us a great lunch and we spent a pleasant time visiting. It was great seeing Aunt Shirley doing so well after the physical difficulties she has faced in the last 3 ½ months. She is one tough lady! It was snowing most of the time we were in Red Feather Lakes and as it began snowing harder, we decided we needed to get back to Fort Collins before we got stuck. The last 4 miles before arriving at the ranch (Caerlaverock Ranch) is all dirt road (translation – muddy with the melting snow), and Wayne was understandably concerned about getting the truck stuck in either mud or snow. However, our trip back to Fort Collins was uneventful, as the snow stopped when we descended to a lower altitude. The views in the Rockies were amazing and I can really understand the draw of living there. To wake up at Red Feather Lakes and watch the sunrise must be quite a treat!
On Wednesday afternoon, we drove just north of Fort Collins to what used to be my Uncle Williard’s dairy farm. Now my cousin Larry works the farm raising corn and steers for market. We had a very nice visit with him for about an hour. It would have been nice to visit a bit longer, but he had a meeting in town to attend. Apparently the farms in the area are really hurting for water, so this meeting was very important.
Thursday we drove up to Cheyenne, Wyoming where I spent most of my childhood and teenage years. We drove by all my schools, my two houses, the church where we were married, etc. We even both got our hair cut at the Frontier Mall. It is a nice city to visit, but I don’t think I would want to live there again. Fort Collins is much more to my liking.
That evening, we went back to Gayla’s home for nice, cozy dinner with her and her dad. She made some rather adventurous dishes for dinner, one of which was a grits casserole. Wayne and I have just begun eating grits since becoming Texans … they are quite good. However this casserole … it was great! Very cheesy and smooth. Can’t have too much cheese … Yum!
We left Fort Collins yesterday morning after taking a walk around the lake at the KOA. We saw two Blue Herons flying around the lake … absolutely beautiful!
We drove into Nebraska and spent the night in North Platte. Tonight and tomorrow we are Gretna, Nebraska, southwest of Omaha. We have found Nebraska to be quite beautiful … much different than I expected. Lots of rolling hills, fields of straw, many varieties of cattle … interesting.
