summer's flown

It's over. Not officially, maybe....but it's gone just the same.


Summer's flown, just like the sparrow.

 To borrow from Dickens....it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

We are lucky and blessed in that our summers (since 1975, for me) involve several treks to the crisp air of the Colorado mountains.

Our cabin's piney interior warmly embraces me and keeps me rooted in my family's past. My first trip to Colorado was with the Texan while we were dating. I guess I passed the 'cabin test' his mom talked about. We married...our family grew...and we got a little place of our own near his mother and other friends. The kitchen has the pencil etchings on the wall of who caught the biggest trout, the bunk beds in the bedroom are where the children slept and fought their nightly tussles and we've devoured s'mores around the brick fireplace for nearly thirty years now. I'm sure it could use some updating in the decorating/furniture department, but the cabin's sameness is somehow reassuring. Life at the cabin with family and friends is a treasure.  Need proof? Take a look at these posts.
http://onachickenwingandaprayer.blogspot.com/2011/07/birds-and-ashes.html
http://onachickenwingandaprayer.blogspot.com/2010/06/mountain-mysteries.html

Did I mention the food at the cabin tastes better? We eat like kings!

Bff Vicki's peach pie. Oh....my....!

I could write a tome (but not now) of the fun the canines have in Colorado.

Nellie would like some pie, please.

Roxy Doxy never caught the chipmunk

Summer in the Texas Panhandle was in sizzly contrast to Colorado. Hot, dry....depressing and difficult. It felt like our 'worst of times' and there was lots of suffering to go around for the farmers/ranchers and folks who have to work outside. Our Sprout #1 worked in a frenzy to move cattle around, sell cattle, ship cattle and get water to thirsty cows and horses. Don't want to ask him about his summer!

I can report the dreadful heat has broken (feels fantastic!), but we are still praying one of those tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico will meander it's way into Texas and bring moisture for our brittle state. We hope and keep looking to the future.

I feel blessed, but a little meloncholy at scenes like this.

Covering the game table and chairs for the winter

Letting go of another summer in the mountains. Cleaning the old place up and preparing her for the long winter. Back to real life...sigh. Back to the land of no pies.

The Texan and I climbed the hill to say goodbye to Mom. Her ashes were still suprisingly intact even after the recent rains.

It's gonna take her a long time to make it to the ocean at this rate, the Texan said.

That's OK. She's got nothin' but time.
See you next summer, Joy.

With that, we switched off the light on the best and worst in the summer of 2011. Done.

Peach pie love to all.