Michael: Saturday the 22nd August

I am finally on the blog Yee har. Today Sat 22 we arrived in Pueblo our stay in Rocky Ford was fantastic RJ and Laura were very good hosts, Had some very interesting discussion about the state for the world. The ambulance Service in Rocky was informative and for a very small community very progressive and able to preform more procedures than our Ambulance Service. It runs with both volunteers and professional paramedics. All in all the ambulance services are very similar to ours same pt. same medical requirements just 18 hrs. away from my home. While in Rocky went to Vogal Canyon to see Petrographs very disappointing due to the vandals damaging what was very old Indian rock carvings. After the walk out to the canyon we went to Steve Berg's home for a swim all the team were looking for a cool off as temp got up to 37 degs. (100 f) its nice after winter at home. Now Pueblo is a very progressive city, fantastic city center redevelopment of river environments and old buildings, have not seen it all yet, went shopping for T shirts and found "life is good" shop and brought 3 shirts and a cap. trend setter me. tomorrow we will go canoeing on a lake in the morning and hikeing after lunch. Tonight we went to Jack and Donna Seilheimer's home for Mexican and we were able to pick up and play with a bull snake everybody had a go, also had chocolate covered chilles did not get to eat them all to hot I think.

Mandy : Thursday the 20th August.

Today we have visited Bent’s Old Fort Living Museum, Koshare Indian Museum, a pool party and presented at the Joint Club Dinner (Rocky Ford and La Junta) Thanks to Steve and Mary for driving us to these locations. It was extremely interesting to see and hear the history of the Bent’s Trading Fort that for a long time sat on the boarder of USA and Mexico.

The paintings, artifacts and clothing in the Koshare Indian Museum were just as good, and really no words could do them justice.
I think everyone enjoyed getting into the pool after lunch and we certainly wound down for a couple hours (some more than others!!!!!!).
A highlight for the day had to be eating Mountain Oysters at lunch. Let us just say a bull is not happy when this is served on a plate!
Although not a vocational day today, I have had many conversations tonight with people about policing and Intelligence. Topics were what I do, how our firearms laws work, impounding vehicles, robberies, etc. A Rotary member on my table (Rachel) mum was a police officer also so we discussed rosters, females in policing, etc.

Mandy : Wednesday the 19th August

I started the day with a sleep-in, YEAHHHHHH. I had the great fortune to spend the morning with Judge Steve Pelican. A judge in Colorado Springs for over 20 years. We got to spend the morning discussing the different courts, some of his cases and other matters relevant to law. I was also fortunate enough to visit the USA Olympic headquarters and training centre. During the tour we continued to discuss legal matters and at the same time look at the different training facilitates for the different sports. Our tour guide was a past female weightlifter – but I can’t remember her name.
After lunch and our Rotary presentation we hit the road traveling East from Colorado Springs to Rocky Ford. This trip took us a couple hours. When we arrived in Rocky Ford it was a much hotter temperature than that of Colorado Springs. In Rocky Ford we were meet by J.R who was lovely and was early in informing us he had host Aussies before and was curious as to which teams we supported in the AFL. He was a CROWS supporter. Rocky Ford is a town probably of around 2 thousand people. When we had a quick walk around it appeared as if a lot of businesses had closed down and had been closed for a while. Its size reminded me of the town of Wudina, on the West Coast of South Australia, but it did not appear to have the same agricultural businesses within the town. However I have not spent more than 30 minutes walking around the town, so my authority and description of Rocky Ford is VERY limited. After being collected by my host - Steve, who happen to be the District Governor, Angela and I were on the way to La Junta (you pronounce it La Hunta). La Junta is not far from Rocky Ford (maybe 15-20 minute drive, but has a population of approx 10,000 I am told. On the way we drove past a little town called Swink, and I took extra notice of this town due to the insight Will and Libby had provided us in Denver. (Will and Libby we saw some to the items donated by Don Seamans – it was very cool thanks.)
In La Junta, Steve drove Angela and I around the town and we sure a few of the sights (eg the construction of the new school football oval, the baseball field, the old building in which the post office is now in, the schools and downtown La Junta.) We arrived at his house and meet his lovely wife Mary. Because we were sharing hosts again we resorted to the old faithful way of working out which rooms we would have – by tossing a coin. I again ended up in the basement. (For all those Aussie followers – the basement to-date has been a great place to end up with a room – nothing like our basements.) It was a relatively late night with Steve and Mary, but many interesting conversations took place.

Mandy : Tuesday 18th August

I think others have talked through this day – but in short my day was with a Defence Criminal Investigator (thanks Jamie) and we focused on software used in their systems and OHSW practices. I took a heap of notes on things while I was there and am now frantically trying to find where I put them – HELP Jamie I hope I didn’t leave them there (luckily most of it I put to memory). In the afternoon, despite the inclement weather we had a tour of the U.S Airforce Academy given us to a retired Colonel (thanks to Ed – very interesting tour). Probably the scariest thing was walking up to the extremely impressive church and seeing a sign warning us of tornados!!!! Tornados in Colorado – we were told that never happens!!!! Hmmmmm a bit on wrong advice there I think. Following this tour - Emma, Debi and I had spent the previous night in Denver with Libby, Will, Sam and Chris. What a wonderful city Denver is – definitely somewhere I would love to come back to. Sam had a great apartment we the roof top garden looks out over the city of Denver. WOW. Thanks Debi, Libby, Sam, Will and Chris for a great night out – wonderful location, food, drinks and company. Our return to Colorado Springs was eventful with Shine, the brown Labrador, having found Emma and my chocolate inside our bags she had and a wonderful evening herself eating it all except for the Jalapeño – very funny..

