Good morning!
It’s a beautiful bright day here, the first time the sun’s been out in a few days, which is fantastic! The rains have been welcome and have given us a verdant lush garden.
The bright sunlight on the grass brought my mind back to my last post, and Lizard Head Pass. The sunlight on the aspen, the smell of growth. The smells are a little different of course. The earth, the loam of the soil – the scent of the water in the air, and the nectar and pollen of the plants are distinct.
But the feel – the essence of growth is distilled. I find it in the very air.
I found myself wandering down into the valley of the west fork of the Dolores, my mind focused in on the clear mountain air, the smell of growth and aspen, and my lungs remembering the cool crisp air. I let myself slip away into the memory as I sat out on a black plastic lawn chair. Watching the blue-white clouds pass through the sky. I was focused on the truck, and as my memory played out it was the sounds of my family, together with our extended family up on the mountain pass – the truck pulled over on a switchback, sitting on the tailgate together with loved ones. Breathing that cool Colorado air, absorbing the special aura of the mountains.
Dropping down into the West Fork Valley of the Dolores River
We hopped back in the truck and took the road down into town. It was one of our final days in Cortez, before we started our journey through the mountains, exploring the beauty of Colorado. We settled in for a beautiful night with our hosts, enjoyed fantastic food, great company and soaked up every last ounce of our moments together.
The light changed – a thick cloud flying over the hot, yellow Zambian sun and with it my memories shifted to a cloud covered day, in the back of a draw – a small mining town. Ouray, Colorado.
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