Three Generations of Pathfinders

     A good thing about moving is one is forced to go through boxes and albums of old photos and memorabilia which are otherwise pretty much ignored or forgotten.  I have found not only photos, but old postcards and letters that were sent from and received by my parents.  And I thought about all the times my parents moved in the ten years they were married before finally settling in Colorado Springs where I was raised.
     They met here in 1944.  My dad was stationed at Peterson Air Base which was then a part of what was called the Army/Air Corps.  He grew up in Ohio and as far as I know, had never been outside of that state until he joined the military in 1943.  My mom was born and raised in Kansas and in 1944 she was working at the Smokey Hill Air Base in Salina, KS.  She came to Colorado Springs to visit a girlfriend who just happened to be a volunteer at the local USO which was in the YWCA, a building at the corner of Nevada and Kiowa downtown.
    They met and fell in love and four months later were married in her parents' home in Liberal, KS.  They lived for about a year in the Springs before moving to Ohio after my dad received a medical discharge from the military.  But they vowed that one day they would return to the Springs to live.
     In 1955 we packed up everything we owned (I actually do not remember the move from Corpus Cristi, TX as I was only 3, but I heard the story many times!) and pulled a little uhaul trailer behind our 1953 Cadillac and came to the Springs with no place to live and no jobs set up.  Talk about a leap of faith!
     My dad was always the adventurer and the "never say never" kind of guy!  Not long after moving back to Colorado he became really interested in the old mining towns.  He managed to find some maps that showed where they were and he would take off on a weekend to go and find them.  Or we would plan our camping trips with these places in mind.  These trips often involved four-wheel drive trails and even though he didn't have a four-wheel drive, that didn't stop him.  He came home with all kinds of "finds" - rocks and boulders, old glass bottles and dishes, tin cans which would have held flour or salt or tobacco.  He loved being out in nature and exploring places where very few people in modern times had been. 
     He was my example of how to live a life of adventure and exploration; to not be afraid of getting lost as that is simply an opportunity to find something you weren't expecting.  This life and this world has so much to offer.
     Skipping a generation, I see so much of my dad in my son.  Andy loves losing himself in nature.  He is never afraid of trying something new.  As a point of fact, he did a moonlight climb of two "fourteeners" last weekend!  A moonlight climb!!  He came back from a fishing trip yesterday with a backseat full of rocks, no fish - that is what my dad used to do!  It was fortunate that my mom realized we probably wouldn't have any fish for dinner and she always planned accordingly.  But, here is my son scouting out old mining towns and finding trails (at least he has a four-wheel drive - and a cell phone!) and spending time getting "lost" in the beauty of the Colorado mountains. 
     So here am I, the generation in between these two adventurers, feeling all those same emotions and desires to be a pathfinder.  To seek out a new way, a new journey.  I, too, have maps and charts.  They are of the SW of France showing all the little towns and villages and castles and churches.  I have no doubt I will get lost (since I usually do when I'm driving around in France).  But I am not afraid of that and am, in fact, looking forward to it.  Because I know whatever I find will be wonderful-  and will provide material for my next blog post :-)
     This past week I got rid of more furniture.  Tomorrow the mattress recycling company is picking up the two beds that are left.  I will sleep on my little loveseat that makes out into a bed and which will be going into my storage unit.  Cindy comes on Thursday and will sleep on a blow-up mattress.  It will be almost like camping - except we will have inside bathrooms!  I have packed up all my dishes, cups, glasses, flatware and baking things.  I bought two plates, bowls, knives, forks, spoons and glasses at the dollar store that I will use in the next two weeks before I move to the condo.  I'm learning how to live small.
     Cindy and I have lots planned to do for the five days she will spend with me.  I'll tell you about it next week.  As always, I am so grateful for your support and encouragement and for your continued company on this journey.  Long live the pathfinders of this world!  Where would we be without them?  
     And now for a few photos of Thursday's visit to the zoo since I don't really have any other photos to attach to this blog post.  Thanks for your indulgence in my love of the animals.

