OK, OK, I'm still here.  My excuse for not blogging is just that we haven't done anything really exciting, although we've done fun things - they are the kinds of things that we all just do in a day-to-day life.  But OK, OK, I'll put it down.  Maybe if I include a lot of photos, it will LOOK exciting!  

After Michigan, we stopped in Cleveland, Ohio, to visit Chris' long-time colleague Bill Harter and his wife, Carol.  We had about three days with them, and while Chris and Bill talked science, Carol and I went looking for things to do.  We played tennis one day, went antique shopping one day (sorta) and did some just hanging out.  

Here's Carol posing with a giant shoe chair - I especially thought of Jackie Ostilla with this one.

Chris had a MUCH more positive reaction with Bill than with the Candian guy. Bill was quite intrigued with what Chris was doing and they discussed it diligently.  That helped Chris keep a more positive approach.  Yay!

Travelling back across country from Ohio to Colorado is no big deal for us, as we get along well even in confined spaces, but this first day it was no fun!  First we had a half-hour traffic tie-up and then we had a TWO HOUR parking lot - both because of overturned trucks!  

And, going through Iowa and Nebraska there is almost nothing but corn!  I tried to get some photos of the interesting patterns on the cornfields, and believe me, I took myriad photos, but this is the best I got.

We got back to Fort Collins, and Chris left the next day to head to Los Alamos where he would be "working" (but not getting paid) at the National Science Laboratory as a "guest scientist".  I stayed in For Collins for the week to play with the grandies.  That was great for all of us, I think.

Lily is going to be five in September.  Jude just turned three.  Owen is one and a half and is NOT happy about being held this way - trying to wriggle out!

Here is the biggest kid of all - my goofy Aaron!

I tried to bring some kind of project
for them to do every day - here Lily is making door
 hangers  from a foam kit for each of the kidlets.

 

Owen is playing Fire Fighter on the back patio.

LOOK at all that curly hair! 

On this day I took sticker books for Lily and Jude.  Jude is totally engaged,, and Lily worked really well, but at this moment, she is playing with the pipe cleaners and strainer that I brought for Owen to play with.  Owen had lost interest and was goofing off on his own.

               

It's no wonder they have gorgeous kids, right?        Lily is a sweetie and she loves her Tutu

After a week of play, I drove down to Los Alamos to meet Chris. It's an eight-hour drive, so I stopped often since I was driving alone.  I stopped to get petrol, to have lunch, to buy munchies to keep me awake, to have a little snooze, and to take photos.  So it actually took me nine and a half hours.  One stretch of the road is called "The Cosmic Highway" and I was tickled with this sign.  I loved the bikini on the alien!  Well, it IS summer time, ya know, so what did I expect??? 

I stopped at another place to get gas, and take photos of the BIG birds in front: 

The big chicken!

The big flamingos!

There was a big  pelican, too, but my photo wasn't very good.  

And the best bit is that it's called...

So this is for my sister, Joyce - does it count???

I'm going to stop here, just so people won't think I've dropped off the face of the earth.  I'm not caught up yet, but I'll continue working on it and then maybe you'll get to read TWO blog posts in as many days.  Whaddya say about THAT?

Love and light,
Kathy