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.