Animals

Elizabeth

Posted on November 24, 2025 by Debora

For some reason, Elizabeth never acclimated to Aurora the way Luke and I did. She kept her job at the Goodwill in Denver, preferring a long commute over finding something local. She gradually fell into something like the difficult adolescent phase Luke went through when he was 14, except she is in her mid-20s. She stopped helping around the house, stopped putting any effort into getting along with Luke and me, and withdrew into her basement realm like a grumpy goblin. She was even alienating her oldest childhood friends. Whatever the cause, Elizabeth was not thriving here.

We all sorta just put up with it as long as she was paying her share of the bills. But when she lost the Goodwill job and was unable to land any new employment, it felt like a signal from the universe that the time had come for a reboot. So she asked her dad if she could go stay with him in Arizona, and he readily agreed.

In late March, she packed up as much stuff as she could fit into the Adventuremobile, and Luke drove her out to Steve’s place in Arizona.

It was the right call. She has since acquired a rabbit, a horse, a drivers license and a new job. She is more or less free from the constraints of civilization, out there in the desert.

Photo credit Jaqueline Silkotch

And here at home, life is peaceful again. Money is tighter with only two incomes, but it’s easier to budget. Luke and I were frankly astonished to discover how much of the household resources Elizabeth had been consuming. Apparently being miserable makes you really hungry and thirsty.

Sometimes life doesn’t go quite the way you’d hoped, but I’m very thankful that Steve is able to provide a safe alternative to the dark and unproductive mental state that Elizabeth was in here. I hope she builds a fulfilling life that puts her talents to good use. And thanks to the magic of the Internet, Luke and I can follow her journey and cheer her on from afar.

There are few things worse than being stuck where you don’t belong. Here’s to starting fresh in a new setting, and growing into the person you were meant to be.

You’ve got this, Elizabeth!

Categories: Animals, environment, Family, Horses, kids, Life, Love, trail rides | Leave a comment

Grays Peak

Posted on November 14, 2025 by Debora

My New Year’s resolution for 2024 was to summit a Colorado 14er. So on a gorgeous fall day in late September of last year, we made it happen. We picked one of the “easier” ones, Grays Peak, with the idea that we could maybe cross the saddle to Torreys Peak and bag two 14ers in one day.

It was very dark at 6 am when we set off up the trail, with a crescent moon shining bright against the black sky. But by 6:30 the predawn light was seeping into the landscape.

I don’t have a lot of pics from the ascent, probably because I was focused on climbing. Gray’s might be an easy climb by Colorado standards, but it felt like hard work to us.

By 8am we were above the tree line, and the long shadows threw the mountains into sharp relief.

I’m not sure if the snow in the north-side shade was left over from the previous winter or fresh that fall. Maybe a little of both.

Gentle reader, that climb wore us out.

But we made it to the top!

I reached the summit at about 9:40 am. Luke had gotten there way before me, and Elizabeth was still making her way up.

I don’t have a pic of Elizabeth on the summit, I think we were just too spread out at that point.

The views, of course, were incredible. You can see the whole world from up there.

We unanimously decided against continuing on to Torreys. One mountain was enough for us that day.

Most of my good pics were taken on the way back down. I could breathe again, and appreciate the landscape.

Pika!

You can see the piles of scree on the mountainsides from old landslides.

Finally made it back down below the tree line around noon…

…and made it back to the trailhead around 12:30 pm.

And now that I’ve checked “summit a 14er” off my bucket list, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m not as young as I used to be, and exploring on a bicycle is more fun for me these days than hiking up really high mountains.

Glad I did this one though. Looking at the world from a mountaintop is something everyone should experience at least once.

