I couldn't resist posting a few of the pictures Mike took in the Rocky Mountain NP. It is mating season there for the elk, and every evening between 5 and 8 they were in the meadows. I wish we could have recorded some of the calls they were making. Also the Autumn colors were breath-taking especially in the sunlight. Wow! But most of the 'red' trees you can see in these shots are from dead trees. A combination of dry, age and an insect infestation has causes loads of trees to die. The park says it is a natural occurrence and they let nature take it course. Still it was sad to see so many dead trees.

The first morning on the trip back to Iowa we stopped in Winslow, AZ for breakfast. This is the 'LaPosada Hotel' and it is the last and most elegant of the Fred Harvey Hotels built by the Santa Fe Railroad. This treasure was nearly lost because rail travel slowed, and the tourist traffic on old Route 66 moved in another direction. In the 1960 it was turned into the offices for the rail road. But in the late 1990 the current owners bought it and are dedicated to restoring it to the original glory. They are doing a wonderful job. The Turquoise Room where we had breakfast was beautiful, the food was really good and it did not take much imagination to 'see' Hollywood of the 1930 and 40 sitting in the next booth. Everyone from Chas. Lindbergh to John Wayne, Albert Einstein to Howard Hughes stayed at this hotel at some time as it was considered the most elegant hotel on the Santa Fe Rail. Some of you might recognize the name Fred Harvey from the MGM movie "The Harvey Girls", starring Judy Garland. Another interesting fact about this hotel is that it was the crowing star of the American architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter. She was hired by the Fred Harvey Co as chief designer and architect. This is amazing when you think that she was hired in 1910 and women did not even get the vote until 1920!! We loved the hotel so much that we are keeping it in mind for a weekend get away while we winter in Arizona. For on line information, check www.laposada.org.

On our last day in Arizona we went to Patricks first football game. That's our boy running with the football. The funny look on his face is due to his mouth guard. Aaron looks like he has been in a rough and tumble football game, but his owies are from up close and personal meeting with the sidewalk. OUCH!! Then there is Aaron as Peter Pan stabbing ye ole Cap'in Hook, a favorite game of both Aaron and Patrick. Then there is Patrick chillin' in the sprinkler. Note, we now have real grass in the back yard.

Last night Mike and I went to downtown Phoenix to see what was advertised as a 'pre Broadway' production. It was called "Blackbeard, the musical". And it was quite good. My favorite character was Bonnett, the former gentleman pirate. What a hoot! Of course that old pirate husband of mine enjoyed it. We were surprised that the seats we bought just last week were center stage and only 3 rows from the orchestra. And those three rows were empty. Best seats we have had for only $35.00 each! And it was quite a professional performance.
I also have seen where "The Lion King" is coming to Tempe this January. I have wanted to see that for such a long time. So I checked on TicketMaster for tickets. I was complaining to Mike what a rip it was because Ticketmaster charges $11.00 per ticket 'convenience charge' and then another $3.50 per ticket for building fee???? So I started checking out other ways to get tickets and found that Ticketmaster is a gem compared to other prices. One place offered balcony tickets for $425.00 each!!!! Ticketmaster prices for balcony seating is $77.00. (before convenience and building fees) For me to pay $425.00 the seat would have to be riding on the back of "The Lion King". So now I apologize to TicketMaster and will be paying both the convenience and building charges without further complaint.

We have been at the house in Arizona now for almost a month this time. Here are a few things I want to share with you about life here. First of all, and most obvious is that it is HOT! I hope I never have to spend the whole summer here. It feels hotter than the summers I spent in Torreon. But Mike and I get up early and take a morning walk before the heat of the sun is too bad. We see Hot air balloons nearly every morning. That is something we don't see everyday in Iowa. Another sight and sound we don't have in Iowa are the wild donkeys. Today we came upon a little family of wild donkeys off the side of the road. I did not have my camera and the pic I took with the cell phone is awful, so I cannot share that sight yet. We have been hearing them brae in the evenings and they sounded like there were right in the neighborhood. I have also spotted a coyote in the 'hood. A few things we have spotted here that we do not have in Iowa that are not so swell are the scorpions and the tarantulas . We found a scorpion inside the house and the tarantula on the back patio. So we have a bug spray service now and I hope to have seen the last of both of those.

We will be heading back to our beloved midwest for the rest of fall and a much anticipated visit with Chris and Tricia and Maddie. I have also missed my little Lucia. I understand she can whistle now!?

September in Arizona can still be very warm. Here are a few ways we have been keeping cool. Aaron is trying to catch the water spouting at a local mall. It tells you just how hot it can be, when the malls have tiny water playgrounds for the kids to play in. Next you can see the water park that is part our homeowners association memberships. We have really liked going there on a hot weekend afternoon with the kids after working on the house all morning. Patrick calls the water feature in our backyard the baby river. I asked him why he had the rock on his chest? I wondered if he thought it would keep him from floating 'downstream', but he just said it was because it was his favorite rock. Last is a picture of Aaron and Patrick with a water toy on the space that will soon have the hot tub.

A favorite game for our gransons is the treasure hunt. It started last June after Patrick made a craft foam pirate chest that he would hide and want us to find. Now it has evolved to what you can see in the pictures here. Every weekend the 'Pirate' leaves a treasure map in the 'booty closet' for them to follow. Patrick has become so good at solving the maps that he can now use a compass to follow the clues to the treasure chest. In these pictues you can see the original treasure. Since then the chest has held t-shirts, play-doh, and other small toys. This past weekend Patrick confided in me that he thinks the 'pirate' is Grandpa. I asked him if he thought that Grandpa looked like a pirate. He said he was not sure, he needed to see if Grandpa had a tatoo!

We fianlly have internet at the Arizona house. It took two weeks, and two trips from Qwest. But now I can post pictures of the house for all my friends back in Iowa who asked me what the outside of the house looks like. Everything is still a work in progress, but the landscape looks really nice and I like it a lot. We still need our grassy spot in the back, and the hot tub needs to be set up. But it is looking good.

My darling husband turned 60 on August 17th. Here he is celebrating with some of this favorite people.....His grandchildren. First he had birthday apple pie with Lucy in Cedar Falls, and then we left to check on the Arizona house. So Patrick helped me make a birthday cake for grandpa Mike and we celebrated again. Just so you know, Patrick decorated the cake candle wise all by himself. By the way, Aaron thinks the Chocolate cake is just fine.