For Years I've been...

driving past the "Gunnison Gorge National Conservation  Area" sign on Highway 50. (Also known as the Loneliest Highway in America on its Nevada stretch). 

I was always curious about what the heck's out there. Today I was able to work a look-see into my BUSY schedule by taking a 9 mile hike on the Ute Trail to the Mighty (if it weren't dammed up) Gunnison River. 

Lemme tell you, it's not often a trail is in better shape than the road to the trailhead, but that's what happened. 

The Peach Valley Road (sans orchards) was a bit wash-board-y, but it was the Autobahn compared to the 2.5 mile Ute Road. Barley the Van and its contents (me and my stuff) were jostled, juggled and shaken, not stirred around. 

It was so bad. How bad Jeff? 

My Baby Grand Piano flipped over in Barley the Van's Great Room. That's how bad it was.

I need to figure out a better way to secure those ivories down. My candelabra shattered too. Bad day for stuff, great day for a hike. Yin-Yang. 

From the United RV Park in Durango, CO 

It's raining and windy here! OY!

Good day!

Jeff

A Confession...

I don't always wake up with my gas pedal floored or possess multi-espresso energy. There are times, I open my eyes with nil to low potential activity levels. On these rare days, I push myself out of Barley's door and still do something. I know I'm well into the fourth quarter of my life; I won't waste days.

So...feeling kind of wimpy, a trail with two waterfalls caught my attention. It was also unknown territory to me. "No Thoroughfare Canyon," in Colorado National Monument sounded about right. 

WOW! Was I impressed! The waterfalls were really what the name implies, even for a water challenged state like Colorado. (Remember, our liquid flows away from our borders and doesn't stick around much.) 

If that weren't enough, I scored hiking companions. There was me and my shadow, a collared lizard, a yellow flittering butterfly and a pair of red-splotchy frogs. 

I'm so glad I extricated myself out of the driver's seat and wasn't a sloth.

PS. This was the first day in Colorado's month of May from Iceland that felt like impending summer. 

 I hope it continues.

From Welcome To Fruita or as the bumper stickers say "WTF"

Good morning,

Jeff

For more about Colorado National Monument please check out

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2014/10/colorado-national-monument.html

Play Ball!

Junior College World Series...

At Grand Junction, Colorado is an All-American event. I would place it up their with Mom, apple pie and of course, baseball. There's even All-American families equipped with tykes running amok on candy/ice cream sugar highs. Take a seat where the old codgers (like me) do if you don't want to get distracted from the action on the field. 

It's  a well kept Grand Valley secret despite being an annual occurrence here since 1958. 

I've been attending JUCO WS since 2008. I owe a watershed of thanks to Jack and Judy Miller for opening my eyes to it. They've been incredibly generous about sharing their home and beer drinking companionship with me through the years. Thanks folks! 

Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite weeks of the year. I really look forward to it. 

I get to hike (and even bike) in the Colorado National Monument in the morning. Catch a baseball game in the afternoon and still have time for dinner and Happy Hour in the evening. 

Each day, I repeat the sequence. It sure beats working. 

This year's tournament featured fickle weather as dicey and unsettling as mayonnaise-laden egg salad left outside on a summer's day. At least the mornings were sunny and mild.

Check this event out before ESPN and the ticket scalpers discover it. 

Come on Summer!

Jeff

Photo One: Judy and me enjoying a game.

Photo Two: Independence Rock in the Monument.

Photo Three: A rare photo of me on a bicycle. It's hard to believe I used to be good at riding one. 

Photo Four: Action at the ballpark.