Ingersoll Cabin Trip, September 14-16

My birthday week came to a beautiful conclusion in my favorite place on the whole planet, my family's cabin near Westcliffe, Colorado. My dad, brother Adam, Brian and I spent last weekend roughing it at the foot of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains.

Can you believe that Adam and I are the FIFTH generation to use this land! My dad's great grandparents settled in the Wet Mountain Valley in the vicinity of Westcliffe. His grandmother (my great-grandmother, who I knew) and mother were both born there, and my dad spent the earliest several years of his childhood in Westcliffe. The cabin was built by my dad, uncle Al, and their father in 1964. Adam and I definitely appreciate not only the beauty of this place, but the history of our family in the area.

Much fun was had by all. We wandered, we drank, we ate, we sang and played, we read, we slept, we gazed lovingly at the happiest three dogs ever...

Saturday we headed into the booming metropolis of Westliffe for burgers and beers at Poag Mahone's Irish Pub. We heard some great music, watched some football, and then headed out to what I was sure was going to be the adventure of the weekend!

This was all my idea after all. The Silver Cliff Cemetary is renowned for its mysterious blue lights which have been seen by the town's residents for over 100 years. The phenomenon even made it into National Geographic back in 1969. Well, when I heard about the lights on Colorado Public Radio a couple months back, I thought it would be lots of fun to hang out in the cemetary waiting to see them. I was more determined to visit it after my dad told me that his mother is buried there.

So after a few shots of courage at the pub (mango flavored tequila, anyone?), we drove out to the cemetary. Check out this picture ....

I think it's scary even in the daytime.

Well, for all my talk, I turned into a complete weenie as soon as we pulled up in front of the cemetary. I didn't even want to drive in there, much less leave the safety of the car and wander around. However, the boys were convincing, and flanked by my brother and husband, one on each arm, we did one lap of the graveyard before I demanded that we leave.

So much for the blue lights.....