I think 2009 might be the Year of the Cave for me. I’ve never been in a cave before, and this year I’ve visited two! The earth is full of a never ending maze of secrets, mysteries, and little jokes. I forget that sometimes and find myself getting bored. Shame on me!
So….Colorado….it’s……well…..quite different from Iowa, for sure. It’s dry, it’s rocky, the soil seems thin and feeble and in many places, the altitude is high and the air is thin. So why are the flower gardens more beautiful in Colorado than they are in the well watered mid-West? I don’t know the biological or social science answer to this question, but the mystery got me to thinking. Can there be too much of a good thing? With ample water and high humidity, I know that plants can quickly succumb to disease. What’s good for the plant is also good for the bug or fungus. But in the dry, thin air of the West, perhaps roses struggle….and they win, because less can be more in many cases. Less stuff, less junk, less clutter….just life and light equals amazing beauty.
Not sure if I’ll be in trouble for posting these pics or not, but I just love Steven’s sisters and I think they are terrific! So here goes….The first pic is the celebrating sister in Colorado with her hubby and son. The second photo is Steven’s twin sisters, followed by their husbands at the coffee shop where we had breakfast together. The last is my own dear amazing sister, who I hope to visit in Illinois very soon!
Sisters, they make life so much better!
“Sampling good Glenwood Springs food” was high on the To Do list for the Colorado vacation. We ate at Qdoba, which..by the way…is coming to Ames out on Duff! They have amazing Mexican sauces and salsas! I loved the ribs and sauces at Rib City and we had really good take out from the Italian Underground. The simple tomato basil pasta was delish with lots of sassy chunks of garlic. At Juicy Lucy’s Steven had a good steak while I sampled some elk burger…just because I thought my body should have a few cells of elk in there somewhere. I didn’t eat any moose, but I did have this cute and silly sighting in the gondola that went up to Iron Mountain. I just love kids! They laugh so easily!
Mostly I’m a cat person these days, but I really enjoyed these dogs in Colorado. When I heard that Steven’s sister got a pug a few years ago…..well……let’s just say I’d never looked at the dog books and said, “oh I wish I had a pug”. But I have to say, when I first met Sunny last summer, it was love at first sight. He’s soft, affectionate and there is just so much neck to scratch and pet. He’s small and light enough to easily lift, but he snuggles like a big dog. I like chihuahuas, but whenever I try to hug one, I’m always afraid I’m going to break a little leg or something, you know? Then there is Charlie, the Chow mixed with something that must be the softest dog in the world. He sheds terribly, but you can easily forgive him because he feels like velvet and baby all at once. And put the two dogs together, and you have loving, best friends forever.
The reason for going to Colorado was to party! It was a combination party: Steven’s sister’s and brother-in-law’s fiftieth birthdays and their 25th wedding anniversary and their son’s graduation from college. I won’t post a lot of great people pictures here as I’m not sure how they all feel about showing up on a blog, but it was a GREAT day and I wanted to share some of the brilliance with you!
There were party tents in the back yard, helium balloons, tons of delicious food, peach cobbler that was to die for, cookies, cake, simple and beautiful table decorations and table games, which I thought was brilliant! Sandy cut flowered metallic paper and added wide wine colored ribbon to make gorgeous table runners. She added silk flowers in jars filled with white and purple sand, small jars of chex mix and a variety of games including barrel of monkeys, pick up sticks, word games, play dough and lots more to keep her guests having fun the whole time they were there!
Here’s the three special people headed off to the church for renewal of wedding vows. Notice Sandy’s car and how much she likes purple!
Steven and I helped a little with the decorations and the clean up. I was so glad to be included in this family celebration!
Back from a wonderful trip to Colorado. I’m still trying to get out of vacation mode, so I’ll just post a couple of scenery pictures tonight to give you the flavor!
Glenwood Springs is known for it’s Spa of the Rockies that you see here. On the other side of the building is this enormous set of pools. The therapy pool is spring fed and kept at 104 degrees. The larger pool is also full of sulfur kissed spring water and feels like heaven and a warm 95 degree bath. I floated, bobbed, and swam for three fabulous hours until just before the spa closed at 10pm.
Other highlights of the Glenwood Springs portion of the vacation included a 13 mile bike ride along the Colorado River….again…fabulous, breathtaking, amazing, exhilarating! We also rode the gondola up to the top of Iron Mountain for a tour of the caves and rode the highest swing in the world!
At some points the bike trail is right next to US 70.
Yep, that last one shows the swing! Ok, more later…but think warm sweet BBQ ribs, baked beans and a fabulous fresh salad garnished with edible flowers and the perfect cup of hot herb tea….and that’s what our vacation was like! Family, food, flowers and party pictures to come….
A big thank you to Lani who has agreed to share her “real” garden with me this summer! I went over to check on the transplants and came home with some heavenly peonies. Have you ever buried your face in a warm, sun kissed peony? If so, you know the kind of sensual experience I’m talking about.
