Bree's Lake Blackshear Blog

Rocky Mountain High – Part III -Everything as far as you can see . . . .

bree1972 — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:23:52 +0000

He saw everything as far as he could see. From “Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver

Tuesday morning dawned sunny and glorious. The snow had ended during the night, and although the thermometer read a chilly -5 degrees, we bundled up with enough layers to stay toasty. Being inside on that beautiful day in the high Rockies was not an option any of us even considered. We were ready to “hit the slopes” – but without the skis!

Ted and I made the decision weeks before this trip that skiing wasn’t in our future. I can get the “Klutz of the Year Award” for trying to walk and chew gum at the same time, and I knew the complicated acts of snapping myself into skis, getting upright and balancing with just two little skinny poles as support - then sliding downhill on snow and ice – could only end with a trip to the emergency room for me. Ted – I’m sure – could have managed with a little practice, but thankfully, he decided against trying it out also. Blake has skied a little before, and Rich and Anna, the couple who joined us late on Monday night, were good skiers. But all three of the young folks decided to stick with the old folks, bless their hearts.

Seeing the mountain first thing Tuesday morning, no longer dreamlike in falling snow, was like bringing a camera lens into sharp focus.

Each snow crystal seemed to stand out against a background of millions more, and the smoke from chimneys appeared frozen against the blue sky.

After an hour of walking around, the consensus was to find a way up the mountain - without having to slide down it on the return trip. A check at the ski lift window revealed just the ticket we needed - for $36 we could ride a lift up the mountain to a restaurant for lunch. The $36 included a $15 voucher for our meal. We went back to condo for a few more layers (that sun fooled us when we left the first time - minus 5 is COLD - and thank goodness, there was no wind).

I should stop and say right here that I am not a “rider of rides”. I never have been. I was a really cheap date at the county fair when I was a teenager because I didn’t want to ride anything – even the up/down of the Merry-Go-Round made me nervous – and the ferris wheel, thank you very much, but no. Now in case you think I’m a completely boring person, I did – at one time – ride every ride anyone could persuade me to get on. And afterwards – each and every time – I said, “I won’t ride it again.” I have never been a dare-devil, don’t like to go fast, don’t like to get suspended in air and ROCKED (first and only ferris wheel ride), and don’t get my thrills from being scared silly. OK – maybe I am a completely boring person.

For some reason though, the only part of the ski lift that bothered me was the thought of having to get ON it while it was moving and get OFF it while it was also moving. Blake and Ted promised to sit on either side of me and physically man-handle me off, so I wouldn’t get caught upside-down in the chair going back down the mountain without them – so I was somewhat relaxed. Somewhat. Once we were aboard though – I forgot about being scared and concentrated on “seeing everything as far as we could see”.

At first, the bottom slopes were just below our feet, which rested on the bar we pulled down, and which I gripped in tight fingers as we ascended . . .

Looking to either side, we could watch skiers gliding effortlessly down the mountain . . . or skiing down to check on a fallen friend.

When we'd top a slope that we'd think must surely be the "last one", there would be four more ahead of us. Watching the skiers criss-cross the snow was awesome from our vantage-point above the trails.

Rich and Anna wave from the chair in front of ours.

Cathedral mountains.

We got off at the top and watched the brave folks ski off the lifts and start immediately down the mountain.

We took a much slower approach and posed for a family photo - with mountain peaks seeming to stretch out forever behind us.

Rich and Anna in front of the restaurant at the top of the mountain - over 10,000 feet above sea level.

Inside the Spruce Saddle Restaurant, which had 10-12 food stations that all fit within the $15 food allowance. Well, except for mine. I was the only one in the crowd who said, "I don't want to lug a bottle of water up the mountain with me. I'll just buy one up there." I did - $5.50 for 16 oz. of water. Yikes!

As we came out of the restaurant, it was a little daunting to look around the corner and know, once we got back on the ski lift , we were going to go to the edge of that first dip there by the trees . . .

. . . . and then go straight down.

As we came over one hilltop, we saw a sign below us . . . .

. . . . cautioning skiers and snowboarders not to jump over that snow-covered outcropping because there were other people skiing below it.

The bottom of the mountain comes into view - still a long way off.

Almost there.

We spent the rest of the day exploring and shopping, and after a really good Mexican dinner at the Coyote Cafe, we fell into bed wonderfully full – and exhausted.

Morning came way too soon. After a continental breakfast provided by the condos, we packed up and made the 10 a.m. check-out with no problem.

Heading back to Ft. Collins . . . .

. . . through Colorado's high country.

Random Photos

Snow-laden branches wait for the sun.

Snow collected within the geometric twigs of a White Birch tree.

Skiers "park" their skis and snowboards outside the Spruce Saddle Restaurant.

On the condo balcony.

Blake - just off the lift at the top of the mountain.

What a trip! So much fun, so many memories made. Thank you, Blake, for inviting us. Love you more!

On Friday: Back to the lake, where we had some unexpected forest critters surprise us one morning! See you then!

Rocky Mountain High – Part II – Cathedral Mountains and Silver Clouds

bree1972 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:33:58 +0000

He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below . . .
From “Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver

The Rocky Mountains. So different from our Smoky Mountains – taller, more majestic – although our eastern mountains have a true majesty of their very own. My memories of family trips to the Smokies – the only mountains I knew existed in my childhood – are etched into my being as deeply as my Southern drawl. Used to seeing the Smokies during the summer, when they are forest-green, or in the fall, when that green turns into a blaze of red and orange, the sight of the snow-capped Rockies in the dead of winter kept me in almost-permanent gasp mode for three days.

