I did wake up quite early yesterday, but luckily they started serving complimentary full breakfast at 6:00 (and for the outrageous price they charged for the room I wasn't going to pass that up) and then I was on the road by 7:00.  Refreshed from a good night's sleep, I had a relaxed drive to Cortez through all the wide open spaces.  It was a pleasant surprise that when I stopped at the quilt store there right at 9:00 they were just opening the doors (several women had been outside waiting); I figured they would open later and I'd just be on my way.  Then in Durango I hit both the quilt stores.  At each stop I picked up the (free) Row By Row pattern (my "reason" for stopping), and I'd like to say I got out without doing any further 'damage'.... but I'd be lying.

My one scare during the 625-mile drive here came between Durango and Pagosa Springs (that's the same stretch where we hit the deer on Mother's Day in '91 - when baby Lisa slept through the entire crash.)  It's pretty much one lane in each direction, with only partial shoulders.  I was clipping along at a good pace, enjoying Roy Zimmerman's wit, when I noticed that the blue pickup heading toward me was crowding the center line.  Then sure enough, about 1/3 of him "drifted" over the line.  I scooched over to the right as far as I could (which wasn't much) and laid on the horn, and the driver made the appropriate adjustment.  But it sure ramped up my heartbeat!

I had planned to stop at Treasure Falls before climbing up over Wolf Creek Pass (the kids always enjoyed that stop), but the pretty white clouds I had been enjoying all day were black over the pass, and I did see some lightning, so I decided to just press on and hopefully beat the storm... which was waiting for me at the top. <g> So I had heavy rain all the way to West Fork, but at least I had a clean windshield after that.

One last stop at the quilt store in Del Norte, and then on to the springs!  Great to see Terry and Neil, though not surprisingly there has been quite a deterioration in his condition since last summer.   The weather was threatening (and we did get quite a heavy downpour in the late afternoon and evening) so I haven't yet soaked.  But we sat and talked and caught up on stuff, and then Terry (as usual) whipped up a delicious dinner.

Now I'm off for my morning soak, starting at the Apple Pool. 

Let the relaxing begin!