Skiing, & a Family Tree in Progress

The boys were here for a long visit -- not long enough but a day longer than normal. We took them skiing. Well, they did all the skiing, but it was lots of fun sitting out in the sunshine people-watching. And the exhilaration of the boys after they came down the mountain for lunch was contagious. They kept saying how much they loved loved LOVED the mountains. I guess after their puny East Coast mountains, Angel Fire, at 10,812 feet, was a real treat. Sort of made me wish I'd worn ski pants and had rented some equipment myself.

Of course, I got off my writing for a few days. And will remain off of it for a few more, since we're heading for Texas at the end of the week. I have such mixed emotions about going back. I miss some of the people there, and will be glad to see them, Daddy especially. But I also know that going back is hard on my SO. He is reminded of things that are easier to forget up here away from it all in the mountains. And I definitely am not looking forward to temperatures in the 70s and 80s. I've gotten used to my cool weather! And I love it!

Snowed yesterday again. I took the dog out to romp in the afternoon after it had warmed to 31! All my Texas friends think I'm crazy, but I swear 31 degrees here is so much warmer than it is down there in the super humidity. Anyway, the dog is just so joyous when we romp like that. Her little eyes dance with fun and mischief. She loves to chase a toy and then play keep-away with me, taking me further and further up the mountains with each toss and catch. We found raccoon tracks, and lots of deer tracks. My SO has been putting out alfalfa cubes for the deer and they seem much appreciative. As do the little birds who visit us every day to snack on their seed. We have mostly sparrows, but some of the nuthatch are still around as well. I do so miss my kitty. He used to love to stalk the little birds. Never caught one, but it kept his mind active. When will my sorrow over losing him leave me? All I have to do is think of him and I cry big alligator tears.

One of the writing projects I have going right now is a story about him. I don't have much yet, and it isn't easy to write so I put it aside for long spells. But it is something I want for myself if for no other person to read. Sort of like some of the journals I've kept throughout my life. I take them out now and then and get new insights almost every time I do.

Something else I have been having some fun with is Ancestry.com. When we were in Denver at the market one of the wives told me about all the research she had been doing into her family tree. In fact, a long lost cousin turned up there to spend the day with her, and they seemed to have such fun. I can take one side of my maternal grandmother's family back to the early 1700s, but other family threads are just lost. I'm hoping they're not gone for good. Why, why, why don't people write these things down for posterity? You just never know when a future generation is going to take an interest, and it would be so simple to make it just a little bit easier for them to discover information and family connections.

Onward ....