Colorado Reunion ~ Merriment and Alpen Glow

(Note: Just a lil' memo to let you know ... this trip took place the end of September 2012. )

After rising to crisp Colorado blue skies, I found a phone message from my friend. She'd arranged a Brunch at her place for several of my ole acquaintances to converge ... and I'd best be there!! Cool! I have my mornin' Chai Tea and amble over to my friends! There's Anna (who I'd known as Margie, and still can't remember to call her Anna) who's strumming on Hether's newly acquired banjo, Billie (who later arrives after just having flung himself over his bicycle handle bars, bruising himself and the apples he'd brought to contribute) and eventually, my ole' architect (did I tell you I'd had plans of buying property and building a home in Telluride? Well, that's another story ...), George Greenbanks. In the wanderings of George's office I spy this fantastic pen and ink sketch of George and I ask, if he has a small one I could perchance have? Digging in his pocket, he pulls one out and hands it to me. I smile, tears again ... this sketch is of George 'n my dear friend Hether at George's home in the garden.
A flood of memories wells up inside me and I'm between giggling and tearing up. It was a whole lifetime ago, yet still one of my very favorite times that held up so many opportunities to my young life at that time. I'm not unhappy where I am but my curious mind and creative heart wonders what my life would be like had I followed some of those dreams I'd had then ... all the way to fruition. I wonder ...

Mind wandering aside, after nibbling on brunch George and Billie offer us tours of  their nearby homes. I'm jazzed, homes are such holograms for us humans. And these two homes did not disappoint. Meandering our way up to Billie's I was reminded that George is the best town history buff, and we all garnered stories about each house and the people around it too! Where Billie's home had a warm, clean Asian feel with many an artist's thoughtful touches, George's was eclectic, with holdings from every imaginable memory and person. I ached a bit inside, wishing I'd stayed in Telluride, weathered the life there and had a home and life there now. But it was not the time for that future to manifest and so many other dreams have come true. I just had so many opportunities, it's hard to pick which one to follow.

Eventually, our group moved in our different directions and I return to my room to ready for my evening plans with my renewed friendship in Linda. Her business is the care and maintenance of homes for whom Telluride is not a primary residence. With her dedication to work, her Virgo organization and her integrity, Linda's positioned herself well in the small community. She picks me up and I travel deep south of town where I knew the Telluride Mine's tilings ponds to be. Now days the ponds have all been fixed and the homes there are some of the most exclusive ($1 million per lot). I savor the aspen sprinkled grounds while she does her work and soon we are curving back thru town and out the north end. My friend prefers solitude and lives nested out of town. Her cozy two-story home affords her lovely views overlooking the opposite mountains and mesas. She prepares a yummy fresh dinner and as we're talking I'm hopping up and down. The exquisite color play going on across the valley on snow-capped peaks and golden aspen groves is breath-taking. I try to capture it here in my journal peering over the nearby rooftops ... I hope you can gather even just a snippet of the pink, gold and orange alpen glow.

What an amazingly rich day ... I return to town and my quiet bungalow ... with memories and heartfelt friendships dancing in my head ... as I fall asleep.

Colorado Reunion ~ Nesting In and Catching Up

Yipppppppppppppie ~ my first FULL day in beautiful Telluride. Up early to kinda bounce around my new digs (didn't know there was a breakfast served downstairs - silly me, it is a Bed & Breakfast). So now I have a closet of food and there's more for me in the kitchen! I make a combo of my favorite cereal and their fresh fruits 'n berries. Delicious munches as I eat my "breakie" out on my lil sunny deck (had to paint the view from my deck for you!!), drinking in the yellow of the nearby aspens and vicariously romping like the dogs running along the river trail below. My aim is to get out soon and hike up Bear Creek Valley.

I do get off on my hike ... choose this yellow lil' pearl from my quaking aspens to install in my journal. The hike is invigorating with the sweetest smelling air! I feel so alive and energized that I tend to ignore the rain sprinkles. Once back from my hike I hustle to meet a friend to whom I've shipped my paintings that will go in the Tellluride Gallery of Fine Art Show. We lunch at the "Brown Dog" and I trundle back to the room with my big box. My evening involves unpacking the paintings methodically, photoing the positioning so that I can re-pack them to ship back home safely. N-o-o-o-o-w you know how detailed I can be!!

