New Years Eve

Today is New Years Eve and Mary Ann I are looking forward to a quiet evening at home…We have been very busy during the last few years with the entertainers that come in for the New Years celebrations…We got a reprieve this year in that a disc jockey is being hired for this years dance…This left us free to do what we wanted and I guess we are really getting old…We just wanted to relax and watch the excitement on TV…I will need to go and make sure we have plenty of black eyed peas…As you know, I am a southern boy…I guess you could call me a boy, I am masculine in gender…Although, when I think of my age, my body tells me I am what I am…I hope I never grow old mentally…I had some sad news yesterday…An old girl friend (first love) husband pass away…I always feel that my words are not adequate to express my sorrow when such things occur…I will talk to you later…Eat a lot of black eyed peas…Philip 

A Beautiful Time Of The Year

Christmas is over and a new year is Saturday…Mary Ann gave me something I have been wanting for several years…Levels 1,2, and 3 of Rosetta Stone  Language Learning for the Latin America version…Some of you have been chastising me for not writing a Christmas Letter…I didn’t realize that some of you do not have a computer to follow our blog…I will try to do better next year…We looked over our schedule and this week, nothing is scheduled…All the well wishes were received with thanks and wish I could see each one of you personally…It is hard to move on when you love those that mean so much, without some communication…Life is full of choices and we live with those choices…Realizing how short life really is there is not time to choose unhappiness…Rehearsal for the variety show begins in two weeks and I haven’t started learning my lines…I will start taking pictures when we start rehearsal…Mary Ann has her gun out making me do honey doos…Thanking of everyone and what you have meant to me…Have a glorious New Year…Talk to you later…Philip  

Playing Santa

I purchased a new Santa suit several years ago…Playing Santa is very enjoyable, but time consuming…Trying to carve and mail some things to those that care about my carving is truly a joy…We just finished the Christmas program and you know who was Santa…I had an appointment for the singles club with their annual Christmas party playing Santa…I will have one more scheduled for tomorrow night and that will probably be it until next year…Yesterday, I had my annual physical and all my numbers were well in range…I feel that I might live to aggravate Mary Ann for another year…I feel great so life is good…I have to make some dvd’s for the Christmas show and start rehearsing for the Variety Show in February…I believe I will start having time for some serious carving next week…I want to carve a Road Runner for display in the activities building…I hope your package arrives safe and sound…The weather is beautiful with cloudless sky's and the temp in the low 70’s…Talk to you later…Philip 

Tonight Is The Annual Golf Cart Parade

What another busy week!…Wednesday evening we had the Earth Angles from Los Angeles…They really put on a wonderful show…I really enjoy working with a professional group of this quality…They know how to use microphones, which makes my job easier…Mary Ann did an excellent job on the lighting, which enhanced the beautiful costumes…Thursday was the town meeting and Friday was getting the Christmas decorations down from the attic…So, now we have to get the music together for the parade tonight…I will talk to you later…Philip   

Heavy Dust Storm

Yesterday, we wanted some seafood and decided to eat out…Clouds were gathering all around and there were some cumulus with moderate tops…We ate our meal early and started home…About ten miles from home I saw a helicopter nose down and went behind a hill…I told Mary Ann that a helicopter might have gone down and proceeded to watch for smoke…There was none…When arrived in the area where it looked as though is had gone down, we found it…The engine was in its cool down mode…The crew was tying it down…I looked to the northeast and a solid wall of dust was rolling in…I understood why the chopper went down so rapidly…We hit the dust cloud about a mile later and the wind was blowing about forty knots (my estimate)…It started raining mud and then we were through the dust and into solid rain…At least it washed the mud from the car…It was the first real dust storm I have been in since I left Lubbock…We got a hard rain for a few minutes which we badly needed…Today I have to get a package off to my sister…I have been trying to finish it…I know you probably think I am procrastinating, but I have really been busy…Well I will talk to you later…Philip    

Had A Great Thanksgiving

Thursday rolled around and what a beautiful day…There were eighteen of us together and had all the trimmings…Mary Ann made some of the best pumpkin pies ever…After dinner we took sunshine for a golf cart ride over the resort…It takes about an hour to make the perimeter…It is according to how many people we run into and talk to…Yesterday I watched a marathon showing of A Band Of Brothers…Today we are doing the sound for a friend who is celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary…I will probably kick back and relax until the time to go and set up the sound in the Chuck Wagon…This is a smaller room where meals can be purchased at a modest price…It holds about 150 people…I hope your Thanksgiving is as happy as ours…By the way the anniversary celebration is for Dick Savage and his wife…Talk to you later…Philip   

