Oklarado Update

We returned late last night from a week of cool Colorado weather at the cabin. We arrived on Saturday, June 1, to find there had been some plumbing "issues" arise over the winter. The hot water line that runs from the kitchen sink to the inside wall of the bathroom had split in a way that looked as if it had been twisted and had split all the way around, the full length of the pipe. Todd replaced the pipe, added some insulation, and we turned the water back on. All of a sudden, it was as if someone had turned on a fire hydrant in the bathroom!! Turns out the drain valve under the water heater was also cracked, and water was spewing out all over the bathroom. Todd replaced that section of pipe and valve, finally fixing the problem. The "fix" resulted in the addition of a new drain valve under the kitchen floor, which will need to be added to the list of valves to be opened up when closing the cabin for the winter.

We also had some episodes with the water heater, having some schizophrenic moments, sometimes working correctly and sometimes not heating the water worth a darn. I don't know if it may be worth looking at a replacement, but this was a decision we certainly didn't want to make without a group concensus.

Once we got the cabin up and running, everything was great! Not much wildlife this year -- just a fox, 5 deer, and several assorted squirrels, along with a single chipmunk. Only one jay also. Kind of a slow week for animals, I guess. The weather was great, with one day very cold and rainy, sending everyone to the suitcases for sweatshirts and an extra blanket.

Great trip, as usual!!

Have you seen my pictures?

I've enjoyed taking pictures around Pelican Cove during the three years that we've lived here full time. When a friend told me how I could publish a book, online, I jumped. The result is a 40-page booklet containing 100 pictures, all taken within the confines of our condominium "estate." Many birds, bees, plants, and flowers. You can preview the book online by going to:
http://www.blurb.com:80/bookstore/invited/82118/f7c0ae389885e2ce77abb2e9d7af987b

Springtime in Sarasota and a bird's fancy turns....

What a Timely Invite!

As it happens, I got this invite as I was packing to go to the cabin. What a nice coincidence! We've been watching the weather forecast, and we should be in for some nice, cool Colorado weather -- bring it on!

Both Ryan and Alec finished school last week (Ryan finished his sophomore year, and Alec finished 7th grade). Everyone's looking forward to a great summer, starting with some R&R in GMF.

When we get back, I'll hop on and let everyone know how things look out there, whether everything's still up on the hill where it belongs, etc.

I'm looking forward to this opportunity to stay in touch! Blog to ya soon!

Cindy

Great idea!

What a great idea, Guy! I would love it if everyone would post some recent pics. These were taken in April when James and Kate visited Sarasota.

Ann

Welcome New Authors

Today, ten members of the family received invitations to join the team as authors of this BLOG. I hope many will respond and become active contributors. At present, anyone who acquires the URL address can view what we put here, but only authors can contribute and edit. Let's see what happens.

Sherry Finishes College

Graduating on May 17th with a degree in Business Administration from Assumption College in Worcester, MA, Sherry completed a 30-year journey to her Bachelor Degree. Mom, Leslie, and son, Ryan were proud witnesses. As years passed, Cheryl(that's what I call her, 'cause that's what I named her) acquired "alumnaships" at Colorado State, Babson College, and Northeastern University. Cheers! AND, Ryan is also graduating this year. He will be getting his highschool diploma from Parker Charter School on June 4, and is enrolled in Wentworth Institute of Technology in the fall. Cheers, again!