Camping a Recipe for Summer Treats & Reads

TWRP BLog hop banner July 2016

My hubby, our dog, bird, turtle and I love to trade the jungle of civilization for a few days of paradise relaxing in the cool quiet of a Rocky Mountain campsite with a mesmerizing book and evening campfire.  That’s my idea of Summer Treats and Reads. Okay, let me qualify what camping is to us.  We have a fifth wheel trailer with all the creature comforts required, left tent camping behind a long time ago. LOL

Favorite camping areas in Colorado are: Rocky Mountain National Park a stones throw from Estes Park is a great hiking and biking destination. Twin Lakes in the Pike & San Isabel National Forest is wonderful for kayaking and mountain biking.  Both these areas are dry camping, no services but with a generator or solar panels you are all set.

Another fun place is Steamboat Lake, a Colorado State Park, the kayaking is good, hiking with your furry friend is excellent.  Electrical is available on some sites.  Not far away is Pearl Lake, nice kayaking area, lots of wildlife early morning or around dusk.  No motorized boats allowed.  It’s also primitive/dry camping but there are several sites large enough for a 30 foot fifth wheel trailer.

These are just a few of the exciting camping area’s in Colorado. Last week we enjoyed a fun filled vacation at Lake Vallecito which I detailed in the prior post.

Mueller State Park is close and a great weekend trip to the mountains.  Cheyenne Mountain State Park is centrally located for visiting all the Pikes Peak Region has to offer and is open all year around. It is usually our final destination of the season.  The park offers full hookups, tent pad and campfire ring on each site.

Now for the Treats:  Chocolate Cherry Dumpcake Recipe. Quick and easy.

2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling

1 package (about 15 ounces) Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake mix or your favorite Chocolate Cake mix.

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 X 9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Spread the pie filling in prepared pan, top with cake mix only, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.  pour butter over top, covering cake mix as much as possible.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.  Cool at least 15 minutes before serving.  Make 12 to 16 servings. Now for just my husband, myself and a couple of friends, we cut this recipe in half and use a 9X9 inch baking pan or a cast iron dutch oven. Yummy!

For Reads: Obviously, I’d like you to check out my books,

A Demon's Witch_perf5.000x8.000.inddAWitchsJourney_w10497_medA Demon’s Witch, Charm Me (its on sale for .99)A Witch’s Journey. Otherwise, The Wild Rose Press has lots of wonderful authors with a wide variety of books. I like cozy and regular mysteries, paranormal romances books categorized as fun reads.  I’m not into thrillers or weepy books. Happily Every After and feel good novels are what I read, anything else, I can get by turning on the television or internet and I don’t call that entertainment.  Just me.

Please visit the other blogs listed below for fun, games and prizes. To be entered to win the $10.00 Amazon gift card I’m giving away, like my facebook page and sign up for my quarterly newsletter on my webpage at https://www.tenastetler.com.  Winner will be drawn at random and notified at the end of the blog hop. Also the author’s of The Wild Rose are giving away a Kindle Fire as a grand prize. Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter below.  Good Luck! See you next time with tales of the unexplained.  Got your attention now! <giggles maniacally>

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check out all the fabulous writers and their blogs
                        in the SUMMER BLOG HOP below!

