European River Trip - sept 2012

Europe river trip Sept 1012

We fly to Amsterdam and go directly to the boat.  We have an evening to walk around Amsterdam and a boat tour of the canals the next day.  Amsterdam at night is beautiful – with the reflection of the lights in the canals.

This is our first exposure to these European river boats and was a great experience.  We were traveling with friends from California, San Antonio and Dallas – our group was 8 couples, among a total boat population of 146.  The accommodations were very nice, if somewhat compact.

Our trip was 17 days, with a 4 day post trip to Prague, Czech.  We traveled down the Rhine River, through the Main Canal to the Danube River and down to Vienna Aus.  We traveled through 62 locks, two of which were 80 ft deep or tall depending on which way you are traveling.

I have posted some photos with some brief comments
(Click on Photo to expand)

Amsterdam is a city of bicycles and canals

Storm over the Rhine as we leave
Amsterdam - with one of the larger
locks we passed through

We passed under many bridges

and each one had it's own design
and character.

One of the many doorways in

Amsterdam





Our paths crossed many
times as we wandered
the city.






Another bridge over the Rhine - in
the early morning fog


The Rhine is a major industrial waterway
and a major recreational waterway.  We
saw many serious skulling teams and
there was always a ped and bike trail
alongside the river.

Early morning fog and Aspens
along the Rhine









As we cruised the river we
disturbed flocks of wading ducks
They can indeed - walk on water.







Karl Ittig came on board the ship as we
approached Wertheim and demonstrated
glassblowing.  He studied under Dale Chihuly
in the US, and worked with Chihuly on the
glass ceiling installation
at the Bellagio in Las Vegas 

Beautiful village along the Rhine









The museum in the Melk Castle
I don't know what this was - I just
loved the colors.

Elk in Estes Park

We took a short trip to Laramie Wy. today and when we returned to Estes Park, we found the Elk doing a little shopping and strolling in the park.

Ft Collins and Old Town

Monday the 15th Aug, we went with the McKinneys to Ft Collins for lunch
in the "Old Town" section.  Wonderful food on a shaded patio.

And a great specimen of an old English track bike with wooden rims....ooooohhhh....

Don and Pat 50th Party

Sunday night the 14th we celebrated Don and Pat Brownlee's 50th wedding anniversary.
It was quite a too-doo !! - Wedding veil, huge diamond/tinfoil ring and black bow tie.
They met in high school married while attending Baylor.  Don was "All State" basketball and coached high school basketball and Pat was in music. 

Boulder

Saturday the 13th, we took a trip to Boulder for the REI garage sale and bought two garages and a small storage shed.
We also visited the Leaning Tree - a sculpture garden and art museum.  Was beautiful.  Of course I had to take a pic of a flower.

Night Hike

Fridat the 12th Aug we took a night hike to Moraine Park to do some star gazing and hopefully see some of the Perseid Meteor shower.  We saw 3 meteors but I didn't get any pics - man those little burgers are fast !!!
I did take a couple of pics.

Senior Volunteers Dinner

Thurs 11th Aug, we had the Senior dinner in the Walnut Room.  Great food was served - prime rib, crab legs, shrimp, etc.... We showed a slide show of the various activities during the summer of 2011.
We had a group of about 100 and took this pic

Ice Cream Social and Fly Fishing

Monday evening the 8th there was an ice cream social for all volunteers.  Plenty of ice cream and
at least 20 toppings - what a treat.

We were also shopping in Estes Park in the evening and saw this fly fisherman in the stream that runs through town.  Why in the world they want to fish for flys - escapes me - there's no meat on them.

Trail Ridge – Old Fall River Road

We spent most of today going to the Trail Ridge Alpine visitors Center, by way of Old Fall River Road – the first road over the Rockies in RMNP.  The road is gravel, narrow and one way to the Alpine Center.  Here are a few pics.

Alpine visitor Center

Snow melt - Fall River Road

Beautiful flowers - Fall River Road

Reflections on Aldo Leopold

We saw a new DVD Sunday evening, July 31, on his life and work, at the RMNP Beaver Meadow Visitors Center.   

 http://www.greenfiremovie.com/ .

