Villas at Walton Creek Steamboat Springs

Despite what you're probably thinking right now the title to this blog isn't intended to scare or startle you. Today was the drive up to steamboat to visit my brother, Boo, at school!!! YAAAAAAY.

Day 8's drive was our shortest because in order to get to steamboat we had to detour off our original route a bit and fortunately it was only about 3 hours! The drive was beautiful, too. We headed through the mountains and ...

... the ground and tools on the porch table. I got out my stove and brewed hot chocolate then cooked up rice with black beans and beef jerky sticks. So Good! I realized I’d lost my gloves when it came to eating from the hot pot.

This impressive storm lasted an hour before simmering to light rain. Night was abreast so I decided to pitch my tent down the back of the property behind trees. Just in case the owner showed up. Could have been a red neck or ...

Had an easy morning. We headed into the ski area and took the Gondola up to the mountain top. We met Kelli , her son Dustin and her nephew for lunch on the top of the mountain. It was $9 for the ride and with that you got a $9 coupon towards lunch. Everyone was dressed up for St Pats. Afterwards we went back to the hotel for a nap and then ...

... find Kelli. We met at a bar called "Slopeside". Everyone was sitting outside at tables set on the snow. The sun was out and it felt really warm. I think I saw Jessie from the Batchelor there with some of his friends. We partied the night away and got home aroune 10.

... there was plenty of chatter and Starbucks coffee (sorry Leigh) and scenery to make me not notice the thin air! We stopped at a particularly picturesque golf club for lunch and then onward to Steamboat. Steamboat Springs is a little holiday ski resot type town where many of the homes are holiday homes for those that love their outdoor lifestyle. Seriously, this town has it all: skiing, hiking, kayaking, fly fishing (the Yampa River runs ...

... to visit Dinosaur National Monument on the way. The cliff face inside the Dinosaur Quarry Visitor Center has some 1,500 dinosaur bones embedded in the side of a mountain. Nevertheless the Visitor Center is currently closed, so we give it a miss this time. US 35 ends at US 40, which runs on for 200 boring miles through dry scrub and ...

... not cause me problems later, but I hope to have only a handful of big days left. I have seen a lot of critters. In canada, there were marmottes everywhere. Unlike in the Pyrenees, these ones are not shy and run around everywhere. I have seen hundreds of chipmunks. I have seen beavers, snakes both big and small, birds of prey including eagles, herds of pronghorns (american antelopes), gophers, a coyote, wild horses, a bear (briefly), and swarms and swarms of butterflies ...

... the most complex breakfast menu I have ever seen. It is typical Southern American and has all sorts of things to go with your breaky, such as grits & fried potoatoes. We wonder what grits are and our bubbly waitress tries to warn us off them. She then comes out with a sample bowl so we will know what they are and taste like. That was a nice touch. Grits are a cornmeal mush, not to our taste but at least we tried ...

... he makes all the furniture on the ranch). With less than 3 weeks left on the ranch, I'm starting to think about my next steps in my career. I have been talking to a few people about a potential placement, but you can never be too sure that it'll work out. Hope to get my resume out to everyone in my address book today, so you'll probably receive it later. Please keep an eye out for me. I would truly appreciate it! Giddy up, Heather

... much at times. Taco Bell hit the spot! Once back to the ranch, I quickly changed and headed up to the barn to take part in this weeks Barn Dance. Attached you'll find pictures of most of the staff. The Ambassador is the the grey/white haired older man in one of the photos. We had a squared dance "caller" walking us through the dances and it actually was a lot of fun, even with the men who just couldn't seem to get it down. ;o ...