I thought I could tell this story in two parts, but it will take three. Tonight will be about our trip to Beaver Creek and our first day and night there. On Monday I’ll finish it up with pics from Tuesday and Wednesday – including our amazing ski lift ride almost to the top of the mountain. Jaw-dropping scenery!

Heading out of Ft. Collins early Monday morning - trying to get to our destination before the snow storm blows in.

First it was back to Denver, with the mountains to the west. Then a right turn out of Denver . . .

. . . . and our trip "up" began.

Something you don't see everyday - a buffalo ambling down a hill. Ted also spotted a group of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep later that morning, but we were past them before I could get the camera out.

As we approached the high country, the lack of heavy snow so far this winter was evident, but these mountains were beautiful anyway. I bet whoever lives on that hill has four-wheel drive!

We were traveling on I-70, and as the drive became steeper, we began to see what looked like fog up ahead.

A few more miles, and the "fog" became snow.

Ok – I’ll stop here for a little geography lesson (Ted will love this). The Continental Divide is the line that divides flow of water between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Rain or snow that drains on the east side of the Continental Divide flows toward the Atlantic. Precipitation on the west side drains and flows toward the Pacific.

The Continental Divide runs from northwestern Canada along the crest of the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico, then it follows the crest of Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental. In South America, the Continental Divide lies along the Andes. Every continent has a Continental Divide except for Antarctica.

The Eisenhower Tunnel was completed in 1979 and carries I-70 under the Continental Divide. The tunnel is approximately 1.6 miles long, with a maximum elevation of 11,158 feet above sea level. That makes it the longest mountain tunnel and the highest point on the Interstate highway system.

From the tunnel until we reached Avon, CO, where Beaver Creek Ski Resort is located, the weather went downhill fast.

Over-the-highway gondolas and Blake's GPS announced we had arrived at our destination. We were so glad we started out early. We reached Beaver Creek around 10:30 Monday morning, the time we had originally planned to start out. I know my northern readers are used to this stuff, but we had three southerners in that car - this is a little outside our comfort zone!

One of the Board members of ELIC, the organization Blake works for, owns three condos at the Beaver Creek, and when they aren’t rented, he offers them to ELIC employees – at no charge, not even a cleaning fee. That is an unbelievably nice thing to do, and even more unbelievable is the one rule that goes with the offer. No one using the condo can WORK while there – no business at all. It is for rest and relaxation only. A real vacation – Wow!

Living/dining area, with wood-burning fireplace.

The condo was on the top floor and it had two levels. There were two identical master suites - this one on the second level, and another on the main level. There was also a third bedroom . . .

. . . . and a great kitchen. I confess - the only appliance we used was the coffeemaker.

I think it took us about 20 minutes to ditch the luggage, pull out and put on a few more layers and get outside. The snow was scheduled to last all night, and we wanted to be out in it as much as possible!

Exploring was at the top of the agenda.

Beaver Creek Resort is a village made up of several hotels and condo complexes. It didn't take us long to find this little covered bridge. Once crossed . . .

. . . the ski slopes were straight ahead . . .

. . . and the heavy snow wasn't keeping anyone off the mountain!

Being out in the snow and cold was made a little more tolerable by the dozens of gas log open-pit fireplaces that lined all the brick walkways.

Ski and snowboard lessons were in full swing - for all ages . . .

This three-year-old had just come down a "bunny slope" with her mom. Amazing!

In the center of the village was a large ice-skating rink. The snow fell so heavily and so fast that the Zamboni machine was out on the rink removing snow every hour so people could skate.

Sculptures like this were everywhere in the village, and there were as many galleries to browse through as there were restaurants to eat in. This was my favorite - a young Indian boy nose-to-nose with a grizzly.

Dinner Monday evening at the Dusty Book Steakhouse and Saloon.

From the window of the condo, looking down on the street below. Snow was still falling. Yes, that is a dinosaur skeleton in the window across the street on the left. That was a natural history museum.

As Ted and I prepared for bed, Blake’s phone rang. Earlier in the week he had invited a young couple to join us, and they didn’t think they were going to be able to come. At the last minute things worked out, and they were on the road. The couple was used to Colorado driving, but we were sure glad we didn’t have to go through those mountains in this weather. They arrived safely several hours later.

On Monday – we hit the ski slopes . . . . . well, sort of.

Rocky Mountain High – Part I – Ft. Collins, CO

bree1972 — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:00:34 +0000

“The whole family should move out here, mom – you and Ted, Jason and Blair, Matt and Julie and the kids.”

Blake has said that several times in the almost-year he’s lived in Ft. Collins, Colorado, and he said it at least a dozen more times while we were visiting. Now that I’ve seen the self-named “biggest small city” or “smallest big city” in the state, I can easily see why he keeps suggesting it. Ft. Collins is a gem of a place to live – much larger than I had pictured with information researched on Google. It spreads out across a flat plain just east of the Rocky Mountains Front Range foothills and welcomes you in with state-of-the-art conveniences mixed with old-time Western flair. Ted and I both loved it.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here. First . . . . we had to get there.

