Flooding Back Home; Boys Town; The Duke; Iowa City; Towing a Toad; Crunch!

My sisters live in the New Orleans area, one in the suburb of Metairie and one across Lake Pontchartrain in Covington, right along the Tchefuncte River, where we had kayaked early in this summer's tour. Unfortunately, between the storm surge and the heavy rains dumped by Hurricane Isaac, many of the lower Mississippi River Basin’s rivers are overflowing, and my sister’s house in Covington is flooded on the ground floor. I’m not sure how bad the damage is, because when I spoke to her two days ago, they were on the second floor with friends and the sandbags around the doors were mostly holding, but the river had not yet crested. Their house is about 15 feet above river level, and the Tchefuncte had never before risen that high. Our prayers are with them and everyone affected by Hurricane Isaac.

While we were packing up to depart Omaha, I looked at the map and got a surprise... Remember Spencer Tracy when he played Father Flannigan in the 1938 movie Boys Town? Well, the real Boys Town is about 20 miles west of Omaha. It still helps boys, girls, and families in need, and even has branches in Central Florida and many other locations around the country. Unfortunately, it was behind us, and we couldn't spare the time to visit.  

Today we passed John Wayne’s birthplace, DeSoto, Iowa. He was a great actor, but one of the connections we have is that he also had a dachshund; in fact, the dog saved his wife and son while he was away in Japan in 1958. A fire had broken out, and “Blackie” woke up Mrs. Wayne and her young son, allowing them to escape the burning house. When Suzanne was looking around for a dog while we were cruising aboard our sailboat, Liberty, she mentioned dachshunds. I had always had larger dogs, mostly golden retrievers. My first thought was that a little “fluffy” type was not very manly... but when she said that “Duke” Wayne had a dachshund, it was okay. And of course Rudy turned out to be a very noble, “manly” example of his breed. Then we got Gretchen to keep Rudy company, and she is a delicate little girl. They make a nice “couple”. We get lots of smiles when we go out walking.

We arrived in Iowa City late this afternoon, and after dinner, took the puppies to town for a w-a-l-k. This is a college town, home to the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. Like Fort Collins, Colorado, there are restaurants and bars galore, lots of shopping, music and entertainment. The school laps over into downtown, and lots of kids were out having fun. We met one very young couple and chatted with them. She is from Las Vegas, he is from Chicago; they are both English majors and want to study creative writing. When I mentioned that Suzanne is an author with nine books, their jaws dropped, and they both asked her for tips on getting published. It was a fun encounter.

On the drive home, sunset was fast approaching, Suzanne got some great pictures of these red clouds. (By the way, that's a tornado siren on the pole on the left side of the photo). I commented that the clouds looked much like what you see when a hurricane is approaching. Indeed, after checking the weather, we confirmed that these clouds are the leading edge of the remnants of Isaac. The storm is going to bring much-needed rain to the Midwest. It’s just too bad that it didn’t move faster through Louisiana and Mississippi. 

We have been asked about how we tow our car (RV’ers call them toads); here is a photo of the connections between The Bus and our toad, a Honda CR-V. They include:

- A Blue Ox tow bar, two steel rods connected by steel pins to a base plate mounted on the car;

- Two safety cables that will tow the car in case the tow bar fails;

- A 12 volt electrical connector for brake and running lights and turn signals;

- A supplemental braking system that activates the car’s brakes when you depress the brakes on The Bus;

- A safety cable that will activate the car’s brakes if the car should be separated from the tow bar and safety cables.

It only takes 5 minutes to connect/disconnect the entire kit. Other options include a tow dolly (way too much work for us; at least 30 minutes to connect up) and car trailers (too big; you can’t fit in most gas stations with them behind a big motor coach, and of course there are extra charges at campgrounds for a 15 foot trailer). 

While driving past another motor coach in our campground, the husband was backing his car up close to the front of his bus, and WHAM! He had backed an inch or so too far. Our eyes met and we both grimaced. Later, I stopped by his bus to “pimp him”, as we say in the Navy. It’s when you give someone a good-natured (to you, anyway) hard time for doing something he wished that he hadn’t done. John flies a “silver dolphins” flag, so I knew that he is a former Navy submariner, and my first assignment had been on a sub.  John took it pretty well, but didn’t think his wife would need/want/consent to be there “on watch” every time he backed his car up. J

Offutt AFB; A Hook and Ladder; Swine Dining; Buffett for Lunch? Omaha; The Old Market

Offutt Air Force Base is host to the military’s Strategic Command (STRATCOM) headquarters, and also is home to many of the largest aircraft in the military inventory, most of which you’ve never heard of: the converted Boeing 747-200/Air Force E-4B Sentry, or Doomsday Plane, which serves as an airborne national command authority in case of nuclear war. EC-135 Rivet Joint is a signals intelligence aircraft that collects and analyzes everything from enemy radars to communications systems. Another E-4B, the Nightwatch, is modified as the command post for the Secretary of Defense in times of national emergency. 


