Thoroughly Enjoyed "Old Man River"

Hi, all! Hope your holiday weekend was enjoyable and relaxing!

Tom & I got back from our Rifle River trip late Monday afternoon. We had an absolutely wonderful time with 3 other couples, and were extremely grateful for the time away from our jobs.

I had planned on going in to work today, but discovered when I awoke this morning that the laundry and housecleaning fairy had run off with a Keebler elf (the fickle wench), so I really felt obligated to stay home and get chores done. Of course, being a person with a strong conviction about priorities, I just HAD to tackle the first chore (which really isn't a chore) on my list which was to read all your blogs and update mine. LOL

Below are some pics from our trip. I'll post several and let them speak for themselves. Have a great day, everyone!  :-)

Several of us admiring the beauty of the Rifle River. I'm on the left.

During "Lumberjack Weekend," the guys made this log bridge 10' above a creek. It was scary to cross, but solid enough.

To cross this wide, but shallow creek, I had to straddle 2 logs and walk across them. I'm not exactly the graceful type, so the fact that I successfully made it across the creek twice in one weekend without falling in was amazing.

Tom captured some early morning fog on the river bank in this gorgeous photo.

The next morning, Tom was sitting on a bench high above the river when he spotted this doe on the opposite bank.

With no electricity or water on the property, this is how we po' folks had to wash our hair. By the time I got out of the river, my toes were so cold I couldn't feel them anymore. LOL Notice the large bottle of shampoo in my pocket.

By Sunday, it had warmed up nicely and we were able to take a few tube rides down the river. I'm the tuber in the middle here.

The neighbor next to our friends' property also owns acreage on the river, and he has a TON of animals including two horses. This one is my favorite horse (not sure what his or her name is), and I got him to pose for me, and let me pet him, over the weekend. (I love horses.)

How many adults does it take to rescue a lost oar in a creek, and also to convince the snapping turtle in said creek to come up on shore for a visit? I'm not sure, but in this photo, 4 people (including Tom in the foreground) decided to give it a go. Oh, and the turtle chose NOT to visit with us, which was probably best for all involved.

My Italian husband doing what he does best--cooking!

Look how high the ferns are, mom! (Great place for kids to play Hide and Seek.Haven't found any Poison Ivy yet, thankfully.)

I really like this picture of Tom.  Peek a boo!

Amongst the ferns, we discovered this old outhouse and though it was really neat-looking.

On that note, I think I'll post this blog for now and add more photos from our trip later this afternoon. Enjoy!