August 27, 2010

With our time in Moab dwindling, Ron and his daughter, Rene, offered to take us on one more outing. Chuck rode with Ron in his truck and I rode with Rene in hers. As if our CO mountain trip wasn't scary enough, they decided to drive down "Mineral Bottom" road - a steep,rocky, unpaved road that only 4-wheel drive vehicles or ATVs can handle. I held on tight - as if that would do any good if the truck lost its grip and went over the sheer drop. I tried to focus on the variations in the color of the rocks as we drove - the Moab reds, golds and the greens caused by iron oxide. Repeat after me, "Beautiful rocks, don't look down." We finally reached the bottom and drove over to a small area which serves as a landing strip. Hard to imagine what might be flown in here - other than perhaps a rescue mission. We drove on until Ron got concerned that we might get stuck on the sandy road. We turned back and had lunch along a river bank - so we'd have something to lose on the way up? Somehow the trip back up the switchbacks was more terrifying than the way down. Rene gave a sigh of relief when we reached the top. Ha ha, she had my life in her hands and was as scared as I was. (We recently learned that the road was affected by the flash floods in Utah and is closed indefinitely)

On the way back, Ron pointed out a granary where the native Americans hid their food from animals and other tribes. Rene and I decided that the short trek up was doable and set off with her part-Dingo dog, "Max." I haven't done much hiking on uneven ground since my knee surgery but my Teva sandals seemed to grip the ground pretty well. Still I was pretty pooped by the time we got to the site. Resting next to a granary that probably hasn't changed much since it was built at least 600 years ago seemed worth the work to get there. The trip down was a lot easier and faster but I had zero energy left by the time we reached the truck. Chuck poured some water over my head thinking that I could have heat exhaustion. Very possible - after we returned, we learned that the temperature was 109.4 degrees.

After a taco night with Ron, Rene and Craig, we prepared to leave for the MUFON Symposium in Denver.

MUFON has undergone radical change this year. We lost, at least temporarily, the significant funding we received from an aerospace company, and our International Director stepped down. Fortunately, our Board of Directors met the challenge and there was a palpable, new energy at the State Directors' meeting along with lots of creative ideas for the future. Chuck gave his presentation on EMP (Electro
Magnetic Pulse) highlighting our Port Jervis, NY case during the Field Investigator's portion of the program. The next two days, we enjoyed talks by the foremost experts in ufology and reconnecting with friends - especially Chuck Fetterman - our "best man." After the Symposium, we headed towards Greeley, CO to spend some time at the new International Head Quarters.

We also planned to visit beautiful Estes Park. Very unfortunately, however, I saw a entry on Facebook that indicated that my Administrator, Nicky, and her husband were in the hospital. Eventually I learned that they had been in a serious motorcycle accident. Luckily, I was able to get a straight flight home that afternoon. Chuck followed with the RV.

Nicky has a hairline fracture in her neck and a surgically placed screw in her ankle. She'll require at least a couple of months rehab and I'm back to work until then.

We had planned to be home on the 10th anyway to attend my nephew's wedding. We had a fantastic time celebrating with Ryan and Heather and catching up with family. We also attended Court - on a motion for summary judgment against the Lang Antique Jewelry Store in San Francisco - where we prevailed. Finally.

So, we're home for a bit, let's catch up.