Our next planned stop was in Fort Collins, Colorado to see my brother Harold and his wife Liz along with a cousin of ours Wayne and his wife Lori. Wayne and I used to hang out quite a bit in our teenage years. It was great to reminisce about those times. We have grown older and somewhat more mature (but not that much). Colleen and I have not seen Wayne and Lori in a number of years.. It was great to get caught up on what has been going on since we met last.
This was a trip that Colleen and I used to take as a vacation together. It has been a good 15 plus years since we were there last, however the beauty still remains. Fort Collins is located in Rocky Mountain foothills. This is a beautiful area for many outdoor activities. The photos here are from the Horsetooth Reservoir very close to their house. The last time we visited, my brother took us for a hike near Cameron Pass and we came across a couple of moose drinking from a small lake. As I recall there was a bull, a cow and their calf. They looked at us and we at them. They seemed to size us up if we posed any imminent danger. When they realized there was none, they simply meandered off into the woods. It was such a rich experience to be face to face with wildlife like that in their own domain. At that time my brother had been there for a number of years and said this was the first time he saw a moose. I guess we were extremely fortunate that day. After those trips I would always be talking on the way home to Colleen how we should move here. I would put on my best sales pitch on why it would be a good idea. Of course she never gave in. If the moose experience didn’t sell her, I certainly had no chance.
We only stayed a few days this trip, but it was sure nice to catch up with my brother. Harold and I have lost our mother and a brother since those earlier trips. The nature of our conversations are much deeper and meaningful today. Although we did not have an opportunity to do the outdoor activities that we once did as a group, we cherished the one thing most precious and that is time together.
