BACK...BABYSITTING AND BLESSED

V and D heading down the road...guess where they are...west Texas...miles and miles of grass, sky, road, and telephone poles

Can you see me smiling?  Dave looks pretty happy, too.  Back home in Hillsboro!  Hooray!

There's ole Van inspecting their new screen house.  They placed it right behind me.

 

 Vannie and T-Pop kept their Austin Grandkids this weekend.  Madeline is so excited about the Wildlife Ranch near San Antonio, TX. 

Vincent is all eyes looking at the animals.

Would you look at this.  V and D said that they thought he was going to come right in the truck.

 

Madeline loved the petting zoo.

...and Vincent kind of loved it!

 

Vannie said this was taken right after Vincent announced to the crowd that girl giraffes had vaginas and boy giraffes had penises. Vannie said she almost fell over! 

Loves her little playhouse

Famous Artist

 

 

One Handsome Dude

Wheeee

 

V and D even got the grandkids to church on Sunday.  Vincent was being such a little man.

Madi looks good here, but Vannie said she had to be removed to the cry room right after this picture was taken.

 

Hallelujah!  My folks are back from Colorado.  They said that they loved their housesitting job, but it was really nice to be home, too.  I have to admit, the first week was nice to have some alone time, but I was ready to see their smiling faces by the second week.

Vannie and Dave just slept one night in me, before they headed to Austin for the weekend.  I got my fix, though, so I didn't mind for them to go see their grandkids.  I knew they would return with great stories and pictures....and they did!

Emilie and Roy (daughter and son-in-law) headed to Dallas for a kids-free weekend.  Vannie and Dave had the Madeline and Vincent all to themselves.  As you can see by the pictures, they were blessed with joy and happiness. 

CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN

Isn't this a cool pic, Gypsy...that ole man-in-the-moon was just peaking out between the clouds

 

This is Kathryn's good friend, Deb.  She is the secretary at the Crestone Charter School.  We dropped in for a quick visit this week.

 

Do you see that tan area under that strip of blue?  Well, would you believe...that's sand...a bunch of it.  The next picture shows it a bit closer.  It's called the Great Sand Dunes National Park.

 

 

These huge dunes are North America's tallest. 

 

 

Near the dunes is Zapata Falls.  Enjoyed seeing these...nice and cool area.

 

 

Needed a quick cup of coffee and a homemade oatmeal cookie before our hike today. 

This was the coffee shop in Crestone.

 

Headed up the Willow Creek Trail...just a little tedious to get across.

 

 

So glad we had our walking sticks...We went from 8500 miles high to 10,000.  Air...Air...where was it!  Breathing hard!

 

Around Crestone there are rocks that remind me of a puzzle.  They are all stuck together with lava from many many moons ago. 

 

Climb Every Mountain...

 

 

I expected to see Maria from the "Sound of Music" run across that meadow any second.  The mountains were really bursting with music...in their own way.

 

The aspens are not changing yet, but still very majestic and beautiful.

 

Another email from Vannie...

 

Dear Gypsy,

This is my last email before I see you on Thursday.  I can hardly wait.  It has only been a little over two weeks, but it seems forever.  These last few days have been packed.  We were trying to get in last minute adventures.  As you can see by the pictures, we did pretty well.

Visited Crestone School

Listened to the rushing waters along Zapata Falls

Ooed and Ahhed over The Great Sand Dunes

Tasted a little bit of Crestone...coffee and Oatmeal cookies

Discovered Willow Creek Trail

We can't "climb every mountain" around here, but we gave it the ole one two.

Gypsy, you know one of my favorite movies is "The Sound of Music".  So here goes...

Climb every mountain

Search high and low

Follow every highway

Every path you know

Climb every mountain

Ford every stream

Follow every rainbow

Till you find your dream.

A little cheesy, but I can almost hear you singing it along with me.

We've had a fabulous stay in Crestone at Jay and Kathryn's house.  It was been a renewal from a busy summer around the Great Lakes. 

Stay cool and we'll see you soon.