Made It Back From Mexico

I left you last going to Mexico for dental work…I was Leary going to Mexico for dental work from all the tales of horrible experiences…We had so many friends going for their dental work and the expense of our local dentist that I made a decision to go and got some recommendations…Mary Ann made us some appointments and we  got up early Friday Morning and headed for Mexico for a noon schedule…We arrived and the clinic met us at the border and drove us to the front door of the clinic…We arrived and our friends had called ahead and told them we were coming…What a nice reception…I had a lot of bridge work to be repaired and I was quoted five thousand dollars from my dentist in the U.S…I really didn’t know what to expect my bill to be in Mexico…There was some surgery performed and with some stitching and molds made for the replacement bridge…They scheduled us back the next day for putting the bridge in…We were not prepared to stay over night, like tooth brush, change of underwear, razor, etc…We found a room at a Super 8 for the night…The bed was so hard that it was hard for us to sleep very well…We went in the next morning and got my new bridge and we were on our way by two pm…When we got the bill it was only a thousand dollars US…We were treated very  well and had a very pleasant experience…The gentleness in which we were treated was pleasure…I would recommend these people any time…We drove back Saturday night and here it is Tuesday Morning and the bridge work is very comfortable…My fears were unfounded and we look forward to our cleaning appointment next May…We have to go to the Ball Room and help with the stage lights…We are installing new jels and adjusting the lights for the new addition that was made to the stage…Talk to you later…Philip    

Birthday Yesterday

Another Year…Can’t believe that I have lived this long… Don’t think for a minute that I want my life  to be shorten by one minute…It is just hard to believe that 76 birthdays have occurred…I got up yesterday and selected some carvings to go on display…I came home and relaxed until time for the musicians to show up in the ballroom and set up…As you know Mary Ann and I do the lighting and sound for most of the productions held in the Ball Room…It is a lot of fun meeting the entertainers and their bands…Today Mary Ann is teaching a computer class and I will have to go and rehearse for the Christmas play…As usual I am playing Santa Clause…I can’t imagine why I would be selected for Santa…I am sure my size has nothing to do with the selection…Tomorrow we are going to Mexico for some dental work…We enjoy the trip down to Mexico and look forward for the trip…Talk to you later…Philip…

Windows 7

I have not reported on my new computer…I just about have all my programs and files transferred to my new computer…I asked Mary Ann to put Norton on last night while I was at the Cactus Carvers meeting…She had it ready when I got home…Then she popped me some corn…and I tested the new upgrade with Norton and very little has changed over last years…This is one program that we buy every year…We like to have the CD in case something should happen and we have to reinstall…Now about Windows 7…I am very pleased with the performance…It has worked flawlessly and really corrects problems with very little effort…It is an easy transition from Vista, as for as learning the new system…I feel very comfortable with the transition…Talk to you later…Philip 

Rehearsal This Afternoon

Hurray…I am free this morning with nothing on the schedule until this afternoon at three…We are rehearsing for the Christmas show…I will carve this morning and finish up with paint on the moon goddess…My sister,Ruth, expressed an interest in her and I hope to get it in the mail this week…I have to finish painting it and then mounting it. The resort has asked me to put some more carvings on display, so I have to select what to go into the display case…Since it is the beginning of the Holiday Season I will probably display my old world Santa's…I want to start on another roadrunner when I finish the goddess…I guess I will keep my ban saw busy because I want to make some humming birds…I will publish a picture of the goddess before I ship it to Sis…Is there anyway to slow the time down…It is passing to rapidly…I can hardly wait to get out of bed each day and get it started…Talk to you later…Philip  

PICTURE OF MY CARVINGS

Well it took me long enough…Here are some of my carvings that I have done recently…I will post others as soon as I can…There are so much I want to carve and time is so short…

As you can see my easy chair…I guess you know, carving keeps me out of trouble…and a great place to hide from Mary Ann…Talk to you later…Philip

