Yesterday I went on a little adventure with two girlfriends, so we could celebrate one of their birthdays.  It was a wonderful day spent in Manitou Springs. Old Colorado City and of course Colorado Springs.  We took back roads to get to Garden of the Gods and once in there we drove around and then hiked in Rock Ledge Ranch. Oh what glorious weather as well.  After hiking and visiting some shops and having lunch we headed to Simpich Showcase Theater.  I had heard about this theater for over a year now; it is a puppet theater and is exceptional.  A husband and wife own it and operate it as a ministry; he does all the puppet making, marionette show and all the voices of the characters. I wasn't sure what to expect but was so surprised.  His mastery is beyond what I anticipated. I will say that children under the age of 6 are not allowed and I can definitely see why-some of the scenes could have been frightening for little ones.  The play now running is Firebird and it is taken from  Russian folklore.  If you reside in the Denver area and haven't seen or heard of this, by all means look into taking a trip to Colorado Springs to see these productions.  They only have shows three days a week, and the price is between $8.00-$12.00.
We didn't get home until 10:00 p.m. which is rather late for me but it was well worth the long day-new places, shops, hiking, meals and we even met two friends of the gal who used to live down there.  Life is good.
Joy To You, Noreen