Molly Kathleen Mine/Cripple Creek, CO

You have to be insane to work in a 1000 ft. below ground mine, or have balls of granite.  The machines they use to move rock and drill rock are all diesel powered, so fumes are high.  It is pitch black down there.  There are over 2500 miles of mines in these mountains.  You could use the mines to travel from one mining town to the next, it's all connected.   This mine has 7 layers of mines.  Dangerous!  In the next town over "Victor" there was once a man by the name of Jack Dempsey (aka, one of the most famous boxers ever), he tried to get a job here and couldn't make the cut, he couldn't hang.  The guys that do make the cut, they say, have a 14" neck.  I still say you have to be crazy.  This mine has stopped drilling.  They say the new gold is in digital electronics.

Air Force

Air Force Academy=Tax money at work.  The government shows a little favoritism to the Air Force.  They hooked it up @ the Academy in Colorado Springs, located on the mountains "Rampart Range".  They own the entire mountain side and it is gorgeous!  After I watched "Top Gun" I wanted to be in the Air Force.  In real life you have to have a 4.0 GPA to attend the Academy.  Most of the kids there are LOADED-and I'm not talking drugs!  Even though I've heard rumor that the pilots do fly high on speed.  "I feel the need....the need, FOR SPEED!" Tom Cruse, "Top Gun".   On a more serious note, religion is enforced @ the Air Force.  Protestant has the largest following, next is Catholicism, then Judaism, Other (Mormons meet in the same room as Jews), and Buddhist (my favorite room-all bamboo and pillows to sit on).  So, the Chapel is designed according to religious popularity.  It is also designed to follow the look of aviation.  The Academy is where I learned that there are trails to hike on in Colorado, in other words, you don't have to make your own trails like Louisiana.  It's very organized.  AND, I found out that Rattle Snakes are EVERYWHERE!!!

Check out this submission in the Drop the Bass: Nightclub City Original Song Contest on Indaba Music

Check out this submission in the Drop the Bass: Nightclub City Original Song Contest on Indaba Music

We went to Canon City, CO (pronounced Canyon) with our Louisiana parents and saw the Royal Gorge.  It was breathtaking, literally.  It's about 1000 feet deep.  If you look close at the Arkansas River picture you can see tiny little telephone poles and a railroad track.  Billy likes to mountaineer in his flip flops by the way, and drive 60mph on switchbacks (dirt roads with no guard rails on cliffs). 

Pike's Peak 2010

 Our parents from Louisiana (Linda & Wayne) came to visit August 2010 and we had a grand time!  Pike's Peak was our first destination.  Here's a few of the pic's, which don't even come close to seeing the real thing.

Big Horn Sheep Canyon Hwy 50 enroute to Monarch Mountain for Snowboarding

They don't call it Big Horn Sheep Canyon for Nuthin'
We were driving along enjoying the view and just happened to notice movement in the rock.  We've been dying to see Big Horned Sheep since we've lived here.  Finally, in their natural environment.  We stopped off at a launch site for kayak's and fly fishing, there was a local woman there too who said, "I live here and it's rare that we see them", so, we consider ourselves very fortunate.

MONARCH MOUNTAIN CLOSING DAY APRIL 2010

A friend of Billy's from work gave us some passes to Monarch, so we loaded up the Sx4 and headed to the slopes for the last day of the season.  We discovered that it is advantageous to go in fall or spring rather than full-on winter, since the sun is out, the temperature is nice, and one is less likely to get sick.  It was really fun, Billy's skills have excelled, mine are about the same.  Billy went down about 5 times without falling.  I could only go down 3 times and fell every time.  I'm on a carb restricted diet so my legs locked up every time.  Next time I'll be sure to eat for the occasion.  It was still fun.  People were next to naked due to the temp.  Every one had sunburn.  I took pictures while Billy kept going back up the mountain.

Civic Si 1

chillin