Made it to Carbondale and the Glenwood Springs Crit

Checklist:
Bike Yes
Water bottle Yes
Bike pump and extra tire Yes
Helmet Of course
Let's go!

Wait...............who didn't check the weather? The beautiful blue, cloudless Colorado sky can be so deceiving. It's nearly freezing out here at 8AM.

Should we go get our fleece?
No, let's tough it out.

I made it up to Carbondale on my bike on Saturday -- about one-quarter of the way to my summer goal of riding all the way to Aspen! Took this photo as proof as I finished alone. My sweet biking partner decided to head back a bit early. Saw gold finches, redwing blackbirds, mountain bluebirds, a heron, a hawk being chased by two small birds, ground squirrels, and several bunnies. This Rio Grande Trail is really so beautiful and peaceful -- and I didn't need the fleece after all.



We walked downtown this morning as it was yet another beautiful day in Paradise. Caught part of the Glenwood Springs Criterium on the way back. Some were really cruising...........

And some were going nowhere fast!

Ban on Thongs

Have you heard the news? Thongs are no longer allowed at some pools and beaches around the US. How can this be? As a child I spent many summers at our cottage on Saginaw Bay where I lived in my thongs. I remember the first time I’d put them on for the season, the space between my big toe and second toe would hurt so badly. I had to build up a callous and then it would be okay. Those thongs kept the hot sand and pavement from burning my feet. I’m certain my parents loved them as well because they were relatively inexpensive. Of course if I tried to run in them I would invariably stub my big toe. OUCH! Gosh that hurt. Well, maybe it’s not such a bad idea to ban those pesky thongs after all!

(Picture of thongs: Debra Arif)

Summer of Jazz

Ahhh..........the Glenwood Springs Summer of Jazz!


We enjoyed a wonderful jazz concert last night down at Two Rivers Park where Ahmad Jamal played what he refers to as "American Classical." This event is so special. Great music, dinner on the lawn, children spinning and dancing, teens throwing frisbies and kicking soccer balls, and many folks of all ages enjoying the evening with friends. It truly is a community event.

The evening started out with a bit of a downpour but we threw our blanket over our heads and stayed dry. Then the speakers, the piano, and drums were uncovered and the music began.

A little girl ran from one set of speakers to the other, listening intently. It was fun watching her. Sometimes she would stop and stare at the musicians, playing air piano on the edge of the stage. She twirled and sang, thoroughly enjoying the music.
A local artist, Dean Bowlby, sat on the ground in front of us, painting the musical scene. We discovered him last summer after we'd seen him painting at a concert and a few weeks later saw
the painting in an art shop downtown.

The sun came out, we savored a beautiful sunset, and left looking forward to next week's concert.

Meditation Humor

Found this meditation joke --it's so true.

It Will Pass

A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!"

"It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly.A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It's just wonderful!"

"It will pass," the teacher replied matter-of-factly.

Rio GrandeTrail

Goal for the summer: to ride our bikes up to Aspen via the Rio Grande Trail. Yesterday afternoon we started our "training."

Yikes! Horses are allowed on this trail. Nothing like riding along and coming upon either a huge horse or a pile of goodies he's left behind. And just why is it that you don't have to pick up after your horse but you do have to pick up after your dog? Really, the horse's mess is so much bigger.

Good. Only 40 miles to Aspen. The best thing is: it's downhill on the way home.

That's beautiful Mt. Sopris ahead, still wearing the white mantle of snow.

Arianna and Mallory: Can you tell how far we went? Yes, your old folks made it up to the Colorado Mountain College turnoff on their very first try! About 12 percent of the total trip. And it only took us half an hour. Maybe this is doable.

Lest you think this is a piece of cake, here's what's left of a critter that didn't make it. The trail guide does warn of mountain lions. I wonder if we could outrun a lion with our bikes?

My Favorite Sport Story

When I heard about this story I knew it was the best sport story I'd ever heard. What incredible young women!

Weird

I was reading the Fox News website and found a story about a man who had surgery to remove what appeared to be a tumor. Instead, the docs found a surgical towel which was used during surgery performed on him 25 years ago. That part I can understand, knowing that sometimes this happens as the towels are so blood-soaked it might be hard to distinguish and if the towels weren't counted properly-- well, things happen. HOWEVER, what intrigued me in the story is this quote:

"The towel was greenish-blue although we are not sure about its original color."

Did they really care about the original color?!