So What's Going On

A lot actually......some good things and some not so good - such is life.

We have exactly the same color blue eyes.

This handsome guy (my baby bro) got married in Morris, Illinois in June. We drove there from Rocky Mountain National Park. Yeah, it turns out that there isn't much in between Western Colorado and Illinois. We had planned to stop and enjoy the drive, see the sites along the way - but there isn't much there to enjoy. Sorry Nebraska and Iowa, you are really flat and boring.

Just a note to anyone not yet married - if you don't rock out at your wedding, what the hell is the point.

Rock it out!

After the wedding, we drove through two other fairly pointless states - North Dakota and  EASTERN Montana - on the way to Glacier National Park. Holy crap, Glacier is amazing. We did a 3 night/35 mile backcountry trip and it was spectacular, aside from the rain and snow.

At the top of Ptarmigan Pass

Oh and the giardia....... Turns out those little protozoa are highly resistant to iodine, which was our main form of water purification while in Glacier National Park. HOW DID WE NOT KNOW THAT GIARDIA IS IODINE RESISTANT! Thank god we didn't, uhmmmm how shall I say this, exhibit symptoms until we were out of the park and in a hotel. Lesson learned, and guess who bought a fancy new water purification filter for future use.

So ugly

Make it stop.

Post hike - yay for clean clothes, a shower, and a great view from the hotel.

After Glacier, we drove a few hours north to Canada for a visit to Banff and Lake Louise to see more spectacularness and beauty than your eyes can take. Also, loads and loads of tourists. Next time we will go in the off-season.

Handsome Ashton men

Turns out it can be freaking cold in Canada, even in August.

Moraine Lake, crazy water colors

We took a day trip to see the fast-melting Abathasca Glacier. Despite the cold week we had while we were in Canada, the glaciers there are quickly melting. Go see them now before they are gone. That is some scary crap.

Me getting clobbered by Canada.

Family togetherness, also huddling for warmth

Lately we have been in Tahoe. There is much working on our golf game and generally fooling about. Dave has been perfecting his homemade pasta and ice cream, and I have been working on my German and Italian for our upcoming trip to Europe.

We also managed to fit in a last-minute, absolutely amazing 3-night backpacking trip in the Emigrant Wilderness with our friends J.P.M. and C.M. It was 30 miles of tough terrain, alpine lakes, evening campfires, and beautiful surroundings. All this spectacular wilderness is about 100 miles south and west of Tahoe, and we had never been there. Who knew?

A typical campground, just beautiful

Dragons were slayed and dinner was had, aw look at Dave's wee fish.

Not lost, really

So what is next? We leave for Europe on Tuesday. It should be quite a trip. We will be gone for about 6 weeks. But more about that later.......