Whenever we fly – which isn’t often anymore – I always do our booking on-line. After searching all the “cheap flight” web sites, I finally chose to go directly through Delta because 1) it’s the only airline that serves Albany, GA, and 2) we wanted to leave from Albany – if the price was right. This time it was. For only $79 more dollars, we could take the 50-minute flight to Atlanta from Albany and save a three-hour drive, the hassle of Atlanta traffic and parking, and the craziness of security at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. Well worth the $79!

Only two little concerns. Concern #1: We had to get up at 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning so we could leave the house at 4:30 and get to Albany by 5:30 – an hour before our 6:40 flight to Atlanta. Concern #2: We only had a 40-minute layover in Atlanta to catch our connecting flight to Denver at 8:10. If we were lucky, when we deplaned in Atlanta, our outgoing flight to Denver would be from the same concourse. They were both Delta flights – so wouldn’t that make sense to you? Really? It didn’t to Delta either.

Our 6:40 flight out of Albany left at 7 a.m. We met some friendly folks on board from a neighboring county who were going to Denver on the same flight we were. We talked about what a short time we would have to catch our flight, and everyone crossed fingers, hoping for very little space to cover after we landed. Finger crossing didn’t work. When we landed it was 7:50 – 20 minutes before our next flight, and a quick look at the monitors informed us we were four concourses from the Denver departure.

We took off at an all-out sprint through the Atlanta airport. Down the escalator to the trains, jump on board, wait through three stops at other concourses, exit at the right concourse, sprint up the escalator. Would we be lucky and have a gate at the top of the escalator? Oh no – it was 12 gates down the concourse. Our new friends from the plane arrived enough ahead of us to alert the attendant that the two senior citizens were on the way. Ted, bless his heart, was carrying both his and my carry-ons, while I just had my purse and our coats. We skidded up to the gate – with hearts pounding and lungs heaving – at 8:09. The eight folks waiting on standby moaned in unison – with our arrival, the flight was officially full.

Less than three hours later, and through the miracle of crossing two time zones, we arrived in Denver at 9:30 a.m. Blake was at baggage claim waiting on us, and – I could not believe it – my checked bag made it to Denver on the same flight!

And so began our trip.

It's amazing to drive north out of Denver and see the snow-capped Rocky Mountains ahead.

After the hour drive to Ft. Collins, we dropped our luggage at Blake’s condo and went downtown for lunch. Ft. Collins is a bustling college town (Colorado State University), and the downtown area is a mix of restaurants, shops, and outdoor malls. Officially called Old Town, this was the historical beginning of the town, and the early 20th century architecture has been preserved.

: We ate lunch at Coopersmith’s Pub & Brewing. We could have also eaten two doors down at CooperSmith’s Poolside. No, there wasn’t a swimming pool – just 12 tournament-sized billiards tables. Also available were ping pong, darts, high-def TV, shuffleboard, and a digital jukebox. Really neat place!

Old Town is just fabulous. Very family-friendly with lots of outdoor sitting areas at the restaurants (if the weather had been warmer). Although the trees were leafless, every single branch is filled with white lights, and being in Old Town after dark is magical.

In 2010 Money Magazine named the town #6 on its list of America’s Best Small Cities. With a population of around 140,000, the recession seems to have skipped Ft. Collins. Colorado State University employs over 7,000 people, and the second largest employer is Hewlett-Packard, which announced worldwide layoffs in June of 2010 but added employees at its Ft. Collins location.

There are bike paths and trails everywhere - both in and outside of downtown - over 29 miles of them in all. Cycling is so popular that - right in the middle of Old Town - there is a Bike Library, where bikes of all descriptions can be "checked out" - just like library books.

Ice skates can also be checked out at the Bike Library. And once you've got the skates on . . . . .

. . . you step through the gate onto the Old Town ice rink! No - we didn't skate.

Sculptures are everywhere downtown and across the city. They range from whimsical dancers to Old West depictions of pioneers crossing the mountains and cowboys riding the range.

By afternoon, Ted and I were fading fast. The two-hour time difference and the early morning awakening led to a little power nap back at the condo where we met Blake’s roommate, Tim. That night was the huge (in Colorado) playoff game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots. We watched it with a group of Blake’s friends and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them. Great food, great fun. Unfortunately, the Broncos lost.

Amazing colors at sunset as we left to watch the Broncos game.

We attended church with Blake on Sunday morning, then headed back downtown for lunch.

You know my love for independent bookstores, and we discovered a great one as we wandered around after lunch.

As I browsed the shelves, I heard Ted call me from an aisle away . . . .

. . . . and there, sitting together on a top shelf, were the latest books from two of our favorite Michigan authors - William Kent Krueger and Steve Hamilton. How cool!

We spent Sunday afternoon exploring the Horsetooth Reservoir, a large man-made lake and recreation area, constructed in 1949 and nestled in the foothills above Ft. Collins.

Located at an elevation of 5,430 feet and with a shoreline of 25 miles, the reservoir provides a myriad of recreation opportunities to area residents. Its name comes from Horsetooth Mountain, a summit in the foothills west of the reservoir.

You wouldn't believe how many cyclists we passed - bikers who had started in town, ridden several miles out to this road, then biked up to the summit. Made me tired just watching them!

I can rarely catch Ted actually laughing in a photo (believe me, I've tried). But here he is - so busy laughing at me fussing at him about tickling my neck that Blake caught him in a big grin). Love it!