The last three days:

The last three days have been a wonderful experience for the team, we have had some lovely host families that have taken us into to there homes and provided transport and vocational experiences. I have had three vocational days with different companies and they have all been happy to met with me. The funding body over in America is very simular, they are funded by the Federal Goverment but rely heavily on public donation, some areas of concern are the health system they were very interested in the public health system in Australia.

The host of Mandy and Emma's (Debbi) invited Michael & I along to a popular tourist outing called the Fliying W Ranch, this was a country experience were we ate off of metal plate's and were entertained by local musicians. Just to experience the friendly enviroment was a pleasure.

We moved on today to Rocky Ford where we will spend the next three days experiencing the pleasure of new host famlies, cultural & vocational experiences.

Americans love to fiddle (minds out of the gutter - play the fiddle, guitar, double bass)

Mandy : Wow what a terrific day I have had. Our first day of vocational visits started today. Emma and I started the day having breakfast with our WONDERFUL host Debi. We then went our separate ways and I visited the District Attorney’s office - Dan May. I spent time with their criminal investigators and sat in on a raid briefing for a fraud matter before they executed the warrants to search the office area. I then was fortunate enough to spend some time in the DEA office also and set the different phone taps and surveillance that was taking place. I got some time to find out about the liaisons the DEA has with other agencies and how their intelligence and investigations generally work.

Unfortunately my morning vocation visit ended so soon and I was taken by the District Attorney to our first presentation to the East Colorado Rotary Club. I think it went well – we got some good feedback (apparently I make some of them think that I am from Texas!! – I am not sure why that is.) I was fortunate enough to spend time at this meeting speaking with the recipient

My afternoon vocational visit was to the El Paso Country Sheriffs Office. I spent most of my time with an Inspector who showed me software that he has designed to present evidence to court for major cases, he also when through missing persons and cold cases with me. His demonstration of what he pulls together for the cases is fantastic – very lateral thinking – simply to follow and flows really well. I was able to follow through a double murder and suicide and also parts of the Columbine shootings. The Inspector who was with me demonstrates this process and use of software across USA and Canada and has also presented this to the World Women’s Policing conference.

After vocational visits Emma, Debi and I visited Patsy's, which is a sweets store est. in 1903. We then went to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (do you sense a theme here!!!) Emma purchased a chocolate coated Jalapeno (I will definitely get pictures of her eating that). We then went and got ourselves some great looking hats (for dinner tonight), and went to a Museum of sculptures of ‘American Spirit’ great pieces of art by Michael GARMEN.

Tonight we have been to the Flying Wagon – how do I explain this. Hmmm well it has Wagons, Tee Pees, Indians, lots of old things to look at. We then here the bell and go in for some traditional Cowboy dinner. We started with BEANS, then beef, hot potatoes, apple sauce, biscuits (like damper/ scones) and a cake – I didn’t eat that so I can’t tell you what it was like but the rest of it was really good. We then had some live entertainment by some cowboys/ ranches (lots of guitars, fiddles, double base and thing something like a banjo. So we say good night again and hope for a great day tomorrow. Thanks to EVERYONE who spent time will me today it was much appreciated and I had a great time and learnt some new things.

Rocky Mountain High

a

Emma says: After arriving in Colorado yesterday we were placed in a lovely hotel for the night to allow us to rest up before the first real day of our GSE trip. Our first stop is in beautiful Colorado Springs, 6,000 feet above sea level and at the base of the Rocky Mountains. We were immediately warned of the dangers of altitude sickness and dehydration, and have been scared into carrying a bottle of water around at all times.
So today was our first real GSE experience. Mandy and I are staying with Debi and Steve, but today they were busy with a family celebration so the lovely Jean took up the position of tour guide.

First stop was the Garden of the Gods, a park with amazing red sandstone and granite formations, all at the base of Pike's Peak - a 14,000 foot mountain. This was our first major photo opp in Colorado and, despite how we look in the photo, there was no danger of us being blown of a cliff!

Next we took a stroll up Seven Falls, and a trek up the beautiful mountainside. Follow by a trip up Cheyenne Canyon. Then Jean took us for lunch where we dined on rattle snake and rabbit quesadillas! Yummo! This was followed by a stop for a taste of the supposedly healthy but foul tasting water from Manitou Springs.

Tonight we had a bit of a meet and greet with some local Rotarians before heading back to our hosts' houses for dinner. Within minutes of arriving at Debi & Steve's I found myself locked in their bathroom. Thankfully I was rescued after a short time and much amusement!

Tonight Mandy and I took a stroll around the streets of Debi's neighbourhood marvelling at how different it all is to Adelaide before Debi cooked us some fabulous tamales (we are eating extremely well on this trip!) and then taking us out for ice cream at an old fashioned ice cream parlour.

Tomorrow we have the first of 3 straight days of presentations and vocational visits. We are all really keen to get stuck into it and are excited by what's in store. If the rest of the trip is anything like today has been, its going to be a blast!