Shocked!

 

That is the reaction we get from family and friends alike when we tell them we have sold our beautiful log home in idyllic Lake City Colorado.

I know, I know, I have spent a lot of energy conveying to you what a wonderful place this little town is….and that hasn’t changed. It is all  of those things…and more.

It would be impossible to list all of the events that have taken place over the thirty plus summers that we have been coming here, but the Fourth of July events would be right near the top.

as would the special events,

 fundraisers,

and yes taking part in the community theater. Tom played the role of the town drunk.

 

Playing host and hostess. Here to a traveling car show.

Speaking of host and hostess…ten wonderful years of being on The Back in Thyme Tea team.

Outdoor events will long be remembered like 4wheeling to the top of the mountain,

and hiking there as well.

Our favorite roles though have been the welcoming committee to hundreds of guests…. friends

and family alike. I simply can’t post all of those wonderful pictures.

So then, why are we doing this? It wasn’t and easy decision. No, neither of us is ill. It is simply time to simplify. Two homes are a huge responsibility.Yes we plan to return on occasion…leasing a place to stay.

I have also questioned If I should continue this blog. My life may not be as eventful as it has been…Although I love sharing my life with my blogging friends❤️….so we will see…With love, Janey

Our Morning Walk

 Tom and I try to walk every morning. Our usual walk is slightly over one mile. Recently we have increased it to over three. We have a goal of walking the the last 115 km of the Camino in northern Spain., a year from now. It is a bit crazy…but if we don’t do it, we will certainly be in better shape.

Here are a few shots from our walk yesterday. 

We never know when the skies will be smokey from the fires in California. So we are always happy to see clear blue skies.

We walked a bit earlier than usual as we were expecting guests to arrive later in the day. There was a brisk wind blowing and it was 47 degrees. Did it stop Tom from wearing shorts….no. Very unlikely that you will find him in anything other than shorts.

These  are just random shots of things that caught my eye.I would love to hear the stories if this old wagon could talk.

.
A sweet little rental cabin.

Another place renting cabins.

A pretty Blue Spruce.

Hmm you never know what you will run into. This is a big bone. Not sure where is came from. Just a reminder that there are predators about…

The Christmas Tree

 On my previous post, my little Christmas tree was noticed.

I enjoy the holidays but I am not what you would call a Christmas  decoration fanatic.

So why do I have a Christmas tree up in August? Well if you will look closely, it is decorated with Fourth of July decorations. Several of my friends here who also have log homes have small trees that they decorate for the season. It sort of adds to the coziness,

and since Fall comes early to the Rocky Mountains ….this morning I put on the Fall decorations…I also of course do have Christmas decorations 😊

The Dinner Party

 Two of my sisters have been visiting this week, Nancy and Suzanne. Nancy has two friends that live in a nearby town, so she wanted to invite them here to a dinner party and to spend the night….which we did.

Of course my sisters were more than happy to roll up their sleeves and help in the kitchen.

I too invited a couple of friends, so I am fortunate that I can extend our table. …set here for ten.

While  the women were visiting 

and munching on appetizers, the men were busy grilling the steaks.

The highlight of the evening though was when Nancy’s friend Fay entertained us with her sweet voice.

* font size keeps changing by itself again on my iPad.

This and That

 I have been delinquent in my posting lately. That happens when I have guests!

So here are some random shots 

This is on the edge of The Upper Mill Pond

This is a shot out of my window to the west. When the sun comes over the mountain from the east it lights up T Mountain, making it appear orange. This vivid color only lasts about 15 mins.

These are the Steller’s Jays that I feed every morning,

and this is a little bunny that was sure I couldn’t see him since he was sitting so still!

Trekking Through Town

 We try to take a walk every morning. Matter of fact instead of just walking one mile, we are trying to walk three.

Come with us as we walk through town and I will show you some cute little houses.

This little one was on the home tour one summer,

as was this one . A friend renovated this little place and was going to use it as a rental property.. The first family that rented it, begged her to sell it to them…and she did.

