Chatfield

We relocated from the north side of Denver to the South side of Denver. Sixty miles. We’re at Chatfield State Park, close to Matt’s house, for a week.

Canada geese

A whole convoy.

Canada geese

One engine in the front, one in the rear.

Trains

We wonder about coal trains. They squeal and scream their way up and down Glenwood canyon. Easily ten or twelve a day. Sometimes that many in one night. A hundred cars. The usual configuration is two engines in the front, three in the middle, and one at the end.

We can imagine these great trains as two separate trains that happen to be traveling together; two engines pulling fifty cars with one engine helping from behind, then another two engines pulling fifty cars with one engine helping from behind. Why do they hook them together?

What is the efficiency that drives the train builders to attach those two trains into six engine configurations? Mechanical? Scheduling? Can’t figure it out.

Oh the mysteries of life.

St Vrain State Park

Utility hookups done well.

Yard birds

I like this yard.

St vrain state park

We left Glenwood Canyon Saturday morning; arrived at St Vrain State Park by lunch. It’s a convenient camp fifteen miles from Becky and Brian. Matt brought the boys up and we all met a Becky and Brian’s for a nice family afternoon and dinner.

This park has been here a long time. It was a county park before the state took it over. Altogether there are 87 camp sites sprinkled around about a dozen fishing ponds. Nice site separation. It’s close in to the Denver Metro area, so it gets a lot of weekend use; not so much during the week.

The old campsite section has mature trees and water and electric hookups for RVs. The state built a new camping section with full hookups; where we are this trip. They planted a few bushes, trees; and some grass. It’s going to be really nice when it grows up.