1.
Sorchias Wild Rose Summer Treats Post | Visit blog
2.
RV Memory | Visit blog
3.
Tricia Schneider | Visit blog
4.
Anna Durands Spunk & Hunks | Visit blog
5.
Judy Ann Davis Summer Treats and Reads Blog Hop | Visit blog
6.
Spicy Summer Treats with Mia Downing | Visit blog
7.
Linda Nightingale. . . Wordsmith | Visit blog
8.
Jana Richards – Journeys with Jana | Visit blog
9.
Summer Memories of books well read @ Peggy jaeger. com | Visit blog
10.
Summer on Cape Cod ~ Kathryn Knight books | Visit blog
11.
Summer Fun at the Beach, with Katie OSullivan | Visit blog
12.
I Believe Ill Go Canoeing – C. B. Clark | Visit blog
13.
Summertime Love is Sweeter with. . . Frozen Mango? @ Kimberly Keyes blog | Visit blog
14.
Wild Rose Summer Treats Blog Hop @ Brendas Blog | Visit blog
15.
Summer Treats and Reads Blog Hop | Visit blog
16.
Midsummer Magic on the Isle of Skye! | Visit blog
17.
My Guilty Summer Treats from Lori Sizemore | Visit blog
18.
Wild Rose Press Summer Treats and Reads Blog Hop | Visit blog
19.
Hywela Lyns post for the WRP Summer Treats and Reads Blog Hop | Visit blog
20.
Wild Rose Press Summer Treats & Reads | Visit blog
21.
Camping is a Recipe for Summer Treats and Reads | Visit blog
22.
The Snarkology | Visit blog
23.
Summer Survival Tips @ Nitty Gritty Romance | Visit blog
24.
Wild Rose Press Summer Treats and Reads Blog Hop | Visit blog
25.
Nell Castle – Summer of the Sweat Lodge | Visit blog
26.
Myth, Magic & Wonder Susan Edwards, Breathing Life into the Past | Visit blog
27.
Romance with Spice, Sydney St. Claire | Visit blog
28.
Author Kat de Falla | Visit blog
29.
Anni Fife. Exciting new author of Steamy Romance with Irresistible Heroes | Visit blog
30.
Summer Vacation, Victorian-Style, AND a Giveaway | Visit blog
31.
Wildfires, Monsoons, and Mojitos – Author Susabelle Kelmer shares how she keeps cool in a climate that is on fire! | Visit blog
32.
Casi McLeans recipe for Hot Reads and Cool Treats | Visit blog
33.
Cool Summer Reads: Jeannie Halls Romantic Suspense Blog – Where Hearts Tremble From More Than Attraction | Visit blog
34.
Summer treat – Adult Slushie | Visit blog
35.
How to Rediscover the Magic of Bicycling | Visit blog
36.
Charlottes Tips on How to Stay Cool in HOT New York City | Visit blog
37.
Caryn McGill | Visit blog

 


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10th Anniversary – Mountain of Authors

Tena Mountain of authorsSaturday, April 23, 2016, I had the pleasure of being part of the Pikes Peak Library12376634_954175368023532_4984978655902082006_nDistrict Mountain of Authors.  It was a blast.  Thirty-four local Colorado authors were on hand to showcase their work. A panel of three mystery authors and a panel of two authors and an agent each presented stories and their experiences in the publishing industry.

The keynote speaker was Anne Hillerman, daughter of award winning author, Tony Hillermantena-Anne Hillerman who penned eighteen Navajo mysteries.  I loved his books and was deeply saddened at his passing in October of 2008.  I own every one of his books and have enjoyed the adventures of characters, Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee  and Bernadette Manuelito.

I was excited to learn that Anne has followed in her father’s footsteps breathing life into his beloved characters once again.  Giving Bernadette a fresh, strong woman view point in Spider Woman’s Daughter and Rock With Wings.  She also researched and wrote Tony Hillerman’s Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn. A stunning collection of original documentary photographs of the New Mexico and Arizona landscapes that were integral to Tony’s detective novels. Pictures by photographer, Don Strel, Anne’s husband.  This is a timely showcase of a hauntingly beautiful region that captured one man’s imagination for a lifetime, and is a daughter’s loving tribute to her father.  Yep, you guessed it, the book enjoys a place in the center of my coffee table.

Nancy Atherson & Tena StetlerOkay one more fangirl observation.  Nancy Atherton, author of over twenty Aunt Dimity mysteries, including many bestsellers. These cozy mysteries whisk you away to a small village in England filled with quirky characters.   Again, I have all of her books. Nancy’s participation in the Mountain of Authors –  It’s A Mystery Panel was very FIrst Panel smentertaining along side her cohorts in crime, Robert Greer and Manuel Ramos.

It was thrilling to visit with the above authors as well as many other talented local authors. I look forward to next year’s Mountain of Authors.  I’d love to see you there.

Thanks for putting up with my fangirl musing.  Oh did I mention I sold a few of my books too.  Exciting adventure for a new author.  Warning shameless promotion!  June 15th my third book, A Witch’s Journey will be released.  You’ll love it!

I enjoy hearing from readers and other authors.  So please feel free to leave a comment.  Until next time, take time out of your hectic schedule to read a good book. Its a great stress reducer, if only for a few hours.

