Estes Park "True - isms"...

The Equestrian world is just a microcosm of educational truths.....

"Success Breeds Success"
"Positive Reinforcement"
"Meaningful and Timely Feedback"
"Practice makes Perfect"
"Relevancy and Purpose"
"Connectedness and Ownership"

But in the end, we are dealing with the human spirit - a delicate and complex being. How much criticism can the Ego withstand? How much pressure can an individual place upon themselves? And truly when do we accept that all that occurs is exactly what is meant to occur; that the lessons are laid before us for the experiencing?

So I suppose, "green" horses learn to stand still to be braided and "green" riders perfect their body position to yield the best performance from their animal. Young riders are mentored by the more experienced amateur riders. And in some cases simply must find the strength within themselves to trust in the moment for exactly what it is... even if not accompanied by the coveted blue ribbon.

So, in the world of education, what is the "blue ribbon" for our learners? Is it the "A" on the report card? Is it the bragging rights to valedictorian? Or is it the internal knowledge that as an individual being you know more today than you knew yesterday?

Oh, the human spirit, the psyche, the ego... what complicated and beautiful creatures we are... especially in concert with our 4-legged friends.

Memories are made, friendships are strengthened, emotional maturity is tested.



But the magic continues to stir the fire in the hearts of these riders, these learners, these animals to be the best they can be, to achieve at greater heights even if only within the individual.

The lines blur between teacher and student and isn't that the truth of life....

Dotsero...

A country song or band..., right?

Passing through this small mountain town, headed ever so much closer to suburbia... these thoughts enter my consciousness.

The houses, rectangular and perfect, reminded me of a "Premium Crackers" box. Oh, and music again... Toby Keith, "Live Like You Were Dying" (might need to become my motto... :) ) shuffles through the iPod. Immediately, I am reminded of Brett, Mykaela's trainer who passed away all too young...

So, we watched the Big Dipper - found the Little Dipper and kept driving. We lost ourselves and found ourselves - repeatedly... Love, yes, love.

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.