Horsetooth Reservoir serves as a supplementary source of water for Ft. Collins and other communities in the area. It offers boating, swimming, water-skiing, camping, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and "bouldering" (climbing the hard Dakota limestone). I want to go back in the summer and see all this when it's green.

Blake and Ted look down at Ft. Collins in the valley below.

When we returned to town, we ate dinner out then went back to the condo. Weather reports were scary for the next day. Where we’d be traveling to the Beaver Creek Resort in Avon, CO, snow and blowing snow was forecast, with icy road conditions. We decided to leave at 7 a.m. the next morning to try and get ahead of the storm.

On Friday: Cathedral mountains and silver clouds. Here’s a little preview.

Colorado, Here We Come! 1/13/2012

bree1972 — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:47:37 +0000

What a busy week it’s been!

Pet Therapy Work: Bear and I worked Monday at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, and it was a great visit, with over 29 patients seen on three different floors. It’s quite a sight to see our group walking through the hospital on the way from one wing to another. As we move from one section to another, we clip the “Do not pet me, I’m working” badges on each of our dog’s vests, just so we can make our deadlines to each area. Even with those badges in place, we usually stop because someone can’t resist petting our beautiful four-footed angels. It’s quite a surprise too when an elevator door opens, and the folks waiting to enter are faced with five ladies and five dogs! Some people do a double-take and decide to wait on the next ride up or down, but most scurry on with us so they can ooh and aah.

Today (Thursday) we worked at two assisted living communities. In each, residents gathered in a large “family room”, and we went from chair to chair and sofa to sofa. We also visited several residents on an Alzheimer’s wing. Even though memories are fading, faces still light up at the sight of a furry face, and stories are related about past pets and how much they are missed. Others silently sit and rub soft heads and scratch floppy ears. Such sweet smiles on those precious, wrinkled faces.

Book Reviews and What’s Next on the Reading List: I finished “Gabby – a Story of Courage and Hope” by Gabrielle Giffords & Mark Kelly last week and loved it. What a remarkable story of survival and miraculous recovery by the Arizona Congresswoman who was the victim of an assassination attempt a year ago that left six people dead and thirteen wounded. Told mainly through the eyes of her husband, Astronaut Mark Kelly, I was impressed with their love for each other and the support he continues to give her. It’s evident that she was, and still is, his biggest cheerleader, and now he is returning that favor. There are also some wonderful stories from Mark of his various shuttle missions.

It’s funny. I’m not usually a big non-fiction reader, but the next four books I have lined up to read are true stories. I can’t figure out how that happened. Here’s the list:

“An Invisible Thread” by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski – a Christmas gift from Julie. It tells the parallel stories of Laura, a busy sales executive, and Maurice, an 11-year-old panhandler, “whose lives are fated to converge just around the corner from Broadway”. In a statement from the book jacket, “This is a book about how, if we learn to let go of fears and burdens and expectations, we can find ourselves plunged into the sweet, unplanned blessings of life.”

“Thunder Dog” by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory – a Christmas gift from dear friend Helen. Looking forward to the story of Roselle, a guide dog, who led her blind master down 78 floors and out of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

“Worth Fighting For – Love, Loss, and Moving Forward” by Lisa Niemi Swayze. I was a huge fan of Patrick Swayze, and this is his widow’s story of his fight with cancer and her role as caretaker. So many of us have been – or are still – caretakers, and a quote from the book jacket sold this story to me: Lisa said, “I tell you, I am a different person now. One who has been thrown into the fire and forged.” From the book jacket, “This book is both a tribute to a marriage and a celebration of the healing power that each day holds, even in the most idfficult of circumstances.”

“Gloryland” by Shelton Johnson. I found this book online when I was researching the Sierra Club. I received a beautiful card this Christmas that originated from that organization, and when I clicked on the web site I found “Gloryland” in their online store. It tells the story of Elijah Yancy, who was born on Emancipation Day in 1863. Elijah , like many rootless young African-American men of that era, joined the U.S. Cavalry. In 1903, his unit was posted to guard the newly created Yosemite National Park. “Gloryland” tells the story of Elijah finding himself and a spiritual home.

Colorado Trip: We’re almost all packed. On Friday we’ll finish up, and late Friday afternoon we’ll take Maddie and Bear to the boarding kennel. I can hardly stand leaving them for almost a week, but I know they will be well taken care of, and sometimes leaving them is necessary. I sure don’t like it though.

We leave Albany on a 6:30 a.m. flight on Saturday, have a 40-minute layover in Atlanta, and will be in Denver by 10 a.m. Colorado-time, where Blake will pick us up and drive us to his home in Ft. Collins. On Monday we’ll drive to Beaver Creek Ski Resort, then on Wednesday back to Ft. Collins. We return home late Thursday afternoon and will try to pick up the pups before we get back to the ri’vah (depends if flights are on schedule). I won’t have my laptop with me on this trip, so this will be the last Lake Blackshear post until Monday, January 23 (no way I can write a blog for Friday after we get home next Thursday evening). But be prepared that Monday! I’m going to bore you to tears with Colorado snow photos!

Safe travel prayers will be much appreciated. See you back here on the 23rd! God bless.

Header Photo: Blake and a buddy snowshoe trails in Estes National Forest - a few miles from Ft. Collins. This was a week ago.

This Year I Resolve . . . . 1/9/2012

bree1972 — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:25:00 +0000

New Year’s Resolutions. We all make them. We all try to keep them . . . . and most of us fail miserably. I know I do.

