SONG FOR SEPTEMBER

Try to remember the kind of September

When life was slow and oh, so mellow

Try to remember the kind of September

When grass was green and grain was yellow

Try to remember the kind of September

When you were a tender and callow fellow

Try to remember and if you remember then follow

Try to remember when life was so tender

That no one wept except the willow

Try to remember when life was so tender

And dreams were kept beside your pillow

Try to remember when life was so tender

And love was an ember about to billow

Try to remember and if you remember then follow follow follow

Deep in December it's nice to remember

Although you know snow will follow

Deep in December it's nice to remember

Without a hurt the heart is hollow

Deep in December it's nice to remember

The fire of September that made us mellow

Deep in December it's nice to remember and follow

Side Trip Butterfly Pavilion Westminster Colorado

While on our 'Road Trip Destination Colorado', I took a morning out to visit the Butterfly Pavilion. It was a quick drive from our hotel. It was early on a Friday so it was me and a couple of bus loads of kids on a field trip. It was really fun watching them interact with the bugs, sea creatures, and butterflies. That's the kids you hear on both of the videos.


The first room was the 'bug room'. Most of the kids lined up for a chance to have Rosie, the tarantula, crawl on their arm. I passed the opportunity. (No, I didn't get a picture of Rosie.) There was also a bee hive in glass. I looked for the queen, but she was hiding that day. Most of the bugs were in hiding so I ventured to the sea creatures exhibit. 

Then, on to the butterflies. Everyone has to enter one door into a waiting area. Then, when everyone is in and that door is closed, the door to the butterfly area can be opened. It is almost like a rain forest with butterflies everywhere. Some are posing; some are flying; and some are hiding. Some were even feeding. Who knew that butterflies could be aggressive? (Check out the video at the end of the photos.)
  

Brown Butterfly

When brown butterfly opens,
it is blue.

Then, hit the gift shop and purchased a few things-a garden solar butterfly light and a butterfly for my printer's tray. Fun morning on my own!

Road Trip Destination Colorado

This road trip started with my husband signing up for a J. D. Hilberry workshop in Denver in July. Since we have relatives in Estes Park, we added a few days to go visit them before heading home.

Our first stop was in Skiatook, Oklahoma (pronounced Ski-took 'oo sound as in tool') to visit Jerry Yarnell's Studio. We have been watching Jerry on PBS for years. It was really great to meet him in person. We got a tour of his studio after the class for the day broke up. 


                      Even got a picture:

Then, we headed to Mulvane, Kansas, (south of Wichita) for the night. We stayed at the Hampton Inn-Hilton which is the hotel for the Kansas State Casino. Chuck's the lucky one in the family winning enough to pay for his bet and our dinner. 


The next day was spent going across Kansas. There were several stops along the way to get the kinks out. One stop was in Hayes so I could go to a quilt shop to get a 'Row-by-Row*'kit. .We had decided to make it a three-day trip so we stopped for the night at the Hampton Inn in Colby. We even had time to visit a guitar shop, a flea market, and have some good Mexican food at a local restaurant. 

Chuck and J. D. Hillberry

On the road again headed for Westminster, Colorado, and the Marriott Springhill Suites where the workshop was being held. It was a great location. Within in five minutes was a Target and a shopping/food center. First thing we did was hit Starbucks. The next day when Chuck was in the workshop, I was shopping and touring. 








The first morning I headed for the Butterfly Pavilion. It was about five minutes from the hotel. Also, shopped at  T. J. Maxx. Then, back to Starbucks before having lunch with Chuck at Panera Bread. That night we ate at Macaroni grill. We used to eat there a lot when we lived in Little Rock. 

I sat in one morning

when J.D. presented 

a slide show of 

his work. That's when

I got this picture.

Meanwhile, Chuck was still drawing in the workshop. 

The next day was the last day of the workshop. Then, we headed for Estes Park. We went to Loveland and through the canyon. It wasn't the fastest way, but there were no heights. We were looking up instead of down.

We were excited to see our daughter's house. We hadn't visited since she moved. It is wonderful. The backside view of the Rockies is spectacular from her front window.

We spent only a couple of days in Estes Park. Everyone there was going to work. It took us only two days on the road stopping only in Wichita for the night. We had our vacation from retirement and were ready to get back into the swing of things in Hot Springs Village. 

*The 'Row by Row' is a nation-wide summer quilt shop program. If you make enough quilt shop stops on your summer vacation and buy a kit every time, you will have enough to make a quilt. Note: this is the only one I got.  I have enough UFO's (Unfinished finished objects).