Perhaps I've mentioned about a place near a place I've lived that used to be a town until the Feds decided said town flooded too often and besides, the area would make a great wildlife conservation area.

So the town was bought up, tore down, and all the little critters live in peaceful harmony.

Including descendants of the town's cats.

And some of the fruit trees people had in their yards.

The bulldozers got most everything else; I wonder how/why the gardens survived.
I'm glad they did though.

So about this time of year, Mrs DT and I would head out to this wildlife preserve and pick apples and pears and quince and other such during harvest season.

Pies, cider, cobbler, turn-overs, fritters, or just plain eating.

Glenwood Canyon, CO
Standing on the old highway looking at the new. The railroad cuts through just beyond the bridge at river level.

The old highway was a windy, twisty 2-lane for the most part. Not much traffic through here but enough to hang you up when much of the road is a No Passing zone.

I-70 hadn't been built through here yet in the days when I was riding bikes* instead of pickups. A great road for motorcycles if the traffic wasn't bad.

The last stretch of I-70 built in Colorado was through the canyon from Glenwood Springs to Dotsero. I recall the 2-lane dumping out at the Yampa Spa on what is now 6th St to what was then "West Glenwood". It's built up a bit around there since ... I think the highway was finished in the mid-80s?

*I miss my bike(s) but the voice inside my head told me the next accident won't hurt a bit ...

Much of the old highway through the canyon is gone now but there's this stretch where the old highway followed the river around the bluffs; the Interstate cuts through. Anyway, Hanging Lake is along this stretch; the old highway is part of the parking lot. Awkward exit - you have to run around an exit to reverse direction ... it's been a while but I think the only exit is on the eastbound side but you can't get back on eastbound.

Or vice-versa

I'm told that the traffic at Hanging Lake has gotten so heavy that a fee is now charged. It's a fairly strenuous hike up to the lake but I've done it enough times that I don't care to visit a place so crowded it has entrance fees ... nor do I wish to pay a fee for a place I've been to many times in the past.

But if you're of a mind to, it's well worth at least one visit.

a new one by Jean

I have a bone
to pick with you.
I heard you died.
You shoulda called.
I woulda been there.
I woulda told you
again
how much I love you.
I woulda asked
again
how much do you love me.
we knew
we know
the answers.
It woulda been nice
to hear it
again.
I missed your leaving.
Please don't do it
again.

Not the last day of summer - that was a couple of weeks ago.

I was out last night watching the moonrise ... in a T-shirt! The wind wasn't blowing and - while the day's temperature was in the unseasonable low 80s - the temperature didn't drop at sunset like it normally does.

I woke up early - still dark - and went out to see the world.

Wow! It was warm out (it still is) - and not windy; apparently the low last night was 72 ... normal is high 30s

Going to be mid-80s today. The predicted high for tomorrow is 10 degrees less than the low last night - 62. And no better for the reasonable future. But with occasional rain.

I likely won't see 80s here for another 6 months.

I used to like winter. I missed it when I lived in the southern deserts. I wanted to be a reverse snowbird - deserts in the summer, mountains in the winter.

I'm ready for Memorial Day.

from all of us, for sure.

Dear Ghost,
I don’t suppose you are even reading these days but I just want to say how very sorry I am about your loss of Shannon. I read your wonderful essay about her but missed your sad announcement. I have been suspecting it though due to your absence. You are on my prayer list.
jd