I never really understood the idea that someone might need to rest up from a vacation. I get it now.
I sprained my ankle a week or so before my trip. I'm not entirely sure when it happened. It could have been when I ran full tilt into the open dishwasher door or maybe it was two days later when my feet got tangled in the vacuum hose and I fell flat on my face. The next day, my ankle had some funny bruises and swelling on it so I went into the med center. After the doctor finished laughing, she wrapped it up and told me to stay off of it for a while. I did.  But it didn't get better so I went back to the med center and had more xrays and she told me to use a cane.  I seem to fall down a lot.

I started out with a bad hair cut, too.
I went to my usual girl and when she got done, I realized I could have
done a better job with my dog clippers. I would have had longer hair
and saved $30.






My mother's friend had suggested a basket of Michigan products as a thank you gift. So, I spent some time at a nearby gift store where the owner put together a very nice selection of goodies.  She had lots of good suggestions: dried cherries in a salad, tossed with special oil; rubs for barbecuing, jams and salsas and candies, oh my!  I popped into another store and bought coffee that's roasted and packaged right here in my hometown.



But when I got to the airport, I wasn't allowed to check my big bag
(even though I had checked it in online the night before), so I had to
toss most of the goodies out because they were too big to go on the
plane. I was in tears - but they were adamant and out it went.  What a
waste. Oh well, I still had the coffee and the chocolates...

My friends met me at the airport and drove me up into the mountains. The view was awesome! What a treat - to be so close that I could walk right up to them so I did. The weather was beautiful - high 70s or low 80s and dry with clear a blue sky.

There were lots of new flowers and plants on my walks and dozens of birds I hadn't seen. I walked and hiked and took pictures and fell in love with the mountains all over again. I'd hitchhiked around Colorado while I was in college, and then drove around the Rockies after graduation. But that was nearly 30 years ago. 

After breakfast on the second full day, I went hiking again. I must have been getting used to the higher altitude, because I was clipping along at a good pace and made it nearly 3 miles - when wham, down again.  This time, I heard a loud crunch and saw my foot fold nearly in half - backwards. A local firefigher/EMT helped me up and got me back to my friends house. After some xrays and a cat scan, I got a big splint and a pair of crutches and a new diagnosis. Fracture of the fourth metatarsal bone.



I figure that before this is all done, I'll have triceps instead of flab.