Pathfinder Over The Dam

Sitting around surfing the Internet on our separate laptops, I was thinking how to coax Dix into a trip to the dam to see the spillway overflowing for the first time since 1984. Dix said "Let's go see the water flowing over the Pathfinder Dam." She can read my mind. She asked what time I wanted to leave. I said whenever we're ready, disrupting her tendency to overplan. She whipped up some eggs and corn beef hash and I packed the truck with water and juice, sunscreen and the camera. We took off at 7:30. On making the turn-off to the reservoir 45 minutes later, we came to realize we had never been to this popular recreation area in our 12-year Casper residency.

Approaching the dam I was impatient like a kid - climbing up the rocks to take a shortcut towards the roar and mist that was rising into a rainbow. Dix was scrambling too. She has been taking an hour walk every day and she had more endurance than me. I was surprised when she called my bluff to hike up the canyon on the other side. At the top we were caught in a shower blown over the crest from the canyon updraft that soaked and cooled us down from the climb.

At this elevation iridescent blue Penstemon and Wild Rose were still in bloom. Also Buttercup and cactus. Down at the bottom a young couple was fishing from the bank. She got her lure hooked on the end of a submerged pier and he chivalrously stripped down and walked out there to unhook it. I think he was high on something.

A flock of pelicans came in like bombers to check out the fishing. They are such a stately bird. They stole our attention.

We got back to town at noon and had a hankering for Mexican at La Costa. We have this down to an art - parking at the next door overflow lot, a blended Margarita for Dix and a pale Dos Equis for me, three cheese and onion and two chicken enchiladas and a taco between us, two large to-go boxes for left-overs, including chips. This morning we polished off the held-over enchiladas and beans with fried eggs.

My old school chum and I have been exchanging emails. We're both destined for retirement early next year and are looking forward to getting in shape and doing exciting things. I guess he is a little responsible for yesterday's field trip.