14er

while gabi and i were away over the weekend, 

ben and paul climbed mt. bierstadt, a 14er!

colorado boasts 58 mountain peaks that reach more than 14,000 feet.

climbing these 14ers is a favorite local pastime and topic of conversation.

the two men headed out at 3am starting their hike just before sunrise.

3 hours up, 2 hours down.

 colorado at its beautiful best.........

success!

flood mode update:

we're enjoying clear skies today, hooray! 

but over these past two days, we've been anxious.  you know what 

happens when you try to pour a pitcher of water into an already full glass,

well that's what has been happening here.  the rain has been falling on
saturated ground.  gratefully, we were able to divert the excess streaming water
away from the house but we will be living with a backyard swamp for a while.