First Installment of Colorado Adventures

Friday 6/5/2009 -
I rode up to Hillsboro (where my great-grandmother lives) with my uncles. They were absolutely hysterical and we had delightful conversation the whole way. I confessed to them that I was reading trashy vampire novels (that are AMAZING!!!!), and they found that very amusing. When we got to my great-g-ma's apt, (she's the one that just had cataract surgery, and I haven't seen her in several years) I gave her a hug and she grabbed my arm and just looked at me. After a minute, she said (insert accent here) "Coawtney, ah'm sawrry to tell you this, but you take afte' yowr sihsterr," which I thought was hilarious, although I'm not planning on telling Haley that any time soon. Nanny is always entertaining and she was regaling us with stories about her new-found vision. Suddenly everything is colorful and she can read the clock and the words on the TV. She was greatly disturbed when she looked at herself in the mirror, though. She said that people always told her that she "Sure didn't look 93!" but now she knows they were lying. HAHA! She said her skin looked like it had leprosy it was so wrinkly and that she looked like she was just shriveling up! She was very indignant about it all. Amazing!
I stayed up until 4:15 reading the 3rd vampire book. It was by far the best one yet.

Saturday 6/6/2009 -
Woke up at a grueling 6 a.m. and ate delicious biscuits and sausage gravy cooked by my delightful ol' g-ma. Then, Grandad and I headed off for our big adventure! We drove through all sorts of lovely towns, my favorite being Hico. Loved the name! I managed to nap a few times, which I needed after my late night literary jaunt. We drove from 7:30 a.m. until about 5 pm. On the way we discussed permianate rock formations (g-dad was a geologist and surveyor for Shell), farming practices, and quick sand, among other things, and I saw 2 pronghorn antelope (the things you shoot on Oregon Trail). At one point when I was driving, a freaking tumbleweed literally blew across the road in front of me... amazing! I was just waiting for Clint Eastwood to ride up on a horse with a rifle slung on one shoulder over his serape, hand woven from the hair of the many outlaws he had dispatched. (Ooooh! It just started raining and the rain makes a pretty noise on the tin roof! Yay!)

Sunday 6/7/2009 -
After spending a delightful night in the Santa Rosa, NM Holiday Inn Express, we took to the road again. This time I managed to take the wheel of the musical choices myself. I had had enough with the Gaither Gospel Choir and Jean Foster's Tapestry of the West album, which had lyrics such as "I hope there's still a cowboy left to stand beside my little girl," and "while I ride my pony, I hold the reins of glory." All of this sung by a woman who looked like Cavender's threw up on her. I was pretty sure that my brain was going to melt... Luckily I saved us with some Decemberists and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Excellent combination, if I do say so myself!
We got to the house in the afternoon, and I proceeded to unpack one of my suitcases then collapse on the bed in a fit of exhaustion. I woke up to the sound of g-dad talking on the porch to one of the neighbors. I went down and sat with them, and we started to plan our many fishing and ATV-riding adventures! Yay! After the neighbor left, we took one of the four-wheelers down to a neighboring property to check on some cabins that my g-dad looks after. On the way we saw a coyote not 20-yards away! Very exciting. The cabins were all fine, aside from some really horrendous interior decor. I mean REALLY horrendous. As in, like so utterly terrible the place should be demolished!
Anyway, got back to the house, and slept. Lovely

Monday 6/8/2009 -
I can't remember anything, other than the sneezing and the stuffy nose from the darn spruce trees.

Tuesday 6/9/2009 -
Went to town. Got groceries. I pranced through the Walmart with wonderment and glee, because it was so well stocked with anything anyone could ever need. Also procured allergy medicine. Fantastic! Except that it made me ridiculously sleepy, and I napped at 7 pm, never a good idea.