Hello to all.

We saw several wild critters on this trip. More than eight lizards, deer, a wild turkey, huge stink bugs, cicada, and an animal called a "Feral Trespassing Horse" as mentioned in this sign.

We learned that some time ago several horses escaped the neighboring reservation and started living in the park. They bred to about 500 animals and are now threatening the deer population.

We saw several of these animals on our travels. I think the most interesting thing about them was how they were referred to: feral trespassing horses.

The park department apparently has plans to round them up and move them out of the park. This is one we came across just outside our lodge.

Our day began not as early as yesterday. We packed up, checked out and headed for breakfast. We timed ourselves to arrive at the Step House trail head at 9:00, right when it opened.

As we started down the trail, Xavier put on his hat and his styling sunglasses.

The hike down was about a mile, some of it on staircases along the cliff side.

Xavier commented on some of the brickwork along the hike, pointing out how it was like the cliff dwelling brick, but not built by the Ancient Puebloans. (He listened and remembered what the guide told us yesterday about how modern building around the sites tries to blend in with the environment).

We reached the path along the side of the cliff that led to the ruin and followed it to Step House. There, we asked the park ranger there to take a "helpie" of our family.

The ruin was a smaller one, but still worth the one mile hike along the goat trail and stairs down the cliff.

Xavier and Rebecca climbed the ladder into the dwelling, then posed for the "proof we were there shot."

We explored the site, looking into the kiva and other rooms. Xavier ran ahead with enthusiasm to see all the site at eight-year-old speed.

We did get him to slow down long enough to take a picture with Dad before we started our ascent back to the mesa top.

On the way out, Xavier took the ladder down to the pathway. Rebecca, after overseeing Xavier's climb down, decided to take Dad's way down: a small stone staircase.

The path up to the mesa top was far less arduous, the biggest concern was all the large yucca plant along the switchbacks waiting to skewer a foot or leg.

Half way up, we came across a coyote. It skirted us and we watched it go around and continue its way down the goat path.

All in all, a successful trip and Xavier was a trooper the whole way. He mentioned on the way out that he liked the Step House the best because we saw the coyote. "If we didn't have to come back today," he told Rebecca, "we would not have seen the coyote."

Greetings from Southwest Colorado

Wednesday was Xavier's last day of school as a second-grader, and we were thrilled the weather this year did not force makeup days.

Rebecca had made reservations for a short vacation. On Thursday we loaded up the car and drove to Mesa Verde National Park.

The drive lasted, with stops for lunch and other needs, about eight hours.

We arrived at our lodge near 7:00 PM. Lots of clicking in the bushes greeted us. At first we thought grasshoppers were behind the clicking. Turns out, we were in time for the cicada hatch!

This picture above of the bush is typical of what we saw. There easily forty insects in the shot, all measuring about one and a quarter inches in length. They flew around us the whole trip, and many were quite happy to land on us and stay a while.

Our first morning began early; we were up before six AM. We had a bus tour starting at eight and we still needed breakfast.

The first stop on the tour was an overlook of the park from a spot called Park View. Here, Xavier both endeared himself to the guide by his questions and observations, and he discovered the spotting scope.

It took us a few tries, but we got Xavier pulled away from the spotting scope long enough to have the guide, Ms Holly, take a "helpie" of the family. (I coined the term "helpie" as getting someone to take a picture of you).

Behind the family you can see Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. It's why we chose the location as a backdrop.

Our next stop brought us to view a pit house. Xavier had several questions for Ms Holly as well as several answers to some of her questions.

As might be expected, some of his questions concerned the engineering aspects of how the pit house was built.

Our next stop was a view Cliff Palace. Many of the ruins were closed due to the time of year and due to road construction projects (one ruin was closed due to rock slides).

After reaching the overlook site, Xavier went straight to the spotting scope. He found Cliff Palace, but seemed more interested on the Sun Temple on the surface of the cliff.

To be honest, I think playing with the spotting scope interested him more than anything else at the site.

Our next stop had a kiva to view, as well as information on how the people (Ancient Puebloans as they are now called) used the yucca plant.

Xavier, though listening, was sure to point out to others the two lizards he found as they scurried around the group.

Our last stop was Spruce Tree House. Here, we did not have the time for the 2.5 mile hike to see the petroglyphs. The lunch hour was fast upon us, the tour was ending and we did not think Xavier would last such a hike without falling into constant complaining.

Up to now, Xavier had been a trooper. He made friends with our bus driver. Got on and off the bus without much fuss, and he found things to enjoy at each site.

We got back to the lodge and ate lunch. Then it was off to a self-guided tour of Step House. The drive there was a tedious thirty minutes of 15 mile per hour winding, narrow, hairpin roads.

We arrived about 2:55 only to learn that Step House closes at 3:00.

We stayed another hour and a half to view some of the other sites on the mesa top. However, we determined we would tour Step House tomorrow after breakfast and before leaving the park to drive home. We wanted Xavier to experience up close one of cliff dwellings.

