Mielke Family Fun: Pinetop

For the past couple of years we have gotten away to the White Mountains for a vacation. Scooter and I often discuss where our favorite vacation destination would be: the ocean or the mountains. He prefers the ocean; I prefer the mountains. We are usually able to swing both, but not this year. We have a "little cabin in the woods" for a couple of weeks and I plan to thoroughly enjoy every single day of it: wearing a sweatshirt and maybe snuggling under one of my new quilts!

Poor Scooter Pie has to work for a couple of days this week, so the girls and I packed up the dogs and the pantry and the freezer and the bikes and finally hit the road Sunday afternoon to drive to Pinetop. Scooter's words of farewell were, "I love you. Drive slow." I heeded that pretty well, because driving with such a full load and the bikes on the back sort of freak me out. I was toodling along nicely along the Mongollon Rim when I saw a patrolman on the opposite side of the road. As I passed (going a bit over the speed limit), he flipped around and my first thought was, "Oh stickers! I'm going to get a ticket!" That fear was enough to make me slow down to the speed limit even though I couldn't see him in my rear view mirror. It also allowed me to enjoy the view. No matter how many times I see it, the devastation of the Rodeo-Chedeski fire gets me every time. It's been 10 years since the fire and things are coming back...I was never up here before the fire so I can't compare to the before. ANYWAY, the devastation is still evident. Then it started to rain (wonderful!) and we eventually found the cabin. Getting in and unpacked in the rain was another adventure in itself.

The dogs are flea/tick treated and are enjoying the yard. We girls are enjoying a game of Monopoly (on hold until tomorrow - after about three hours of play...Carolyn is a die hard! I really think she could give her Uncle Linus a bit of competition) and s'mores tonight along with another evening shower. I love the sound of thunder in the mountains and being able to open a window or door. Annie is curled up in a corner somewhere and Coco has found a piece of floor to claim as her own. Life is good.

ready to begin...

After three hours of play...all properties are owned.
Elyse owns the right hand side;
Mom has the railroads (cost me $200 + letting Elyse sleep with me until Dad gets here) and the utilities;
Carolyn and Mom have monopolies on the rest.
Houses and hotels going up..with an M&M substituting as a house....
Game continues tomorrow...