The Vollmer Space Program is a GO!

18. July 2013 · Comments Off on The Vollmer Space Program is a GO! · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , ,
Timmy built a small rocket that had a lot of problems during construction, but ended up launching successfully not once, but four times!

Timmy built a small rocket that had a lot of problems during construction, but ended up launching successfully not once, but four times! Twice it nosed right into the ground, but Timmy got it to launch again.

Jacob is very proud of his "Far Side" rocket.

Jacob is very proud of his “Far Side” rocket.

Earlier this week, I was hauling the boys on errand after errand all over Colorado Springs. One of the errands was a short stop at Hobby Lobby to “dry mount” one of Timmy’s Atlanta Braves posters.

While waiting for the work to be done (about 15 minutes) I took the kids to the model crafts aisle. I thought they would look at the airplane kits, but they instead wandered over to the model rockets.

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Hiking Around the Neighborhood

17. July 2013 · Comments Off on Hiking Around the Neighborhood · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: ,
A nice map with which we could plan our trip.

A nice map with which we could plan our trip.

Sorry, you can’t really call it “taking a walk” here.

The kids, Howie and I decided to take a hike along the Cottonwood Creek Trail, which runs southwestward from our neighborhood. Just a couple houses down from us is an access point between two houses to Colorado Springs’ expansive network of multi-use trails.

We figured it’d be a quick walk to Cottonwood Creek Park, which is a nice big park with baseball diamonds, a basketball court and several playground structures. More »

Colorado Discoveries 7: The “Manitou Incline”

16. July 2013 · 1 comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , ,
The Incline itself is the green line, and you ascend from right to left. Then you take the crooked red line down the mountain. One mile up, four miles back.

The Incline itself is the green line, and you ascend from right to left. Then you take the crooked red line down the mountain. One mile up, four miles back.

Locals in the Colorado Springs area frequent this very unique fitness challenge: The Manitou Springs Incline.

Manitou Springs is one of the towns due west of Colorado Springs. It’s known as a vacation spot for their natural springs and boasts the home of the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway (for another post).

It’s also the town with the trailhead for the hiking trail up Pike’s Peak, the Barr Trail.

Not far from the Barr Trail is something called “The Incline”.

“What on earth is this Incline you speak of?” More »

Pensacola Blue Wahoos “Field of Dreams” Experience

15. July 2013 · Comments Off on Pensacola Blue Wahoos “Field of Dreams” Experience · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,
A fine finish to a great baseball season. Our youngest son's baseball team celebrated with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

A fine finish to a great baseball season. Our youngest son’s baseball team celebrated with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

Just before the boys left Florida for good, T’s baseball team enjoyed an evening with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. I had written about the Blue Wahoos games in a previous post in 2012.

The kids got to take part in the team’s “Field of Dreams” experience, which was a block of seats together, dinner, getting introduced as a “featured guest” at the game, and a chance to hang out with the Blue Wahoos players before the game, either by singing the national anthem with them, or else running out to the field with the players as the players’ names are called.

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Colorado Discoveries 6: Garden of the Gods Park, Colorado Springs

15. July 2013 · 1 comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,
A beautiful day at a beautiful park.

A beautiful day at a beautiful park.

While we were in Colorado in May to buy our house, we took some spare time to visit the Garden of the Gods park, which is along the western edge of Colorado Springs.

The Garden of the Gods park is a gift to the City of Colorado Springs. In 1879, Charles Elliot Perkins, the president of the Chicago, Quincy and Burlington Railroad, purchased the land that included the Garden of the Gods. He intended for the land to one day be used for a summer estate, but that plan never came to fruition. After his death, Perkins’ children conveyed the land, 480 acres worth, to the City of Colorado Springs. A plaque commemorating this is affixed to one of the rocks. More »

The Weather Station is MOSTLY Up and Running!

04. July 2013 · Comments Off on The Weather Station is MOSTLY Up and Running! · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , ,

Tonight I had set up our PC desktop computer on our new Ikea desk.

I turned on the Davis Vantage Pro 2 console, and I didn’t realize that our weather station is already transmitting from inside a deck box where it’s awaiting a more formal installation.

So for now, trust the temperature, dew point and barometric pressure. I’ll let you know when we get the anemometer and rain gauge assembled. I’m awaiting the formal movement approval for our MADIS community reporting also.

Alabama Discoveries 6: Bellingrath Gardens for Mother’s Day

04. July 2013 · 4 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,
DSC_2986

I love this picture!

As always, when asked what I want for Mother’s Day, the answer is the same. I want an outing with the family at a location of MY choosing.

It often involves something more feminine. Being in a house full of guys, I usually have to give up the girlier things during the year, but for Mother’s Day I get my berry picking and botanical gardens visits!

This year, I asked for a trip to Bellingrath Gardens near Mobile, Alabama. Again. I had already dragged the family out there over the holidays to see the fantastic light show, but I wanted to see it in the spring with all the flowers in bloom before we moved to Colorado.

I was not disappointed. And Timmy, my little naturalist, was just as impressed with all the flowers and animals.

I took the good camera with us so I could capture the beauty! Enjoy some pictures. Be forewarned, I took over 300 pictures, so I’ve distilled it down to about 30 of my favorites.

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An Unpacking Break to Share Dave’s BACON EXPLOSION from June 7th

03. July 2013 · 1 comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , ,
Presenting, Dave's first-ever BACON EXPLOSION! It was very good, but this log serves 24 people.

Presenting, Dave’s first-ever BACON EXPLOSION! It was very good, but this log serves 24 people.

Dave’s squadron in Florida has an annual tradition: BACONFEST! One day, everyone shares their favorite bacon recipes.

In 2011 Dave made bacon cream cheese roll ups, and I can’t remember what he did in 2012, if he did anything at all.

While it was tempting to make another beer-bacon cheesecake, this year Dave proclaimed, “I’M MAKING A BACON EXPLOSION!”.

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Military Move Musings – Day 4

02. July 2013 · Comments Off on Military Move Musings – Day 4 · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,

Day 4: Raton, NM to Colorado Springs, CO

Hi honey, we're home!

Hi honey, we’re home!

This is a short drive day. We timed things so that we could easily arrive during the work day so we could visit the realty office and pick up our keys.

Very little to talk about for this short 2 1/2 hour drive. The trip up I-25 northward from Raton is pretty tricky. With the trailer, it was a lot of effort for the truck to wind its way through the mountain passes.

We picked up our keys from the realtor and then had a nice outdoor lunch in downtown Colorado Springs. We ate at a place called La Creperie, which had outdoor seating and welcomed pets. Howie sat at our feet and people-watched. He dog-watched too, since there were so many dogs.

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Military Move Musings – Day 3 and the Oklahoma City National Memorial

02. July 2013 · Comments Off on Military Move Musings – Day 3 and the Oklahoma City National Memorial · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , ,
Our view for most of Day 3's drive.

Our view for most of Day 3’s drive.

Day 3: Oklahoma City, OK (1200′ elevation) to Raton, NM (6680′ elevation)

This was not quite as long a drive as the previous day, but it was the least interesting day of driving. It was westward across western Oklahoma on I-40, then we turned northwestward in Amarillo taking U.S. highways (instead of interstates) towards Raton.

Before we hit the road, though, we took a few minutes to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial, which is a park at the site of the former Alfred Murrah Federal Building. The memorial is very beautiful and very well done. We visited at about 8am on a Sunday, so it was nearly empty. It’s sunk into the basement of the former federal building, and evidence of the bombed building can still be seen. More »

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