Next day I have learned that to miss the rain showers during my hike, I need to get going earlier. So I'm up, and off. After the same enlivening hike I bip over to my friend Hether's home to visit. A peer artist whom I've not seen in probably near forty years is there and we catch up. Hether is returning the glass bowl to Anna after it had traveled for fourteen years, finally to be here in Telluride when Anna, who now lives in Oregon, is here too! Then, Hether's son (now remember I used to live with Hether and her son was an ornery young pre-teen then) drops by ~ and ~ oh my!! Not only is he a grown man but he's a head taller than me and has broad strong shoulders (and some grey hair too!) I just had to capture his playful spirit and his kind heart clearly visible here as he holds one of his two Chihuahuas ~ such a size contrast!

My evening meal was a joyous reunion. One of my most dear friends in Tellluride had kind of disappeared from my world. Not responding to birthday cards 'n letters, I'd given up on her. Then, just before I came to this Reunion ... I get a birthday card from her! Who believes in serendipity? So my meal was a sweet reconnecting with my friend Linda. The Mexican restaurant is noisy and hurried, but the connection was warm and we agreed to a more private meal at her home later. Such a full, rewarding day . . . I'm lovin' my reunion with my beloved Telluride. I even fantasize . . . is there some way I can live here again? Hey, we can all dream, right?

The Western memorabilia - well, I just had to gather some part of the wild atmosphere - are collected from some of my travelings through Telluride - had to have the "Cowgirl" card. Most of you know I'm a closet cowgirl, right? Well, you know now :)

Colorado Reunion ~ Bunnies and Box Canyons

I arose my usual early self, did my yoga 'n meditation then, quietly peeked out the Colorado windows. Everyone else appeared to still be sleeping so I creeped upstairs and made my cup of Chai tea. Luckily my friends have a back door, just adjacent to my room and I tip-toe out the back door into the sweetness of the Colorado valley between Montrose and Ridgeway. Smells of the country, grass, crispness and the clouds whispering of the coming rain. At the base of the fencepost sat an adorable lil' cotton tail rabbit (Later, my friend told me how she used to feed the lil' rabbits daily next to their shed until one day a vigilent hawk swooped down during the feed. She was broken-hearted and no more rabbit feeding.) My bunny memory rests here in my journal now.

Once the house hold was up we breakfasted and soon were all packed up, ready to drive to Telluride. Tied to the roof were long metal poles which were to be used for a curtain hanging project. As the lightening storm approached and we drove off,  my friend's hubby says, "Those make good lightening rods!" Ok, now I'm really excited to get to Telluride!! En route we stop to see an art show at the Ridgeway Library. My friend touted it as a "horse" show. I love horses, ok, but within the hour we were leaving the library nearly in tears.

The two women artists, Karen Keene and Alice Billings, had done quick and emotional captures in bold acrylic. But as we read the titles and noted the small, handwritten labels ... the depth of the paintings came out. All the featured wild horses were from the Spring Creek Basin. The images depicted the animals' spirit and the label told about the horses lineage, their life and how many of them died or were maimed during BLM helicopter round-ups. I know,  I know, I've heard what happens when there are too many horses in the range - - but it still didn't keep my heart from being torn with each story I read in that show. Intense!

Just past Ridgeway, we begin seeing the magnificent San Juan Range - and thank goodness Hether was patient with my "tourist" mentality - I had to jump out of the car many a time to take photos. The brilliant colors along Dallas Divide were rich, washed clean by the diminishing thunderstorms. I created this blend of my favorite vistas along our drive, from left to right, the mesa beneath Dallas Divide, Dallas Divide and then, tucked delicately in the box canyon, my beloved Telluride.

After unpacking the car, I was delivered to what would be my lil' nest while I was in Telluride, the Manitou B & B. Room #5 was divine, up on the second floor I could see down into the valley over the town. And right under my tiny one person deck was the gurgling river alongside the trail, lined with golden Aspens, that lead to the Bear Creek trail. Ok, I've died and gone to heaven, right?!?!?!