Our handsome new silverback, Goma

Dembe showing off is swinging skills

Ember showing off her swinging skills

Boma napping under the buffalo statue

Enjoying a day in the sunshine

And beautiful Aslan, always so photogenic

Gold Medals in Hurdles and a Slower Pace

     Hurdle number one was the inspection and getting a new roof.  Hurdle number two was my appointment at the French Consulate in LA to get my long term stay visa.  I was so happy when both of those hurdles were behind me.  But I had no idea that I was way ahead of the race! 
     The new roof came much quicker than expected.  The roofing company I had hired had a postponement and so had a two day opening to be able to get my roof done.  Ten guys showed up Thursday morning and worked for ten hours straight and I now have a new roof!  I was warned that it would be really noisy and dusty as they took off two layers of shingles and the old wooden shingles on the older part of the roof.  So CoCo and I took off and found lots of things to do to keep us busy and out of the house for most of the day.
     We had breakfast at my favorite cafe (who lets CoCo come inside to eat with me!).  Then I took her to the dog park.  She needs more exposure to other dogs and the dog park here is great because they have a special area for little dogs so they don't feel so overwhelmed with the big guys.  CoCo spent most of the time sitting in my lap and snapping at the dogs who were too curious and got too personal!  I will try to take her there a couple of times a week to help her get more comfortable around other dogs.  The French take their dogs everywhere and I don't want mine to be the anti-social one!
     Then we headed to the Garden of the Gods Trading Post - another dog friendly place - and I got a drink, CoCo got some water and I sat and read for a while.  Then we went to Culver's for a burger and fries and sat outside on their patio.  It was a warm day but it's always cooler in the shade here in Colorado.
     We got home around 5 and they were still working.  I thought they would be working on it for a couple of days so was surprised that they were still going strong.  They worked til almost eight!  And everything was cleaned up and dusted off and put back and looked great!
     So "Gold Medal Number One"!  yay!
     "Gold Medal Number Two" actually happened that same day.  When I checked my mail there was a FedEx envelope there and inside was my passport with the visa glued inside!  That didn't even take a week!  They told me to expect it in two weeks. Maybe France really wants me :-)  Now I have to get busy and do all the things needed for CoCo to be "legal".  So I will call our vet tomorrow and see about getting her micro-chipped with the 15 digit version that can be read worldwide. 
     I told you about the modem problems and having such a hard time staying connected to the internet, right?  Well, I know the young guy behind the counter at Xfinity thought I was crazy, but he let me trade in the super duper fast modem for a slower one.  And, guess what?  I have had no more problems with internet connections!  Am I a genius or what? ha!  So faster isn't always better - unless you're on a zip line :-)
     And going with my slower pace, I visited the zoo this past week with Renae.  It was a warm day and we didn't see much of the Asian or Rocky Mountain animals.  They are always much more active in the colder months.  But we did enjoy seeing the African animals and watching all their antics. 
     My zoo visit always begins and ends with the lions.  (On the way to the lions I visit with the giraffes and the red river hogs.)  The cubs will turn one on Saturday.  I think next week I'll show some photos of them over the past year.  They were about ten pounds when I first saw them and now they are about 150 pounds!  Then after the lions I walk on up to the elephants.  We have six females who can be very entertaining.  Then it's the monkey house, the Grizzly Grill for lunch, the Asian and Rocky Mountain exhibits and finally the Primate house with the gorillas and the orangutans.  Our new silverback is still by himself, but I think plans are in the works to have him start meeting the girls and Dembe. 
Here are a few photos of my favorite zoo friends.

Aslan looks so grown up

Boma was trying to tell us something.  Elsa is in the background.

Dad was napping in the sunshine with his paws crossed

Our handsome new silverback, Goma

He was getting some veggies through the ceiling grate

Daddy Tujo with sweet daughter Ember

     So, this week I need to start packing the dishes and collectibles that are in the china cabinets.  I will be making another trip to Good Will and a few to the storage unit as I take the rest of the art and boxes of things that were left here for staging purposes.  Cindy and Aunt Mary Ann are coming to the cabin this week and Cindy will be coming to stay with me here from June 30 through July 4.  She will help empty the house and I will be moving into Stacy's condo. 
     It's a little unreal that everything has happened so smoothly (for the most part) and that I will soon be out of this house and looking forward to my little cottage in France.  CoCo will be a real French French Poodle!  Guess I'd better start teaching her commands in French!  Oui!
     Thank you for coming along with me on this journey.  Today is Father's Day and I thank my dad continually for giving me this sense of adventure and the courage to follow my dreams. 