I bet you know the answer to this question: What is the number one resolution most Americans make on January 1? All together now . . . . “This year I will lose weight.”

I wish I could be less vain and tell you on January 1, 2012 I resolved to be a better mother and wife and friend . . . but I can’t. Nope, this year – just like every other year since I had that second bouncing baby boy (Blake), who weighed a healthy 8 lbs. 8 oz. after I gained 50 lbs carrying him – number one on my New Year’s resolution list was once again “lose weight”.

After eating ham, black-eyed peas, potato salad, cornbread and a couple of glasses of sweet iced tea for our New Year’s Day dinner – and awakening on January 2 two lbs. heavier – I had an epiphany. Maybe if I stopped trying to “lose weight” and instead tried to “get healthier”, things would work out better. Hmmm.

Santa Claus brought me a series of Walk-at-Home CDs. They were on my “All I Want For Christmas” list, under “Things that Start with C” (a convertible, a cruise, and a couch were the other items under that letter, but I guess Santa would have a lot of trouble getting any of those in his sleigh – although a printed coupon confirming a cruise would have been fairly easy). Lana, my good friend in Atlanta, told me about the tapes a couple of months ago and said I could try out one of them online for free. I did that for a couple of weeks and really enjoyed it. Then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s rolled around, and my 15 minutes-a-day walking got exchanged for three-hours-a-day eating. Something had to change.

On January 2, I slid the 2-mile walk CD (there are 4 CD’s in the set – Miniwalks, 2-Mile, 3-mile, and 4-mile) into the player under the TV and got started. Along with the tapes came a pair of elastic bands. One end has “stirrups” into which you slide your feet. The other end has handles. You can add resistance training to the walking by simply stepping into the stirrups, holding onto the handles and following the exercises as the lovely, 110-lb. perfectly-proportioned lady – who is making mega-bucks selling these tapes – instructs.

Now – sarcasm aside – something really nice is happening. I began the program on this past Monday with the 2-mile CD, which is a medium-paced walk with four basic steps at a 3-4 mile per hour pace. It’s over in 15 minutes. The second mile uses the resistance bands. At the end of 30 minutes you follow along as Ms. Perfect Lady teaches you how to cool down – then stretch. So in a mere 30 minutes I’ve walked two miles AND done a little muscle toning. Every other day I play the 3-mile CD – skipping the resistance bands on mile 2 and just following along with the exercises without the bands. Less than forty-five minutes later, I’ve clocked 3 miles – two at 3-4 miles per hour and one at 5 miles per hour – which is as fast as it gets. The great thing is I really don’t think about the pace – I’m concentrating on keeping time with the music, doing the exercises, and making sure I stay precisely under the ceiling fan!

After doing nothing more strenuous than opening the refrigerator door, I was finding myself exhausted at the end of the day. Now, I’m doing all this walking, and I’m suddenly filled with energy . . . . . all day long! My brain is thinking more clearly, my balance is improving, and . . . . . I’ve lost 4 lbs. Granted, I’ve increased my water intake, and I’m eating a lean breakfast and lunch and only one helping of whatever we have for dinner. But I am psyched!

So – instead of “losing weight” as a priority, I’m getting healthier. Maybe – in the process – I can also become a better mother and wife and friend. I can only hope.

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If you’d like to get healthier along with me, you can try out the Walking tapes here: http://www.walkathome.com/. Just click on the “Try it before you buy it” link, and you can do a one-mile 15 minute walk online. I promise you will feel so much better! And watch out – you might get hooked!

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See you back here on Friday with some book updates and whatever else comes up before then. We’ve got a busy week planned before leaving Saturday for Colorado. Bear and I are working two days, and I’ve got an appointment in Albany on Tuesday. That will be three trips to Albany this week. I think I’m going to have to skip Girls Night Out at Booger Bottom this week. I have to pack sometime! See you Friday!

Christmas Fun – Part II 1/6/2012

bree1972 — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:57:48 +0000

As promised, today is all about Christmas in Florida with Julie, Matt, Jordan and Matthew. It’s so wonderful that they have moved so much closer – our trip to their home only took four hours – instead of 13!

Ormond Beach is on the Atlanta Coast of Florida – south of St. Augustine and just north of Daytona, home of the Daytona 500 Nascar race. Unlike most of the Gulf Coast, building on the beach side of the highway is now prohibited, so you can drive for miles along the beach highway with an unobstructed view of the sand dunes and the ocean.

After bypassing Jacksonville on 295 and crossing the St. Johns River, we headed straight south on I-95.

For as long as we can remember, we've traditionally given Jordan and Matthew a pair of flannel pajamas as one of their Christmas gifts. Julie said Matthew had already commented (after seeing how warm it was in Florida in December), "Oh no! BeeBe can't give us flannel pj's this Christmas!" He got t-shirts instead.

Jordan got a Cake Pop recipe book (which she requested) and a couple of other items. Jordan can already out-cook her BeeBe.

We couldn't wait to eat at Snack Jack's - our favorite restaurant from when Julie and Matt lived in Ormond Beach several years ago. Great seafood!

The next morning I had great fun riding the electric scooter Santa had brought for Matthew. When I asked him if I could ride it, he said - dead serious - "Do you weigh over 250 lbs, BeeBe?" After I choked, I told him, "Not quite."