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Up, Up and Away – Hot Air Balloon Festival Fun!

IMG_8360Okay, okay, I know I’m late and that the Colorado Springs Balloon Festival was a Labor Day IMG_8378festivity. But the exciting feeling of watching those beautiful balloons lift off is still with me. This morning as yellow and orange spread across the horizon, the whoosh of a patchwork color pink, purple and blue hot air balloon in the clear azure sky above my house reminded me of the festival. I stood in the back yard watching the balloon as my dog stood by my side boofing quietly unsure what to do about the object invading her airspace.

Now, I am not — nor have I ever been a morning person. But the draw of breathing in the crisp, cool morning air and watching the early IMG_8367assent of a cadre of colorful balloons in a variety of different shapes was just too much. So with one eye nearly open and the other squinted my husband and I piled into the truck. We stopped at a favorite fast food restaurant to grab a breakfast sandwich to go with our orange juice and hot chocolate then headed for the park where the festival is every year.
balloon spash and dashFinding a place to park was a challenge, but finally through the dusky morning we suck in a breath at the scene unfolding before us. Multitudes of brightly colored balloons are spread across the grass, slowly filling with air heated by the flames from their burners. The first one to lift off is bright yellow with multi-colored squares, followed closely by the rest of the group. Then it’s the splash and dash, where the pilots float down and skim the balloon’s basket on the water of a nearby lake then regain altitude.

IMG_8397Wide varieties of venders offer their wares to the throngs of spectators throughout the morning. A beautiful pair of turquoise and coral earrings in the shape of a balloon found their way into my possession. Then we were walking back to our truck and the multitude of projectsIMG_8405 that awaited our attention at home.

The memories of this once a year festival remain with me throughout the year, especially when I don my beautiful balloon earrings or hear the whoosh of a hot air balloon as it floats over our home.
Have you attended a balloon festival or ridden in a hot air balloon? I ‘d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment.IMG_8284

**Next week check in for part one of a three part series of Haunted Colorado High Country. Until then, have a great week and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!

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Fun At The Colorado State Fair

Though the Colorado State Fair is gone, the memories linger on. After finishing up edits on one project and completing the manuscript for another, I gave myself a day off and went to the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo with my husband. He was working a booth so I was free to wander endlessly through the fairgrounds.caput monkeys

baboonIt wasn’t long before Wild About Monkeys caught my attention. According to their trainers, Kevin and Martina Keith, some of these primates have performed in Rock of Ages and Evan Almighty. Mickey the Baboon, Rico the Capuchin Monkey, plus a baby Capuchin were the stars of the show for me. The Baboon poked fun at his trainer every chance he got. There was also a dog whose antics with a little girl from the audience were hilarious. It was a free show and very entertaining.

Aquila the Golden Eagle is a very large and regal bird. She arrived at the center thirty-one years ago via a mail truck from Grand Junction. She’d been struck by a semi-truck while feeding on the side of the road. The driver, bless his heart, stopped and took the eagle to a local rehab center who treated and arranged her Golden Eagleowl - croptransport to Pueblo. Aquila has been a foster mom to eaglets and remains one of the ambassador birds for the center. Founded in 1981, Nature & Raptor Center of Pueblo is happy to provide tours or even bring a raptor to your classroom. For more information, call 719-549-2414.Eastern Screech Owl

dog on wheelMy final stop for the day was America’s Got Talent winners, Olate Dogs. The dogs’ performances, as well as that of their human trainers, were fantastic! From normal dogdogs on hind legs tricks to comedic interaction and then a doggie fashion show, the entertainment was fun for all ages.dog in dress
On the way back, I stopped to get a funnel cake. This should have been uneventful. Right? Oh, no not in my case, things had gone far to smooth all day. As I rounded the corner to the booth, the cooling fan on high, blew all — well ok — most of the powdered sugar off the funnel cake onto me, my clothes, and the black cloths draped over the tables. If that wasn’t bad enough, the couple in the next booth, selling shop tools, roared with laughter and my own husband smirked trying to keep a grin from his face. But the funnel cake was still delicious!

Next Week – Adventures at Twin Lakes in Colorado –

Check Back Often!

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