Offutt AFB was also the site for the modifications of the B-29 bombers Enola Gay and Bockscars that delivered the only atomic weapons ever to be used in combat to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945. We worked out today in this hangar where those modifications were made; it is now the largest gym/fitness facility in the US, if not the world. You can see that it stretches almost forever into the background. It is also not air conditioned, and today’s temps inside the gym were 90+F. Fortunately, there are plenty of fans moving air briskly, so it was tolerable while we lifted weights, something we can’t do on The Bus. 


Other facilities inside this huge former hangar include a 4/10 mile indoor track and 3 tennis courts, which you see here, an aerobics area, free weights, several basketball courts, two racquetball courts and a swimming pool. 2,600 service personnel (and retirees like us) use this facility every day. As a major joint force base, Offutt has personnel from all four services here, although the Air Force has the largest contingent. Navy comes in second because of our nuclear ballistic missile submarines and their global strategic deterrent mission.  

As we were leaving the gym, a group of 50 bicycle riders passed; they included 5 young Wounded Warriors who were riding their bikes across the USA; the rest were local riders, mostly military or retirees, who were giving them an honor escort to a reception near our campground. The Bellevue, Nebraska, fire department was even out with a hook and ladder and an enormous American flag. 

One of their firefighters, Sam, is a very pleasant Nebraska lad. I asked him when the heat wave was expected to break; he thought about it a few seconds and said, “Maybe in October when the first snows come.” I also asked him about the drought and whether some of the corn would be saved. He said that some could be used for feed, but not much would be usable for people-food. “It’s not a good year to be a farmer”, he added. 

As we were passing a restaurant called Swine Dining BBQ, I asked Suzanne what she’d like for dinner... “Salmon, I think.” (That restaurateur needs to re-think his business’ name!) 

Omaha is an interesting city; it was once called “The Gateway to the West”. Here are some other interesting trivia about the city:

- In 1883 Omaha hosted the first performance of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show for 8,000 attendees, a huge crowd by the standards of the 19^th century. 

- It once had the largest stockyards in the world. 

- Composer Antonin Dvorak wrote his New World Symphony based on his impressions of Omaha and the Mid-West following a visit to the Czech community here in 1893. 

- In 1898 Omaha hosted the World’s Fair for over 1,000,000 visitors. 

- Notable inventions from Omaha-based companies include the TV dinner (Swanson Co.), Raisin Bran (Skinner), cake mix (Duncan Hines), the Reuben sandwich (Blackstone Hotel), the bobby pin and the pink hair curler (Omaha’s Tip Top), the ski lift (Union Pacific), and the “Top 40” radio format (Storz Broadcasting).

Omaha is also the home of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s company; nicknamed “The Oracle of Omaha”. He may be the richest man in the world. We tried to invite Warren to The Bus for Ty’s Famous Chicken Enchiladas and Corona beer, but his executive assistant said his social calendar was really full this week... and next... sigh... I really wanted to get some insider tips on investing...

Our last stop was a walking tour of the Old Market area in downtown Omaha. This area has lots of art galleries, restaurants, bars, and upscale shopping. Unfortunately, it was still 95F outside at 6:30 PM, and we and the puppies all quickly wilted. Then back into air conditioned comfort! 

Vigilantes? The Pony Express Oath; An Arch Where? Nostalgia Night Under Steer

Yesterday was a long day. After a quick breakfast at Penny’s Diner in North Platte, we got underway heading east. Lucky we left when we did, because we heard rumors that the North Platte Chamber of Commerce was disturbed about my less than enthusiastic comments about their Central Business District in the previous night’s blog, and a vigilante posse was being formed to come throw me in the hoosegow until I changed my evil words. Fortunately, their one-horsepower posse was no match for our 400 horsepower diesel engine, but I am unlikely to be given the VIP Key to North Platte anytime soon. In case it is needed in any future defense case in this town, I would like to praise Penny’s Diner (we had an excellent diner breakfast there, just as good as Waffle House); also, I would like to recommend to all readers of our blog to visit North Platte, Nebraska, and its world famous Bailey Yard, the world’s largest railyard. Please visit and spend lots of money so my sentence will be reduced...  

We stopped briefly in Lexington, Nebraska, to get in a run. It is a lovely town (I learned my lesson in North Platte; my momma didn’t raise no fool...). We ran from the Wal-Mart parking lot down a dirt road past the State Police station, the Heartland Military Vehicle Museum, and the Goose Refuge under a cloudless sky through flat terrain with fields of stunted corn. The drought has hit hard here; please send prayers for rain! It wasn’t quite the same as running in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, but everyone who passed waved and smiled. We were running about a quarter mile apart, and one farmer in a pickup slowed when he passed Suzanne to say that I had asked for a lift (you meet a comedian wannabe every day). 

Rudy would love to be able to run with us, but his short legs are a disadvantage. He looks sad that he’s being left behind... 

In the 1860’s, Lexington was a Pony Express stop; created by Alexander Majors, this equine mail delivery system employed 120 riders, 184 stations, 400 horses, and about 350 support personnel. Mail was sent from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, in 10 days for $5.00 per half ounce. Pony Express riders had to swear the following oath: “While I am in the employ of A. Majors, I agree not to use profane language, not to get drunk, not to gamble, not to treat animals cruelly and not to do anything else that is incompatible with the conduct of a gentleman. And I agree, if I violate any of the above conditions, to accept my discharge without any pay for my services.”  

We continued down I-80, and something on the horizon caught our attention from miles away... Suzanne was driving, and said it reminded her of one of the rest stops in Chicago that sit over the highway. In reality, it was the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument. In case you have missed this on your trips across country, I’ll try to summarize briefly... this tourist attraction was the brainchild of a former governor, and has the second longest escalator in the state, 24 life-size cast figures in a movie glorifying the Platte River area in American history, and a Conestoga wagon with the contents that pioneers would carry on their trips to Oregon. What amazed me was that a total of 89,000 blades of grass appear in the movie. Overly optimistic visitor projections forced the monument to cut expenses and refinance their bond payments... (One more time, I don’t make this stuff up... at least not this part...).  

We are now in Omaha, Nebraska, at Offutt Air Force Base FamCamp. We will stay here for three nights, catching up on admin, maintenance, and a medical appointment. One of the maintenance issues was that I either misplaced or left behind at another campground a brass fresh water pressure reducer, so I had to find a new one. This little gizmo attaches to the campground water spigot and our hose, and ensures that the pressure going to The Bus is 45-50 psi or less. Some campgrounds have 75 psi water, which can blow the water hoses in RVs. That not only creates a big mess, but can cause significant damage if not discovered immediately. 

This afternoon after giving a phone reading Suzanne tried to kill me... figuratively, at least. She said, “Honey, let’s go for a bike ride.” My Lovely Bride then took me on a 21 mile ride on a local trail along the Missouri River in 97F heat and a 15 mph headwind. She set the pace, and showed me no mercy whatsoever. Now, I’m not a whiner, but this ride was brutal. It was as hard as our long ride in the Rockies, because the heat was appalling. I was too tired at the end to even take a picture of her smiling face. She was hardly even breaking a sweat... next time I’ll put 20 lbs of weights on her bike while she’s not looking!

We went out tonight for an Omaha steak dinner (well, at least a steak dinner in Omaha), although we passed the Omaha Steaks distribution center on the way into town. I wanted to make a raid there, but we don’t have a big freezer in The Bus. Our dinner tonight was interesting; we drove up to the restaurant, Anthony’s, which has a huge steer above the building. What amazed us was the large number of cars in the parking lot; the hostess had said there was no need for reservations when I called 30 minutes earlier... 

When we got inside, we found that most of the cars belonged to people our age attending the weekly “Nostalgia Night”. The band was hot and the folks were hoppin’! It reminded us of The Villages, but with a Nebraska flavor...  

No starters, but after our long mountain bike ride, I really needed a Fat Tire Amber Ale. A nice glass of Liberty School Cabernet was to follow (the name is of special significance to us; our sailboat was named Liberty, and several friends gave us bottles of Liberty School when we were cruising.) Suzanne had the walleye, I had the ribeye... I guess the “eyes” have it! (No groaning... I’ve made this point before!)

Old and New Architecture; Lawn Ornaments; Pershing’s House; Expensive Crackers; Interstate Stats; A Cute Little Number

Out for a quick 3 mile run Monday morning before breakfast; we had a long drive ahead of us to somewhere in Nebraska. Then Suzanne is off in the car to get some photos, while I take The Bus to refuel. Most of the officers’ quarters here date to 1890-1905. Duplexes like these are occupied by Lieutenants, Captains and Majors (O-1/2/3/4); at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, similar houses are occupied by Navy Captains (O-6).  

Back in 1905, a Major on the Western Frontier in command of cavalry was a big deal. I guess part of the fringe benefits of living on an isolated post in Wyoming was a grand house. Since the houses are on the National Historic Register, they are still lovingly maintained. Some even have living lawn ornaments! 

General John J. Pershing, US Army, known to his men as “Black Jack”, occupied this house as a 1^st Lieutenant in 1912. He later went on to lead US forces in France in World War I. 

I’m thinking that maybe our house in The Villages could be enlarged a bit, perhaps even redesigned to look like this general’s house (presently unoccupied)... 

Compare the 1900-era houses with this new state-of-the-art fitness center. Today’s service men and women don’t have to ride horses or fight Indians, but their challenges are equally as difficult, particularly considering the demanding Middle East deployment requirements of the Global War on Terror. Cheyenne may not be as remote as it once was, but there are not many creature comforts and diversions here, either. 

Diesel on I-80 is over $4.00 per gallon; on base it’s $3.839, 4 cents a gallon more expensive than at Sam’s Club, but we saved time by not driving into town. A fringe benefit is the offer noted on the base gas station price sign. 

Here I am displaying the pack of peanut butter crackers earned by purchasing 72 gallons of diesel for $296. It works out to $49.33 per cracker! 

Even if you’ve never driven I-80 in western Nebraska, you might be aware that this part of the country is relatively flat. After all, these are the Great Plains. There are huge farms and ranches, the occasional enormous stockyard with 20,000 head of cattle waiting to become your next ribeye or hamburger, hardly any houses, and lots of vacant space between towns. I needed something to keep my mind occupied while driving, so I counted the vehicles heading in the opposite direction. In 15 minutes of counting, there were 45 semis, 19 pickups, 35 automobiles, and 7 RV’s. Contrast that with what you’re used to seeing on I-95 between New York and DC, or I-5 between Los Angeles and San Diego. About half of the traffic out here is commercial, and there were often gaps of a half mile between vehicles. For some reason Suzanne was amazed that I could keep this running tally of four types of vehicles in my head.  Maybe that’s why she talks to spirits and I count cars.  We each have our own skills!

We arrived in North Platte, Nebraska, and are staying at a commercial campground with decent Wi-Fi, except after 6:00 PM. It was heavily loaded with other users, so we decided to “recon the ville” and check out downtown. Like Cheyenne, the city center is a bit depressed: lots of storefronts closed/for rent, and very few people in sight; hardly any cars around, except at the keno parlor. Suzanne did find one shop, however, that had a nice selection of prom dresses and tutus. I’m thinking that she might look pretty good in that little red number... 

The Poudre Trail Part 2; A High School Friend; Cheyenne; Warning Signs

We were a bit lazy this morning because of Suzanne’s full day on her feet yesterday SOARing.  After a quick high protein brekkie, we were on our bikes on the Cache La Poudre Trail. Suzanne had not been on the trail yet, and wanted to experience this beautiful riverside ride before we left Colorado. In springtime, the river can overflow its banks, but now water levels are way down.  

Here is Suzanne enjoying the view from one of the bridges across the Poudre. 

Alongside the bike path is a dirt trail for runners and horses. These ladies are enjoying a pleasant morning’s ride, but runners have to watch their steps very carefully... 

Suzanne is enjoying the day, the scenery, and the workout; we rode about 18 miles today, and it was getting quite warm at the end.  Nevertheless, Suzanne was amazed that she started out feeling drained from the day before, and finished feeling exhilarated and energized.  She said it was all that fresh air and mentioned something about "prana flushing out her system."  What jumped to my mind was small South American fish with enormous teeth...

Had the river been deeper, a swim might have been in order. But the rapids here were actually very shallow. 

Suzanne’s grade school friend Julie joined us for lunch; she lives in Littleton, Colorado, a two hour drive away. They caught up on events in their lives over the past 30 years; we also discovered that we share the same wedding anniversary, June 29, 1996. Looks like the girls were eating healthy; I had to try the local New Belgium Fat Tire beer... it's de rigeur for mountain bike riders!

After lunch, we packed up The Bus and headed for Cheyenne, Wyoming, only 45 miles north. We are at the FamCamp at Warren Air Force Base, one of three strategic missile bases in the US. From 1867 until 1947, this was an Army post, Fort Davis A. Russell. In the 1870’s and 1880’s, it was home to three black regiments, the 9^th and 10^th Cavalry and the 24^th Infantry, the famous Buffalo Soldiers. Much of the old post is a National Historic Landmark. We saw these pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra Americana) here on base; one almost ran in front of our car last evening. Although not true antelope, the pronghorn is the fastest land animal in the Americas, clocked at 62 mph. 

Downtown Cheyenne was disappointing. The only businesses that appear to be doing well are cowboy apparel shops like The Wrangler. From 7:30-8:30 PM, we only saw a handful of people, including two young “grunge” 20-somethings getting out of a “Cowboy Taxi” and going into a sleazy-looking hotel. The only restaurants we saw were a Chinese place and a bar and grill at the old train station. 

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The Wyoming state capitol building was impressive, with several bronze statues out front. The best was this one of Chief Washakie. He was half Shoshone and half Umatilla, and later in life led the Eastern Snake tribe. He was a friend of trapper Jim Bridger, and signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1851. He was honored by the US Government for his work in scouting and guiding General Crook’s army to defeat the Sioux after General Custer’s disastrous loss at the Little Big Horn. 

Cheyenne does have some unique displays around downtown; we saw at least a dozen giant cowboy boots on corners and in parks. I thought I might look for a pair like this one, but in a smaller size.

Signs in a window in downtown Cheyenne gave us an indication of how these folks treated trespassers: “Prayer: the best way to meet thy God; Trespassing is much faster”; and “Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again”. I don’t think we’ll be crossing any fences to rustle cattle in this state. That reminds me of a great line from a cowboy movie spoof back in the 70’s. Two cowboys are at the bar drinking whiskeys, when one asks the other, “Do you rustle?” The second cowpoke replies, “Only when I wear taffeta.”

SOARing; Thank You, Bev! "Pooder"; A Mini-Disaster; No Groans!

Saturday was a great day here in Fort Collins, because Suzanne presented her S.O.A.R! Workshop to 28 enthusiastic attendees at the Whole Life Center for Spiritual Living.  

Thanks to our angel Bev Garlipp for her continued hard work organizing and publicizing Messages of Hope events throughout this summer tour and especially for working with BellaSpark productions and making Fort Collins a huge success!  We're looking forward to seeing you in Rochester, Bev.

While Suzanne was SOARing, I had a chance to do a long run along the Cache La Poudre (pronounced “Pooder”) River (and National Historical Area) here in Fort Collins. The name of the river means “hide the powder” in French, and refers to an incident in the 1820s when French trappers, caught in a snowstorm, were forced to bury some of their gunpowder along the banks of the river. Trappers, whether French or American, were a rough and tumble lot, often going for many months without a bath or haircut, eating well during temperate months but on short rations or even starving during severe winters when they couldn’t hunt. Dealings with Indians could often be problematic, since trappers had several horses or mules to transport beaver pelts, and had to stockpile food, clothing, rifles and ammunition for a year’s work in the wilderness. One trapper estimated that of 300 trapper acquaintances, only he and 3 others lived to 50 years of age.

After PT and lunch with Suzanne at the workshop, I did some maintenance on The Bus. We have been doing a lot of “dry camping”, which means we are not hooked up to electricity, water, or sewer facilities. It is sometimes called “boondocking”, but we don’t use that term unless we are actually out in the boonies. The onboard diesel generator (Onan 7.5 kW, ½ gallon per hour fuel consumption, for those interested in the details), powers our air conditioning, microwave, and battery charger; it has seen heavy use, including while we are driving when the outside temperature is over 80 degrees, so I have to check oil and coolant frequently. Fortunately, the entire generator slides out with the whole front fender assembly for inspection and maintenance. 

During a walk through Old Town Fort Collins, we stopped to talk with a young man in his mid-twenties. He was wearing a Darth Vader tee-shirt with "Who's your Daddy?" above the graphic of that Star Wars villain. When I commented on his shirt, his face lit up, and we had a great conversation. Turns out he is Iraqi, worked with the US Marines during their brutal combat in Fallujah, and he was shot three times by insurgents. He is studying English as a Second Language and attending Colorado State University.  After graduation he hopes to bring his girlfriend and some of his family to the US and get married. He loves the USA!

