He's a Marine!

Buffalo jump site

BFT at USAF campsight

Here we are!

A little B-52 on the way in!

More buffalo jump site - amazing!

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY COLORADO SPRINGS (IN THE WOODS)---Well....In my father's eloquent words, it was a "major brain fart!" The Dinger and I are currently in residence at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. While we were totally aware that we could access military bases across the country for various goods and services, we came to the party a bit late on the fact that the government offers its warriors amazingly cool - and CHEAP - camping. After being told by a Vanessa at Fort Carson that it would cost $75 a night to camp there (Ding paid $125 a MONTH to camp in Twentynine Palms back in the day) I called the Falcons. Michelle said "come on down" and we did. In fact, I can honestly say it's the prettiest camping we've done so far. There are views of the Rockies and Pike's Peak, big timber trees, large spaces and liberal neighbors (liberal in the dog-not-on-a-leash, cribbage board competitive, explicative yelling sense). We spent two nights at a nice KOA in Fort Collins, where the Dinger reshod the BFT. We have bigger more bad-ass tires and wheels now - much safer! I've reached another level of maturity and invited an ex to supper at KOA. Naturally, the Dinger and Steele got on very well. Never hurts when you pair two gun and rare red meat nuts. We stopped in Denver and brew pubbed and supped with cousins Kit and Ariel and our webmaster Bear before landing at the USAF. I made the Dinger stop at the gate so I could shoot a photo and document our adventure. As a former tree hugging, bra-burning third-wave feminist, I was surprisingly proud when Albert Donald Dailey showed his credentials and the young man in uniform thoroughly saluted my long-haired, bearded, grease covered Harley officer husband. We should have bugged out today after getting my military spouse ID (for those who know my history, this is an epic turn of faith) but, instead, we sat inside the BFT and listened to the rain, the silence and our computer key tapping. I've contacted cousin Don Clark, formerly of New Mexico, now of Colo Springs, and we will meet him for coffee in the A.M. He's helped us map a route to Cortez, where we will meet up with Dad, Fran, Bobbie and Mike. I've got jumbo shrimps and lobster aboard for the KOA DCC Seafood Boil 2012 and plenty of lox and bagels for Pop. Seeing the Dinger slow down for a couple days has been glorious. He's sprawled in the Cal King now with Thumper, watching a movie. We do Cortez for a couple of days and then onto Ignacio. Send up those supplications folks.....More soon....Hol, the Dinger, Thumper Woo and Bob "I'm no longer Bob Marley with dreadlocks" the Dog.