AN AMAZING VISITOR

 I'LL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT AFTER I CATCH UP A BIT.

We went to Colorado and settled in on our old campsite on the side of this mountain just 5 miles outside Buena Vista.

Down the hill, by a stream and semi hidden is a humble cabin that has peaked my curiosity for several years now.  It is precisely the same dimensions  as Thoreau's famous cabin on Walden pond.  This time I lucked out--the owner came camping---I engaged him.  And No, it was not built with Thoreau in mind---just a coincidence.

After two weeks we decided to get seriously into the mountains by moving across Monarch pass to Montrose , to Ouray and then to Silverton.

Settling along a lovely creek  nearby.

 Made friends with several others--one of which took us in his mountain climbing vehicle to a magical lake at 12 thousand feet.  Pictures later.

Then we went across Wolf Creek Pass--a legendary climb immortalized in a truckers song as a "bearcat of a pass".  

On the other side we found a lovely plateau and stayed 2 weeks while we worked on an internet presentation of my Walt Whitman performance.

Then we backtracked a hundred or so miles to Salida. finding this gem of a free parking place near Brown's Canyon

at the base of these famous mountains--the college peaks--all 14,000 ft or more and named for the colleges--Harvard, Yale, Princton and one other I forget.

We had a group meeting  to discuss a serious event coming our way.  All of us are out of qarentine and do not mask up.  We're "family".  We decided to stay put and face the worst of it.

Christy gave me this splendid expensive mattress.  It's way too big as you can see--so I'll have to cut it down to size.

AND THEN IT CAME---A REAL LIVE SNOWSTORM.  ABOUT A FOOT OF IT.

It was a shocker to wake up to this.  But it was beautiful--haven't seen anything like it ever.

Next morning I'm snowed in but I have two days worth of power stored in my 6 batteries plus a full supply of food, water and propane for my fine heater.  No problem:  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow,

We all went out to play.  The dog loved it even more.

I probably will never see this sight again. "The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot" are gone away

and only we remain.

I went to work clearing my solar panels---they charge my batteries nicely even on overcast days.

I tried to make a snow angel.

AND THEN IT ALL WENT AWAY IN 3 DAYS FLAT.  Today it's 80 degrees and lovely.  We've been here 2 weeks and plan to move tomorrow to a new spot.  

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: I THINK OF THIS GROUP AS A BOLD EXPERIMENT IN FRIENDSHIP; HOW TO GROW IT AND HOW TO ENJOY IT.  It is wonderful to be surrounded by quality people who enjoy being surrounded by you--- a pool of wisdom, skills, experience and empathy readily available for the drinking.