So we were feeling all cool and prepared from our Durango shopping and ready to take on another chilly night in our next stop, Mancos, CO. The campground was unmanned and completely empty. The reservoir, Jackson Gulch Lake, was so low that the boat ramp ran out before you reached the water. We drove around the whole place and selected the best spot, set up camp and after a brief visit to Mesa Verde we got a fire going and cooked up some couscous on the stove and sausages on the fire. Dinner was excellent, we sipped wine and looked at the stars and felt pretty good about everything. The bed was comfortable, we were warm enough, and we drifted off to sleep.

Around 2:30 am the rain started. And it poured, alternating quieter runs were you fell back to sleep with 30 minute drum solos accompanied by thunder. Finally the sun came up and it all stopped. We were exhausted and angry. We broke camp as best we could, packed up the car, and rolled into Mancos where we had the best coffee ever at a little grocery, Zuma Foods, off the highway. Reenergized, we went for breakfast at the Absolute Bakery, where they ended breakfast early (boo!) but made up for it with very good raspberry scones and nice funky decor.

We spent most of the day thereafter at Mesa Verde before heading up to Moab, UT.

That night the wind shifts and a freezing endless train of gusts and icy breezes chills us all night. This, coupled with the campground’s choice of course gravel as the tent pad material, leads to much wakefulness and piling on of additional coats and other warm things. Freezing morning, but MSR camp stove worked well and provided welcome tea and oatmeal chock full of nuts, raisins, and (decadently) freeze dried mango.

I am getting tired of cleaning out registration spam (they don’t comment, but they do create tons of fake registrations), so I’ve added a new captcha thing to the commenter registration. It seems to work fine, and those of you already registered I don’t think will have to do it again. Registration remains pretty easy, folks, so don’t hold back (so long as you aren’t a spammer).

A bit literal, I’m afraid, if one goes into it.

If I had gotten this inspiring rant, maybe I would have amounted to something. Come to think of it, I don’t know that I’ve ever been the target class for a good commencement address. Martin Scorsese was at my college graduation, picked up his honorary diploma, and sat down without a word to us. I think we got the Assistant Secretary of Education or something.

I just bought some tea, and there’s a slightly distressing marking on the front. It starts out pleasantly enough: “Produces produces the tea-stowing region from the Taiwan high elevation.” But then it says “Smell fragrant entrance glycol.”

Okay what? Smell fragrant entrance glycol? I don’t even know what it’s trying to say. And I can’t think of any reason why glycol (you know, anti-freeze) should be mentioned on a tea package.

So whaddya think? Do I drink the tea?