February 25th in Melbourne

Again the ladies and I woke early. And again I was able to convince mum and Kathryn to run with me.

Sue happily took some “alone time” while the other 5 and I set off for the city without her today.

We caught a tourist shuttle that looped the city, pointing out its highlights and features. First stop.. the Rod Laver Tennis Center. Lynn Marie has a particular fondness for tennis, so this was a must see.

Me taking pics from the crowded bus.

Next we got off in the Italian section. Eyes wide with anticipaton… Lygon St was packed with cafes and restaurants and smelled of all things yummy. Of course we stopped for coffee and cake! Shopping? Who us? Yes, we stopped for a bit of that too.

From here we chose to walk back down to the city center. A half hour meandering through alleys of ethnic stores and sales…. Dodging Uni students with the wheelchair. Nana had no trouble keeping up, but I was feeling tired. (Mental note: sleep in !!!)

Arriving back at the house around 3pm, it was time to chill, snack, have tea and get ready to go out again. We had tickets to Mary Poppins on stage tonight.

Mary Poppins, what a hoot! A colorful, lively, singing, dancing extravaganza which left us laughing and clapping. Mary Poppins exited the stage for the last time, flying upright over the audience, umbrella up …with a wink and a smile. She was perfect.

Let's go Shopping!

I woke at the crack of dawn, or sometime just before.

The sound of the nearby light rail reminded me I was indeed in Melbourne, sharing a bedroom with my mother (who sleeps silently, thank goodness) and about to embark on my first day, shopping in a new city.

It took the seven of us about 30 mins to figure out how the train system worked… despite having a “trial run” at the station the evening before, and it being one of the least complicated and most intuitive rail systems I have personally experienced!

Then… the fun and laughter began. It wasn't long before shenanigans in changing rooms kicked in, not to mention loud, politically incorrect jokes… making fun of each other and ourselves without a care to what onlookers might have been thinking.

The butt of most jokes was Lynn Marie… wheelchair bound and blonde… an easy target and good natured enough to take it… and take it again! Relentless were my mother and aunts, threatening to leave her locked outside stores in her chair, taking the brakes off while on the train/bus and watching her fly forward when it stopped suddenly, telling her to “grab the top rail” to brace herself. No matter how wrong it was, I had to laugh too. Damn funny, especially watching the faces of shocked Australians near us!

We spent most of the day in and out of clothing and shoe stores. Breaking up the shopping only to stop for food and coffee.

Everyone bought something… husbands across the world, be warned.

One of my favorite memories remains the shop that seemed to specialize in outfits with an animal theme. I just couldn’t help myself… the fur vests were hilarious and my day would not have been complete without photos of us trying them on. Watching my mother tie on a feathery shoulder piece while Lynn Marie donned a fur vest and stroked herself like a cat, cracked me up. Tears ran down my face and I doubled over, unable to straighten.

No, I didnt end the day with this long-haired beauty in my bag. Some things are just better left for more adventurous fashionista's. But I did come away with a couple of new dresses... Cute little bargains, my favorite kind.

Heading Down Under

And so it began. A 1pm bus to DIA, boarding pass already in hand…. I was through security and in flight right on time.

Leaving Colorado.

Arriving into Australia at sunrise.

Sydney has a noise curfew, meaning our large aircraft was forbidden from entering the airspace over the city or landing at Kingsford Smith Airport before 6am and the only solution was to leave LAX a little later. No worries mate!

Once aboard, a quick check revealed the plane was almost full. How on earth I managed to score a row of 3 streets to myself I do not know… but I liked it. My plan, to have dinner then take a sleeping pill with a glass of wine and sleep the night away, was coming together. Except now, I found myself lazily stretched across 3 seats - with 3 pillows and 3 blankets - and once my earplugs and eye mask were in place, I did sleep the night away... Waking shortly before breakfast at approximately 4am and landing in Sydney close to 6:45am

I touched down at my final destination, Melbourne, an hour late and keen to find my mum, grandmother and aunts. As crazy as it sounds, finding them in the airport was easy. Mum and I had reviewed a map of the airport the week before and the plan to meet in a certain area was a good one. Without any trouble, I made my way to the main arrivals hall near their terminal. As I walked right up to nana, she failed to see it was me… and found herself in a hug almost before she knew what hit her!

Its true what they say… you only see what your mind knows is already true. She was not expecting me but thankfully the surprise was a good one.