Honey Do’s Forever

Will I hope Mary Ann is happy…Her refrigerator came…Honey do…Her stove came…Honey do…Her kitchen island came in a kit…Honey do…Her micro wave came…Honey do…Now we are waiting for her spice rack to arrive, and I thought I had better write in the blog before she decided on something else…Don’t tell her, but it really does look good…With all the counter space it has created, I got the bread machine out and am now baking bread…I don’t have a lot of time because I have to take care of the sound system in the ball room for the Halloween Dance…I will have to meet with the entertainment crew and see what their needs will be for sound and lighting…My sister, Ruth, e-mailed me and told me about the sad news of her husband,David’s, brother in law passed away…Billy was in the same high school class with me…There is hardly a week goes by that the news of one of my class mates has gone on to another life…I know that I promised to post pictures of my recent carvings…If Mary Ann would leave me alone with the honey do’s, I might find time to take the pictures…Don’t tell her that I really do enjoy doing things for her…She so does much for me that I will never be able to repay…I need to go and check on my bread…Sister and David, by heart goes out to you with my thoughts and prayers…Philip

Catching Up

It seems like I have had enough problems with the old computer and learning about the new computer that time has just slipped away…When we got back from our summer trip and started opening up the house for the season every thing needed to be don at once…Mary Ann wanted a new refrigerator, stove, microwave, spice racks, and new island for the kitchen.  Shopping for these items kept her busy for a while…Yes I know, still a lot of honey dos that keeps mama happy…You see how abused I am…Well every thing is installed except the island, and spice rack…Thank goodness they haven’t arrived yet…That gives me a little time to play with my computer until they arrive…I might even get a little carving done…We went to a rally in Sedona, Arizona with the Elks Lodge…Had a wonderful time and enjoyed the mountains in the desert…Here are some pictures of the scenery.   We love the mountains

Another view

Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that Mary Ann’s microwave hasn’t arrived yet…Maybe I can duck and dodge until it gets here…Talk to you later Philip

New Computer

It was delivered yesterday…It took me until midnight (until I couldn’t see)…I have been working on it all morning…Still have a long way to go, to get all my stuff transferred from the old computer…I think I will have it all done by Sunday…I got the Windows 7 operating system…The transition is very easy to make…So far I really like the new system…It seems more user friendly…Great versatility,in searching for items…So far I would recommend it, particularly if you are buying a new computer…I have a lot to talk about and some more pictures to publish…Right now I want to continue putting my stuff on the new computer…Talk to you later…Philip

Computer Working Again

I don’t know how long my computer will hold together, but I have ordered a new one and should be here soon…The frustration of not having a computer is driving me down the road to the nearest nut house…I truly am sorry about not writing in the blog…As we all know computer problems can be aggravating…I will write more when the new computer arrives…Talk to you later…Philip

COMPUTER PROBLEMS

I have been having computer problems…I think I might have solved them…Talk to you later…Philip

Trying To Catch Up

Being gone for almost six months takes a lot to catch up when it comes to maintaince around the house...Unpacking the motor home and putting things away in the house and shop always takes more time than expected...Mary Ann bought a new refrigerator and is shopping for a new range...It has to be ordered because the model she wants is not in stock...Putting our calendar together for the season is becoming complicated because of Dr. appointments, coordinating the sound booth schedule for the professional entertainers...and wanting to carve many things...I do look forward to working a schedule and keeping lots of activities in front...People are drifting in and things are picking up with the resort coming alive with activities of all kinds...I will take some pictures as soon as it gets daylight and post them...We are taking our daily rides in the golf cart...That is something Sunshine will not let us for get...She sits in front of the drawer where the leash is kept and waits...This occurs around three thirty each afternoon...I will post later today and try to stay up to date...Talk to you later...Philip

Made It Home

We made it home Thursday about ten thirty am...We wanted to attend the board meeting at one pm so our timing was within reason...I wanted to check out the Ball Room and listen to the acoustics for the first time since the remodeling...The contractors did a beautiful job and my job will be a lot easier on the console...Friday we started unpacking the motor home...It will take us about a week to get things back to normal...I unpacked all my carving equipment and tried to get the shop in order...I hope to get things hooked up and be able to start carving again...I always need more room...Mary Ann was in a quandry on whether or not to buy a new refrigerator...The old one is about seventeen years old and getting worn in places, but it still runs good and makes ice...Well, Sunday she made up her mind and went to Sears and bought a new one...It will be delivered Wednesday...Now she wants a new range...So we will have to have some electrical work done before she can buy and have a new range delivered...I love to see her shop and plan for new things...I believe she is the happiest when she has a new project in mind...This morning I am going to my first wood carving meeting for the season...I hope there are enough members back to be able to meet...I want to finish painting the carvings that I did this summer...Sorry I took so long in bringing you to date, but unpacking in this hundred degree heat takes a lot out of me...I hate to admit that it is probably the seventy-six years of experience that I have...Talk to you later with some pictures...I hope to take some pictures of my wood carving after I finish painting them...Talk to you later...Philip