After a relaxing dinner where we likely ate too much, we visited one more site before the rangers closed it for the evening.

Xavier really liked it because he got to get inside and explore one of the pueblo ruins. We'll see what he thinks of Step House tomorrow.

Greetings to all.

Today was his big birthday party Xavier has awaited weeks to have.

We spent the morning playing Minecraft (a Saturday morning "tradition" Xavier rarely varies from), setting up the back yard for guests, then taking a walk down along the river.

After the walk, Xavier grew anxious for his friends to arrive. In fact, all during the walk, he wanted to get home in case someone arrived early.

As always, Rebecca months ago asked Xavier what he wanted for a birthday cake. His answer this year (or, perhaps his "final answer" this year), he wanted a Stargate on his cake.

Stargate SG-1 is a 2000s era TV show about space exploration and adventure. "It's my new favorite adult TV show," Xavier informed me some time back.

This year's cake proved something of a challenge for Rebecca, but she pulled it off.

She and Aunt Kathy figured out the wormhole opening "splash" effect late last night. Rebecca had concerns that the moisture in the air from this week's several rain storms would keep the sugar candy from setting up right.

With some research and a new (and accurate) candy thermometer, Rebecca pulled off a raspberry flavored "splash" that perfectly fit into the stargate ring.

Near the end of the party, we brought forth the cake and topped it with a sparkler having the shape of the numeral "8".

Everyone sang Happy Birthday as the sparkler burned, then we commenced eating the cake: a chocolate and vanilla swirl cake with buttercream frosting, with marzipan rocks and a cookie ramp leading up to the stargate.

Even in the afternoon downpour of rain half way through the time window, everyone enjoyed a successful and fun party. Several boys had squirt gun fights, even during the rain, and many adventures and much fun was had by the children racing around the yard.

Even the few adults enjoyed conversation over food and beverages. Xavier's choice of food this year: pizza rolls.

Greetings to everyone.

Today, Xavier turned eight years old. Where has the time gone?

Xavier has been anticipating his birthday and his party, which is this coming Saturday. A few weeks back, Xavier came home from school, gathered up markers and some construction paper, and started writing out invitations to give to his friends at school.

Apparently, in his mind, Rebecca was not moving fast enough in getting the invitations out. I think Xavier was concerned no one was going to know about his party, and he really wanted his friends to come over.

Well, the invitations did go out. It took some time this year, but many at last responded. Looks in the neighborhood of about nine kids. That will make for a nice party.

A few days ago, Xavier mentioned opening his presents. All the ones from family have been sitting on the hearth and wrapped these past several days.

"You'll have to wait until Saturday," I teased him.

At this point Xavier informed me with some unshakable confidence that he gets to open presents from family on his birthday.

Of course, that is what we did, though he had to wait until after super (of which he had to eat it all).

His Aunt Kathy flew in from Phoenix as part of his birthday. She is here a week, which tickles Xavier no end. She arrived Tuesday, and really was his first present. He has looked forward to her arrival for months.

After dinner, we headed out to open presents. Xavier was excited.

A few weeks ago, Xavier spent the afternoon with friends. One of the boys introduced him to Battleship Advanced, an electronic variant of the classic game Battleship. Xavier wanted one badly, and we heard about it frequently these past few weeks.

Perhaps someone will give it to you for your birthday, we often answered. And, sure enough, Grandma Penny did. (I wonder how she knew).

He was elated when he opened that gift, the first he opened. Rebecca and I thought (erroneously it turns out) that the later gifts would eclipse the Battleship game.

This year, we thought our "themed" gifts would beat any gift from others. Several of the family coordinated various Estes Rocket items. Rebecca and I got several items and both grandpas provided other items, ending up with Xavier having everything he needed to enjoy launching a rocket.

I introduced him to the idea of rockets several months ago. We watched them on YouTube videos, and Xavier got really excited about them. "I want to get one of those!" he informed me with dilated pupils and and ear to ear grin.

Bingo I thought. Birthday presents.

We saved the rockets to the end. The gifts were staged to build up to the big rocket kit. He opened the package with the glues, wadding and engines first (after all, some assembly is required). The idea was to get him to anticipate what might be in that "last package."

The next package was the remote launcher, followed by the launch pad, followed at last by the "big" rocket.

Alas, though excited by them, they did not eclipse the Battleship Advanced game. In fact, after opening everything, he spent the rest of the evening setting up and playing Battleship.

We'll see if Battleship still holds its own against the rockets once he launches one of his rockets!

Xavier's official cake is still in pieces and will be assembled and presented Saturday at his party.

However, we still bought a small cake to celebrate with him tonight. After the presents were opened, and we pulled him away from Battleship, we sang Happy Birthday and let him blow out his eight candles.

With all the crazy this past year, his official cake will have a sparkler on it rather than him blowing out candles on it. That, we think, will alleviate any concerns parents might have of having cake slices get "infected" with the virus.

Tonight's cake was the cake he could spread his birthday spittle across as he blew out his candles in the traditional manner.