Sept. 21, 2007 - 22:09 MDT

AND THERE IS BAD NEWS

Bad news seems to multiply, more memorials are being erected for those slain for no reason at all. Domestic abuse appears to be on the rise. Judges forcing women to take classes with mates they divorced because of abuse, trying to solve custody cases and such. All that is bad news of course.

But in todays Rocky Mountain News an article about the Arctic Ice Cap showing an accelerated melting, worse than anything in the last 30 years.

Scientists advance the theory that greenhouse gasses have a lot to do with it while saying that there could be other causes as well, and there might be, but how far are they going to let things go before countries actually do something to alleviate the rising risk of total meltdown ?

The worlds problems seem to be multiplying hand over fist - - - and yet as has been noted the foot that hurts the worst is your own when your toe is stubbed.

So it is with Heather and I and our oldest son. His Pseudo Gout has gone down into his foot. He received a "cortisone-like" shot while in the hospital and the medics seem to have no advice for him on the swelling going down.

Heather and I not being able to physically help him, took a respite day and went to Estes Park to view the aspen as it turns. Appears to be a bit early, although we saw some, not nearly in the amount we usually do.

Our original intention was go from Denver to Boulder and on up 36 into Estes Park, having lunch there and then proceeding through Rocky Mountain National Park onto Trail Ridge Road which is if not part of the Continental Divide is close to it. The source of the Colorado River is up in that area so drainage goes into the sea from there -- what of the water isn't already used by mankind. Water east of there goes to the Atlantic via the Mississippi River. I guess Trail Ridge Road is still the highest road in the United States -- and closes due to snow early in the season. Anyhow we planned to go Trail Ridge Road and on down into Grand Lake and home via that route.

Being mere mortals we were unaware that Rutting Season is on for the Elk in the park (probably all elk wherever they be), so we used our lifetime pass to go to Moraine Park to see the elk. There was a bull elk and his herd close by, with many people walking out to get close. Trail was a bit rough for me to try, but Heather decided to take her camera and go out there. I got one zoomed photo of the bull, which blows up nicely but is nothing on the net I think. She took some pics including some telephoto's from closer to that I think will be superb.

Having dallied over lunch in Estes town itself and spent a lot of time elk watching, late in the afternoon we reversed our course and headed back to Denver via the Big Thompson Canyon and thence highway US 287 which ends up on Wadsworth which goes just a few blocks past the street where we live. We plan to use that route next year. It is a scenic route for us.

So, very gultily we have to admit we took respite today and enjoyed it.

Arriving home tonight we called our son, he told us he did his physical therapy today, walked a bit as well and spent the rest of the day with the swollen foot propped above his heart level, thus keeping the swelling to a minimum. That in itself is such a very uncomfortable position to be in that our heart goes out to him.

So, who is to judge the severity ? There is bad news AND THERE IS BAD NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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