Over the Hurdles and On The Home Stretch (Mostly)

     So sorry I was unable to post last Sunday.  I have been having problems with the internet which, as most of you know, is quite infuriating!  It all began a few months ago when Xfinity offered to upgrade me to a newer faster modem.  I think the old cable lines into my house just can't handle newer and faster!  So I plan to take the new modem back and ask for an old one.  I'm sure they will look at me as though I have completely lost my mind.  Oh well!
     And now for the"hurdle" news.  The house inspection lasted four hours and had me really worried about what all they were finding that was wrong with my house and that I would have to fix before the buyers would agree to continue with the contract.  I think the reason it took so long is that they decided to call in a licensed roof contractor to see exactly what needed to be done up there.
     I feel very good that the only thing the buyers were really concerned about and that I need to do is replace the roof.  It's an old roof so it does not surprise me that it needs to be replaced and I'm certainly willing to do that considering they could have asked for so many other things to replace or renew.  I got four bids from local companies and have chosen which one to hire.  They will be able to replace the roof next week barring any difficulties with the weather.  So that's hurdle number one taken care of!
     Hurdle number two was my appointment at the French Consulate in LA.  Let me tell you about that.  It was very anti-climactic considering all the work and planning that went into it at my end.  I was expecting to be called into a room with a French Consul who would ask me all kinds of questions about the paperwork that I had brought.  But no.  I stood at a window and passed the paperwork through the little slot to a person on the other side who just looked through what I had, asked a couple of questions, had me fill in a couple of lines that I had missed, took my photo and my fingerprints (and my money!) and said the visa would come in the mail in two weeks.  That was it!  It was all over in 20 minutes!
     And, I get to do this again next year and the next and the next . . . .   Unless I  buy over there.  Then I can get permission from the local authorities at the time I buy a place so that I can stay there as a permanent resident of France.  Right now my visa will say that I am a long term stay visitor.  Who knows?  I may find the most perfect little house (well, large enough to accommodate all the guests who say they are coming to visit) and decide to become a resident of France - which is something I've dreamed about for twenty years!  If it "sings Hallelujah" (Beth's caveat), I'm buying it! 
     Jane and family were wonderful hosts in Burbank!  She planned a BBQ with kids and grandkids and friends.  In fact she surprised me with a mutual friend - now living outside of LA - who used to do theater with us 40 years ago!  Great to see Caryl!  Jane was my chauffeur all over, including Universal Studios, which was great fun - except for the 35 minutes it took us to find her car in the parking lot!  Everything went smoothly.  Hooray!
     The rest of my time in the past two weeks, other than the worries that I was dealing with, were actually spent on enjoyable activities.  I went to the zoo which was wonderful as I hadn't been in a few weeks.  The lion cubs are getting so big, but they are still quite adorable.  Our new silverback gorilla is still on his own, but should be meeting the rest of the troop soon.  I will plan my next visit on a bad weather day so I don't have to fight the crowds!   I'd rather an umbrella and rain jacket than a thousand tourists.

Aslan is looking so grown up!

Asha giving Dembe some mother love

     Andy and I did the Royal Gorge Zip Line Tour last Saturday and loved it!  I have always said that if I could have a super power it would be to fly and this was about as close to flying as you can get.  There is a series of nine zip lines back and forth over some canyons in the area near the Royal Gorge.  They are of different lengths and speeds and we had a blast.  I would do it again in a heartbeat!  Am looking forward to doing the one zip line that actually does go across the Gorge later in the summer.  I may have to look for some zip lines when I'm in France!  I will definitely scout out all the zoos and animal sanctuaries and nature preserves in the south of France.

Cowabunga!

How fast can you go Andy?

Geronimo!

Almost had Andy beat on the side by side

     So many people ask me what I plan to do while I'm living in France.  Honestly, I don't have anything planned to do - other than visiting the markets, and the vineyards, finding out who makes the best baguettes and croissants and pastries, where the antique markets are, visiting cathedrals and castles and abbeys, picnicking in the mountains, fishing in the local ponds and streams, exploring the caves with prehistoric art, enjoying the local festivals.  I think that will keep me busy, what do you think?  And of course I will share all of those adventures with all of you through my blog.
     As far as I know, the closing date on the house is July 11 which is just around the corner.  I am getting rid of the last of the furniture which I don't plan to store and packing up my dishes and other kitchen things that I want to keep and they will go in storage also.  Otherwise, I need to make sure that everything I plan to take with me will actually fit in my two suitcases.
     This week I need to call a plumber to come and fix some minor issues, get CoCo to the groomer, have lunch with some dear friends tomorrow and dinner with Ken and Beth on Tuesday. 
     The path seems a little straighter right now, not any huge bumps or bends to have to maneuver which suits me just fine at this point.  I am so appreciative of all your kind words and I know your thoughts and prayers were working overtime for me this past week.  Thank you so much.  I'm so glad you are all joining me on this journey.  Merci!