train robberies

Grand Canyon South Rim Railway

This is a fun trip and don’t cost a lot either.
The Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Arizona has rail cars that have been all painstakingly restored. First class, coach and dome are the options.
We rode in the dome and for us with out children it was great.
With children choose the coach, that is where all the action of the train robbers and gun fighters are happening. Of course Marshal Goodmore will save the day and keep you from getting robbed.
We chose the package deal. It is good for out of state visitors. You stay in the beautify Railway Lodge, with meals, rooms and train ride all included. We stayed at the South rim one night as well, with our package.
There is a winter package for you and your children where you can go to see Santa on the train.

The old west

Antelope Live Here
Wyoming is a western state that is still part of the old west.
Still cowboy’s, pickup trucks and apple pie American.
We started out to look for the old west. Pioneers and trails at South Pass.
Sacagawea and Indian are at Lander.
We found all that and something we were not even looking for.
Everywhere herds of antelope. On both sides of the highway. How exciting it was to see so many just roaming free.
The bucks or males have horns that grow to be about 16 inches in length. The doe, or female sometimes have short little horns.
Most fawns are born the last week of May or the first two weeks in June.
Twins are normal with a mature doe.
These animals are unique. They are the fastest hoofed animal in the world. Only the cheetah cat can beat them. Just hours after they are born the little ones can keep up with the heard.
They raise and lower the hair on their body to control the body temperature and alert others of danger.
The cutest thing I have ever seen was a doe and fawn. The baby just came up to the mothers knee cap.

Tram away

 

Ride the Palm Springs Tramway

Want an uplifting experience?
It is the Palm Springs, California Tramway.
Open all year it is one of the most unique adventures you can do.
An engineering marvel. The world’s first rotating tramway.
The tram car will hold 80 people and rotates 360 degrees as it descends up to the top of the 8516 foot mountain.
Incredible view of the valley below with 54 miles of hiking trails to explore.
If you are not the adventure type, sit in the restaurant, watch a movie on how it was made or just relax in the mountain air.
It is something to be remembered and talked about for years to come.
For more info: call 1-888-515-tram

Cattle trail

Buffalo, Wyoming
Just the sound of the city name, Buffalo, is truly the old west at is best.
It boosts of ghosts from the past and tales can be heard nearly everywhere.
The Bozeman Trail, Red Cloud war, Johnson County War, then throw in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid for a good mix of tales.
Be sure to visit the beautifully restored Occidental Hotel. Founded in 1878 and very luxurious, for the times. This was home to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Buffalo Bill, and Calamity Jane when ever they came to town.
Hidden eyes can be felt as you visit the historic sites or so they say. You can still see cowboys doing their job driving cattle through town. Bawling cattle, running forwards and backwards, down the side streets. Everywhere, but in a straight line through town. Just like years before.
Seeing this it sure makes you wonder about being a cowboy in the old days. Driving cattle to market, thousands of miles away. You didn’t have to contend with traffic and freeways, just dust, bugs, and all kinds of adverse weather. Long days in the saddle, no good bed to sleep in, and no shower in the morning. Just the same herd of bawling cattle and the long trail ahead.
Makes you wonder don’t it? Could you have been a cowboy?

Life on the trail

Maybe you would have seen this site on your day on the trail.
Eating from the cook wagon would have been better than fixing your own cold beans and coffee.

Slck rock biking

Moab has become known worldwide as a mountain biking Mecca.
Varied terrain and spectacular scenery brings riders to Moab, to try the trails.
Moab is a high energy town, people of all ages and nationalities congregate here to socialize. It is a town all about movement, biking, hiking, climbing, rafting and jeep riding.
Sand Flats Recreation Area is 7300 acres of high plane slick rock domes, bowls, and fins.
Slick rock is miss-interpreted as a slippery rock until they actually ride the rock. Bikes have an incredible traction on the sandstone.
Slick rock has some of the biggest rocks you have ever seen. Some as long and as big as a train. The bikes ride on top of them, up one rock and down the other side to yet another rock
It is called slick rock because the rocks have been swept clean and smooth by years of shifting sand.
There are oceans of slick rock known around the world.
Steep inclines and descents offer technical challenges to the most experienced bikers. The trail is 12.7 miles and takes 3-4 hours to complete. It is an expert level route.
Choose an appropriate trail for your ability.
Slick rock trail is technical, challenging and very steep in some places. Carry a map and know how to use it. Maps are located at the trailheads and entrance stations.
The 12.7 mile trail is considered by many to be the ultimate mountain biking experience.
Slick rock Bike Trail is enjoyed annually by over 100,000 visitors.
There are 110 campsites and open year-round at Sand Flats Rec. Area.
Campers need to bring in all drinking water, as water is not available on this high desert plateau.

Four Corners National Monument

The sunset was an added attraction.
The Navajo Nation

The Four Corners Monument is the only place in the United States where four states intersect at one point.
The Navajo Nations welcomes you to this most unique landmark.
Being on Indian land it has an entrance fee of $3.00 for each person.
Founded in 1912, the original marker was made of a simple concrete pad. It showed the connected states of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
Today the monument has been replaced and is in granite and brass.
The flags of the four states and the Ute and Navajo Nations fly over the monument.
Native American vendors sell hand-made jewelry, pottery, and traditional Navajo food at the Monument.
Open year round, it is near Cortez, Colorado.