By noon, the seven of us had arrived at our house for the week. We proceeded to unpack, shop for groceries and explore the neighborhood. The evening was rounded out with gin and tonics - which apparently lead to jumping rope/skipping!!!

Kathryn and Sue skip/jump rope together... or at least give it a good try!

Observing the entertainment... Nana, Pauline and Lynn Marie.

We hit the hay early. Every one of us had seen the early side of 5am.

Embracing the Snow

It had been snowing the best part of 24 hours. Not heavily, but a light dusting that went on and on... and not everywhere in Boulder either, mainly over my neighborhood and the south Boulder area.

I woke to 6+ inches coating pretty much everything. It was bright white, clean and crunchy, but I knew I only had hours before the (relatively) warm-ish temperature would turn it to a wet, brown slush.

At about 11am I made the quick decision to take in the sights and sounds of this beautiful Sunday morning, with my camera.

First stop... my neighborhood, where it seemed the responsible residents had all made a good effort to shovel the sidewalks already, but most hadn't got as far as digging out their cars, or bikes!

The streets were apparently not as big a priority for plowing on the weekends. No school buses to keep safe perhaps.

I was drawn to one of my favorite south Boulder trails. The thought of open space and snowy Flatiron views were enough for me to mentally push past the lower leg wetness that was gradually creeping upward, and the discomfort that comes with bare fingers on a winter's day.

From the trailhead...

Hellooooo beautiful!

My treat for the day came when some hikers pointed out an eagle, majestically perched above us. He seemed to be keeping an intense eye out for a rodent snack... Or perhaps, just liked having his picture taken!

And finally... A Boulder landmark and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Home Invaders

For the most part, Coloradoan's embrace their wild places and wildlife.  In fact many people move here to be closer to nature.

But how close is too close?  At what point is sharing space with the critters, less enjoyable and more inconvenient?

The night was cold and dark.  From my silent slumber, I awoke abruptly to Marley's loud barks and menacing growling.  He flew from the bedroom, racing down the hall and into the back living room.  Something was amiss... Marley, my docile Golden Retriever, rarely wakes during the night and even more rarely, growls.

I followed him and as he seemed reluctant to dive through the dog-door, I opened the back door for him.  He paused, then went for it!  Hot on the heels of an intoxicating scent, he barreled through the juniper bushes, which still harbored some heavy snow. Arriving at the back fence barking and growling still, we both realized, "it" had got away.

Back inside, I noticed footprints.  Some muddy and dried, a few very wet.  Not cat.  Not dog.  An uninvited guest.

Forensic evidence

The prints centered around the dish of dry cat food and the water bowl... where some of the cat food had been dropped in haste, it seemed.  I took a few bleary-eyed photographs and headed back to bed.  It was WAY to early for me. Marley was already asleep again.

Analysis (I.E. Google research) of the prints the next day, lead to one conclusion.  Our home invader had been a raccoon. With its tactile, five-fingered hands and cunning little brain, this nocturnal critter was fully capable of negotiating a dog door, locating cat food, dipping it in water and scarfing it down! According to Wikipedia, a raccoon can remember complex solutions to tasks for up to three years.  Yikes!  We have a problem.

This probably wasn't his first visit and is unlikely to be his last attempt either.  On further consideration, I had to admit to myself that there is a better than average chance that Marley (and I) had slept through previous raids.

I know what you are thinking... "Give Marley some more credit".  Ummm, no.
I have caught Marley napping in the back yard, with squirrels walking over him - literally!
Then there was the day a squirrel entered our back door and helped itself to a plastic container of corn starch from the pantry.... while Marley watched from six feet away, barely moving an eyebrow!

Honestly, I thought the squirrels were the cheekiest and most daring of the critters we share our yard with, until the raccoon incident.

Squirrel helps himself to ice cream inside the window.

Then I thought back to the night that Marley and his sidekick cat, Smokey Joe, engaged in a conversation with a skunk at 1am.  It's no fun to bathe a stinky, feisty cat, let me tell you!

Curiosity didn't kill the cat... it got him a bath though!

I also remembered the day I found Marley welcoming a deer into our yard... and was thankful it ate weeds in the back yard, instead of the new landscaping in the front yard.

Marley recommends jumping the fence for tastier weeds.

Animals in the yard, I am good with.  It's cute, it gives me warm fuzzies and helps remind me of the many things I love about Colorado, Boulder and my neighborhood.

