A Dog Gone Good Life!

Note: Click any picture to enlarge - 
We got to feeling brave, so drove the motorhome over to my cousin John's house in Brighton, CO. John and Sangwan have a large front yard and driveway, so Richard backed our house right in front of John's. I was so proud of him. He can put that big coach almost anywhere!

Baby Snooks, age 17

The weather warmed right up, and we went out to start the Onan 6300 generator so we could keep our pets cooled with A/C. Uh Oh! The starter spins but the engine does not turn over. Finally, after many calls and internet searches, we find a repair shop that can take us right in. Of course, when we got there and they diagnosed the problem (starter was out), they didn't have the needed parts and it would be morning before they could get them.


Back to John's driveway we went, thinking we would need to take the pets to a kennel somewhere. Sangwan has never had pets in her sparkling clean home, and we would not consider asking her to accommodate our housebroken, but slobbery old dog. Well, we didn't have to ask because she offered! Baby Snooks stayed inside until evening when we all went over to John and Sangwan's daughter's house for dinner. Everyone there was so amazed when they heard Snookie had spent the afternoon in the Snider house!

Iona, Elizabeth, Vicki and her brother Vincent

Sangwan and Vicki produced an abundant variety of foods and we talked and ate and enjoyed family time together for hours. Although many years apart in age, Vicki, a breast cancer survivor, and I have become fast friends on Facebook, getting to know one another over several years. We are politically and religiously very different. She is a Buddhist and works hard on the Obama campaign, and I am a Torah observant follower of Yeshua (Jesus) who is somewhat a cross between Libertarian and Republican. We are both passionate and vocal about our convictions, BUT we get along beautifully and she continues to be a treasure in my life.

Click on the photo for a larger version

We let the pets have the motorhome and spent the night in John and Sangwan's guest room. Early next morning, we headed back to the the repair shop. We had to wait a while for the new starter to arrive, but once it did, they swapped it out quickly and we held our breath as they started it. We were praying the generator itself was okay because during its previous six hours of operation it had run and quit and lurched along sickly. But now, it ran like a top. The mechanic said the spring that pulled the starter shaft back from the generator was broken, so the generator was actually turning the starter as it ran. Not any more. It starts immediately and runs so nice and smooth. To top it all off, the bill was way below estimate and the guy only charged $40 labor! Also, Spitzer is a Cummins-Onan factory authorized repair shop. Most important, they are just nice folks who know what they are doing.

The view from our doorway in Buckley Field RV park

Since it was Friday, we were anxious to get our rig parked and be ready for the Sabbath. Our daughter, Crystal, is in the military and lives on post. She arranged for us to rent a space in the Buckley Field RV park on base. Very nice with a cement patio, a pond and wetlands with a nature trail... and only about half what we would have to pay elsewhere.


We got set up in no time and headed to Crystal and Ronnie's house where Ronnie and some of the kids prepared a luscious dinner which was topped off with lots of good conversation. We had some catching up to do and some pictures to review since three of our granddaughters graduated from High School this spring... Mazel Tov, Kaylah, Becka and Rachel!!!

Back: Crystal, Ronnie, Samuel, Richard - Front: Justice, Kaylah, Giovanna, Becka, Rachel

This morning, we rode in to Roeh Israel with Crystal. It was so good to be back in a Messianic congregation, and wonder of wonders, Jonathan Settel who often comes to Beit Yisrael was there. Like me, he loved our late Pastor David Pavlik. He took part in David's memorial service, which we watched online. Today, he sang the Kaddish (a beautiful recitation for the dead), and I softly joined in. Doing it in person had a profound impact on me and I could not hold back the tears. Later, Jonathan shared with me that he had been thinking of Pastor David when he sang it. I was deeply blessed to have voiced those words in a live setting. 

Kim with a partied out Peyton

Jonathan will be at Beit Yisrael in Orlando next week. If you are not in Orlando, you can buy his CD's online. He has an incredible voice and range... and he shares a deep love of YHVH with all people.

After services, Richard and I drove the car to Castle Rock to visit daughter Kim and her family. The youngest, Peyton, had a birthday party to attend, so Daddy Steve took her. She was pooped out by the time she got back.


While she was gone, Kim put steaks on the grill and whipped up scalloped potatoes, corn and a super moist and chocolaty bundt cake with a buttery rich vanilla icing.

Male bonding over Far Side

We also played Yahtzee (which I won twice!) and Grandpa and Jacob read Far Side while Kim and I visited. Seems like forever since we had a good chat, but it was just this spring they all spent a week in Florida.


It's so, so good to see our loved ones again and to have the freedom to hang around for a while. We have the greatest kin folk in the world. We're so blessed to have wonderful children and beautiful, happy grandchildren... and the ability to drive all over the country to visit them, and never leave our home!

Jared enjoys dessert after a good meal

We really have no schedule, nor do we want one other than a loose plan here or there. Tomorrow, we are going out to the Railroad Museum in Golden. Crystal may join us for a while... No plans are solid yet, and it's kind of nice to just go with the flow. 


We do need to get Baby Snooks a bath and nail trim tomorrow, though. Hmmmm


Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll drop by often and maybe leave a comment. Comments always make my day.