Back from the Mountain – Clark Site dot com

I had to make a business trip to Walsenburg, Colorado, a location the company I work for recently purchased called Sheep Mountain. It is beautiful country in Colorado – if you’ve never been, like my wife, you should go. I asked Jace to come along with me on this trip. We enjoyed it, even though we would have liked to been with our close friends on the New Years Holiday.

Once Jace decided to go (read- once I told Jace she was going and she gave in), we made plans to leave a day early. We packed my truck, which I opted to take instead of the company Explorer, and headed off Saturday morning. My truck is a 4×4 and I felt it would do better up there this time of year. We took our time getting there, no rush. Even stopped in Amarillo to eat and get Jace a winter coat and some gloves. All she had was a little thin sweat shirt, zip up thing. Poor girl. LOL

We drove straight to Pueblo, Colorado to stay the night. Once there we got our room and went out to eat. It was cold. A drier cold. The wind a little sharper than in West Texas. Jace was glad to have the new coat. LOL

The next morning we got up and drove out to Pueblo West and around the area taking in the beautiful landscapes. We drove back into Pueblo for lunch and a movie. We watched “I am Legend”. It was fairly decent. The funniest thing was Jace when she gets scared. She tends to forget she is in a public place….maybe since it is dark and she can’t see the other people…and screams aloud every time. Killing me here LOL.

We did a lot of shopping. Not sure why with Christmas just being over, but we did. We bought some stuff for the kids, and Jace and I each bought a book or two to read. After eating that night, we headed south for Walsenburg.

Walsenburg – yeah that is about all I can really say. It is a very small, old, not much to do or anything to see town. It is surrounded by some nice scenery though. Our room was the Rambler Best Western. An old single level, back your truck up to the door type motel. Jace thought it was the same motel from the movie “psycho”. The infamous Bates Motel. LOL

It did have a flat panel TV with cable – but nothing to watch. It had what they called high speed internet…which I determined the only thing high about it was the elevation of Walsenburg. I am not knocking it completely, it did have a refrigerator, microwave, and a bed….however I will request to stay in Pueblo on the next business trip.

It snowed pretty good that night and early morning. With what they called flurries. I called it snowing. IT got down to 14 degrees below zero. I have no idea what the wind chill was….but I know it was dag-gum cold.

The next morning I head up to Sheep mountain, leaving Jace in the room for the day. I figured she would relax, surf on her new MacBook she received for Christmas, and read a little out of her new book. I did not take into consideration I would be working long hours and that she might get bored in the big town of Walsenburg. LOL

It was nice to know I was missed so much. LOL

I took a few pictures of some mule deer as I was leaving the mountain. In fact, I decided I could use my Indian/nija/mountain man skills to sneak up closer for a better shot. Much like in hunting. So, I checked the wind, took a quick glance of the deers direction of travel, and focused on my route of interception. I forwarded my advance. I was closer now, getting nice shots of the deer and a decent little 2×2 muley buck. I then decided, I would get another angle on them – cut them off at the pass. I started to move – and up jumped a couple of deer from the brush I was about to use to cover my advance – nearly running me over – they as scared, confused, and supprised as I was. I think we both screamed….I know I did. I tried to take shots as all this was happening – blurry, but close. I also noticed that my weapon, a Kodack 8 mega pixle, was not responding well to the cold enviorment. It was jammed! I quickly turned it off, back on, much like clearing a stove pipe in a .45 cal. Got one more shot off – jam. I clear it – another shot – jam. Then I came to the realization that I was not in a fire fight….I was trampling around the side of a snow covered, below freezing wind mountain taking pictures of deer. Why? I don’t know. So I regrouped and got back into the nice warm truck and hit the seat warmer button.

I was glad no one was there to see all that. It would have been a little embarrassing I am afraid.

I got back to the room, to find a very greatful wife. She missed me – so sweet. Just sad that I had to leave her in the middle of no where without good food, and accommodations to get her to miss me that much. Kind of like my fish when I leave for a vacation – they don’t get fed for a ffew days – you come back, pop the top on the fish tank and they dang neart’ jump into your hands. LOL

We decided to go into big Walsenburg to a fireside café Jace had found out about. We locate the hole in the wall, walk in – it looks really nice , it is warm from the huge fireplace in the back, and it is cozy. The greater asks, “ Do you have reservations?” Inside – my little people said something to the fact of “You’ve got to be joking. Reservations? Here? In Walsenburg?” Outside I said a simple “no ma’am we don’t”. She looked disappointed. Hmmm We were about to head to the only other restraint we saw – a Pizza hut, when the bar tender hollered “we can take’em. Seat them over by the window.” Wow lucky us. We just walked into the Annie’s Fireside Café in Walsenburg without reservations and got a table. I bet that does not happen much. LMAO

