Dear Maia and Isaac,

I can’t believe summer is winding down and I haven’t gone camping at some of my favorite places yet.  That is partly because I work very long hours now.  And, it is partly the drought.  My favorite places are in the Southwest corner of Colorado – near the 4-Corners.  But, there have been so many fires down that way this summer that I have avoided it.  Wow!  Only a few trips left for 2018.

Anyway, last week the pups and I headed to Ridgway.  You might remember going there with me a couple years ago around Thanksgiving.   I had to work late, so was super glad I found a place as close to my house.   We got there and the smoke over the mountains was obvious.

The next day, we went shopping in Ridgway.  I got a cool little lamp for half-price and a cowboy hat.  Then, we hiked from town to the memorial for an actor named Dennis Weaver.  I met his wife once in Ridgway many years ago – she had the coolest flashing earrings.

The thing I like best about the memorial is the prayer stones.  They remind me of balance – and right now everything in my life seems pretty unbalanced.  It’s cool that people who visit here are always rebalancing the rocks the fall down.  It is as if everyone wants to keep the spirit alive.

We went back to Ridgway State Park and hiked a little there before having soup for dinner.  The reservoir is way too low due to the drought – and smoke always fills the air.  It was a good day, though!

I think of you two every day and I am glad I can bring you on my journeys!  I wish I heard from you more often . . . I think you have outgrown me.  I am trying to write this blog to you in a way that shows how much I value you both.  I wonder if you are mad at me or if you have just gotten too busy to respond to my texts and posts.  I hope someday you realize how much you mean to me.

Next week, we are staying close to home, again – because I have surgery on a little bit of skin cancer this week.  I have to have 2 surgeries on it so they can make it look right, again.  So next week, I will have a hole in my head between surgeries.  I don’t want to be too far from home.  I think we will go to a place in the Mountains near here called Cimarron.  There is a bunch of train stuff there – I will try to get photos for Isaac.  Love you guys, always, Grandma Hartt – PS always use sunscreen!