out to dry

So I've picked up a new hobby to go along with my continued desire to eat well. I got a food dehydrator. My mom used one of these for fruit when I was growing up and I decided I could do the same. I found one for half off (only $30!) The timing coincided with King Soopers having a sale on raspberries, so I tried my hand at drying a bunch. They didn't turn out perfectly, but they're preserved and they don't taste horrible, so it worked out. They're just very similar to cheese puffs in consistency. I also dried a bunch of bananas which was always a favorite from my childhood. My next venture is to try my hand at making jerky. Just need to find some good meat.

hooray for new projects.

raspberries set out to dry

finished bananas

The escape.

It's finally, officially Autumn! It was a great transition, on the night of the 12th, after work, my boyfriend and I left the city. Early that week, it was hot, like 90s hot. Starting on the 11th it had begun raining rather intensely. So we left. Took our long awaited trip to Glacier National Park. We left behind the recent heat and the deluge. We found refuge in the north and returned to a wonderful Colorado Fall. Here are some highlights from our trip. 

After driving out of Wales (er, Colorado) we slept in the car off the side of I25 in the middle of Wyoming. The next day we drove through the rest of Wyoming and essentially all of Montana. On Saturday we hiked around 9 miles (round trip) to Iceberg Lake. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

 Glacier National Park.

hiking to Iceberg Lake.

yes, my feet in the water with an iceberg.

seriously, a lake full of icebergs.

very fun-shaped icebergs. 

Because of the way the cliffs face, this spot hardly ever gets sun. Perhaps an hour or two in the height of summer. So the snow and ice melts very slowly and hangs around in the water. It's absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

We also hiked to St. Mary's Falls. 

St. Mary's Falls

After driving Going-To-The-Sun Road over Logan Pass, we hiked through some western cedars up Avalanche Creek to Avalanche Lake.

Avalanche Creek

Avalanche Lake

After leaving the Park, we visited Flathead Lake. A lake famous for being crystal clear even when it gets really deep. We didn't get to go out on it, but even from the shore (which was just smooth stones, no mud) we could tell that they weren't lying to us about the clearness.

Flathead Lake.

Hungry Horse Reservoir at daybreak. One of our camping sites.

We left Montana and headed south back down through Grand Teton National Park. These are mountains that I love immensely. They are striking in their shape and beauty and the fact that they spring up out of nowhere as the tallest thing for many miles.

Our last morning was a foggy one, I ended up with a really neat shot:

It was an amazing trip. I want to go back and stay in that area for months. I want to backpack and get lost for days in Glacier. Alas, we left the animals here and had to return. Oh and the whole job thing.

Next year.

Today I really miss an old friend. We would talk for hours. Sometimes a mite awkwardly, but generally very agreeably. We discussed politics and religion, even though we differed on both. I know I've written about him before. I just miss him. And I want to tell him that I've gotten into Parkour. That I've been conditioning and occasionally training with some people. I want to have a long chat over a nice, dark beer. I want him to come with me as he usually did when I got a tattoo. (Not that I'm getting another any time soon.)

I know he is doing what he most wanted to do. He is being true to himself which is the most important thing a person can do. And I am doing it too. I just wish we were still in contact.

goodbye and hello

Last weekend I drove Martin to my parents' house for a final time. Gone are the days of four wheel drive, of being able to see into other cars. Gone is the tradition of Nissan Pathfinder. I now am the owner of a Toyota Corolla. It's pretty exciting to learn to drive something so small and very exciting to pay so much less for gas. But then there's the car payments. Ah well. One thing I couldn't forgo was the manual transmission. So that's a comfort.

I meant to take a last photo of the old Pathfinder. But alas, I forgot. I also meant to take some photos of the new car. I guess I'll get to those later.

This weekend we're taking it for an inaugural drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park. Hopefully it can handle that road.