We rode to the beach both afternoons we were in Florida and walked the hard-packed sand. Having spent most of my beach time on the Gulf Coast around Panama City and Destin, I’m used to the snow-white beaches of that area, where the sparkling sand pours through your fingers as it does through the proverbial hourglass. The sand was darker and wetter on the Atlantic side, but the waves were much bigger than on the Gulf. Surfers were out both afternoons, and Jordan told me “most of the boys in my school are surfers”. Oh dear.

Yep - those are tire marks.

Cars are allowed on Ormond Beach, just like they are on the beaches in Daytona, but the sands of Ormond Beach are much less crowded. Bicyling is also possible on the hard-packed beaches.

There were several shrimp boats working the waters far offshore.

Matthew chased seagulls . . .

. . . while Ted and Jordan clocked some quality time together.

Yes - they are the best grandchildren in the whole world!

One of the surfer-dudes.

There were a lot of seagulls on the beach . . .

. . . including this one who seemed to be viewing the world from a slightly different angle.

One of the great things we’ll be able to enjoy since the kids are closer is going to Matthew’s football games and Jordan’s dance recitals. Ted lost no time getting Matthew out in the street for a little “ex-football coach” coaching.

First they practiced passing.

That Matthew has quite an arm! Did you find the ball he just hurled?

Then it was fake hand-offs . . .

. . . Matthew runs right past and goes out for the pass. (I hope you all know I had to ask Ted what the heck they were doing to write this description.)

Our last night we rode through the Tomoka State Park to a new favorite restaurant – the River Grille – which sits right on the Tomoka River.

We sat outside on the top deck and enjoyed appetizers before going inside for dinner - more fresh from the ocean seafood.

Jordan, a budding photographer, enjoyed snapping photos with her mom's new camera.

Julie and Matt.

Matthew climbed up to the first branch of a Live Oak tree to get a better view of the bridge.

A great photo by Jordan!

Proud grandparents.

It seems we’ve done a lot of traveling already since we’ve been home, and in a little over a week we’ll be leaving for Colorado. Can’t wait to share that trip with ya’ll!

Come on back Monday for a story about my annual New Year’s resolution and what I’m doing to try and keep it this year (emphasis on the word “try”). Have a great weekend. God bless.

Christmas Fun – Part I 1/2/2012

bree1972 — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 03:30:53 +0000

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2012!

I was wondering today if I’d ever been away from my blogs this long before. I’m sure I’ve taken a week off at some point in time over the last three years, but I think nine days without posting just might be a record. Hmm . . . maybe I’ve forgotten how to do this! Just kidding.

Seriously, though, I tried really hard to stay away from the computer for the last week and a half. I checked email and Facebook once a day, then shut it down – for the most part anyway. I needed a break, AND I wanted to enjoy family and friends without worrying about anything more pressing than making sure everyone was comfy, fed, and having a good time. Ted and I thoroughly enjoyed the holidays. We’ve had family come here, and we’ve gone to family. So much fun!

It will take today and Friday to show you all of it, so tonight will be Christmas with the Hortons and the Lewises, and Friday I’ll take you even further south for Christmas with the Hortons and the Hewitts – at the beach!

December 23 - Our first fire of the season. Peace on the ri'vah.

All was ready and waiting on Christmas Eve. The only thing missing was Blake, who arrived late that afternoon.

Blake had already enjoyed one gift opening session at his dad and step-mom's, so we all decided to wait another day until Jason and Blair arrived on Dec. 26 to have the big family gift exchange. The only ones to open gifts at our house on Christmas Day were Bear and Maddie. Bear got to carry his squirrel toy in his mouth approximately 3.2 seconds. Then Maddie swiped it and destroyed both his squirrel and her bunny.

When Jason, Blair, Beyla (their Bernese Mountain Dog) and Casey (their 15-year-old Maltese) arrived, we wasted no time getting right to the gift giving. By far the gift that was used the most for the rest of their stay was a camera Jason had requested for Christmas – a GoPro Hero. It’s only about 2″x 1 1/2″ and shoots high definition movies. It’s popular with extreme sports fanatics and takes amazing still photos also. The rest of the photos on this post were shot by Jason with his new “toy”.

One of the options on the camera is shooting in "fish-eye". Jason used that option on all the still shots. It made everything appear much BIGGER than normal, but got some really unusual photographs.

A great angle on Beyla.

The front of our house. Can you see Bear looking out the window from the kitchen?

Early morning on the sun porch. Blake reading the paper, Casey and Maddie enjoying a sunbath.

Looking into the sun porch at night. That's Blair and Blake chatting on the sofa - and I'm hidden there behind the lamp.

I I love this! With a camera the size of half a deck of cards, Jason got our deck, all our backyard, the boathouse, the lake, and part of the park next door. Amazing technology!

High-flying flag at the end of our dock.

My absolute favorite photo of the weekend! Jason set the timer, then ran to get in the pic. Nobody's eyes are closed, and even the dogs posed.

Jason, Blair and their pups went home to Atlanta on the 27th, and Blake left on the 28th for Chattanooga to represent his company at a conference. We loaded the truck a little after he left, took Maddie and Bear to the kennel (they were not happy at all with THAT turn of events), and off we went to Florida for Christmas with the Hewitts. Come on back Friday for Christmas mixed with the ocean and the beach!

See you then!