Step back in time

Silverton sits on the roof of the nation. One of the last, of the Old West, rustic allures.
Hardrock mining founded Silverton and kept it going for more than a century.
Founded in the 1800’s and named Bakers Park after its founder Charles Baker. I sit in a meadow, in the bowl of an old volcanic caldera.
Baker was chased away by Ute Indians for invading their native hunting grounds.
After the civil War a Treaty was signed and the Ute’s moved from the area.
Silverton was established as a mining camp. Later it became a town.
The main streets were named after early settlers. A raucous red-light district was on the “notorious Blair Street.” There are a least 20 buildings that have been preserved. Many of them with original furnishings. Much remains as it was. Never having a fire as many of the mining towns, all the old wooden buildings are as they were.
It has an interesting museum in the old three story jail. The jail having three floors was a novelty for the time. Having the Sheriff and his family live there in the jail was scandalous.
Silverton still clings to its Old West ways and is on of the most charismatic towns in the San Juan Mountains.
For those seeking to explore the old ghost towns, there are many guides to take you on the 700 miles of jeep trails.
A summer ride on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gage Railroad is offered daily. Or tour the “Old Hundred Gold Mine.”
It too is as it was, in the mining era.

Silverton, Colorado

Friends

Friends
When good friends walk beside us on the trails that we must keep, our burdens seems less heavy and hills are not so steep.
The weary miles pass swiftly taken in a joyous stride, and all the world seems brighter when friends walk by our side.

Friends, family and loved ones will always be the most blessed people in our lives.
The friends are the most loved because you have to earn a friend.

Lets all think about keeping our friends, family and loved ones in our grasp this new year.
Let them know you care.
Have a great New Year everyone.

Adorable and doomed

 

 

The meaning of feral cats is: un-owned-free roaming. Life expectation is about 2 years or less.
All because of irresponsible pet owners. These little creatures are forced into a life of starvation and fear.
Kittens of all kinds are so cute. They have such a need, tiny helpless little creatures.
When they are forced to be wild and running loose life for them is tragic.
The problem is these cute little kittens grow up to be cats. You can not just decide, to not care of them any more. This is just what happened in our neighborhood. The lady had a female kitten; it grew up, when she moved, it was left behind to fend for its self.
Pregnant and starving she came to our house, who could resist a hungry animal.

My husband fed and tamed her. By spring she had her litter of kittens. She hid them someplace, we only seen them when they were old enough to eat solid food. She brought them to us to be fed.
My husband once again tried to tame the kittens, but they can’t be tamed very well when they are born a feral cat.
One he did get tamed and we got him neutered. The other two could not be tamed so we had to have Animal Control take care of them. A fate I don’t want to think about.
Before we could catch the female and have her spade she was pregnant again. So the cycle repeats its self 3 more times.
We had the last litter that she was to have, tamed them and were able to give these 5 babies a
decent chance at being adopted, and keeping one male for out selves.
After that we caught the mother and got her spade. So no more kittens at our house.
We were fortunate to be able to do this.
Someplace this same scenario is happening in neighborhoods across the nation. The animal shelters are full can not take any more feral cats or kittens.
How many animals have to die a perfectly horrible death before pet owners become responsible?
Please make a donation to your Humane Society, money, cat and dog food, cat litter, old blankets, and towels are all welcome.

New Years Beauty Tips

Today is a perfect day to take an objective look, in the mirror, at your face.
While sun damage happens before age 28, use sun block at every age, every day.
Oil-free foundation for 20 to 30 year olds is great. Experiment with dramatic colors and new fashion trends.

When you enter the fabulous 40’s and 50’s, moisturize is key.
Moisturize your eyelids before applying shadow and use a moisturizing foundation.

Moisturizing and hydration are vital to being sensational 60 and beyond.
Remember that less is more.
Go for elegance not drama. Exercise a light hand with foundation.
Use a lip-lining pencil and lip-stay to keep color from bleeding.
Keep it simple. Use a light touch on the blush. Never use heavy eye liner.
Nothing ages you like the same makeup and hair style that you have had for the last 20 years.

Tips for the New Year for all ages.

Brownish-mauve or terracotta lip colors make teeth look the whitest.
Be cheerful smile and say hello giving a sincere complement to someone every day.
Polish your nail and keep them at a nice length and shape.
If you use light colored polish nail imperfections will show less.
Use cooking spray like Pam, to speed-dry nail polish.
The oil helps dissolve the polish solvent and prevents lint form sticking to the wet nails.
Use lots of good hand cream and use it often.
Practice good posture. Nothing ages you like a slump in your shoulders and a shuffle in your step.
Suck in the tummy and walk straight. It will take ten years off and ten pounds too.

Only one joke this season

Three men died on Christmas Eve and were met by Saint Peter at the pearly
> > gates.
> >
> > "In honor of this holy season," Saint Peter said, "you must each possess
> >
> > something that symbolizes Christmas to get into heaven."
> >
> >
> > The first man fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter. He
> >
> > flicked it on. It represents a candle, he said.
> >
> > You may pass through the pearly gates Saint Peter said.
> >
> >
> > The second man reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys.
> >
> > He shook them and said, "They're bells."
> >
> > Saint Peter said you may pass through the pearly gates.
> >
> >
> > The third man started searching desperately through his pockets and
> >
> > finally pulled out a pair of women's panties.
> >
> > St. Peter looked at the man with a raised eyebrow and asked, "And just
> >
> > what do those symbolize?"
> >
> > The man replied, "These are Carols."