TGIF

It's Friday, and I'm still basking in the glow of my visit to Colorado.  There was a scant dusting of snow one morning, but otherwise the weather was pretty mild for this time of year.  I hear that's happening all over.  Unless it's disaster weather (hi, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico).

We took a hike in Boulder on Sunday.  It's been years since I've been there, and the increase in population is readily apparent.  Streets were choked mid-day.  I picked Chatacqua  as our hiking destination because it is (was) quiet and beautiful with the Flat Irons in the near distance.  How out of step was I?  The place was packed.  There was a wedding going on.  In addition to the wedding, the trails up the the Flat Irons were a steady stream of hikers.  I did get a photo of one very interesting hiker, who could have been in his Wizard clothes because it was the season, or because he truly is a Wizard.  In Boulder, you never know.

After Boulder, we headed up to the town of Lyon's for a Halloween festival at the local elementary school.  A small town affair where every person knew every other person.  The parade afterwords, down main street, consisted of every person at the festival.  It was grand.  The merchants handed out candy while I ducked into the joint we targeted for dinner.  My worn out feet were crying for respite, and my mountain air parched throat needed a beer.  I grabbed a table for 8 in the back and my server, a cute hipster mountain man (young, they're getting younger all the time) promptly brought me a large glass of water and the house pilsner.

I tend to forget what the altitude does to me.  And the dry air.  I need a week to adjust, so a one week visit like I just had is simply not long enough.  I go through my week breathing hard. I walk up a flight of stairs with concrete legs and hold onto the railing until my dizziness clears.  But the grand kids in particular motivated me to keep moving.  6 year old Eden was friendly and cuddly, and 8 mos. old Dylan had a cold with a nasty cough and she need a lot of cuddle time as well.  There is nothing quite as sweet as rocking her to sleep and then falling asleep myself.  Unless it is reading a book to Eden at bedtime.  Or walking over to the school to pick him up and watch him burst out of his class to hug his mom around her legs.

Age, and mountain altitude, makes me wonder at the energy it takes to raise children.  How do they do it?  How do they manage the piles of laundry, the meals, the house keeping and their JOBS?  They just do it.  And do it well.  My hat's off to them, big time.

Back at home, I'm comfortable in my lazy routine, taking time for my morning coffee and reading, maybe a spell in the spa before I shake myself out of my slumber and start on my 'to do' list.  Usually it's a very short list.  Nothing that involves the immediate needs of others.

Amen.

Good wishes to you for a weekend of doing just what you want to do.  With maybe a couple of chores thrown in just for good measure.