Colorado to Victoria BC

Colorado is dry. Very very dry. The first time I shook hands with Chance's husband, I nearly electrocuted him with static. 'Welcome to Colorado,' he said. I had a wonderful time up in the mountains with Chance and her family. We drove all over the place. I stomped in snow, was amazed by frozen waterfalls, got sunburned!!, saw big-horned sheep, deer (munching up peoples gardens in town, lol), marmots (omg cute miniature meerkat critters SOOOO CUTE), Canada geese (these dudes are all over the place but I havent yet seen one in Canada...), prairie dogs, red tailed hawks, mountain jays (brilliant blue), chipmunks, and one small spider that Chance converted into atoms one night in case it was a Brown Recluse. This spider kinda kills your flesh and stuff so not too nice. We have one like it in Australia.

Memorable moments:
Me leaping into the air when Chance yelled 'OUTTA THAT CHAIR!' when the aforementioned small spider was sighted.
The look on Chance's face when I said I wanted to see a rattlesnake.
Seeing a marmot for the first time.
Poking snow only to find it was solid ice. Small embarrassment to pokey finger.
The funny tshirt shop in Aspen. OMG I wanted to buy ALL those shirts. Laughed till I cried.
Yummy crockpot dinners at the end of a long day sightseeing.
The amazingly weird tourist shop with the pianola that started playing for no apparant reason.
The Continental Divide even though it did try to kill me to death with freezing.
Seeing a frozen lake.
The roadsigns: 'Move accidents off the road'; 'Road rage call (number)'; 'Beware falling rock' (Man, that rock was falling all over the place);'Beware avalanches'(er... what exactly are you gonna do???); The street called Bellyache Road; The town called No Name (now that's just lazy).
Seeing Orion the right way up. I miss not seeing the Southern Cross out of my back door when I get up in the night though. sigh.
Seeing Christopher and getting Christopher hugs. Hi sweety!!!
Debating the usefulness of the Monarchy with Katie.
Listening to Gordon Lightfoot while travelling to Aspen. Carefree Highway, let me slip away on you.
Reading the lightning safety brochure out to Chance. Man that thing was so funny. "Treat the apparantly dead first."
Going up to Hanging Lake. 'Is it straight up?' I asked. 'Not especially,' said Chance. I am paying you back for that one buddy. Chance is like a mountain goat skipping from rock to rock. I, on the other hand starved of oxygen, went 2 feet at a time then gasped for 10 minutes... Coming down was easier,even when the dumbass tourists going up didn't step aside to let us through. NO BRAKES PEOPLE!!! Souvenirs from the hike include a gash on my knee and assorted bruises. My lungs may never recover.

I loved Colorado. It's big and dry and rocky and looks like Wittenoom Gorge in places (except for the snow of course) The air is clean and clear and the people are Australia friendly. After Chicago and all the big cities, it was heaven to a girl like me used to big spaces and sky.

Chance and I had so many laughs. OMG. I love you buddy and THANK YOU for my stay. Se e you when I get my Green Card eh?