Devils Backside & Possible Rattlesnakes

Friday - Maddy took (Robb says "forced") us to Devil's Backbone park for a leisurely stroll.  SHUUURRE it's leisurely!!!  

If you pay attention to the walk and avoid tripping over rocks jutting out of the ground and don't notice the general and gradual lack of oxygen.  

Parts were very leisurely, but some seemed pretty treacherous.

We left Robb at the outlook and the rest of us trekked on to the Keyhole a little ways further.  

See these innocent pics?  

Well two feet to the right of this one is a sheer drop off to the houses way below.  

See this one?  

A mere one foot to a steady slide to death and destruction. 

 I was beside myself constantly telling the kids to be careful and get their rears back over here where you can be safe next to where they'd seen a rattle snake last year.  

FYI: Don't go there...  It's NOT a trail...

Like we're stupid...

We did see a few stupid people off the trail...

Maddy made sure to tell me that she and Stanley had climbed up to a ledge up high on the other side, mentioning that Stanley had to catch her to make sure she didn't fall (to her death).  When she noticed my hyperventilating, she said, no wait, I think it was the lower one, down there.  Don't trust anyone who changes their story mid-gasp.

    Heading downhill was a little easier, and Leon had a blast fashioning a magic wand out of weeds.  He changed Maddy into a deer and deer in the headlights doesn't move, so he made her into something else.  But a rock doesn't move either.  

Let me PAST!!

Last rock climbing photo of the day.  

My kind of  mountain climbing!!!

Almost forgot about the cookie store!  After the climb, we headed downtown Ft. Collins.

If you ever want to spend a fortune on fab cookies, go here.  Mary's Mountain Cookies! YUM...

I bought an unseemly expensive amount of cookies and there are still some in our car.  Scratch that... WAS...  Robb finished them off yesterday.  

The walk to the store was almost as adventuresome as the hike!  Well, still no snakes...  

  

We went to a movie theater with recliner chairs and trays. After placing our order for food at the concession stand, they made note of our assigned seats and brought our food to us during the previews...  

This place was AWESOME!!!!  Robb wasn't as enthralled as our lunch (and apparently 5 billion dollar popcorn) was more expensive than the tickets.  The movies was BFG the Big Friendly Giant.  I hadn't read that book as a child, but apparently all the grandparents around me had.  We couldn't sit together and after Leon threw a fit that he couldn't sit with the girls, Maddy and Meri came down to our chairs and said that Robb and I should have a date and sit by ourselves for the movie.  

Okey dokey!!!  

We could hear Leon talking throughout the movie but they had fun and I got to recline...  Robb napped.  The movie just didn't hold together like it should have for him.

We got Leon back to the hotel for a nap and then we met up for pizza with a college friend and his wife.  

Got back to the hotel for some more serious packing and much needed sleep.

MUCH needed sleep!!!!