ravencajun....I've LIVED in Manitou Springs for 23 years now. Lived in Colorado Springs & Boulder, nearby, before that. There are NO gold mines. Maybe your thinking of Mollie Kathleen mine in Cripple Creek? There used to be a spa there in the middle of town, which is now where Adams Cafe is located. This was the epicenter of the flood last year.....due to the fires devasting the area around us. We are now making history as a town that sells pot.

Dogs for your cat. These sculptures were placed in front of the Las Palmas Cathedral more than 110 years ago. The Canary Islands name is derived from dog; and dogs are featured on their flag. Only after the islands were named did someone see the bird on the islands that has become known to us as a canary.

Jim's plane looks like this one that we've flown on a few times on the way to Maine. On one flight I volunteered to sit in the co-pilot seat, because I thought there would be more leg room. There was, but there were pedals down there that if you hit them with your foot, the plane would do ... something. Probably something not-good. Here's what the landing looks like from the co-pilot's seat.

I have the free software called "FotoSketcher". You can create many different effects with your photos. I like the watercolor effect the most. My buggy done with the "vintage" effect.