They took our drink order as Jace and I looked over the table for a menu. One was not found. When Jace then pointed to a chalk board on the wall behind me which read “New Year’s Buffet $25.00 per person. Happy New Year. Again – inside, my little people sounded the smart ass remark alarm and began shouting things like “What the heck?! You’ve got to be kidding! $25.00? “. Outside I calmly said “Well babe it must be good food…and a buffet…I can get $25.00 worth. They did not plan on James Clark walking in tonight.” LOL

Oh the things I put my wife through. She is a somewhat finicky eater. Coming from the flat lands of Andrews, TX it is easy to see why. We arrived near the back of the fine establishment to find stainless serving trays covered. Two nice gentlemen uncovered their proud dishes for us to feast on. They began their spill. “This sir is a fine African fish dish called (something) …” I said “yeah I take a small piece of that.”. Again – inside my little people were thinking “where the hell did they get an African fish from out here in the mountains?”. I ignored them as Jace turned the fish down ever so eloquently.

We move to the next dish – oh wow Pasta and Muscles on the shell. Without hesitation “No! I don’t want any of that” said Jace. The chef, a quick thinker says “ not much of a seafood eater are you ma’am?”. Jace “no” with a little laugh. I took some of the dish – Hey I am paying $25.00 a plate!

The next dish – roast beef. I though “thank God my wife will not starve”. Then he lifted the dish cover to reveal a more raw roast beef than even I would eat. He began to slice it, as my wife asked “is it cooked?” He replied “ I can cook you a few slices a little longer if you would like?”. Of course she said yes and he did.

We finally left this twilight zone of a place and decided we would go to the room instead of meeting with some people from work out in the mountains for New Years. Jace did not want to be on the road, in the mountains, with ice, and drunks….I understood completely.

We made a stop for a few drinks to take back to the room. Started watching the Dick Clark New Years show on the local ABC channel, when at 10PM Mountain time – just seconds from the ball dropping in New York, the news came on. They just cut off old Dick Clark’s special. We turned off the light and went to bed. LOL

The next morning we loaded up the truck, and I took Jace to Sheep mountain to make sure we had the network up and running with no issues before we headed back home to Texas. The roads were much better this morning than yesterday. I did not even need 4 wheel drive on our trip. Jace took pictures. We stopped and I climbed around on some of the rocks. Took more pictures ect.

Jace got to meet all the folks at the mountain, and some I work with back at home. I found a few issues and resolved them and we said our good byes.

On the way out – more pictures, a couple of a really nice white tail buck. We also stopped as we were coming down the mountain road to take a few pics of us together with the mountains in the background. We did so, and I was walking back to the truck to get the camera off the door when I decided to make a snowball to hit Jace with. I reached down into the snow, packed my projectile tight, and executed a poor pitch….looked like a Rangers pitcher instead of an Astros pitcher. LOL I missed her. I was brushing the snow off my hands, knowing I should not attempt it again for sake of getting in trouble…when I noticed something on my hands did not feel right. It is my left hand – it – something is – missing. Oh crap “My ring! I lost my wedding ring!” So much for getting in trouble. Jace started walking toward me mumbling something I could barely make out about “we ain’t leaving here until we find it if we have to go buy a metal detector blaa blaa blaa…..” LOL

I checked my gloves – because she told me too. I told her I bet it came off when I put my hands in the snow. So we kicked the snow around for a while. I was praying pretty hard – not aloud- thinking…man this is bad. Lord help me on this one pleeeeeaaassseee????!!!! All hope was lost though – we could not find it – gave up the search – caught a glare from the wife – guys….you know what I am talking about here…”the look”.

As I was making to the rear of the truck with my tail tucked, head low, “dead man walking” I saw something….”I found it!!!!!! Thank you Jesus! Praise God!” and inside my little people saying things like “Boy he got lucky this time!” “can you believe that….lucky, lucky, lucky.”. It was just sitting there on top of the fresh white frozen powder. Like God himself sat it there. I think He did. I’ve been saved more than once in this life….you may not think you can be….but I have. LOL

So we head back toward Texas. A.K.A Home. Stopping only to eat and get gas. We made it home around 11PM that night. Tired, and ready to sleep on the memory foam mattress. That thing rocks!

We had a good time. A relaxing, adventurous, trying, bonding time. Even still we missed the kids and were glad to be home.

Check out the pictures here: