May 5-6, 2013 Carbondale, Colorado

Sunday it was really windy and the dust was blowing in Moab, so we hung out and read inside.  We took a short 2 mile walk to the waterfall, and continued to read. Relaxing day.

John crossing Mill Creek below the waterfall. A whiptail lizard and a cactus blossom.

Monday we headed back to Colorado. Construction, they were chip sealing the road. John was worried about a broken windshield, but we were in luck, they had not started yet. The  grain silo in Fruita has a mountain biker on the side of it. Fruita has become famous for the desert mountain biking in the area.

The cottonwoods along the Colorado River are just leafing out. The mineral spring water at Glenwood springs.

Glenwood springs. Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh.

Katie, Martha and John in the kitchen of Martha and Jimjim’s new house in Carbondale. they had been living in Aspen in forest service housing, but the forest service tore down their house and they bought this spacious house. Jimjim with his face pressed against the window. 

The bus parked in front of Martha and Jimjim’s new house.

May 4, 2013 Arches National Park, UT

We went to Arches today because John wanted to get his parks passport stamped. We hiked the primative trail around Devils Garden. 6.4 miles. Beautiful day, 80, and mostly sunny. Arches is a very popular park and it was packed.

Pine tree arch, fins.

John on the trail. John in the bottom of Double O arch.

Fins as far as the eye can see. Wild flowers and a raven.

John on the trail up the back of a fin.

Desert varnish, sage and white asylum. Even more fins at the Fiery furnace.

May 2-3, 2013 Moab, UT

We had a leisurely morning, then went to the thrift shop in Moab, out to lunch at the brewery. I biked around Ken’s lake, but it was so windy it was exhausting.

Last light on the ridge and Mt Tukunikivatz, which means "the place where the sun last shines” in one of the native American tribes from this region.  Colorful sunset over the lake.

John Seidel, a friend from Breckenridge area was in Moab and he came out to see the bus and visit this am. Afterwards John M and his reflection cleaned out the furnace. It took two trips to town, including lunch at the brewery and most of the day.

The furnace. A ruin in the campground. I hiked up to the waterfall and around the rocks while John slaved on the furnace.

This is the creek that runs through the campground into the lake. This billy goat was climbing around in the rocks by the waterfall.

They call this Faux falls. It is Mill Creek that they divert through a canal they blasted through the mountain to Ken’s lake to use as the city water. Looking down the falls.

Faux Falls.

John’s Chaco's at dinner. How about this rig, they pulled up with the SUV on the trailer and the boat on top. Little fancier version of the kayaks on the Subaru that we pull.

Sunset on the ridge and a similar sunset over the lake as last night.

Wild flowers I saw today.

May 1, 2013 Moab, UT

Another beautiful day in Moab. We headed up the road from the campground to hike around.

Red Rocks, green trees and waterfall.

We were walking on the Steelbender 4 wheel drive trail and mountain bike trail.  It is rated a 3.5 + on the Red Rock  4 wheelers scale of 1-5. This guy showed off for us taking photos. The Ken’s lake campground from above.

Another shot of the bus in the campground. We went to dinner at Jim and Wes’s house again tonight. The sun was shining when we arrived, so here is an outside shot. If I had this lovely house I am not sure I would ever leave it.

We went on a pre dinner hike in their ‘yard’. View of the ridge.

View of south Mill creek canyon. Meanwhile back at the house, entering thru the courtyard.

Front door, Sunset view from the courtyard.

Cool yard art. The back deck and sunset viewing area.

  Dinner with John, Jim, Lori, Neil and Wes. They cooked last night so I brought dinner. Gourmet homemade mac and cheese and cold slaw. Jim made brownies. Yum. Jim and Wes have been working remotely on the internet all day and entertaining at night. We are wearing them out. They have more guests coming tomorrow. They say usually they are here all alone, having a peaceful relaxing time, but everyone came to visit at once this week.