Entry into Rocky Mountain National Park on Tuesday August 25, 2020, a free-day if you have a reservation, which I got a month ago on https://www.recreation.gov. I saw many RV’s, campers and Sunday-Drive people turned away at the entrance because they didn’t know the Park is “reservation-only”! I flashed my Reservation at the entry and was asked if I wanted a map and learned the Park didn’t close, which meant I could spend the night if desired.
Ma and I always took advantage of “free-day” for State and National Parks. In memory of our “old-times”, I followed the path and took the 400+ mile trek, taking the scenic route to the Grand Lake entry to the Park. The above photo was after entering the Park just after noon. Of course, the numerous forest fires in Colorado obscured the long range views in the Park, and I saw a small fire just getting started shortly after entering the Park. Ma’s 2004 Kia Spectra EX got 43.8 mpg.
When I got to 12,200ft altitude, it started to rain and the rain didn’t stop the rest of the day. There was a chill-factor, which was marvelous. I stopped just below the highest point in the Park and got out to bask and consider where Ma might be in all this splendor while watching the chipmunks race over to me. One came right up to my hand then ran off.
After a few hours of very casual driving, I left the splendor to head to Estes Park on the way to Loveland to get onto I-25 South. The temp in Loveland was 95 degrees F and the smoke from all the forest fires was thick and not so tasty. Only a little ways down I-25 was Johnson’s Corner, another spot where Ma and I would dig into a very large cinnamon roll. Something like 1200 carbs; well, I didn’t stop to save myself some calories but pined over the good-old-days and ached over how I really miss my much better half. Damn Ma, being told by your Doc only 7 days before your knee replacement that you have “Arrhythmia” and then to die of a heart attack on the day of surgery. I can’t get over how fast a low-risk heart condition can come on and take you out! I feel so guilty that I didn’t do more for you after being told about your heart condition. Doc said Arrhythmia wouldn’t affect your surgery, but damn, it sure affected your life. Especially after being processed for a heart attack you thought you were having through St. Francis Hospital only 10 days before you died. Three days later to clear you for knee replacement, your Doc said you have some “Arrhythmia”…hmm… After St. Francis ran a CatScan or something like that and after numerous blood tests, they gave you a clean-bill-of-health and sent you on your way saying you have a little “Pleurisy” that caused the pain in your chest. We didn’t give “Arrhythmia” much thought because it wouldn’t affect your surgery. Wonder what we could have done if we had paid more attention to “Arrhythmia”…!? Damn, that hurts…
Tommy Emmanuel music is an experience that I know Ma would have loved.