We are home again now from our lovely trip to Montana. We got back to Santa Cruz around 2a on Thursday morning after a series of delays due to thunderstorms in Denver. As usual, Nia was a regular trooper and cheery and chatty until slightly after leaving Denver at 11p. Then, she slipped off to sleep and managed to sleep all the way through to waking up in Santa Cruz in the morning! Wish I could have done the same, although it was a treat to settle back and watch a movie on the plane. I don't think I've done that in 3+ years!
Our last full day in Montana, we went up into the mountains to escape the heat. We spent the afternoon at Corona Lake, a sweet little spot with absolutely no other visitors. Nia spent the time splashing in the water, chasing the dogs, exploring the woods, looking for treasures. At one point, she and Kyle walked the perimeter of the lake. When they were across from Whitney and I, Nia howled like a coyote. I howled back, which Kyle later said made Nia worry she'd woken the wolves! (Wolves were a theme for Nia in Montana: Wondering if we'd see any, would they be nice or scary, etc. -- alas, we did not see any, though they were there.)
It is lovely to be home but it was such a sweet vacation... one that will live in our memories for a long time.
