More 4th of July stuff

Typical summer afternoon - dark clouds and sunshine!  Just a passing thunderstorm (whose main action usually misses us - darn!  The weather-making and attracting mountains are just a little too far away...)

 No, Tractor is not some giant freak show cat, but he does look rather large (esp. his eyes) in this photo!  He got to come out for the post-potluck gathering, as usual!

 Hayes getting loved on by one of his favorite folks - Eric, one of the park managers.  And obviously one of the reasons we so love this campground - pets are people too here!!!   : )

 We didn't bring the motorcycle this year (too much work loading and unloading all the time), but we did bring the scooter (thank goodness say the kitties!!)!

 Tractor riding high!

Does that boy love this or what?!!

Stepping back in time...

I'm not a big museum fan, but everyone kept telling us how great this little pioneer museum in town was, so when the campground organized an outing there this year, we decided to go.  Glad we did, it's an amazing collection.

 From the Denver & Rio Grande Western line (D&RGW).

 Upstairs (foreground) and downstairs seating...

 The dining (and sleeping) car??

 A sample homesteader's cabin, circa early 1900's.

 Pretty nice museum grounds, eh? 

 Hey, who's this cute couple?!  Robbie and Judie, great neighbors from our campground, that's who!

 More stuff found at a train station...

 One of the museum exhibits is inside an old house - chock full of things you would find during that whole time period...

 This photo is for my very talented quilting friends...(Penny, Ede,...)!!

 And this is my favorite photo/scene from the whole day.  Maybe that tells you something about me (did I get stuck in childhood somehow?  or is it just because my name is CarrieBear??!)...?

 Another favorite - a deer-dog table!

 These were no doubt quite stylish, but they also look like a lot of work (and not too comfy...)!

 I like this wheeled high-chair!

 ALL sorts of cars in giant garage...

 So here's a collection of just hood ornaments...  I'll bet many of you recognize the brand immediately...?!

 Another shot for my sewing specialist pals!! 

 YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What kind of torture device is this?!!!!!

Are they beaming up her brain?  Turning her into a Stepford Wife?!!!

Nah, they're just shocking her hair into submission!?!  Looks like they're scaring her hair so badly, it's leaving her head...!!

 Beautiful gowns (just don't make ME wear one of those organ-destroying corsets!!!!!!).

 Oh look!!!  Well, I HAVE to take a photo of this!  (sorry, Paul and Mary!)  It's not actually because of team affiliation/loyalty at all - it's because that's our doggy's name, MIZZOU (since we got her in Missouri...)!!!

One of the old schools (they had moved 2 or 3 schools onto these premises - neat way to save them and document/remember the past).

 Some old photos found in the schoolroom...  The boys' team...

 The girls' team...

 Excited and happy brides (and groom)...??  (were they just doing the standard - for the times - unhappy look for the photographer?!)  Hopefully the proportions of women to men in these three photos is not representative of the society at large...!?!  Or maybe this guy was marrying his harem??!  And that one gal - wearing black - was she just making a statement?  Just had to be different?!  Guess there's one in every bunch, eh?!

 1876 post office.

 P.O. boxes.

 I guess if you were riding in the back of this wagon, you'd at least be going out in style.  

And this is how weird I am...!!  No, not because I think I look like this - but because this is what that hearse wagon reminded me of (a stag beetle)...!?!  Isn't that what YOU thought of when you saw it??  Yeah, well...

 More cool collections...

 My other favorite photo from the museum outing.

This just feels like quintessential old Colorado to me.  Sadly, it is no longer really.  As I've said before, CO has largely been taken over in recent decades, it's native population displaced, and its culture and heritage lost to what I think of as Californication.

 Another very Colorado display.

We should all always remember...

 Our campground managers lead various drives over the summer - some that are pretty mild and almost any type vehicle can go, and others where only serious 4WD vehicles and drivers are invited.  This was a mild drive.  The subject matter, however, was much heavier and more serious than any of the other drives.  This was a sort of pilgrimage.  A paying of respect, a showing of gratitude.  To our military, to our fallen, and even to "their fallen."  Specifically: it was conceived, planned and financed by a Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel. He wanted to erect "a small memorial" to offer tribute from American soldiers to forgotten soldiers from "Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Hmong, the Montagnard Tribes of Central Vietnam, the Koreans, Thais, French, Germans, Slavs, North Africans, Black Africans and others of all religions and persuasions who were willingly or unwillingly expended during the long wars lost in hopes, proud and vain, for the people of Indochina, 1945 through 1975."

This man's project and tribute was erected on national forest land, in a quiet, little-known and little-visited area.  It was to be low-key and anonymous.  The creator did not want any media or government hassle or intervention.  He just wanted a simple and yet poignant memorial.  And that's the way it's been since it was erected in 1995.  Until the internet.  Now people know about it, and they know where it is (location not to be found here, however), and that is becoming a problem.  Like all things widely shared, there are usually good consequences and bad repercussions.  Good to have more people realize/remember and respect the incredible things and sacrifices so many before (and indeed, alongside) us have experienced in order for us to be able to live the lives we do.  Bad that often people are NOT properly respectful or careful, so the Forest Service - in anticipation of that bad or thoughtless behavior - may try to limit access one day...  If you do have the wherewithal to discover this place for yourself, please do it properly...for all those who served and have yet to see this heart and soul gift to them, and for those who served but are no longer with us, including the monument's creator, who died of cancer mere months after the project's completion...

 Neat stuff on the way in.

 Late June and still snow here and there.  Great clouds on this afternoon.

 A bit of a cross-country walk after you park the car...which, unfortunately, meant at least one of our veterans wasn't able to see the monument in person...

  

 And here it is...

 Scattered on the ground around the monument are tablets - in different languages, with various messages and sentiments...

 Four of our vets...

 George, Tom, Tom (hmm, maybe we should have insisted on some name separation there...?!), and Dan.

 Soozie shared both the solemnity of the occasion but also the smiles.

 Amen.

 Even a clothing patch can speak volumes here...  Kind of says it all, in a way...

 I think George and Tom actually inspired this outing.  As far as I know, they're the ones who told the campground guys about it and got the whole ball rolling for us all getting to see this.

 Tom and his wife, Dawne - a couple who have walked the walk in more ways than one, and obviously, have walked it together.

 The Jeeps might have been a little overkill on this adventure, but they look good, don't they?

 And Ginger is not a snooty dog in the least, but that's all that's showing of her here!

The roads and cars were a little dusty, right up until they all got the "Colorado car wash" (aka, rain!) on the way home...!