A somber day of reflection and remembering. Where were you on this awful day in 2001? Just like the day of Kennedy's assassination, I will forever remember where I was and exactly what I was doing. Sad times.
Seen today just down the street from us. Joint venture by the local police and firefighters.
Alright, I have put myself in a box here--how do I move from that paragraph above to describe the good time we are having here in Durango? With apologies, I will just move on. I mentioned in my last post that we were going that night to the Bar D Chuckwagon Supper and Famous Western Stage Show, featuring the Bar D Wranglers.
Met my cousin, Matt Palmer--not really--at least not that I know of, but he and I had a laugh about it. Matt was the youngest in the group. He is an amazing fiddle player and baritone singer. He was joined by Gary Cook, a two-time National Champion flatpick guitar player and tenor; Joel Racheff who plays a gigantic bass and sings. . . . comedy (according to the pamphlet)--he was quite funny; and Richard Espinosa who sang the lead vocals and played rhythm guitar. He was really funny! Last but not least (he joined in for the last two numbers) was Cy Scarborough--91 years old, he is the General Manager and one of the original owners of the Bar D,
The show was fabulous! What's that? How was the supper? Hmmmm. . . . .if you go, go for the music! Food wasn't anything to write home about. But then, consider the writer here. However, during the dinner part, sitting across the table from me and Bob were two Amish couples. Just as friendly as could be. They told us that they live in an Amish commiunity in Indiana--drive a horse and buggy and don't use electricity. However, they had been driven to Durango by their nephew, who is not Amish. They explained that traveling in a car being driven by a non-Amish person is permitted. One of the couples told us that they take a train from Indiana to Phoenix almost every winter to get away from the snow. They also laughed when I told them about how Bob (and his neighbor, Connie) used to think that the TV show called The Amish Mafia was real. Bob and Connie were so disappointed when I showed them a website that debunked that myth! Don't think they ever watched it again.
One afternoon we took a drive around the area of Durango. The trees in the higher elevations are starting to turn beautiful colors--gold and orange and red. A college is located here--Fort Lewis College--a 4-year liberal arts public college. Along this ride, we stopped by a neato gourmet market, where I bought a jar of pickled asparagus. Hoping it is half as good as the pickled asparagus that Sally Macy served to us two summers ago. Next door was a wine/liquor shop. No wine in the grocery stores. However, in June of this year the Colorado governor signed a bill that will allow grocery stores to sell wine and full-strength beer. This change will be phased in over the NEXT TWENTY YEARS!!!!! Supposedly the long phase in was designed to protect local small businesses and unique craft brewing joints from going out of business right away when people figure out that the grocery stores and Target/Wal-Mart-type businesses can sell these libations soooooo much cheaper that the mom-and-pop stores whose prices are OUT OF SIGHT--at least for this wine-drinking Californian. I am finding that wines here--the same ones I buy at Albertson's at home--cost at least 4 or 5 dollars more than what I pay in Cali.
Went shopping one afternoon at the local Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Isn't it amazing how sometimes you have no idea what you need until you see it? I went in there looking for a bench scraper--a kitchen utensil which I am convinced I cannot live without. Came out with said bench scraper, along with a cutting board, tongs, 4 soup bowls, a wooden-wicked candle, and a beautiful Wilton 9X13 baking pan--WHICH WILL NOT FIT IN THE RV OVEN! Guess I will be bringing that back home with me. Should have measured first. And, I should have bought a pie plate--decided a couple of days later that I wanted to make a buttermilk peach pie. No pie plate. That's alright because they always sell them at grocery stores. Uh huh! At the City Market they only sell them in sets of two! That's right--nice Pyrex pie plates but only in sets of two! I didn't need two! Guess one of those will come home with me, too, to join the other eight I have there.
So, this brings us to last Thursday. Several years ago when Bob and Linda were spending a summer in Alaska, they met some RV neighbors, Sammy and Peggy Bougeus (pronounced: Bogus). Tho they only spent a couple of hours together, they became fast friends--a friendship that still exists today. A few weeks ago Bob and Sammy talked, and we found out that they were on an RV trip that would bring them to Durango for a couple of nights. Sure enough--they rolled in last Thursday afternoon and were able to park right next to us. That night I made Cajun Catfish Chowder for them (along with the buttermilk peach pie). Messed up this tiny kitchen to hell and back but it was worth it! Ate outside (the rain and thunderstorms seem to have calmed down for now) and a good time was had by all.
Next morning at the crack of dawn we all hot-footed it up to the trolley stop next to our RV park and rode it downtown to the train station. Several days before, Bob and I had purchased tickets for the four of us to ride the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to Silverton. Two trains go up each day--we took the second train that left at 8:45 a.m. Those who know me well will not be surprised to hear that I got us to the train station more than an hour before the scheduled departure time. Hey, we were not late! And, there were gift shops to peruse while waiting. Finally we boarded the train. We had been advised to reserve a seat in an open car, which we did.
The scenery between here and Silverton is almost beyond my ability to describe--so beautiful! I will let the photos speak for themselves.
The train runs on coal--lots of smoke and cinders flying by!
Still in the lower elevation here.
Uh, you can reach out and touch these rocks if you want to risk losing your hand.
A gold miner we saw along the way.
In the mountains now.
Some of the drop-offs were rather precipitous!
See above comment.
The Animus river which was alongside us most of the way.
Periodically, the train blew off steam.
When we finally arrived in Silverton--the train ride was 3-1/2 hours--it traveled very slowly--we looked around a bit then had lunch at Natalia's 1912 Restaurant. Food just o.k. but we really didn't go there for the food. But, before we re-boarded the train (they only allowed us 2 hours to look around--with a STERN warning that they would leave at 2:30 with or without the passengers), we found an ice cream shop serving huckleberry ice cream waffle cones! Yum-O!
The return trip was in full sun all the way--the outside car was not as nice. I got a tad sunburned. But, again, the views were spectacular! Pack you bags and come visit Durango and take this train ride--you won't regret it. I know several of my readers have already had this wonderful experience.
The evening concluded with wine and cheese and crackers outside. Next morning Peggy and Sammy were pulling out bright and early, headed back to Louisiana via, among other places, Taos and Santa Fe.
And, you might be relieved to hear that this now concludes the blog for today. Oh, one last thing. The first night with Peggy and Sammy, a beautiful Golden Doodle named Dudley, towing his owner, Marilyn, at the end of his leash, stopped by. We offered Marilyn wine, which she promptly accepted. We chatted at the table for a while. Then Marilyn told us that we just had to see her RV. Said it was huge. So, we all got up and began following Marilyn and Dudley on a wandering path through the RV park. At some point Marilyn announced that she might not know exactly where her RV was parked. Hmmmmm. . . . Me thinks Marilyn had already been imbibing something before we gave her wine. Finally located her RV--RIGHT ACROSS FROM OUR RV!!! She was right--it was HUGE. We could have square danced in the living room area--that is if we knew how to square dance. The kitchen was to die for--so much prep space. And the bedroom had a king-sized bed! Let me tell you--that Golden Doodle had it made!! Now, finally, glam girl signing out.
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