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Calm Before the Storm July was an up and down month. It began with troubling news from different friends. Loss, health issues... trauma. This was all before Hurricane Beryl arrived.  The last half of the month was spent driving up and down, through the mountains of Colorado. As always, this post will focus on the uplifting moments. July 4th A surprise visit on July 4th, was just what the doctor ordered.
Our son's friend was in town and brought his sweet daughter over for a visit. By evening it was just us 2. We enjoyed the patio with colorful champagne and peanuts. 3 glasses needed so we could have the proper colors!
Don grilled burgers while firework displays entertained in 2 directions! Hurricane Beryl Days later Beryl arrived on July 8. We lost power before 6 am and the house felt eerily quiet, with no a.c. or fan noise.  But outside the sounds were fierce! We've never experience such dramatic wind, in 25+ years in Texas. Daylight allowed us to gather important things. Phone battery charger was helpful, but hardly any cell service.  Luckily no real damage, Just 13 bags of sticks and a few more bundles of limbs. Best Stuff Don found the coffee percolator in the camp equipment!
I was thrilled to get NPR on our tiny jar-radio! We got local storm updates. Entertainment The first day I sorted through old photo boxes, before the house became stifling.
We were lucky to have the pool. We spent much of our time outside. I watched a bird building a nest and studied odd bugs. Escape to Austin By the 4th day of no power, we had both fridges and freezers emptied into the trash and we took off for Austin.  The power came back on by the time we got there, but we didn't turn around.  We stayed and played for 2 days. This little Polish Girl entertained us with a little polka dancing! She was as refreshing as the air-conditioning!  We said good-bye feeling rejuvenated. Back home we packed up and headed west.  We had one night at the Hill Country cabin and soaked up more Texas heat, once again. On the Road to Colorado We were off! 18 days with cooler weather and mountains!
Such beautiful scenery in Colorado and New Mexico, but that's not what lured us! Together after 45 Years! Meeting up with my old college buddies, was what actually prompted the road trip.  We 3 met up along with our hubbies, in Denver. We spent a night and morning, laughing and catching up, eating and drinking at Hotel Teatro in Denver.  It was the first time Marla and Martha and I had been together since 1979! Gotta thank these 2 and all the husbands for making this happen! Mini Meet-Up! We were also able to meet up with our sweet nephew and his girlfriend, while staying in Denver!  Two fun reunions in the Mile High City! Home Away From Homes During our trip, we stayed in 11 different towns/cities. As usual, we looked for curious accommodations.  The Orman Mansion in Pueblo was a memorable overnight!
Hotel Teatro in Denver and The Maxwell Anderson (once Hotel Denver) in Glenwood Springs, were both lovely.
The Black Monarch (Victor, CO) and Teller House (Silverton, CO) were similar, host-free hotels in old mining towns. The first was very creepy.
Hotel St. Francis in Santa Fe felt like a church. Castaneda in Las Vegas, NM felt like an old Harvey House near the train tracks... because it once was!  Inn at the Art Center (San Angelo, TX) was the most unique. Once a chicken farm, now a cluster of art studios, a restaurant and handful of guest rooms. Food and Drink As always, we ate well during our travels. Our only fast-food stop involved alien donuts and burgers in Roswell, NM! People in New Mexico and Colorado We met some interesting folks. And we observed some curious characters. I absolutely loved watching the locals dance in Santa Fe's historic plaza! Exploring Our driving days were mostly short. So we had time to explore. We actually squeezed in a little more relaxing time, than we often do. Ending July I didn't accomplish much of importance in July. I didn't write my memoir.
I didn't even finish reading a book. But I made a few more memories. I'm eager to catch up with a few people back home, during August.
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