Over the weekend we took some time to enjoy the beauty of Boulder and our surroundings. Ryan had been told about a short hike to a waterfall, so on Saturday we set out in search of the hike. Within 10-15 minutes we were in the mountains and found lots of cars parked at pull-offs on either side of the road, so we got out for our hike.
There was a nice large path (sometimes paved and sometimes gravel) along Boulder "Creek" (it seems more like a river than a creek to us). Lots of people were walking, jogging and riding bikes. We thought that it might be a bit cooler in the mountains, so we both wore long pants - surprisingly there wasn't much of a temperature difference, still about 90+ degrees. We got to the end of the section we were on and a sign said we had gone 2.25 miles, after walking back that was a 4.5 mile hike - pretty good for Jamie being 9 months pregnant. Ryan got excited by the guys that were fly fishing along the "creek," he has a fly fishing rod, all he needs is a reel, some line and flies, and learn how to use it all? He has been debating getting all of these supplies and his fishing license - not knowing how much time he might have for this recreational activity. Unfortunately we did not find a waterfall and we had forgotten to bring the camera for our first Boulder hike. We decided to try again on Sunday.
After trying out our fourth church on Sunday we ate lunch and packed some water and snacks for another day in the mountains. This time we knew a bit more about where we were headed (Boulder Falls) and we were told we wouldn't be able to miss it, we just had to drive farther into the mountains. We brought the camera this time and sure enough, there were signs everywhere, as well as people.
Since it was afternoon, we figured there might be rain (it has been raining nearly every afternoon - sometimes just a sprinkle and other times it will downpour for 10 minutes to a couple of hours) so we packed our rain jackets and some towels in case we decided to go in the creek or waterfall. We also dressed more appropriately for the weather - shorts instead of long pants. Ryan didn't want too much in the backpack so he opted for the towels instead of the rain jackets. The "hike" to the waterfall was more of a short climb - up and down on rock stairs to the waterfall, slightly more challenging for Jamie than the hike the day before even though it was only about a 100 yards as opposed to the 4.5 miles the day before. After spending some time at the waterfall and petting a German Shorthair year old puppy, it started to rain. Although the rain was slow to begin with, Jamie remembered those rock stairs to get to the waterfall and decided not to stay too much longer before it got slippery. Ryan, worried about the camera, ran back to the car after it started to downpour. I guess the rain jackets would have been better to have with us, but the towels were helpful for drying off once we reached the car.
Rather than return home, we decided to continue up into the mountains and travel the Peak to Peak Highway, we knew the rain wouldn't last long. Along the way we found a dam at the top of Boulder Creek and the Barker Reservoir, we stopped to take a look, by now the sun was out. We continued on the Peak to Peak Highway through small mountain towns and stopped occasionally at overlooks to soak in the beautiful mountain views that surrounded us. We ended our mountain tour in Estes Park, where we spotted some Caribou eating flowers and trees along a line of fenced in yards before heading back home. What a gorgeous day! And a nice end to the last week before Ryan started training and school.
Last week was a fairly positive week for us, a few low spots here and there, but for the most part we had good times. Sunday, Aug 12, started out with a sermon that we both needed to hear, and we met some young couples that were either new to the area or lived in Family Housing at CU. It is always nice to make new connections. We finished up day two of our birth education class that day as well with more confidence and excitement for the home birth that we have been planning.
During the week, Jamie finished getting supplies for the birth as well as for the baby and nursery. Ryan was finally able to do some consulting work for his former employer (which will help a lot considering he doesn't get his first paycheck for the TA position until the end of September). Some friends took Jamie to Costco to check out the potential savings that could be had by getting a membership there. (Jamie is also discovering ways to keep the grocery bills down - the cost of food was quite daunting at first, even the farmers market was more expensive. A membership to either Sam's or Costco will need to be part of the plan to save money on food.)
Later in the week we attended a prayer and worship meeting with Horizons Ministry, it was wonderful to connect with some people that we have met before and to meet new people. Friday night we got to visit with a friend fom WI, actually she was our wedding photographer as well, and we ended our week with the lovely weekend mountain adventures mentioned above.
Of course there are still challenges that come up...Jamie realized that the slipcover for our chair was not in the clothes basket she thought it was in, but instead it had likely been left in a clothes dryer prior to the trip back to WI and now is gone - possibly donated to Salvation Army or in someone elses's living room. Our scanner no longer seems to be working, which is helpful for copying and sending documents. And Ryan found out that the class he is assigned to TA for conflicts with a class that he would really like to take (it is only offered every other year) and it appears that he may have to drop his class and take something else. Both our house and our duplex are still up for sale. We have mostly decided to hang on to the duplex for a couple years or so hoping that the market will get better - so, if you know anyone that is interested in renting a 2BR lower unit near Wauwatosa, please let us know. Also, our charming little house in the quaint Jewish neighborhood just north of St. Joe's Hospital is for sale if anyone is looking - please send them our way!
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