Some consider him in the same breath with John Muir and Thoreau. At one point in Leopold’s life, he was an enthusiastic proponent of game hunting and believed that all wolves/predators should be killed, thus resulting in more deer, elk, etc. for the hunters.  However, one lone incident changed him and the future forever.  This incident is described in these two links –

Aldo Leopold (January 11, 1887 – April 21, 1948) was an American author, scientist ecologist, forester, and environmentalist. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin and is best known for his book A Sand County Almanac (1949), which has sold over two million copies.

 http://www.eco-action.org/dt/thinking.html  and

http://writingsfromwildsoul.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/%E2%80%9Ca-fierce-green-fire%E2%80%9D-for-aldo-leopold

Well worth the reading

Loveland, Colo. - Benson Sculpture Garden and Cherrys

Our short drive through Big Thompson Canyon had two purposes; (1) To determine the status of the cherry industry that an old friend(in both senses) Gary Todd experienced on multiple trips with his family as a child and (2) to visit to Benson Sculpture Garden.

Well - first things first.  Gary, there is good news and bad news.  First, the bad news, the main cherry industry has moved to the west slopes of the Rockies where it is wetter.  The good news in that The Colorado Cherry Co. is “holding down the fort” near Loveland in Big Thompson Canyon.  Proof offered by these pics.  Your own bottle of bing cherry cider is safely stowed and will arrive with “yours truly” the 1st of Sept. so wash those tiny little wine glasses.

Now for the surprise of the day – the Benson Sculpture Garden was a major treat.  Words cannot do justice, so here are a couple of pics

More pics  www.flickr.com/photos/carrollmayhew     Photos are  in Domestic Travels - Events – Stuff



Building of Trail Ridge Road, Carroll at Work and Clouds

 http://www.rmnp.com/RMNP-Areas-OldFallRiverRoad.HTML

Another great program at the Beaver Meadows Ctr. on the building of Trail Ridge Road.  The original Fall River Road followed the Indian “Dog Trail” and was started  in 1913 and completed in 1920, shortly after the RMNP was established in 1915. 

Check out the links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_Ridge_Road

We were also treated to a couple of evening images as we left the center.

Here is a pics of me actually working – part of the team that sets up audio/visual equipment for the many groups; family  reunions, companies, foundations, etc…..visiting the YMCA of the Rockies.

RMNP Visiting Artist Program

"August 3, Wednesday

The current RMNP visiting artist, Brian Slawson presented a slide show of some of his oil paintings.  The visiting artist stay at RMNP for a period of two weeks and commit to donating an original art work to the park.  Brian spends most of his two weeks, traveling around the park photographing and documenting potential images.  Paintings may consist of elements of multiple photographs.  I talked with Brian after the program and he said that this technique allows him to return home with 20-30 ideas to develop, as opposed to just 2-3 paintings if he spent his two weeks actually painting.  His range of subjects from nature/landscapes to 1950’s movie houses is just incredible.  Yes, the urban images are oil paintings, not photographs.

Visit Brian’s web site at  http://brianslawsonfineart.com/

Below are two samples of his work

Valley to Estes Park

Monday Aug 1
I was returning to Estes Park from Boulder and stopped to take some pics of the valley and mountains near Estes Park.

More pics  in Domestic Travels - Events – Stuff at      www.flickr.com/photos/carrollmayhew   

YMCA Rockies - Ready for August 2011

Thurs July 28 - We arrive, get badges, lodging and volunteer assignments and are ready for August

Lily Lake Ridge

Saturday July 30 - We survive the "bear mania" and have a nice walk up Lily Ridge Trail 0.7 miles, just about right and beautiful weather.

End of Day at Lily Lake

Bear Sighting

Saturday evening July 30 - On the way to Lily Lake, Fran --- STOP THE CAR!!! BEAR !!!!
Clyde pulls over and I grab the camera.  Two minutes later, there are 5 cars stopped behind us.
A typical sight here - a "knot" of cars usually means - animals ahead.

More pics  in Domestic Travels - Events – Stuff at  www.flickr.com/photos/carrollmayhew



Another Cloud - Taos

Sunday morning – another impressive cloud

We drove to Taos for lunch at El Monte and visiting the hotel art galleries.

On our way to Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor(tickets for that evening), we drove through the art village of Arroyo Seco.  Our favorite art piece was a Chevy truck