Feelin' a Bit Rocky in the Rockies

Last Friday it was a gorgeous day and we decided to join Kim, our grandchildren and her parents on a jaunt to Rocky Mountain National Park.  The day would eventually unfold in many ways that neither Don nor I anticipated.

This is the view that we got as we drove down the hill into Estes Park.  Snow capped mountains backed by brilliant azure skies and fluffy clouds.  We drove into Rocky Mountain National Park and found a table nested in a grassy meadow.  Across the river was a herd of elk.  Great setting and it would have been perfect if my stomach wasn't cramping and giving me fits.  I kept waiting for it to pass...

Kim, Tatum, Nate and Ella were ahead of us, all set for the hike up the mountain road to find the falls that Kim wanted to see.

Not feeling well, I handed the camera over to Tatum and asked her to take pictures.  She could take as many or as little as she wanted.  So, one of the first was of me peering out over the valley.

One of the interesting things the kids discovered was a huge web of writhing caterpillars!  I have never seen so many crawling caterpillars in one glob before.  It was a mass of constant movement.

As usual, Ella had to scamper off and do some rock climbing while the rest of us headed up the unpaved road.  She is always eager to find bugs, flowers or whatever interests her at that point in time.

Nate even found a John Deere Tractor with a Colorado Machinery decal on it.  His dad probably sold this one to the forest service here because it is part of his territory. They were using it to rebuild the road we were on.

On the way back, Don took a shortcut down the hillside. He made it down okay, then looked back to find me, stepped in a hole and down he went!  He had the wind knocked out of him, tore up his hands, ruined a shirt and bruised his side.  Tatum flagged down a park ranger who gladly provided us with large bandages and some adhesive tape.  At least no bones were broken.

Kim and little Ella had much better luck going down the hillside.

Following Don's patch job, we headed over to the water falls by the Alluvial Fan Trail.  Tatum kept a close eye on her younger sister because the water is not only cold; it runs very fast here and could be quite dangerous.

Don and Kim watched from the bridge over the falls while Char and I rested by a rock downstream.

I got this photo as Don was driving back out of RMNP.  Then a bee flew in the window, resulting in ear piercing screams from Nate and Tatum who are deathly afraid of bees and wasps.  I swatted while Don drove since there wasn't a place to pull over.  Crisis solved and one bee bit the dust after I whacked it with a magazine.    Down the road we stopped to let badger with a recently caught critter in his mouth pass across the road and into a culvert.

All the way back down the very windy and curvy highway I was miserable.  The upset stomach plus car sickness felt like the journey would never end.  I wanted to be a kid again and ask Don "Are we there yet?" every 10 minutes but decided against it.  I don't think it would have helped matters.  I later determined I had suffered from food poisoning.  When our youngest granddaughter, Ella, saw me a couple days later she advised me that if I brushed my teeth in the morning I wouldn't have bugs in my stomach!  Never have heard of that remedy before.  Although I am a few pounds lighter(a good thing), I would never suggest that for a weight loss program.   What a day!!