AE513: We made it to Colorado...and attack of the bear

Hello everyone! Well, we made it safely to my mom's house in Larkspur, Colorado yesterday around 4:30 p.m. I have to start off by saying that I think everyone I've talked to who has ever gone through the state of Kansas has given it somewhat of a bad rap, and I actually enjoyed driving through Kansas! It was a very relaxing stretch of highway with pretty scenery all around...rolling hills, farms, and very peaceful travels without much traffic around. My favorite thing we saw in Kansas were the wind farms with the huge windmills (see photo to the right).

One of the special treats about being in Colorado is that my grandma, Nanny, is here right now visiting also! The picture to the left is Nanny and my mom on a

walk we took last night. It's so nice to spend time with her, my mom, and my mom's husband Mike. They just built a brand new house and I must say it is one of the nicest houses I've ever been in. They aren't completely done with some of the things like the trim around the doors, etc., but it is very "homey" and they have a great back patio where we've been eating dinner. It is nestled out in the pines away from the road and other people, and sits at the foot of a mountain. It's very relaxing and I wish we could stay longer than three nights. Today Karl and I went shopping at the outlet mall in Castle Rock with Nanny, and for those of you who know her, you can just imagine how much she had us laughing throughout the day. :)

I think the most exciting thing that has happened since we've been here is that last night as we were all asleep, a BEAR tried to break into the house!! My mom and Mike have seen bears here a few times, but none have ever tried to get in the house. Around 3 a.m. my mom, Mike, and Nanny all woke up to hear a candle fall off the windowsill. Somehow Karl and I slept through the whole thing even though it happened closest to our room. Anyway, the window was slightly cracked open to let in some of the cool mountain air, and the bear managed to open the window further, knock out the screen, and completely demolish the window hinge (the part that cranks the window open). Luckily when my mom and Mike got up the bear was scared away, but I don't think they'll be leaving any windows cracked again! See the pictures of the damage and a bear paw print below:

As you can see above, the bear caused the hinge to go into the wood, and he also bent the hinge up so that it doesn't work anymore.

Here is a bear paw print found in the backyard.

Tonight my mom, Mike, Karl, and I went on a 3 1/2 mile run on the hilliest trail I've ever been on in my life. It was either straight up a hill or straight down a hill the entire way. Karl and I did surprisingly well with the altitude difference and tomorrow we're going to attempt a 6-mile run on the Santa Fe Trail. We're also going to a Colorado Rockies baseball game tomorrow night...woo hoo, I can't wait for that! :)

Well, that's all for now. I'll keep you all updated on our progress as we continue our trek across the country. We miss everyone back in Indiana!!!!

Here are a few more pictures from our time in Colorado so far (if you click on them you can see a larger version):