I also understand that this time of year sees many animals trying to bulk-up before winter is upon them.  Not surprisingly, they turn to garbage, compost, pet food and other  food sources, if available.  We need to be aware that they are not just cute and furry...they are potentially aggressive, may carry disease and can be harmed by the interactions they have with us, our domesticated animals and the mischief they get into around our homes.

It appears I have discovered "how close is too close" for me. Uninvited animals in my house crosses the line.

As adorable as I imagine the furry masked bandit to be, I can't help I wonder what he got into after his feet cleaned up and his footprints became invisible to me!

What Did I Do Tuesday? Hmmm... Let Me See

I had the pleasure of a two hour helicopter flight!!!

My friend Dave and I accompanied Doug in his Enstrom 480B on a flight out of Longmont airport, up and into the foothills.

It seats five. Dave took front passenger seat and I sat in between he and Doug, next row back.

Just out of Longmont airport... Long's Peak on a gorgeous day.

Dave got to take control for a while... bringing back memories for him I'm sure!

We flew low over the site of Monday's plane crash. The wreckage now removed. The pilot had called a "mayday" before crashing. Cody and I had seen the smoke as we approached Longmont from Greeley the afternoon before.

This is the area around the plane crash site.

A little joy-riding over Horsetooth Reservoir.

(This is actually a video... but do ya think I can make it work???)

Ice fishing at Red Feather Lakes

(Coming in to land... another video that I can't get to play!)

... But trust me, it's REALLY quite and experience, landing at an airport and completely by-passing the runway!!!

Thanks Doug and Dave for great company and an incredibly memorable afternoon jaunt. :-)

Going Solo

The time had come... like I knew it would.

I radio'd a "touch and go" as we approached the runway. Mark immediately radio'd in a correction... It was going to be full stop landing.

This meant only one thing... He was going to get out!

It was time for me to fly solo. (Despite the anxiety!)

I taxi'd back to the end of the runway and took off without him. The plane was lighter and colder, but other than that, not so different with just me in it.

First landing - pretty good, if I do say so myself!

Up I went again.

This time while flying the landing pattern there was little misunderstanding/miscommunication between two other aircraft. I watched, horrified, as they both called final approach to landing. A crash would certainly mess me up.... where would I land?

The second aircraft realized the dilemma and circled back around to land after the first one. I extended my landing pattern and followed in third place. It was a bumpier landing for me... What can I say? My mind was in overdrive!

It was also the landing that Mark and Marijke caught on film.

All in all I did three take-offs and landings to make up my first solo.

It was a beautiful day and went very smoothly. My anxiety took a vacation while I was in the air and I was surprised how clear everything became.

Back on the ground it was time to debrief...

Endorse the solo section of my logbook....

And get my shirt-tail clipped in "first solo" tradition!

Why the shirt tail?

Traditionally, the instructor sat behind the student in the plane. During lessons, with no (or poor) headsets, the instructor communicated to the student and taught them, by tugging on the back of their shirt. Once the student solo'd, the back of the shirt was cut out... no longer needed for or available to, the instructor.

Mark dated and signed it then handed it to Lori with these instructions...

She did a spectacular job of decorating it before it was hung on the wall at Air West.

I feel very special! :-)

I Don't Want To Jinx It, But...

Summer temperatures with autumn colors... Nice!

This morning I blew the chiropractors advice right out the window and went hiking. Nothing too strenuous, but liberating and uplifting none-the-less.

Today is proving to be nothing short of gorgeous. With temps in the high 70's, a refreshing (and warm) breeze, barely a cloud in the sky and all mine for the taking!

Marley and I headed to one of our favorite foothill loops, as did the rest of south Boulder and their dogs. Within minutes I realized I was well over-dressed and had stripped down to just one little layer. Note to self: trust the weather forecasters!

Before we even hit the trail head I knew it was going to be a great hiking day.

No idea what sort of plane this is, but he was having fun, enjoying the empty sky and taking in the Foothills as one can only do from up there.

This saturated blue sky is one of my favorite parts of autumn and winter.

Do you think this is funny?

I have to give the guy an A for effort and the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award for this.

He set up a business as a stalking clown. Hired by parents to scare the crap out of their kids, stalk them, send them messages and finally... shove a cake/pie in their face!

Happy Birthday??? (Not so much!)

But whether I would find it funny or not, if I was the gift recipient/victim, is not something I'm keen to discover.

Let's face it, clowns are creepy on a good day and this one has an ongoing dental hygiene problem to boot!

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