Let Me Catch You Up

I got up Monday morning to high winds, rain, snow and temperatures in the low thirties...There was only one decision to make...Go or no go?..Well the final decision was to wait twenty four hours and see what would happen...Tuesday morning was cloudy, but it wasn't raining...Checked the weather, on the computer along the route, and looked good except Raton Pass...We hooked the car up and disconnected utilities...Looked at the sky one more time, jumped into the motor home and took off...The wind was a little strong but navigable...When we got to Castle Rock we could see some breaks in the clouds...Traffic was heavy in Colorado Springs...When we got to Trinidad there was snow on the side of the road...All the mountains were capped with snow...Now the dreaded pass...The road is clear and traffic is moving...We reach the summit at forty five MPH and start down the South side and gear down...There is still heavy, broken clouds as we enter New Mexico...I told Mary Ann that I wanted to go as far as we could with out becoming too tired...Interstate 40 looked good...We turned West at Albuquerque and decided we had had enough for the day..We stopped at Enchanted Trails RV Park and were assigned a space...The sky was clearing and the wind began to calm down...Mary Ann prepared a delicious Chinese Chicken dish and I checked the e-mail and was ready for bed...I woke up and could not go back to sleep, so I decided to let you know we are well on our way to Happy Trails and should arrive on Thursday...We want to stop and spend the night at the crater east of Flagstaff...Well I will talk to you later...Philip

Checking Weather

I am up checking the weather early...We just had a front move through yesterday with strong winds...The forecast for today is another front moving in from the NW and bringing snow...We have to make a decision about leaving ahead of the front or maybe being held up for a couple of days...It looks like we may leave early this morning and try to get through Raton Pass before the weather hits...There are a lot of RV parks along out route, so if the weather gets too bad we will stop and wait it out...That is a great thing about being retired, we do not have to be any place at any time...I will talk to you later after our decisions are made...Philip

Catchup Day

Today  I will try to catch up with things that I have been allowing to slide...Mary Ann is planing on washing and I will catch up with some outside motor home maintenance...I want to do some carving on an eagle head that I have started...Tomorrow is a woodcarving show in Ft. Collins...I hope to take some pictures and look for some books that I need...It is always an inspiration to look at other artist's work...I want to carve an image of my dog Sunshine...The image of the Mayan Moon Goddess has turned out better than I expected...I do miss my equipment at home and am looking forward to getting back...Ann Smith wrote Mary Ann an e-mail stating that the Christmas Show is coming along real well and she was sending me some information...I do look forward to the Christmas Show and the Variety Show...Talk to you later...Philip

Other Pictures

Sorry...These did not post...Philip

Looking For Aspins

Today we took a tour to Fairplay,Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, Keystone, Love land Pass, Golden, and back to Chatfield...We were looking to see if the aspens had turned yellow...We woke up to a cloudy and foggy morning...We decided to go anyway...We were not disappointed...We had to get to an elevation of about eight thousand feet before there had been frost to turn the leaves...There had been frost and there was fresh snow in the higher elevations...I tried to get some of the beauty of the season on camera...Here are some of the pictures...Talk to you later...Philip

Today We Moved

 Today we moved back to Chatfield...We will be here a week and then we will head for home...We plan to head up to the mountains by Fair Play to look for the turning of the aspens leaves...I will take some pictures if they have turned...We are not through setting up our canopy, so I will go out and do some more work after lunch...I will talk to you later...Philip

Pictures We Took Today

Here are the pictures we took this afternoon in Rocky Mountian National Park...The bulls were bugeling and hearding the females...You will see the male mounting the female in one picture...This was a very interesting afternoon...Philip