As the Angels Give 12/23/2011

bree1972 — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:22:36 +0000

Whoops! Forgot to say that I’ll be taking a little blog vacation during the holidays. We’ll be traveling some, so the next Lake Blackshear blog will be Monday, January 2. Please have a fun and safe New Year’s Eve, and I hope your holidays have been wonderful and filled with only good things. I can’t wait to start a new year of blogging! Love ya’ll!

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If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give. George MacDonald

In December of 2009, after our second summer on the Island, I wrote about a gift Jane Kemp from Minnesota (a blog fan) had created for her mom for Christmas. Jane and her mom loved Mackinac Island and visited as much as possible. In an email from Jane that year, she explained: “When I read you might publish a book from the blog, I thought, ‘I’ll make a blog book myself, and give it to mom for Christmas.‘” Jane printed out page after page of blog stories and photographs and compiled it into a spiral notebook, with pictures of geraniums on the front cover. She entitled it, “Mackinac Island Living Through Bree’s Blog….as blogged by Brenda Horton.”

Jane emailed this photo of the blog book to me in 2009.

In the spring of 2010, when I was facing surgery, I received a scrapbook Jane created especially for me. It is beautiful and filled with photos from the blog and little snippets of what I’ve written over the years.

Jane’s note with the scrapbook read: “Hi Bree. Hope this finds it’s way to you, and that I got the correct address . . Bear did say he lived on Flintside Drive, and I only found one Horton on Lake Blackshear! As soon as you said you were having surgery, I had this idea . . for a little memory book to peek at while you make your recovery. I hope you and Ted enjoy it – as you begin to make plans for another trip to the island. Your friend in Minnesota, Jane.”

I love this book, and it travels back and forth with us to Michigan every summer so I can share it with others.

Last week, tired and grouchy from battling traffic and other shoppers in Albany, I was sitting on the den sofa feeling pretty sorry for myself. I couldn’t seem to find any kind of Christmas spirit this year. Even though I had lobbied for a small tree, every time I looked at it – bare underneath at that time – I wanted to cry. “Where is my joy?” I asked myself. Of course, I knew one of the problems. Christmas is always a time when I miss my parents the most. I miss daddy’s fun-loving spirit and mama’s quiet smiles. I miss walking into their house on Washington Street in Sylvester and smelling all the Christmas fixin’s – my mom’s dressing and sweet potato souffle’ and ambrosia. I miss watching daddy carve the Christmas hen – yes, that means “chicken” (mom always claimed she didn’t know how to bake a turkey). To say I was throwing myself quite a pity-party is an understatement.

It was then that Ted walked out to the mailbox (probably to get away from my grouchiness).

When he returned, he said, “You have a package from Jane in Minnesota. Were you expecting something from her?”

Puzzled, I said, “No. In fact, I haven’t heard from Jane much this year. What in the world could it be?”

I opened the card on the outside of the package. It read in part: “Hello Bree, and Merry Christmas to you and Ted from your blog follower – Jane in Minnesota! I have been lax about leaving comments but have been a faithful reader – even tho my world has been turned upside down. I lost my dear mom back in May. Like you – I am an only child, blessed with loving parents. She was my best girlfriend as well as ‘mom’; I miss her terribly! Have been taking care of my dad – after 59+ years of marriage with mom, it’s been a big adjustment for him. Anyhow – you may recall I had shared with you of my creating a ‘book’ of some of your earlier blog posts and other info on Mackinac Island (and Lake Blackshear too!) and giving it to her for Christmas as a gift. She loved it and got much enjoyment out of reading your stories about our favorite island. I know she would love you to have the book . . . I hope you get a kick out of reading your words – ‘book’ style! Merry Christmas, Bree!”

Within the beautifully wrapped package was the book Jane created for her mom. There is no way I can explain what seeing it meant to me. The time Jane put into the development of her mom’s gift is a testament of her love for her ‘best girlfriend’. The book is over 150 pages and filled with copied photos, entire blog posts, comments from readers – including most of the comments and emails by Jane to me and my comments and emails back to her. There’s also a section of blogs from the lake and posts from other Mackinac bloggers.

What a cherished gift – one that will travel with us, along with Jane’s scrapbook, to Michigan each summer. Reading through it brought such wonderful memories – of times with friends, times in the quiet solitude of the Mackinac woods, time standing on the shores of Lake Huron and thanking God for the blessed life we have.

I’ve always believed in the adage “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.” But on that day last week, sitting on the sofa in our den, holding Jane’s love-filled gift to her mom – now passed on to me – I was blessed to receive not only her book, but my Christmas spirit as well. I know God will bless Jane – who gives as the angels give.

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The shopping is done. The gifts are covered in holiday paper, tied with pretty ribbon, and they wait beneath our tree for Sunday morning’s hustle and bustle. It will just be Ted, Blake and I to open presents on Christmas Day, but that’s ok. Having our children or grandchildren with us is always a time of celebration, even if they come one at a time! Jason and Blair will be coming in the day after Christmas, and later in the week we will leave for Florida to celebrate with Julie, Matt and the grandchildren. That’s the “sunny and warm” trip I mentioned on Monday. The “snowy and cold” trip will be in January, when we’ll fly out to visit Blake in Colorado. We’ll stay in Ft. Collins a couple of nights, then drive with him to Beaver Creek, CO (near Vail) to spend two nights there at a ski resort. We’re hoping for tons of snow, but no blizzards to change our travel plans. We are so excited about both trips, and I can’t wait to share them with you!

