Come to Colorado . . .

This one is for my friend B. Come to Colorado . . . where Life is Beautiful and some photographers accuse us of airbrushing the skies . . . (they really are this blue)!



And for those family members not in close proximity . . . look how much he's grown! (No, he's not going bald . . . we shaved his head for summer . . . and his hair is such a light shade of blond, you can't even see it!)

Beauty Is In The Eye . . . Nah . . . This Was Just Darn Beautiful

Let's see . . . update in the life of Andrea Peach . . . complete with the funny quips and evocative writing you've all come to love.

Not happening.

I've promised multiple individuals that I would get this post up and running . . . so, for now, you'll have to settle for the summary.

We packed up the family and went to Eleven Mile to camp. Most of Eleven Mile is flat plains with gentle rolling hills. Most folks drive their campers right up to the lakeside - after all, Eleven Mile is known for its fishing.


Then there are those of us who know about their "back-country" camping.


You park the car at the base of the hill, and then trek in 3/4 mile to the campsites. Did I mention bears? Definitely bear country . . . so if you go, expect to make the trek to your car several times a day - as leaving any food stuffs in your camp (including toothpaste and fishing bait) is not the wisest of all choices. Then again, neither is building a fire under the rain-fly on your tent . . . but hey, who were we to get in the way of Darwinsim in action?!

But is it worth it, you ask?






Oh, yes. Yes, it is.

I hereby title this one: "The Lonely Tree"


We are finally the proud owners of a tent that fits three (okay . . . two and a half, all our gear, and one messy poochie) instead of the cavernous circus tent of camping trips past.


Camp, sweet camp. The white dot under the picnic table is Tika's little white face. Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times, and Tika kept winding herself around the picnic table until she couldn't move. I never claimed to own the brightest boo in the box.

Here I am on day three . . . tired, sticky, coated in bug spray, and wondering if everyone looks this dorky when they camp.

But, look. If there is anything in the world that can trivialize three days without a shower and justify the stench of bug spray . . . this would be it.

Kenshin - Hand of Sorrow

Not only was this vid a pain to make . . . it's stubborn about being posted to my blog. I will never again make fun of anyone who has tried to make a vid of Rurouni Kenshin. Though I must say - just as I learned more about the English language by studying Japanese, I gained an entirely new appreciation for the animator's use of symbols and color. ENJOY!

And Now For Something Completely Different . . .

At long last, I am ready to take a break from anime vid making and carry on with . . . well . . . all the other details of Life I've been ignoring.

What?! Like you've never bought a shiny new toy and spent a few months playing with all the buttons?

Miaka/Yui - I'll Find You Somewhere

WOOT! My second try at a YouTube video. This one is a lot smoother than the other - I figured out transitions and a few other little tricks. I also discovered doing slow songs is HARD! Enjoy.

Who Said the Museum Was Boring?

Last weekend we took A. to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to see the latest exhibit "Gold," which - given that I grew up in Breckenridge and my father not only taught me how to pan for gold, but actually built a working sluice in our backyard - meant that most of the information was "old hat" to me. I imagine it would have been far more interesting if I had time to read any of the informational plaques . . . but as it was, I spent most of the time chasing A. around and telling him not to touch the large shiny exhibits.

We also discovered that they dismantled the health and body exhibits and put them in "Discovery Zone," which is essentially a play room for the little ones. Great for learning - yet slightly disturbing to find the life-size plastic mold of an upper torso with removable organs laying next to the bubble blowing station (not to mention brains in a jar).

Ah well. In the name of science.

On the other hand, the Museum has an incredible array of animal exhibits. They remind me of the tiny panorama boxes we had to make as kids in elementary school - only these are a hundred times bigger and a thousand times cooler. The painter they hired to do the backgrounds caught the trick of making your eye track to the horizon. When you stand in front of any of these exhibits, you feel like you are looking off the top of a mountain. There is also one exhibit of a manatee that looks just like an underwater aquarium. It even has the shafts of sunlight coming from the top and rippling on the manatee's skin!

Needless to say - I had to take pictures.

Few people seem to know that the painter had a sense of humor, and hid gnomes in many of the paintings. We met one couple near the moose exhibit who were on a diligent gnome hunt . . . a great diversion for both adults and kids. If you ever visit - don't be shy about asking museum personnel for a list of hints!

In the meantime, check out these amazing exhibits! Yes, these are actual stuffed animals! (All donated and died of natural causes according to the Museum . . .)