Well, I'll get day 2 out of the way - we didn't do much. :) I still can't walk very far without getting out of breath, and we're both still exhausted from yesterday. As beautiful and cool and non-humid as it is, this lack of oxygen altitude thing bites a little bit.
Brent was pretty excited on the first leg of the trip yesterday. He loved watching us speed up and take off. We watched the sunset as we were leaving Baltimore, and talked about clouds and airplanes until we fell asleep somewhere over Tennessee. The landing was pretty exciting too, and luckily there was little turbulence to deal with on either of the flights. After wandering around the monstrous Dallas airport for a bit in search of sustenance and drinks (did you know the vending machines took credit cards?? Awesome!) we boarded the second plane and settled in for our final flight of the day. As always, I was excited. Brent, however, placed it on his list of things he's already experienced and immediately shut the window shade. He was pretty fidgety on that flight, and I found myself several times wishing I hadn't let him sit by the window, as the terrain out west was such a beautiful patchwork quilt of ranches. I've never seen that many straight lines or squares in my life! And as we got closer to landing, the plane circled around and we got to see some of the Rocky mountains as well.
There were tons of military personnel on the flight, and in addition to being excited to see my Dad again, it was pretty heartwarming to see the reunions of several soldiers at the smaller airport we flew into. It was also really good to unload the bags onto him and take Brent to the restroom without a laptop, backpack, and suitcase to maneuver in an impossibly small stall! :)
By the time we walked to the car, my lips and skin were already screaming for moisture, and I felt like I was trying to walk for three people. But it's getting a little better today. My stomach is still getting hungry on Eastern time though.
After dinner when we were walking around the house looking at the garden, Grandma suddenly yelled "Bear!", and I skipped curiously around the house to see it. Mostly I was trying not to gag on the awful bear smell, which is something similar to skunk, though not as potent. It kept its distance, and I walked down the driveway and saw it about 30 yards down crossing the road. It stopped and waited for me to take a picture, but since my heart was racing at an unhealthy pace and adrenalin was coursing through my fingers, I only managed to get that horrible blur of a picture that only serves as proof to me that I actually saw it. He was about 300 - 350 lbs, which I guess isn't huge as bears go, but he looked plenty big enough to me. We've been doing a lot of staying on the porch today :)
It's been thundering and cool all afternoon. The weather here is so refreshing compared to August in Virginia. The air is crisp and clean, the colors everywhere are vibrant, and you can see further than you think is possible. Its absolutely beautiful here. We're both a little homesick. When we went to Walmart (which Brent spotted from 2 miles away) Brent asked if we could stay here forever. "In Colorado?," I asked. "No.....in Walmart!" he said as if he were explaining something to an infant. So I guess that made him feel a little bit of home while he was here.
I just finished sitting out on the porch, smelling the clean air and faint bear smell, sipping coffee and listening to thunder roll down the mountain. It sure beats working :)
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