The Colorado Adventure

We finally made it up to Pine for the pancake breakfast. James was shocked that we were on the road at 7:30 am when he called. By golly, I really wanted to make the pancakes this year. We got there at 8:20, no line and got our 1st round. The stuff you see next to my pancakes is rhubarb syrup. It looked kind of nasty, all stringy and rhubarby looking, but I really wanted to try it (after all it is a rhubarb festival.) It was spicy and tasted like…..I don’t know, rhubarb I guess, maybe spicy apples, I’m not sure. Hannah didn’t like it, Joel tried it, but said he didn’t want any more (which means he didn’t like it!) The guy next to us thought Joel taking pics of me eating was just as funny as Hannah thought it was. I think I was saying ’stop it’ or something like that – it’s all fun and games until someone pokes an eye out with a rhubarb laced pancake!

We had a great breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, fruit, juice and more pancakes. After eating we headed over to the Pine emporium – part antique store, part junk store, all fun store. The girls found TY animals, Joel found 2 flashlights and I found an old postcard for James that shows the Dry goods store downtown that we passed up on our anniversary walk. When we stepped outside Grace spotted this swallows’ nest by the porch light, can you see the baby peeking out?

They usually make their nests under the bridges here, but I guess where there’s mud they’ll make it anywhere. Next stop was the Pine library which was having its usual festival sale. Joel found mysteries for 15 cents, star trek books for 25 cents and all the kids books were 25 cents. We found 2 books about whales, 1 otter book, 1 cloud book, a few ’school’ books and the rest were fun reading chapter books. I’m not mad that I missed the Denver library’s sale now.

In all we bought 35 books for just over $7, what a deal (only I had to carry most of them in my backpack, reading hurts.) Back at the festival we bought strawberry-rhubarb jam (of course) and boysenberry jam. We heard folk music and fiddles, they were pretty good. They usually have belly dancers too, but I think it was later on. The kids played games like fishing, bean bag throw and whack a ball for candy. Just as we were about to leave we saw a garage sale where we scored a snowman for my collection, a scooter for Joel and a few other items.

Joel said it was the best rhubarb festival yet, maybe next year we’ll buy a rhubarb plant to take home.

It wasn’t time for lunch so we went to Pine Valley Ranch park just up the road.

Wow, the north fork of the Platte river was roaring.

If you go, take a picnic and eat by the shelters, that’s the best place to wade in the river too.

We found a little gazebo by the water and trekked down the path looking for another spot to get our feet wet.

There were flowers, butterflies and hummingbirds all around, plus the wonderful sound of a roaring river and the sweet smell of sun kissed pines. We watched the trees sway in the breeze and the kids kept busy by poking each other at intervals when my back was turned. Then a butterfly made the mistake of heading right towards Grace, much screaming and panic ensued (butterflies are nice to look at, but not so nice to have fly in your face.)

It was a wonderful hike, about 65 and sunny, perfect weather. We found some petrified tree ‘rocks’ and the girls loaded up on them, then we headed back to the car.

Just up the road from Pine is Bailey where the hot dog stand moved to (it was in Conifer.) It sits just by the creek and it was busy. We ordered and sat in the shade watching the hummingbirds come to the feeder.

We actually ate inside today, just because. We all had hot dogs, you could order a hamburger – but why would you? Hannah decided that ‘eating’ her hot dog actually meant licking it. I guess she was saving room for dessert, which was ice cream, shakes and funnel cake fries with a side of fudge ice cream to dip it in. Man, those funnel cake fries were GOOD!

We took one more picture and then headed home so we could divvy up our book booty and clean up the house before James gets home tomorrow.

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