Tons Of Downloads

If you ever take your competer to day one, there will be tons of downloads...I realize that after five years, I have a lot of up dates...It has taken me most of three days and I am still getting updates...I do keep my computer up to date for security reasons...Today it has stopped raining...We thought there might some frozen stuff, but it bypassed us this time...Our plans are to go back to Rock Mountain National Park and observe the elk once again...We are trying to get close up pictures during the mating season...I did not realize the enjoyment I would receive from my camera...We will be leaving St. Vrain Tuesday and returning to Chatfield...We will be there for a week and then we will head for Arizona...I always have mixed emotions about ending the travel season and returning home...I will always look forward to the busy activities of the resort...I will post the pictures of todays trip tonight...I have some interesting pictures of some birds that I want to carve...You might get a preview of future carvings from of these pictures...Talk to you later...Philip

I THINK I HAVE LEARNED TO IMPORT PICTURES

THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME LEARN A NEW PROGRAM...PHILIP

MORE PICTURES

Stay with me...I am learning...Philip

Still Trying

Here we go again...Philip

FINALLY GOT THE COMPUTER WORKING AGAIN

After days of working to get my computer back, it looks like it is working again...I am using with delicate hands...I have decided, with Mary Ann's permission to purchase a new one after the new windows comes out...I am hoping this one will hold together until sometime in October when the new Windows is suppose to be released...Well we went to Rocky Mountain National Park and watched the elk gathering...Their bugeling could be heard eccoing through out the mountains...Witching the females going to the sound of the chosen bugel...Watching the males sparring for terrirorial rights...We did take some pictures, but the rangers were not letting us get too close to the activity...The educational value of travel is unending...I wish I could share the experiences with you...One of the most important things in life is having someone to share these experiences, like eating out, watching TV or a movie, riding down the road, cold crisp air in the morning, smelling the bacon cooking out in the open, the camp fires at night and the fellowship of fellow campers...I don't see how anyone could possible go through life without a partner that is reading off the same page...Well here are some pictures....Talk to you later...Philip

COMPUTER PROBLEMS

My computer crashed and I have had to completely start from scratch...I am now putting all the programs back on...I am fortunate to have backed up most of pictures, documents, and favorites...I was up all night with updates...I had 92 updates for windows...I hope to have it back to normal by Sunday...I will talk to you later...Philip

The Family Reunion Is Over

Well we had three days of family fun…There were from Missouri,   Nebraska, Illinois, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and Kansas…It was constant eating, play, eating, sight seeing, eating, and oh yes, family fellowship…I tried my best not to pull any ones chain…Only because I promised Mary Ann that I would be good…There were a lot of pictures taken and passed around…I had seventy-one pictures when I put them on the computer…I made enough CD’s for each family to have all the pictures that I took…Of course I am not going to put all of the pictures in the blog, but will give you enough to see what was going on…We are going to St. Vrain in the morning…we want to go up to Rocky Mountain National Park and see the elk bulls gathering their females and fighting the other bulls off…Late in the evening to hear them bugling in the crisp cool air is a real treat…We have done this for the last three years…I will try to take pictures of the herds and all the activities…Talk to you later…Philip Karen’ family Mary Ann, daughters, sister,and grand daughters

Mary Ann and daughters

Another of Rob and family Look Who is lazy We did eat…

We Are Off The Road Now

For the last three days we have traveling…Trying to get back to Denver for Mary Ann’s family get-together for the Labor Day week-end…We left Sheyenne, Wyoming this morning and arrived here in Chatfield State Park about ten-thirty am…We are now hooked up and getting ready to have lunch…It is good to be back in telephone range again…The Computer is much faster than it has been…As Mary Ann said,”It is great to be back in the city”…I will put the large canapé up this afternoon before the group arrives…It is a little on the warm side so I might wait until late in the afternoon…I will post pictures of the get-together when they all get here…Most of them are due in tomorrow…Mary Ann wants to go to the grocery store and post office and pick up our mail…It has been almost two weeks since we have received mail…I have a lot to get done before dark, so I will try to post something tonight…Talk to you later…Philip

Mary Ann’s Camera

Mary Ann took these pictures on the Needles Highway…Hope you enjoy…Philip

Going through the eye

You then find Sylvan Lake…Talk to you later…Philip

The Eye Of The Needle

Here are the pictures I promised you…These were taken on the Needles Highway…Some from my camera and some from Mary Ann’s…I have been painting this morning on the blue Jay…I should be through in a few days…I will make pictures when it is finished…Well here are the pictures…I hope you enjoy as much as we did experiencing the trip…Talk to You later…Philip