Homeward Bound

So I haven't kept up very well but I couldn't help taking a moment as the passing landscape invites me to gently transition back to reality...

Jimmy Buffet on the iPod and "A Pirate Looks at Forty" takes me thirty years back to Scott's Dad's red Toronado, a bottle of Riunite and blissful young love. Ahh, the power of music :)

As we drive Eastward, kissing the sandstone mesa's goodbye... we realize, "Wow, white puffs in the sky... haven't seen those in a while..."

We take breather in Glenwood to relish the last of our country connectedness... a farmers market. We sample some "to-die-for" Colorado cherries and pick up a variety of salsa's and pickled veggies from the Clark Family Orchards. We allow the blue-grass to linger in our ears... and wish, we too, lived the perfectly "cared for" life of our canine friend...

Ute Canyon Hike

So, here I sit in a beautiful place of contemplation... back home now on my covered deck I allow the rhythm of the rain and the colors of the roses to guide my mind back to our Ute Canyon hike.

Ute Canyon began with a greeting from our 4-legged friend - the Bighorn Sheep.... (It should have been my first indication that Spirit would travel near today.)


Before.... After.... 3 hrs and approx 7 mi.

Yes, dirty socks, forgot the others in the hotel - trying to be gypsies - but needing a home base - gypsies would be totally fine with dirty socks... so were we :)

As we approached the trail head, I happen to glance at a nearby tree... and sure enough I was blessed with the perfect walking stick - left by those who had been here before....

Just the right height. As I allowed it to rotate in my palm the half-moon shape settled comfortably within the digits of my four fingers allowing my thumb to rest and steer from above. We headed down the rigorous decent... filled with numerous switchbacks and steps carved into the sandstone.

We were amazed at the difference in terrain only a few bends away from our previous hike. We deeply inhaled the scents from the Pinon Pine forest and cussed the tall reeds and grasses as they lashed at our shins and calves. (Smarter hikers would wear long pants... :) ) Yet we both announced out loud how grateful we are for the abundance of moisture this spring.

The longer we hiked the more thoughtful our conversation became - a wonderful dose of therapy (didn't pay $75.00 an hour for it either - thank you Mother Nature!) We began to review the chapters of our life - from a distance now... filled with fewer judgments and less pain. (30 years now we have known one another...hmmm) We contemplated our childhoods, our own children (of course questioned if we'd done things right). We examined the theory of nature vs nurture and wondered just how much of life's journey we do and do not control... amazing sensation of spirit here... we are truly blessed.

That day we took time to "smell the roses," to take in nature, to believe and to live in the moment... Oh, if we could only slow down long enough to do that every day!

So, I thanked my walking stick and left it in the exact same place...hoping it would share its' spirit with the one next to deeply need it....

Colorado National Monument - not the Gypsy type...

So we had full intentions of jumping around from local to local as the wind blows across the Western slope, but discovered we're just not much for living out of the trunk of the car... needed a place to call homebase... Wine Country Inn it is - amazing breakfasts, great pool, wine tasting of Friday and Saturday... truly tough to beat.

Drinking in the desert landscape we decided to hike in the Colorado National Monument.
Monument Canyon Trail required steady knees as we descended the cliff side about 600 feet to the canyon floor.

The "Coke Ovens" formation is easy to spot for much of the hike.








But we debated over the "Kissing Couple"... any help?

No wildlife joined us today... that we know of anyway... except the lizards leading us down the path... "Catch me if you can, catch me if you can," they teased scurrying away.

Day 3 - between the vapor caves and the heat of the dessert, I am finally melting into a space of health and rejuvenation :)

Powderhorn Hike

Our first morning in Palisade finds us heading back up the mesa in search of a little alpine adventure. Winding our way up, we found ourselves questioning just where one might actually ski around here... Continuing around the bend, we came across our first wildlife siting... a Whistle Pig! And a well fed one at that:)



We parked at the base lodge, dawned our hiking boots and set out up the slopes of Powderhorn Mountain (after some gentle reminders from the shop owners about the moose and bear). Of course my imagination gets the best of me as we begin to find evidence of some 4-legged hiking buddies. So... I wonder what was sleeping here?
After our hike, we stopped at a wonderful vineyard and winery called Canyon Winds.... a beautiful facility..... we relaxed and continued to unwind as we left our work lives further and further behind.


Ahh, yes, the bennie's of a convertible:)

Glenwood Springs - Vacation '09

So now that I can download my pix (left the cable in Denver), I am sorry, but I must rewind....