Categories: Animals, environment, Family, kids, Life, trees, Wildlife | Tags: Grays Peak | Leave a comment

DOT by Bike and Rail: Cherry Creek and the Finish Line

Posted on November 11, 2025 by Debora

Each loop I charted on this project was longer than the one before. For the last one, I went back to the Ridgegate Station in Lone Tree, rode south to reconnect with the DOT at the beginning of Segment 11, and then curved up through Parker and Cherry Creek State Park and back into Aurora, through segments 12, 13, 14 and halfway through 15, where I had started my journey back in May. Roughly 35 miles, give or take a couple. I need to start tracking my mileage on these explores.

Segment 11 winds east on the East/West Regional Trail.

In Parker, some of the tunnels have been painted by local artists. I like it!

The East/West Trail terminates into the Colorado Front Range Trail, which runs north/south along Cherry Creek up to Cherry Creek State Park and beyond. Near the intersection of the two trails, just past the Bar CCC Reservoir, this flock of wild turkeys was hanging out.

It’s a pretty stretch of trail.

The stone bridge isn’t part of the DOT, but I stopped and played on it for a bit anyway.

Farther up the trail I passed a bakery/cafe that looked good, so I pulled up and enjoyed a really tasty French dip.

Segment 13 is unpaved and a bit rough, but scenic.

Cherry Creek Reservoir was looking pretty.

I’m not a huge fan of rabbitbrush, but it was popping that day. Perfect gold against the muted blue of the water.

For some reason, the bike trail from Cherry Creek State Park to where I left the DOT and rode home is shorter in my head than the drive from my house to the Park. Not time-wise, but geography-wise. It just seems farther when I’m driving it, no idea why.

Anyway, that was my adventure on the Denver Orbital Trail. I enjoyed it a lot, and will probably do parts of it again. I’m impressed by how accessible the “greater Denver metro area” is by bike, as long as you don’t try to go up into the mountains.

Next I’m thinking of riding the entire length of the High Line Canal Trail: 71 miles, 27 segments starting in Waterton Canyon and snaking north and east to 64th Ave in east Denver, almost to the airport. The logistics of that are trickier, though, because the first part isn’t near a light rail station, so someone would have to drive me to the first trailhead out in the boonies.

Next up: we summit our first 14er!

Categories: A Plethora of Parks, Animals, Artwork, DOT by Bike and Rail, Dragons, food, Life, trees, Wildlife | Tags: Cherry Creek State Park, Colorado Front Range Trail, East/West Regional Trail | Leave a comment

Luke Visits Alaska, Part II

Posted on September 28, 2025 by Debora

This story seems to be best told via our conversations on Messenger. So without further ado, we return to our philosopher-vagabond as he sets out to explore Fairbanks.

Fairbanks Ice Museum:

Carillon Clock Tower:

The Chena River runs through Fairbanks.

Critter near Luke’s hostel:

Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum:

You can see a sliver of the Arctic Ocean in this pic:

And that was Luke’s trip to Alaska. He did, in fact, start making computer games and things after he came back. I’m glad he got to experience all of that.

More to come!

Categories: Animals, environment, Family, Life, maps, Travel, Wildlife | Tags: Alaska, City of North Pole, Fairbanks, Fairbanks Ice Museum, Fort Yukon, Kaktovic, Pioneer Park | Leave a comment

Luke Visits Alaska, Part I

Posted on September 14, 2025 by Debora

I almost forgot to write about Luke’s trip to Alaska last year! I’ve probably forgotten a lot of the details, but let’s see what I can piece together.

He flew out from Denver International Airport on August 23, 2024. Delays caused him to miss his connecting flight, so the airline rescheduled him for the next flight. That takeoff was also delayed, due to technical issues.

The next morning he took a walk through downtown Anchorage.

I’m skipping all the messages where he’s complaining about freezing his ass off. Apparently 45º and overcast feels a lot colder in damp Alaska than in dry Colorado.

He drove his rented Jeep to the nearby Glen Alps/Flattop Trailhead, and hiked the overlook trail.

He spent the second night at Base Camp Anchorage Hostel. Then he dropped off the Jeep and boarded the Alaska Railroad for a scenic eight-hour journey to Denali.