Summer 2008

Loveland, CO back to Conyers, GA

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 18:19:04 -0400

We left this am Aug.7th for home, drove through the edge of NE and am now in KS. We got about 2 inches of rain last eve and it was very wide spread. It is only about 71 degrees when we stopped in Colby to eat lunch and now shows about 79. Much cooler weather then we have been having. CO had 23 days of over 90 and one day it was 104.

Aug. 7th 10 PM we arrived at Lora and Butch’s, far too many hours on the road for Gary but he insisted. We spent Friday night their and visited with Adeline and R.A. all day on Friday and watched the opening ceremonies that eve. They were beautiful and well done. We left around 10 AM and drove to Paducah, KY; we stayed at Fern Lake campground and then left Sunday after church for and arrived at the Omel’s around 2 PM and spent the night with them. We are now on our way to Atlanta, we should be home around 2:30, I hope. It has been a long enjoyable trip.

Denver, CO to Loveland, CO

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 18:16:41 -0400

On Monday the 4th of August we went to a luncheon of Gary’s graduating class. Last year we attended his 50th reunion and they decided to meet once a month for lunch. It worked out real well that we were in Denver. There must have been around 30 people there. It was the most they have ever had. One couple came from FL as his wife from Julesburg was coming to attend her 50th class reunion. There was one from Loveland and one from Colorado Springs. They really made an effort to attend this one.

As we left the lunch we were on US 285 going west and to the North of us was a huge fire. When we left the campground and were on I-70 going East we could see the fire burning of the side of Green Mountain. On the news in the evening it said it was started by lightning and had burned 300 acres. Since I was driving I could not take photos of the fire.

We then left to go to Loveland to visit Dan and Debi; we attended their county fair and looked at exhibits of quilts, photos, clothing, flowers, crafts fruits and vegetables. It was very interesting.
Danny is raising some very pretty Dahlias; they are as large as dinner plates.

We stayed a couple of days then went back to Wray, CO to stop over to see my sister and husband again and pick up a leather belt that Gary had made.

Denver, Colorado

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:10:02 -0400

July 30th we left to go to Denver, we had a rather long trip that is in time. It’s an hour and half trip to Denver and we had a break down and set on the side of the interstate for 5 hours. It was not too much fun. Our road service was not able to tow us as the problem was with the air system. Gary talked with several people and he found it to be a pop off valve in the system that had come off so it would not hold air. Road service finally arranged to get a mechanic and they plugged it and sent us to the truck stop and the mechanic went after a new pop off valve, which of course was a 5-minute job. We finally arrived at the camp ground around 7 that eve. We found a new campground that is owned by the City of Lakewood, Bear Creek Lake Park. The park itself has over 2000 acres in it and is widely used for camps, archery, trail rides, water skiing. It would be a real interesting place to participate in. We were told they only had 30-amp electric service and all were back-ins. They had put in a new row of campsites with 50-amp service and were drive thru. No big trees in the camping sites but it was a beautiful place. There were a lot of group areas for family gatherings, etc. As the photo shows it was pretty bare.

Not far from the campground is a well known area in Denver known as the Hogback. This road (West Alameda) leads to Red Rocks Ampitheatre. The City in its wisdom has closed the road and now you have to go to a visitor’s center and pay to see the dinosaur tracks in the rock formations alongside the road.

We also drove thru The Red Rocks, a Denver City park.

We visited with my brother in-law, (Orville & Dicey) my brother (Walter and Ada) and also my sister in-law, Dorothy (Paul’s widow) and also with my niece (Joan Johnson and her children) then on Sunday we went to my mother’s side of the family reunion for my last living aunt who was celebrating her 90th birthday. I got to see and visit with relatives I had not seen in a number of years. It is so nice to go to a gathering to visit and have a good time other then seeing family at a funeral.

From Joes, CO to Limon, CO

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:03:30 -0400

The accommodations in E Colorado are not exactly 5 star but they are adequate.

July 28th we left to go to Limon to visit my sister Jean and her family. She wasn’t very busy at the flower shop so we got a lot of visiting in. Adeline and R A came back from Denver so had another nice visit with them. We are headed to Denver now to spend a few days with family and then on Sunday it is my mother’s side of the family reunion. I have one Aunt left Ethel who will be her 90th birthday. All the cousins are invited so hope to have a good time and catch up more on the family.

This is the Church where the Waller family reunion was held.

Joes, Colorado

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:31:54 -0400

One of the residents in Joes, CO is a volunteer firefighter as is Henry. To raise funds they had a pig pickin. Invited were all of Gary Lights friends ( the host ) and many of them are drag racers and old car buffs. T was a pretty good car show and there was enough food for an army.

Henry & Flo:

RA and Adeline:

Some of the cars that showed up:

The monster Fire Truck that was obtained with a federal grant:

Demo of putting out a grass fire:

Flo and Jane: