Colorado

It was very good to be back in Flagstaff last weekend. Besides crashing the Pinks Reunion, we got to stay at Tamie's for good conversation, youtube trading, and awesome biscuits with egg gravy. We saw Jonah and Erica briefly and hit up a couple of sorely-missed establishments like Macy's Coffee and the White Flag Laundromat. Does anyone else get that yummy community feeling at the coin-op laundromat?

Seeing the red rocks and immense diversity of the southwest is an eyeball shocker for sure, and you find yourself amazed around every corner. In fact, I-70 through Utah is the most beautiful stretch of US freeway we've ever seen. But, but, but. Getting back to the northwest (or northwest-esque terrain) is a homecoming. The mountains, the trees, the intermittent snow. Daydreams of buying a cattle ranch were prompted, it's true.

In Colorado Springs, we stayed with my cousin, Nathan, and his wife Lauren at their new place to exchange summer adventure stories and climb around on the wall they're building in their garage. Here's Nathan:

And here's Lauren telling the tale of their hairy climb in August up the famous Long's Peak wall, which included an unexpected overnight stay mid-wall and her middle of the night backwards fall-and-head-conk-trick (the rope held, which is what it's supposed to do and why she's alive). It's one for the books.

Now we're at Kelly and Amanda's in Pueblo, where we happened to cross paths with Laura, another co-worker from Anchorage who is also on a long road trip and stopped at Kelly and Amanda's. Yay for staying up until 2 am talking about Bizarre Office Life back home. Also, I'm not saying anything specific by this comment, but the girls beat the guys in team marbles.

Here are a couple shots of baby Ella figuring out Beth.

And Jason chillin.'