Red Rocks, Blue Sky, White Snow....and Margeritas and giant turkey legs...

ANZAC Day came and went very quietly this year. It was the first time Stuart hadn't marched for many years and it almost felt sacrilegious not to be doing anything. He did wear his medals to school though and brought his slouch hat in and tried to explain the significance of the day to his students. 

Stuart marching on ANZAC Day in Bunbury a few years ago.

One of our Australian friends who is also on exchange to Colorado, told his class it was ANZAC Day and for the entire day they thought we were remembering Insect Day!!  There goes that Aussie accent again!!!
A couple of weeks ago Jakeb went snowboarding (surprise, surprise) after a particularly good dumping of snow.  He rang me en route to suggest I go for a drive to Red Rocks as there was snow everywhere and the red rocks were protruding from the snow, which looked spectacular. So I rang my friend Sharon and suggested we go for a quick drive up there (1/2 hr away) and then head back to her house.  It was a magnificent day, most of the snow in Denver had melted away, but of course the higher up you go, the more snow there is.  The sky was as blue as blue, the rocks as red as red and the snow as white as white.  This is what we were treated to. At the base of Red Rocks we came across this scene....seriously...is this a Christmas card or what!!

 We drove through the "tunnel" entrance in to Red Rocks.......

 stopping to take a photo of another obscure icicle.....

 a snow echidna.....

 and when we got to the amphitheatre, this is what we saw........

After we had absorbed as much as we could we thought we'd go and have a quick look around the town of Morrison.  We hit a T junction, where left is Morrison and right is Bear Creek Canyon and decided to go right and have a quick drive part way up the canyon and then turn around and go back to Sharon's place! 
We stopped at a park for a quick walk and Sharon took this photo of me.....with a beautiful blue sky

 and as I am looking at her for the photo, this is what I am seeing....grey skies...

The road follows a creek all the way up and there are houses built right on the water, making for idyllic scenes....

By this time it was after midday, so we decided to head up to Evergreen for lunch before we went back to Sharon's house.  Just past Evergreen was a scenic drive through mountains that Stuart and I had attempted a few months prior, but it started to snow, so we turned around.  After our delicious lunch I suggested we go for a quick drive up that way, and with the sky being so grey, I didn't think we would get very far as it would snow.  The road takes you to Echo Lake and Mt Evans turnoff, through to Idaho Springs.

 It was the best decision we could possibly have made.  The sky cleared and we were treated to magnificent blue Colorado skies.  The roads had been cleared of the recent snowfall and there was hardly any traffic as it was mid week.  Snow was piled up 6 ft high on the sides of the road and the trees were still covered in the whitest snow possible.  It was absolutely stunning.

 Some of the trees looked like they were covered in cotton wool balls.......

 We decided that rather than go through Idaho Springs and onto the awful I 70 traffic, we would turn around and go back the way we came.  Again, spectacular....and we couldn't believe our luck with the weather.
We kept stopping to take photos (hundreds) and I really wanted my photo taken next to one of the trees.  So I got out of the car, keys and phone/camera in hand and started to trudge through the snow towards a tree.  Within seconds I was thigh high in snow and sinking!!!

With much hysterical laughter I managed to pass the keys and phone to Sharon coz if I'd dropped them you would never see them again! It took all my energy to get myself out, but I haven't laughed so hard in years.  Sharon was telling me to "stay there for a photo" and I'm yelling back through laughter "I'm not going anywhere, I'm stuck!!"  By the time I got out, my sides were sore from laughing and I was exhausted. It really was one of the funniest things that has happened to me!!

 I'd seen video footage of Stu stuck in powder on his snowboard and I knew the effort it took for him to get out as you keep sinking, you're at altitude and laughing didn't help!!  So after that little episode we continued driving back down through Evergreen.......

 and finally got back to Sharon's place at 6.30 pm!!!  It was one of those fantastic spur of the moment days that I love.
On Friday (4th May) afternoon all the Australian exchangees and their professional mentors were invited to a Certificate presentation for the exchangees at the Education Dept Head Office.  I went along with Stu and unfortunately none of the staff from his school were able to make it.

Aussie exchange teachers

We were then given a tour of the Capitol Building (Parliament House) which was really interesting.

Inside the Capitol building

Inside the Capitol building

It was a great afternoon followed by drinks in a local pub, before we all met for dinner at a Mexican restaurant in the city.  I really enjoyed catching up with the other exchangees and hearing about their fantastic Summer holiday plans!
The following weekend, Stuart went off to Army/National Guard training and had a fantastic weekend.  On the Sunday, Jakeb and Joshuah went snowboarding and I got picked up by Sharon and Lindsay and we went into the city centre for Cinco de Mayo festivities...to celebrate Mexican tradition, heritage and pride (5th of May).  There was plenty of song, dance and food and we spent most of our time watching traditional dancing and singing which was really enjoyable.

The costumes were vibrant and so effective when they danced...

 and if the dancing and singing didn't keep you entertained, then this little girl did....she was gorgeous!

 I loved their costumes....

and after all these years, The Cisco Kid kept coming back to me!! The cries, "Hey, Poncho! Hey, Cisco" are something none of us who grew up with this TV western will ever get out of heads!!

I thought these little girls would annoy me with their dance, but I actually found them quite intriguing.....

                                     
and the elderly people were joyous to watch....especially the old man.....they just looked like they were loving it! 

We decided we were a bit hungry so Lindsay went off and got some lunch for us.  A giant turkey leg to share and some "mild" burrito's.

They breed their turkeys big here!

The giant turkey leg was GIANT and I felt like I was at some royal feast back in the dark ages! He also kindly went and bought Sharon and I a Margarita each....the first Margarita I have had and quite possibly my last Margarita....it was toxic!!  But the problem was, the "mild" burrito was so bloody hot, that I had to drink the Margarita to stop my mouth burning.  What a dilemma!!  So I polished off the drink over a few hours.....and fortunately was driven back to the house, complete with thumping headache!!!  Thanks a lot Mexico!!!