Love, Vannie

 

 

 

 

 

FRIENDS...FOOD...FUN...

Just another face of the mountain from our patio in Crestone, CO

The Mighty Rio Grande...another river we've seen practically from top to bottom...We were on our way to Creede, CO.

 

Creede, CO

Such a precious little community

 

On the way to Pagosa Springs, CO

Look, Gypsy...Aspens...There is a little orange on the top left, and, of course, the yellow in the center.

The scenery...magnificant

Makes you wonder how the pioneers did it without roads and tunnels...

 

On the road to our friends, Grace and Richard...They live out...and I mean way out from Pagosa Springs.

Grace and Richard

 

More BFF's...Jennings and Cindy.

 

Stopped to see this elk on the way back from Pagosa...He was a nervous Nellie...probably because he was fenced in.

Dem Bones...Dem Bones...Dem Dry Bones

 

Back to the sofa and Kit...Ahhhh

 

Good Morning, Everyone...I was checking my email this morning and finally got one from Vannie.  With all the flooding in Colorado, I was getting a little antsy.  But they are fine and are having a grand time relaxing and visiting old friends.  As for me, I'm trying to stay out of trouble.  There are spies lurking everywhere around here.  I did stay up late one night this week.  I got to talking to the two airstreams on either side of me, and before you could say Jack Robinson, it was midnight.  I am definitely too old for that.  Well, I'm yakking too much.  You guys want to hear how V and D are doing.  So here is their email.  Enjoy!

 

Hi, Gypsy...I decided it is easier to send an email.  The connection with the phone is so iffy.  The weather is been rainy most days since we last talked.  No flooding around here, though.  We did drive over to Creede, CO one evening this week to see a play.  Tickets compliment of Jay and Kathryn. (A big thank you to them) We met up with our friends, Grace and Richard Qualls. I love seeing how small community theaters can pull off productions of this magnitude. The play was Around the World in 80 Days.  Awesome!  I taught with Grace "way back when" at Broadmoor Elementary in Lafayette.  They come out here during the summers and spend the winters in Lafayette.  They live out a long winding dirt road outside of Pagosa Springs.     We followed them back to Pagosa...ate out...slept over...visited.  Great times!  After we left Grace and Richard's, we met up with our friends, Jennings and Cindy Hamilton.  We met them for lunch at a restaurant in Pagosa.  Jennings is the pastor of the Bloomsfield Baptist Church in New Mexico.  We originally knew these friends from East Bayou Baptist Church in Lafayette.  More fun times!  On the way home from Pagosa, we stopped at this ranch that sells all kinds of elk, bison, and deer stuff...frozen meats, jerky, sausage, and more.  We didn't buy much, but did enjoy seeing everything.  We were pooped when we got back to Crestone.  Kit was very glad to see us, and we were glad to see him.  See you soon...and stay out of trouble.  You know I have spies!!!!

Love, Vannie

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

 The Many Faces of the mt......Never seem to get tired of looking at it.  This colors are magnificent. 

 

 

 

 

Kathryn & Jay's house...We are loving our housesitting job, but are missing you.

 

Crestone Artist Alliance

 

One of the many temples around Crestone

 

Kit watching me exercise.  You would love Kit, Gypsy.  Reminds me of Tinker (New Mexico Kitty)

 

Rio Rancho Buddies...Helen and Loretta...came up for the weekend

 

Salida is a sweet little town north of Crestone.

 

 

Dave might have found his calling...Punch Fiber Art

 

 

 

You can run, but you can't hide.

So glad you were behaving yourself...One of our spies took this pic of you and sent it to us. 

 

Vannie:  Hello...Gypsy, It's me!  Pick up the phone!

 

Gypsy:  Hello...Van...Hello..Can you hear me?

 

Vannie:  The connection in the mountains is not too reliable some days.  Can you hear me now?

 

Gypsy:  You are cutting out on me?

 

Vannie:  OK...I'll call you back later in the week.  Hope the pictures uploaded on your phone.  Luv ya