Spring break in Colorado

While Cara and Wesley were off last week, I took a couple of days off and we all went on a quick Sanford trip. It was great to be with family there and we enjoyed it a lot. We spent most of the time with Lois and Kim who are always great hosts and enjoyed their beautiful home. You can see a panorama of their home above.

Part of your Haynie history you may not be aware of has become more real to me. When the original Haynie family (Emily and her 9 children soon after her husband Robert died from wounds suffered as a Confederate soldier) joined the church in Georgia in 1878, they were driven out by their neighbors. John Morgan, their missionary, arranged for they and a few others to migrate to the San Luis valley in Colorado. After a long wagon and train trip they spent a hard cold winter in Pueblo Colorado then walked carrying their belongings the 50 miles to the southern end of the valley. In the cold, dry climate-so different from their Georgia home- they were without home, shelter or food. A local Mexican family, the Salazars, took pity on them and gave them a milk cow as well as grain to help them survive. (As an aside, the former senator from Colorado and current Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, is a descendant of that family who saved our family from starvation). They moved 25 miles downriver to the confluence of the Conejos and Rio Grande where they dugout a rough shelter on the river banks. Weakened by starvation and exposure, Emily died within a couple of months at the age of 50. The children took her body back to the newly founded town of Manassa to bury her. The oldest boy, Patrick Calhoun Haynie, who was my great, great grandfather built the first house in Manassa for the family to live in.

The attached picture of where the Conejos and Rio Grande rivers meet, is close to that unknown site where Emily Haynie died. Seeing that place and the Salazar ranch gave me a greater appreciation for the faith and toughness of our ancestors. Who would have thought that Peggy's girlhood home was the original home of the Haynies.

Lyn and Dixie have moved into an old ranch house owned by Lynn's employer in the far Northeast corner of the valley close to Fort Garland. As part of the cleanup and refurbishing, they threw out a lot of junk, including the old jeep in the photo above. I told Lynn I would tow it home and fix it up- we'll see if I really do.

Life around Orem

This is not Florida
Wesley is thankful for Sunday dinner.
And who would these two lovelies be...
While Mom was away for a week, somehow a mustache got started. It only lasted for a few weeks but it was fun for a while.

My Germany trip

I had to go to Germany in November for training with the Unilux window factory. My week in Trier (the Southwest corner of Germany and an old Roman city) was a real treat. Besides a great old hotel, we were treated to great food and beer (I can only vouch for the food). Even with the cold weather it was a good trip.

Quick lets talk about fall before winter's over

We organized a picnic up South Fork before it got too cold. It was a little nippy but fun. It included Jack leaping across streams, Cara sunning herself and Wesley standing around looking grownup. Also Wade was trying to teach Sarah about motorcycles

Harvest Time

We are enjoying the bounty of harvest crops. We went gleaning in the neighbors yard where the chickens are and came back with this basketful. We have tomatoes, beans, zucchini, squash, walnuts, fresh eggs and Asian pears. Doesn't that basket look good? Anna got another load just as big to make salsa.
We took off a couple of weeks ago to climb Timp but it was raining so we drove a dirt road around the front of Timp and went hiking a little later when it dried off. We hiked for a couple of hours then Peggy & I walked back to the car to drive back around and pick up Cara, Wesley and Nathan at the bottom of Battle Creek canyon in Pleasant Grove. It was a beautiful day.
Yesterday we were working on the stucco prep (thanks, Jeff) and had a little driveway lunch while Wesley showed off his "mad skilzz"

The living room is finally livable

The carpet came in and we got the final details pulled together. We are ready for Curtis and company to come and inspect.

A few more baby steps on the house

After a few weeks hiatus, we got the patio room insulated, sheetrocked and mudded. I got the door installed and tightened so we tore out the sliding door and opened the room up to the house. So far it is keeping cool. With a little more mudding and sanding we will be ready to paint. Peggy is trying to get carpet ordered and we are getting closer to a real sunken living room. The outside is covered with plywood and the goal is to get it stuccoed before winter, funds permitting.