We spent Thursday night in Glenwood Springs, at the Hotel Colorado - just because we've spent 46 years in Colorado and never stayed there :) Wow! Have they done some renovation... who knows who might have stayed in our room - Molly Brown, or perhaps some other, less famous, renegade feminist (since we did not stay in a suite).

The next morning took us across the bridge to a lovely street-side breakfast at the Haute Plate Bistro. My eggs benedict were wonderful... Rainy day, though, so we decided on a spa day and the Yampah Spa right down from the hotel - truly the best way to begin the unwinding process I look for in my vacations. The vapor caves set the tone for a day of massage and relaxation as we traveled to our next destination.

On our way West bound... I am fumbling with camera and realize it is on timer mode ( which I do often in order to capture both Scott and I together, when traveling alone) - looking back, the end result set in motion a number of conversations remeniscing about our past and refelcting upon our beginnning... the diamond that was my original engagement ring as it hangs suspending around my neck.

We continued to drive west, escaping the rain and heavy cloud cover, arriving in Rifle... made a short detour to Rifle Falls upon the recommendation of the receptionist at Yampah Spas. Water thundering in the trees led us to a most spectacular hidden delight... green and mesmerizing.

Still heading west... in search of sunshine :)

Our journey landed in the wine country of Palisade... and the vast canyons, much in contrast to our suburban home.

As the Wind Blows...

Vacations take us to a myriad of places sometimes in our own backyards....

After a couple of days filled with the stress of conference presentations and work related agendas, we finally found time to decompress, unwind and enjoy.

Our journey took us from the peaks of Copper Mountain to the the hot springs oasis of the historic Hotel Colorado where we reveled in the idea of living like Molly Brown or "Doc" Holliday.

Some spa time grounded us in the Rocky Mountains, rejuvenated our spirits, and reminded us of our true connections.

We traveled to Rifle Falls, not yet "top down", to escape the overhang of darkness in the sky. Upon reaching the falls, out came a ray of "Colorado Sunshine" to warm our faces - what an amazing display of nature at play :)

We journeyed west to Palisade.... our exit took us up to the top of a mesa on the south side of I-70 where we found the Colorado Cellars Winery. They have a merlot that is "melt in your mouth" yummy.....

We wound our way through town to find the Wine Country Inn... a relatively new hotel that serves breakfast each day, BBQ outside on Friday and Saturday, and includes a wonderful pool and jacuzzi tub... very nice for relaxation....

Dinner took us into town where we found the Palisade Cafe and Grill..... and owner Margie Latta. The Cafe is an amazing place, one would never expect to find in a small farm town, but Palisade is putting on a new face and Margie intends to fill the niche. Walking into the Palisade Cafe and Grill feels like stepping into any upscale place in Washington Park. The team gutted an old diner revealing the original wood floors and brick walls. The service was amazing, the people were great. The menu offered anything from Ahi tuna salad - beautifully plated I might add - to cheese burgers. We began with incredible homemade tortilla chips and 3 different salsas. Everything was fresh, crisp and artistically displayed. My compliments to the chefs and owners: Lisa Carr, Aaron and Sara James. Oh, and by all means, save room for dessert. The Chocolate torte pairs fabulous with the local Merlot and the crust on the triple berry pie is to die for! Palisade Cafe and Grill should totally be featured on the Food Network's show, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives."

It's a MUST stop in Palisade next time you are passing by the orchards...

TIE 2009 Keynote

Dr. Tim Tyson...

Wow! What an inspiration.... and what affirmation that eDCSD is right on track!

One of our key phrases at eDCSD is, "Participation is Key!".  Dr. Tyson shared movies made by middle school students illustrating the power of authentic learning environment, self-directed students, project based instruction, problem-solving, collaboration, relevancy and certainly the use of technology.  Students chose topics of interest to them... large topics like stem-cell research, and transplant recipients... issues and ideals that extend much beyond the classroom.

These students certainly took ownership of their own learning.

At eDCSD we often talk about narrowing the gap between how students "live" and how student "go to school."
An excerpt from the eDCSD Vision....
"Our vision is to create a community of learners where the walls of the school may be virtual, but the relationships are real.  eDCSD is founded on a student-centered belief that learning environments should be authentic—filled with relevancy, connectedness, collaboration, forward-thinking, and continuous conversations.  Such environments empower students to actively hone skills in critical thinking, leadership, ethics and self-motivation."

"Within our learning community students will stay connected socially. They will research and create. They will collaborate, problem-solve and support one another where all learners have an equal voice; where individual potential is honored; where responsible citizenship is fostered as we learn today and lead tomorrow."

Dr. Tyson is visionary in his efforts to push all of us to change our perspective, to accept the gift the techological age has brought forth, and to truly live in the most magical and influencial educational time.