Educational Weekend

We learned a Colorado life lesson this past weekend: don’t try to go hiking above 5,500 feet during the second week of April. It may be 60 degrees and sunny at 5, 300 feet, but there will still be snow on the east face of that mountain you’re hiking up.

Saturday we made the short, though VERY bumpy, drive to Eldorado Canyon to try out a trail Mark had read about online. The dirt road was….painful. I don’t know which was in more pain, my van’s suspension or my spinal column. The scenery was jaw-dropping and thoroughly made up for the road. Sadly, we hadn’t gone more than a few feet up the trail before we encountered snow and ice- and we were all wearing tennis shoes.

We’ll go back in May… or June. Maybe July!

That evening I rebelled against cooking dinner. I suggested we drive into Louisville and eat dinner at the Old Louisville Inn. Mark and the boys happily agreed. These men are so easy to manipulate. Tell them there will be food and they are ready to go!

The Inn is fantastic. The décor, the wait-staff, the history, and the food are all superb. I highly recommend anyone driving north of Denver stop in Louisville and grab a meal at the Old Louisville Inn. http://www.olirish.com/index.php?p=history

Sunday, Ethan attended a birthday part for a class mate. It was a “spy kids” themed party. The parents put in a lot of leg work preparing for the party. Each child’s goody bag included a mock passport, reflective men-in-black style sunglasses, a magnifying glass, and other “spy” paraphernalia. Ethan had so much fun the little boy whose party he was attending begged to adopt him.

Monday we finally worked out the details on the house. The owner installed a radon system in the basement and is having it re-tested to make sure the house will be safe to inhabit. He’s also having all the miscellaneous plumbing issues fixed and giving us a lump sum during closing to cover the siding repairs and paint job. We did not, unfortunately, reach an amicable settlement regarding the roof. Mark and I have decided that we will start a savings account specifically for the roof repair and plan on replacing it within the next 5 years.

So, now all we have to do is wait until May 24th to close!

I know all y’all in the South and on the Atlantic seaboard are drowning in pollen. We have a few trees that have started to bud out and there are sprigs of green appearing around town. I’ve been warned, however, to not be shocked if it snows in May.

I think they’re teasing me.

Surely.

Hopefully.