 

We went to a Japanese restaurant for dinner, and our sushi chef, a young Korean man, was reciting lines from Top Gun as he prepared our sushi.  We commented on this unusual behavior, and he told us his story.  He was adopted while his father was serving in Korea as a sergeant major in the U.S. Army.  He discussed the merits of kimchee and sho-ju, Korean moonshine, which he said they serve on ice cream.  I commented that those are both acquired tastes and that I had not acquired a taste for either!

Rudy and Gretchen needed to stretch their legs after our sushi dinner, so we took them for a long walk on the Colorado State University campus here in Fort Collins. There was a beautiful open green area that beckoned, but what we didn’t realize was that some of the trees, yet unidentified, had dropped many very sticky leaves that caught in our miniature dachshunds’ long hair. It was a “mini-disaster”. (Did I hear a groan out there? Groans are not allowed on this blog!) On the positive side, there were many squirrels here, so our two Obedience School Dropouts were in doggie heaven! 

Fishing; Pine Beetles; Got My Trout! Cream of What? A Floral Romance

Okay, you may have read in previous blogs about my bad luck in fishing for Colorado’s elusive and highly intelligent rainbow trout. My last venture into the quest for Oncorhynchus mykiss was in Estes Park; here I am patiently casting... and casting again... and again... finally time ran out, and we had to depart. 

I was determined not to leave the state before remedying this intolerable situation. I enlisted the aid of an almost-native Coloradan. Jerry was actually born in Pennsylvania, moved to New Jersey as a youth, but has spent the past 40 years here in Colorado. He is a very good fisherman, and assured me that we would have good luck at a nearby mountain lake. On the drive up, Jerry had told me about a local pest, the pine beetle, which has killed hundreds of thousands of pine trees in the state. Looking at some of the stands of pine, you see as many as 10% of all the trees brown instead of green, as you see in this picture. Evidently the forestry people waited too long to take aggressive action against the beetles, and now the pests are everywhere. They are hoping for a brutally cold winter to kill the beetles, but as we say in the military, “Hope is not a strategy.”  

We arrived and set to work in a beautiful dammed lake with lots of pine trees and boulders ringing the lake. There are supposed to be tiger muskies up to 4 feet long in this lake along with the much smaller trout. 

Jerry and I fished within sight of one another for an hour, but then decided to split up; Jerry would take the south shore, I the north shore. There was only one other fisherman on the lake, a guy sitting in a floating harness with flippers on his feet for propulsion. You can’t fish from boats here to give the fish better odds against the fishermen... what a joke! I could hear the trout tittering with amusement...

I fished the shore for almost three hours, changing from spinner to plug to jig to spinner. I fished shallow, bottom, and surface. I fished rocks and submerged trees and sandy bottom and deep holes. In three hours, I had only one bite, other than those from a couple of pesky mosquitoes. In shame and disgust, I called Jerry and told him lunch was calling. We drove to a nearby crossroads where there was a “Sportsman’s Café”. I passed up the cream of cabbage soup for the trout dinner with tater tots; I figured if I couldn’t catch my trout, I’d at least get some revenge on the species by eating someone else’s fish. It was pretty tasty, even if I didn’t catch it myself. The guy in the café said, “You should have been here last week...” Sigh... that’s the story of my fishing life.  

So, instead of a fish dinner, it was pizza from Whole Foods Deli, in an inside/outside dining area with a live trio. The brass section had a long-haired dapple dachshund, Gertrude, seen here. A cute dog, but Gertrude’s owner claimed that she didn’t get along well with other dogs because she felt superior to every other dog on the planet... so what’s your point? That’s what our dachshunds Rudy and Gretchen are like, as well. It must be genetic. His tee-shirt, emblazoned with "OBEY", is the unfulfilled wish of every dachshund owner.

Next stop was the Colorado State University’s Trial Garden, just in front of their Performing Arts Center, where Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors was playing. The Trial Garden is incredible, with every color flower you could imagine, and some that you couldn’t. 

Suzanne liked the potted plants best. She wanted to bring several of these specimens home in The Bus, but fortunately, they weren’t for sale.  

This couple was obviously enjoying the flower show; the young lady must have accidentally touched flowers with aphrodisiac qualities; perhaps the signs for those flowers should add “Caution: may produce R-rated behavior!” to “Needs lots of sun”...