Here is another oldie that is being well cared for. The Bay window was a sign of prosperity.

Notice the two story Bay windows on this one, which was the home of a mine owner.

This cutie was  home to the first dentist in town.Years ago I met a ninety year old that told me that the dentist  took in her family, who lived in a one story home, so they could all stay upstairs during the big flood.

Not exactly a show place, but I like the look of this place owned by a local bachelor.

Not old, but built to look that way. This sweet cabin has the river out the back door.
There are so many more sweet little places in town. I will change up my route and show you more…

Around the Lake

 One of the things I enjoy doing here is driving around Lake San Cristobal especially after dinner. Our lake that this town Lake City is named for is only three miles south of town, and there is a road all the way around it. There have been reports that a bull moose has been feeding in marshy area at the south end of the lake, especially around dusk.

The sun was still high enough in the sky that it was shining on the cliffs on the east side of the lake.

The light was fading by the time we got back around to the north side, but I couldn’t resist taking another picture. You can see will still have  a bit of smoke from the fires in California, and no sighting of that moose…maybe next time.

Keep Your Eyes Open

 

Keep your eyes open, you will never know what you will spot on your walk around town!

What Happened in Folsom?

 In my previous post I wrote about a little village named Folsom, New Mexico that is actually listed as a ghost town despite a population of fifty six people.

But wait! In 1877 the little place was actually named Madison, that is until the train decided to bypass the village a few miles to the east. The residents of Madison abandoned their homes and set up a tent village near the newly laid tracks…some folks calling the place rag-town.

Rag-town decided to name their little village Folsom  when President  Cleveland  stepped off the train during a whistle stop with his young bride elect the pretty twenty one year old Francis Folsom. that’s right, they were so smitten with her charms that to this day the place is called Folsom.

Folsom prospered and at one time and had a population of nearly one thousand. They also boasted the largest stockyards north of Ft. Worth,Texas.

Well in August if 1908 a flash flood roared through the village and washed most of it away along with seventeen of its residents. After that little place slowly dried up,

except  for an occasional visitor  to their small museum.

A couple of things caught my eye. One was  the remains of this old gas pump.(or what’s left of it) Patented in 1911 by the Bowser Co. of Indianapolis, a sign of more prosperous times.

and this monument to Sarah Rooke. She was the one and only telephone operator  and was notified about the flood. She stayed at her post calling as many residents as she could of the impending doom. She saved most of the town despite being one of the seventeen that was swept away and drowned. Maybe the name of the town should have been changed again to “Rooke”.

Sorry..My font size keeps mysteriously changing size all by itself..and seems impossible  to correct!

Off The Beaten Path

 On my previous post I wrote about the old hotel we stayed in in Clayton, New Mexico. It was there the little old desk clerk suggested we deviate from our normal route to Colorado.  

The road ahead looks mostly like this. A few cattle and some  Panhorn Antelope.The first time I saw the antelope  I thought the farmer was raising antelope but not so, they are all wild. Always reminds me of the song my Dad liked to sing where the main verse went like this: 

Oh give me a home where the Buffalo roam where deer and the antelope play 
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word 
And the skies are not cloudy all day…

Roughly this is our usual route.(looks a bit like a snake). Up through the Texas panhandle, across the corner of New Mexico and into Colorado, and I can tell you it is pretty boring until you cross into Colorado. 

So this is where we left the main highway in New Mexico. The circle is around Clayton where we spent the night. So a few miles west she told us to turn north at the little town of Des Moines and head toward Folsom.

Well, Folsom appeared to be deserted and on its way to becoming a ghost town.

Have a look at what was the Folsom Hotel.

Actually  the views were much greener and we skirted some mountains,

and passed some picturesque farms.

Wait, I always enjoy looking up the history of small towns where  you can find a wealth of information and entertain yourself at the same time. Come back again and I will tell you about interesting little Folsom and what happed to it…