June 27, 2018
Moab, UT
I don't know about you, but I think June has flown by. We have been busy and that's a good thing ! Tomorrow we will make our 4th trip to Grand Junction for a doctor appointment. Joe has been seeing a corneal specialist there from having had shingles in his right eye which started last September. It's been quite an ordeal so I highly recommend the new shingles (Shingrix) vaccine that is 90% effective (unlike the old vaccine Zostavax that was only 60% effective) to prevent shingles. I had the old shot and will be getting the new one. We made another trip to GJ to have Belle (our MH) serviced at Cummins. Joe was impressed with them last fall when they solved our overheating issue (a cracked manifold). We have also been kitty sitting for Dee who is on the trip of a life time...an African Safari with her sister. She returns home Thursday (the 28th) and I know for sure that 12 little paws will be waiting at the door excited to see her. Sam is Dee's oldest kitty...going on 18...and he has been hungry and cuddly and so sweet. We take him to the vet twice a week for fluids so he doesn't get dehydrated as he has kidney issues. What a little champ he is.
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| Sweet Sam |
The two girls are pistols...
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| Cleo and Jules are sisters. |
always showing me where the food and bowls are and meowing...rather loudly...for me to hurry up.
When Sam is cuddling in my lap after supper, Jules often joins us and snuggles up against my leg. I was so happy when last week, Cleo decided to join us too. Only she doesn't snuggle up next to me, she insists on being in my lap...usually right on top of Sam. Since then, it has been a lap full of love. These kitties have sure won my heart.
Way back on June 9th, Moab Friends For Wheeling had a work day to clean LaSal Pass.
With rather warm temps in the valley, a get away to the mountains was nice. Our band of trail warriors included Jeff and Susan, Larry, Warren and Lydia, Chris and us. Off we went with chain saws, trash bags, and snippers.
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| Warren and Jeff check out one of the chain saws just in case we needed it. |
Unlike last year, the mountains didn't get as much snow so clean-up was easy...just some trash along the way.
The trail was lined with lots of colorful wildflowers.
Whites...
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| Large Chokecherry bushes |
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| Tiny wild violet flowers |
Blues...
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| Lots of Larkspur |
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| Gorgeous Golden Peas |
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| Heartleaf Arneca |
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| Columbine |
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| Wild Roses |
And splatters of reds...
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| Red Columbine |
And there are the greens...
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| Pale greens on the evergreens |
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| Quaking Aspen...a delight to see and hear |
The usual lunch spot is always the view of Mt. Peal.
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| L to R : us, Chris, Larry, Jeff and Susan, Warren and Lydia |
Because there were no trees to cut, we made real good time on the scheduled work and because it was a beautiful day, Lydia, Jeff and I decided we would take the hike to Beaver Lake.
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| Back in the day, this was named Girl Friends Trail. BLM changed it to be more politically correct. |
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| The trail took us into the forrest. |
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| Jeff and Lydia |
It's been so dry that Beaver Lake was not a lake. 
From here, we took the trail (about 1/4 of a mile) that led back to the road where we met everybody else in the jeeps. We haven't done any trails hiking or jeeping, since the 9th. On Joe's last visit to the eye doctor, he had a diaphragm (looks like a contact) put in his eye to speed up the healing. It's about the size of a nickel with a band around it and uncomfortable. No since in making it worse with dust and grit blowing in it and staying cool seemed to be the best option. Tomorrow's visit is to remove the darn thing and hopefully we get a good...great report.
If all the stars align, Belle will be rolling north towards the Olympic Peninsula on Friday the 29th. This is a trip we (ummm, I) have wanted to make for several years. Fingers crossed !
So, until next time,
HAPPY TRAILS !
Love all the colors and greens! I can just imagine the heat in Moab at this time of the year but you seem to be taking it in stride being a kitty mama. I am a cat person, so I would not mind kitty sitting! How do your Tan clan feel about your visits to the cats? I hope all goes well with Joe's eyes and the MH maintenance. We will be in GJ on August yet so too bad our paths wont cross this time.
ReplyDeleteWheels up and have a good time on the road again!
Fingers crossed that Joe will be back on the trails and enjoying the dust! Beautiful to see the blooms in the area, many more than I would have expected.
ReplyDeleteJoe mentioned having trouble seeing clearly with one eye in Tucson but didn't explain. I didn't realize it was a result of shingles. Sure hope things finally heal and Joe is seeing clearly again. Fingers crossed you make it to the OP this time. It is such a magnificent place!! One of our best summers ever. How sweet that you are there to take care of the kitties while Dee is off exploring. I know those kitties are getting lots of attention. Beautiful rainbow of colors. Love those wildflowers:)
ReplyDeleteLove how much you're loving the kitties. Bet the tan clan sniffs you like crazy every time you return!! I envy your floral knowledge. For me I just get the colors right :-))) Hope Joe is healed up at last, that's so long to deal with eye issues :-(
ReplyDeleteIt's so dry all over the west, scary for fire season.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos Gay. I hope Joe's eye heals up, shingles around the eyes is nasty!
Your hiking pictures are awesome - definitely looks like the place to be given all this heat. And I am quite jealous of where you're heading. We were expecting it to be cooler than it is, so the Olympic Peninsula sounds positively dreamy right about now. Hope Joe is feeling better and wishing you guys safe travels!
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