Pass, Set, SPIKE!

After a long work week Arni and I went to his company picnic. It was held at a local park and they supplied barbecue  beer and fun sports! Anyone who knows anything about Arni's company knows it is practically an  international operation! I believe they have an employee from almost every continent. Americans are the minority, seriously. Anyway it always makes for a fun mix of people and that includes the sports we played. I  learned all about the game of cricket... kind of neat. We played some ultimate Frisbee ( really we were making fun of the serious U.F. players and doing silly things like trying to catch it under our legs and jumping in the air), some soccer and a bad ass game of volleyball! I used to play volleyball in high school so it was great fun and I got to show off some of my skills. It is funny, out of all the "wives" I was the only one who would play any sports! Most of them sat around chatting and of course some had small children to look after. I grew up with a brother and all male cousins doing things like building forts and climbing trees, and I have always felt more at ease with the boys. So I had a blast! We also brought Giselle and she was plum worn out after 4 hours of being drug around by little girls and playing fetch! I tell you the fascination that little girls have with a poodle is funny, so cute. She really is such a great dog, I don't know if there is any other like her!

So today is Saturday, we ran a few errands this morning and now Arni is working on his thesis and I think I'll go spend some time with the ponies! We are still on the search for hay... =(  This drought has really hit Colorado hard, and what little hay we can find is EXTREMELY expensive. It is very frustrating. Hopefully we will have a very wet winter to produce good spring grass next year!

Tomorrow if all goes as planned we will hike our THIRD 14er! Mt. Evans. For those of you who are wondering about this 14er.. basically Colorado has 54 mountains over 14,000ft. The most, I believe, of any state in the US. They are ranked in class on their difficulties, with some of them only completed by straight rock climbing at some points. Many Coloradans have goals to complete them all or as many as possible. Last year, our first year in Colorado, I wanted badly to climb one, but I was a bit too intimidated, as this is a HUGE feat! This year, however, I decided I was going to do it before the end of the summer... and I did!!!! Not only did I climb a 14er, I did TWO in one day!!! I made that hike my B*tch!!! hahaha It was by far the hardest thing I have done yet, and I am so proud of myself. To climb a 14er you have to get up at about 4am in order to hit the trail head no later than 6am. You have to start so early because of the afternoon storms. We hike so high that we are above tree line, thus resulting on you being the highest point on that mountain. This makes for a great chance to be struck by lightening. So anyway you have to summit before noon and be back down before 2pm. Once you are up there though, the trip is entirely worth it. I have never experienced something so pure and as close to Godly that I can imagine! Unfortunately, this is not something I could take an out of towner on, as the altitude alone is something that you have to prepare for. I myself have felt some twinges of altitude sickness, in the form of headaches and even nausea. All worth it though!!