

Randy and I decided to head back to Colorado this fall, and since we spent a week in Aspen last year, we decided to try a new place. Cordillera Ranch is near Vail and Beavercreek, but it is a world of its own! We went with “dons”…the guys who came to visit Randy several times while we went through Randy’s double lung transplant. (Don’t know about it? A Saga! Go to page 9 to read it as it happened.) So, three couples hung out in Cordillera, and we had a fabulous time!


We spent quite a bit of time at the house in Cordillera…it took a bit of time to get used to the altitude…10,000 feet. The air was thin, and all six of us did some heavy breathing! We explored Vail and Beavercreek, both beautiful places, and even enjoyed some time on horseback. Being October, I can tell you there were very few tourists. Many stores and restuarants shut down for the month of October. The scenery was on fire, though, and I think October is a great time to hang out in the mountains.





Whether we were chilling at the house, dining out, horseback riding, or going to the Spa of the Rockies in Glenwood Springs (where Doc Holliday died), we were surrounded by incredible scenery, sunsets, and wildlife. I can highly recommend the mountains in October, when you will basically have it all to yourself.










More to come! The beauty of the mountains and the animals is such that I have to share it with you!
We all want to find the Fountain of Youth, right? I found it in St Augustine, Florida, and learned a bit of history about it that was quite interesting, as well asย unexpected.




























One of the most exciting events to look forward to on the Great Barrier Reef in July are Dwarf Minke Whales! As the name says, for a baleen whale they are rather small, growing to a maximum of 8 meters, or 24 ft, and on the endangered list, thank you Japan for slaughtering Minkes illegally every year. The ones I saw this year, off of the Spirit of Freedom, were not that large, but it was a thrill to see them. Sadly, I only had a few seconds to enjoy a close, eye to eye encounter. A few times we “snorkeled” (we were hanging onto a rope) in order to see them, and on the day whales came close, an event on board shut the encounter down.








