Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, CO

A week ago today we went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The zoo is on the side of the mountain in a location with stunning views of the city below. It is a wonderful zoo; probably the best one I have ever been to. And it was even more fun seeing it through the eyes of an excited 5 year old!

The Golden Tree

Northern New Mexico is in full fall color right now, including the area around Santa Fe. This is a cottonwood tree we saw out at La Cieneguilla west of the city yesterday:

Looking at Santa Fe

We were out in the BLM land west of Santa Fe at La Cieneguilla yesterday, and took a few pictures looking towards Santa Fe. We've never seen the city from this viewpoint before, and it gives a different perspective of the view. Beyond the city are the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Fall at our house

We just got back from a trip to Colorado ... and in just a few days, the leaves here at our house have reached their peak of color. Sure is pretty.

Doing our civic duty

Well, John and I have finally taken the big step and agreed to be GOP precinct chairmen here in our neighborhood precinct in Santa Fe. It was time for us to put our money where our mouths were and get involved at the next level.

First step - a training session October 24 at a restaurant in Santa Fe.

Also - we are having a tea party here in Santa Fe this coming Saturday Oct. 17 at the capitol building when the New Mexico legislature goes into special session to resolve budget issues. Our state is massively in debt, and still Gov. Richardson wants MORE spending and MORE taxes. The statewide teacher's union plans to be here in Santa Fe every day of the special session to lobby for more money -- MONEY THE STATE DOES NOT HAVE.

The greenies in the state have put so many restrictions on the gas and oil industry here (major source of taxes in the state) that oil rigs are moving right out of the state and to friendlier places like Texas and California. So -- while Richardson and the teachers want more money and more taxes raised, our major contributor to state taxes has shrunk 60% in two years.

I don't know where the governor thinks he is going to get the money from for his budget - 10% of New Mexicans pay 80% of the personal income taxes in the state already. Hence, the reason for a STATE tea party this time around, to focus on the enormous problems for the state of New Mexico.

However, John and I will not be here for this rally - we already have plans to meet our daughter and her family in Colorado for the weekend.

They are saying the special session may go on for up to 30 days -- so we will be back in plenty of time to take part in protesting as well as observation of the sessions in the coming weeks.

The Republican Party is growing in Santa Fe, and we are excited to be a part of this huge grassroots movement. These are exciting times for us...

Our "new" piece of furniture

We have an old Lane hope chest, bought in 1992, the year I graduated from the University of Kansas. It is filled with family mementoes and old stuff, pictures, papers, etc.

But it was beginning to look a little shabby, especially the beige covering on the top, which was getting really threadbare.

So...we went and bought a piece of upholstery fabric to match the Southwestern style of our house, and John recovered the chest. It was his first time doing something like this, and it came out really nice, didn't it? It's like having a new piece of furniture.

John's snowy birthday

Today was John's birthday and we planned a picnic up in the mountains. The weather report was calling for temperatures in the 50s in town, but up on the mountain it was windy and bitter cold. We ate our picnic lunch very quickly. LOL. Then it started to snow, just flurries at first and then pretty heavy and by the time we left it was starting to stick to the ground. The pictures don't really show it well, but all the real hazy pictures here are where the snow was falling. And the pictures with white spots are actually snowflakes. Maybe winter is here!!!