Travelog for: Coney

I am sitting at the airport in Raleigh waiting for a ride back to base.  I really wanted to stay home longer but here I am.

Its only been a month but I am back home in Grand Junction for the holidays.  This time I get almost 2 weeks so it should be fun.



There was a big welcome home ceremony at the airport and then we went to the mall. 



The Blue Star Mothers put up a Hero Tree for all the soldiers who have fought from the area.  My star is on the tree.  Isn't it cool?

I had a good relaxing time at Christmas and now its back to work at Ft Bragg, NC.  I will be stateside for awhile yet.

Well, here I am on my pre-deployment leave.  I'm back in Colorado for 2 weeks and enjoying myself on a camping trip.
We headed east from Grand Junction but from there we climbed up onto the mesa.






Grand Junction is just under 5000 feet but we went up on top of the Grand Mesa to an altitude over 10,850 feet.



The Grand Mesa is the largest flat top mountain in the world.  The road across the top is over 40 miles long and there are more than 200 lakes on top.



We camped at Island Lake.



Because we were along a scenic highway there is even an info center out here

Today we drove from our campsite at the lake up to Lands End.  It was only about 15 miles and it was sure a nice view.  We stopped on the very edge of the mesa and were able to see for miles across the valley.





I could see all the way to our house many miles away in Grand Junction





There were lots of rocks for me to climb up on and each time I could see something different





It was a long way down the side of the mountain.

My battle buddy headed back to Ft Bragg, NC but I decided to hang out a little longer.  Today I am doing some traveling and my first stop is the Denver International Airport.

I'm still on pre-deployment leave and I am attending a Blue Star Mothers Convention in Boise Idaho.  I did not get to do a lot at the convention.  I was at the airport for quite awhile though and checked everything out.

My battle buddy left last week to our new home for a year in Iraq.  I leave today to join him. 
I was very brave and walked to my plane on my own.



Just kidding



I traveled in a nice priority box on the plane.  My brother Picado and lucky-ducky helped me pack and said goodbye to me.

I am back in the US but it has been a long week.  I was stranded in Balad, Iraq and then went to Kuwait, Germany and Atlanta Georgia before finally arriving in DC.  We were supposed to be here yesterday for breakfast at the Whitehouse and the Veterans Day Ceremonies at Arlington.

My brother Picado was waiting for me at the hotel when I got here.



The first thing we did was go for a walk down to the Whitehouse.



He told me all about his adventures yesterday and he was pretty excited. Next we went to the treasury building.



and then to the Old Post Office



The J Edgar Hoover Building or FBI headquarters.



and the Canadian Embassy



We read all the stars on the sidewalk outside a theater club.



And looked at lots of Sculptures.



Before we went to the airport to head home we stopped at Burger King



and then we headed back to Colorado.  I am on leave for 15 days.

I flew back to Denver with Picado and I will stay here a few days with Wuffy to go to a hockey game.  The Avalanches are playing the Vancouver Canucks. 



Picado went home to Grand junction.

I have been back home for a few days.  Today I am starting to get packed again to go back to Iraq.
This is a sticker I brought home with me.



I am waiting for Wuffy to come home because we have to leave on Saturday.  I do not want him to leave me behind again.  We will be away for 9 months this time.

This is a TBT photo of Picado when he was visiting in DC and representing my at the Iraq Liberation Day ceremony. He was with an Iraq General who was in charge.