Mom & Dad out West (Part II)

This saloon picture of us shows how much my daddy loves me! First off, he's not one for having his picture taken at all. On top of that, he's a no-nonsense man. Putting on a cowboy hat wasn't a big deal, but putting on the sheriff shirt and badge and holding the gun is a whole other story! He knew how much Mom and I wanted to do the picture, and how much his grandkids would get an absolute kick out of seeing him this way, so he relented. I think this is my new favorite picture of me and my parents!! It symbolizes a memorable day and quality time spent together. Thanks so much Daddy, I know you did this for me and Mom and it's REALLY appreciated.



A trip to Colorado Springs just isn't complete without a trip through the Garden of the Gods. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating and you can't see Pikes Peak behind the clouds. The weather was uncharacteristically humid and rainy. Figures that after my constant complaining of the dry environment out here that the air felt more similar to South Louisiana than an arid mountain region the whole time my parents were here!



We ended the day at a chuckwagon dinner. The Flying W Ranch is an actual working mountain cattle ranch at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Knowing how much my dad loves Country & Western music as well as cowboy movies, I figured he and Mom would enjoy a cowboy style chuckwagon dinner and show. Unfortunately, we weren't able to explore the "old town" very much because of the rain, but we did manage to explore a little and see how the biscuits were made in dutch ovens covered with hot coals.



The dinner itself was meant to represent food the cowboys ate back at the ranch and out on the range back in the Old West glory days. We had surprisingly tender and tasty steaks, homemade biscuits (yummmmm), baked beans, applesauce, a baked potato and spice cake. All of this was served on a tin plate! Dinner was followed by a performance by the Flying W Wranglers. This group has been in existence for over 50 years and are quite entertaining. The harmonizing was impressive, the jokes a bit corny but funny, and the fiddle playing unbelievable!



One of the funnest parts of the whole evening was the group of 4-5 couples from the Denver area seated at our table. They have been friends for 20+ years and call themselves the "Cruisers." Every other month, they rotate couples to host an adventure. The rules are that it can't cost more than $50 per person and can't be more than 2 hours away. The other couples get hints, but don't know what they will be doing until the day of the adventure. Their adventures over the years have included white water rafting, target shooting at a gun range, horseback riding, visiting a dairy farm, and just about every other adventure you can think of doing in Colorado. It was great to see these folks truly enjoying their retirements!



My dad left on Sunday and Mom stayed until Tuesday. Mom and I enjoyed a great day of just hanging out and working on our family cookbook. She brought a bunch of old family photos and recipes she's collected from our extended family and we began a project that's been a goal of our family for quite a few years now. We're very excited at the progress we made, but most of all thoroughly enjoyed our day of sharing photos and family stories. Our family is rich with traditions, I'm so glad its goint to be preserved for future generations.



Not sure what adventures await me next, but I'll keep yall posted!