In the Foothills

When I arrived on Tuesday evening, my dear friend, Fu and I had dinner at an incredible Japanese restaurant.  I ate more sushi than I needed to because it tasted so good – I especially enjoyed the fried shrimp heads (apparently they are a very good source of calcium J).

I let myself sleep in on Wednesday morning – until NOON – which translates to 2:00 EST.  Mmmmm.  I think the 5½ hours a night I have been living on for the past few weeks finally caught up to me.   I spent the rest of the day talking with Charles.  I think one could talk with Charles for weeks on end  -- with breaks for meditation.  Later in the day, he took me to the grocery store to pick up some fruit and then to Fu’s acupuncture office.  Fu loaded me up with herbs and graciously gave me a treatment before we headed home to have dinner with Charles and to reminisce about high school and middle school.

Charles was sweeping the porch when I woke up morning at 7:15.  I drank oolong tea with ginseng in a small ceramic tea mug.  Fu gave me an adorable crocheted baby dragon who has become my sole traveling companion.

After saying my goodbyes, my little civic braved the climb over and down the mountains to Glenwood Canyon.  I kept encouraging it that it was all my stuff holding it back as it pitifully accelerated up the grate.  I was hoping to arrive in Glenwood in time to go horseback riding – I arrived too late, fortunately, and they recommended a local ranch 15 miles away.  The unpaved road to the Porter Ranch winded before me until I came to this little sign.

I turned up the lane and found only the horses waiting for me.  After some nice conversation with them, a couple with a very happy terrier drove up.  I have never seen a happier dog in all my life.  How could he not be happy when he lives in this paradise?  

With a friendliness I have rarely enountered on the East coast, the couple introduced themselves to me. And I was taken on a private horse ride in the ranch with Mary as my guide.  These were not tail to head trail horses, but sweet rescues – mine was called Braveheart.  I got a brief lesson and then we set out.  My horse spooked when a mule deer darted out of the brush – and gratefully I held my seat – and later, when he bolted down the hill, I stayed on his back. 

This is Ace; we became friends though I didn't ride him

There were wildflowers all along the way and transporting views of the foothills.  The homesteader on the ranch 3 generations back put in a reservoir and an irrigation system powered by gravity so that the land is green all year round. The ranch also has the largest herd of domestic elk in Colorado.  At dinner, I enjoyed the elk at local restaurant – very good!

All the other tables had begonias.  My table, by the the window, had an orchid.

For Dacia

The landscape changed several times throughout the day. I missed a few photos of the diverse rock formations.

I am writing from a BRAND NEW Spring Hill Suite.  This is the second day it has been open (thank you, Patrick).

If you are ever in Colorado, check out Porter Ranch.