More iPod photos

Ryan is like his mama--he takes too many pictures of the dogs.

Darcy doesn't like SpongeBob.

I think this is the very last photo of Maggie. 

April 2012

Jennifer at Rosies

This is one of the photos Ryan took with his iPod while we were dining at Rosies.

April 2012

Dining with Rosie

These pictures were taken on Ryan's birthday.  I'd originally planned to post them the next day.  Then Maggie died and I wasn't up to it.   Hopefully late is better than never!

Ryan chose Rosie's Diner for his birthday dinner.

Rosie's is a '50's diner complete with a big jukebox near the entry way... 

 and little juke boxes at every table.

 There's also a well stocked candy counter...

and the promise of really big desserts. 

 Oh, yeah.  There's lots of silly jokes, too.

 Seth got to sit next to the birthday boy.

I sat with James aka the Booth Monkey.  I know he doesn't look like a booth monkey in this photo, but trust me, looks can be deceiving!

While James was busy decorating the kid's menu, Ryan played with his brand new iPod.

So many nifty features! 

Finally the food came.  Ryan had a hamburger, NO cheese. 

Seth chose a Greek salad. 

I opted for a French dip with onion rings,  

and James went with his usual--the chocolate chip decorated pancake. 

After dinner, it was time for dessert. 

Ryan traded the traditional birthday sundae for a root beer float. 

 James went with the sundae.  

 Good to the last drop!

April 2012

Estes elk

When I think of Estes Park, I think of elk so it should come as no surprise that one of the first things I told Seth upon our arrival at Murphy's River Lodge was, "I'd like to look out that window and see an elk on our back porch."

Well, it didn't happen quite like that, but almost. 

We came back from our dinner ride Saturday evening and there was a whole herd of elk around the backside of the hotel.  Most were across the river, but there was one pair right in "our" backyard. 

I was hoping they'd stay there, but it wasn't long before they decided to join the rest of their group.

The bigger one led the way. 

He stepped into the water...

and stopped midriver to plot his course.

He walked a few steps downstream before he decided that wouldn't work. 

He turned and looked around... 

 walked past the big rock...

and stepped up onto the bank. 

 All the while, his little buddy stood on the other side watching.  This little guy didn't get his feet wet until he'd been shown the best way across!

May 2012

Estes Park

Day two of our anniversary adventure began with a walk down the road and along the river...

into the town of Estes Park.

Like most Colorado mountain towns, the downtown is a mix of historic buildings,

restaurants,

tourist shops,

 and ice cream and candy stores.

Mostly we window shopped, but we did make a few small purchases at the Estes Park Times Old Fashion Candy Store. 

I really liked the horse and kid statue in front of the Estes Park Library. 

Stretch! 

 Along the way we found a Fiat for Seth Carol...

and a couple small critters.  I was really hoping to see an elk or two, but that was not to be--at least not yet! 

May 2012

Anniversary weekend

Seth and I celebrated our fifteenth anniversary with a weekend trip to Estes Park.

Although the heavy clouds obscured most of the view, 

the drive up US-36 was beautiful. 

 As we neared the top, it began to snow.

It was really coming down by the time we'd reached our destination. 

Our room at Murphy's River Lodge may not have looked terribly impressive from the outside. 

but the inside was a perfect blend of fancy... 

and functional. 

Considering the current weather conditions, I was especially pleased to have a fireplace. 

Best of all... 

we were just steps away from the river. 

After we were settled in, we headed over to the Waterfront Grille at the Estes Park Resort. 

It was a bit too cold to sit out on the deck, but we still appreciated the great view of Lake Estes. 

This meal--like the rest of the trip--was largely financed by LivingSocial coupons.  Here's our dinner bill before and after the coupon was applied.  Hurray for eating well on a budget!

May 2012