I pray your Christmas Day is filled with everything joyful – family, friends, good food and special gifts. And perhaps, sometime during the day, there might be a quiet moment when all your folks can gather together and read the greatest Christmas story ever written.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David.

To be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

We Wish You a Very Merry Christmas!

In Christian love,

Brenda, Ted, Maddie & Bear

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells . . . . . 12/19/2011

bree1972 — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:12:50 +0000

Merry Christmas Week! Can you believe it!

With very few exceptions, I’m done with my shopping, and I’ll finish up on Tuesday when I take Bear into Albany for his Christmas grooming. I’ve spent the majority of this Sunday afternoon wrapping presents, and I’m almost done with that too. I have never been this late getting packages under the tree, but finally the house is set for the holidays (it never looks “finished” until the the Christmas tree branches are resting on ribbons and holiday paper). Even though we went with a small tree this year, it’s looking pretty festive around here!

A couple of our Christmas Village houses. Ted began giving me these our first Christmas together and added one each year until we ran out of room to keep adding them. I love each one!

So much news to tell you – but I think I’m going to wait till Friday to give you all the details. Hint: Two trips planned between now and the middle of January – one someplace very sunny, and one someplace very snowy (and no, it’s not Mackinac).

Just a few pics today from around the house and around the lake. Last night was the Christmas Boat Parade of Lights. There were only about five boats, and once again – even with Ted and I both trying our best – we really didn’t get any good shots (our cameras just aren’t made for night shots). Steve Fridley – we really needed you here last night with your magic camera!

It was a little chilly last night (I actually wore a fleece jacket), but the Cypress Grill, usually closed during the winter, was open just for the Boat Parade. Yep - people sat outside, and there was entertainment planned a little later - after Santa's arrival.

The Grill looked really pretty from the marina docks.

The Lady Liberty, our lake dinner boat, was all dressed up for the occasion. She led the other boats up the river to the Lake Blackshear Resort Marina. Most of the pontoon boats you see there in the shadows are rentals for the summer - but there are some private boats sheltered there also. Santa Claus arrived on the Lady Liberty, to the delight of all the waiting children!

This was one of our favorite decked-out boats - Santa Claus and a couple of soaring reindeer - taking to the skies after leaving presents under the Christmas tree.

This photo doesn't do justice to the creativity of this boat/Christmas train. There were lights strung from the smokestack that created "smoke" curling up into the air. We missed the "smoke" entirely - so you'll just have to take my word on that. It was a real crowd-pleaser.

Ted captured this sunset Saturday night from the marina, as we waited for the Parade of Boats to begin. I love everything about it - the color, the peacefulness, and the one perfect star in the sky.

I’m off to do a little more wrapping before bedtime. Have a wonderful week, and I’ll see you back here on Friday. God bless.

Walkabout 12/16/2011

bree1972 — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 01:59:27 +0000

Oh my gosh! Tonight I almost just said, “Nothing to write about folks – see you on Monday.”

It has been a really, really, really busy week. Bear and I worked in Albany on Tuesday, and we’re working again on Friday. Dawn and I spent all of today in Warner Robins, GA Christmas shopping, and I am beat . . . and, I’m still not done.

But one day this week, in between doing online shopping and starting my Christmas gift-wrapping duties, I went outside and took a few pics. Nothing to get excited about – well, maybe one is excitement worthy – but it was just such a beautiful, sunny, 70-degree day I wanted to get out and enjoy it.

It's always fun to walk around the yard - when all the leaves have hit the ground - and find where the birds hid their nests during the summer. This one is in a little tree just on the other side of our fence. From its totally random and disheveled appearance, I'd guess it belonged to Georgia's state bird, the Brown Thrasher. How eggs ever survive long enough to hatch in the nests they build is beyond me - but they do!

From a bird bungalow to a squirrel penthouse. Do you think those squirrels could have picked a little less scary spot to build that nest than the highest branch in that big tree!

Standing underneath and shooting up to the nest made it even scarier! I can't imagine what it must have been like up there during one of our famous Georgia summer thunderstorms!

I wonder how far south birds fly before they think they gone far enough.

Bear - "pointing" out where he left the last tennis ball I threw for him.

One more nest - squirrels again. They had to jump from that first tree into the one where they built the nest. I wonder if squirrels can swim. I love this old cypress tree.

Tons of buds on all our camellia bushes. I''d guess they will be in full bloom by Christmas!

I sat down on the deck steps to try and photograph the birds at the feeder - Maddie made herself at home on my knees.

I bought this piece of stained glass on Mackinac the first year we were there. It usually hangs in a guest bedroom window, but I brought it out to the sunporch this week. I like it being where I can see it during the day, and it fits our lake house perfectly.

This is the photo I was excited about.

Other Random Shots from This Week

Bear on our Christmas rug.

I LOVE this! This is my Mackinac friend Mary's cat, Sophie. Sophie always jumps on Mary's keyboard when she turns on the computer. I think she's wondering, "What kind of cat would hold still for THAT ridiculous photo!"

One of the three little trees we put up this year. This one on the sun porch is always my favorite. I love how the glass multiplies it into three trees!

Bear in Ted's cap - with ball.

Maddie in Ted's cap - with look of disgust.

When I dropped Dawn off earlier this evening, the timer had just switched on their Christmas lights. Beautiful!

That’s all I have for now. . . . see you back here on Monday. Have a great weekend, and God bless.