On Tuesday 10 March 2012 we left quite early to drive to Denver, Colorado, and we made it to the hotel where we had booked a room early enough that they wouldn’t let us check in yet. That was OK, however, as they now knew we would be there, and we went over to the temple to begin working in an effort to complete the temple work for people who were family of members back in Columbus. We had arranged to meet with Pat's cousin, Joanne Gilmore, at the temple. We had lunch together then went to the temple. Later that night we were able to visit with Don and Joanne for a few minutes in their home in Littleton, Colorado before going back to the Hotel for the night.
Some people in our home area had asked us to do the work for them, and we had been working on it slowly ever since. Wednesday was a day of wet and cold. I had to scrape ice off the windows of the car before we could start to drive to Colorado Springs where we were both to have a chance to see dermatologists. Pat was to have a follow-up on the surgery to remove a skin cancer, and I saw another dermatologist to get help on four different issues that have been a part of life for several years. It is wise to get help when needed, but when it is necessary to refill prescriptions there is no alternative. Since Pat was required to go, we scheduled for me to have an appointment too. Both of us were happy with the results of the visits with the doctors.
Pike's Peak is the beautiful mountain above the colorful and growing city of Colorado Springs. It is the city where we had three doctor's appointments during this week.
While traveling from Denver to Colorado Springs we left the wet weather and eventually came to an area of clear sky. That was an interesting improvement in conditions.
We spent a little time in the Mission office, and agreed to attend a gathering for all of the senior missionaries in the mission that will be in a couple of weeks. The gathering was planned to honor both new senior missionaries who have come to serve and departing missionaries who have finished their assignments. It will also be an opportunity to socialize.
After finishing our Wednesday appointments with the doctors, we drove back up to the Denver temple and each completed two more endowment sessions and then a late sealing session in which we were finally able to complete all the sealings for the families we had been working on. We still have a couple more ordinances to finish to have everything done, but we hope to get it all finished before we leave our mission area.
Here is the back side of a special outcropping of rock formations called "The Garden of the Gods". It is in the hills above Colorado Springs and has been a fastinating geological site for hundreds of years.
Thursday morning we checked out of the hotel and again drove back to Colorado Springs for an appointment with the neurologist that has been helping Pat with her MS problems. This doctor is a woman from India, and she expresses a lot of concern for Pat. Because Pat has had a second flare-up within a short time she wants us to make reports to her of all changes. We told her of our approaching release from our mission, and she asked that we come for a last visit with her before we go home, so they scheduled that for the week before we are to be released. We appreciate her interest and help. And between this visit to this doctor, and the senior missionaries’ activity we hope we can complete all of the temple work we are working on.
The land on which the "Garden of the Gods" lies is a parcel of land that Charles Perkins, the president of the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad, purchased in 1879. His family eventually donated the property to the city of Colorado Springs provided that this site be free for all visitors to experience. It is a very nice place to visit.
We arrived in Colorado Springs a little time before the appointment, so we went to the park area known as "the Garden of the Gods." It is a geologically interesting area where there are a lot of colored rocks standing nearly vertical. We went to the visitors center and watched a short movie that gave the geologists’ ideas of how the formations came to be. As interesting as the geology lesson was, we got nearly equal enjoyment from the numerous historical things about the Indians who had lived in the area. Though the tribes were often at war one with another, they shared this area in peace because of its unique position among the rivers and mountains that formed the boundaries between tribal areas. We enjoy such "tourist" type activities when we have time for them. After the appointment, we immediately began the return drive home.
This is a photo of our car on the road over the John Martin Dam in southeastern Colorado. This dam is on the Arkansas River and makes a large reservoir with popular boating and camping sites available.
On our way out of Colorado, we decided to visit the John Martin Dam and Reservoir which was built on the Arkansas River. It helped to water the crops in the farms in South Eastern Colorado and was used to regulate the flow of the water so it wouldn't flood at certain times.
As you can see the reservoir is very big and gives a lot of room for boating, camping and recreation.
However, the Arkansas river flows from high up in the mountains of Southern Colorado east to the Mississippi River and was used to water many different farm acres all along the areas where it would flow. Now, due to the large reservoir, most of the water is used only for Colorado.
Notice the small creek flowing from the dam. It seems to mostly be coming from seepage under the dam.
In many parts of Southwestern Kansas, the river is almost non-existent. Actually the water is so low that it is flowing in an underground river until it reaches somewhere east of Dodge City where it finally begins to flow above ground again. It seems that the authorities of the dam were to release regular amounts of the water over the dam from the reservoir, but it has not been doing that and only a very small creek of water is seeping out from under the dam. Many of the local people here in southwest Kansas are very unhappy about the water not flowing naturally here because it seems to make it very hard to water crops on so many farms in the area. It is difficult for us to understand this complex dilemma but we do feel sorry for the people running the very dry farms in this drought that is going on here in Kansas.
Our son, Eric Howlett, is standing next to the car he just bought from his cousins Van and Sarah Rowse, in Arizona.
Eric called us that morning and explained that he was driving home from Arizona to Columbus and was planning his trip so he could come through Garden City. We hurried home from Colorado Springs in order to make a few preparations for his visit. We had time to pick up a sleeping bag and pad so he could have a bed on the floor, and we made it to KFC to get some dinner, and while returning home Pat called Eric’s cell phone and found that he was just then passing the place where we had gone to borrow the sleeping bag. We were able to give him guidance so he could find his way directly to our apartment, and he drove in right after us.
Sister Howlett (Mom), Elder Howlett (Dad) and our son Eric are all standing next to our apartment building in Garden City, Kansas.
We had a really enjoyable time talking with him until bed time, and the next morning after breakfast we explained how he could get to the roads he was planning to use to continue on home. Three hours later we received word from him that he had made it to I-70, and this morning we got a message from Chris saying he had made it home. He had about 17 hours of driving in that day and he was alone, so we are grateful for his safe return.
1 comment:
I'm glad all the travels were done safely and that you got so much done. Love you!
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