Golden

Everything is upside down and backwards. More senseless horrifying shootings in a quiet town in Oregon, the East Coast is being hammered once again w/ a slow moving, flood bearing hurricane. It is October 3, and Autumn has arrived w/ a fury. My nieces turn 27 today...where has the time gone? I pray. I walk, I swim, I bike, I cook, I sew, I garden, I harvest, I take pics, I pray. 

We had an opportunity to visit w/ some Friends who live in Golden. Yes, there is a city/town named Golden! Golden lies along Clear Creek at the base of the Front Range of the Rockies. It is less that an hour due West of us. The challenge, if you will, was are we 'okay enough' to go to a higher elevation. We doubled up on our Advocare O2Gold supplements, we added extra coconut water to our fluids which have electrolytes. We put Mom's portable oxygen in the car, just in case. The ride headed toward to Rockies is beautiful. I have to pinch myself sometimes that we are living in a place of such beauty. Once we finally found their house, we stayed a while enjoying the views we have heard so much about, listened to their many stories of moose, deer, elk, which are normal daily sightings for them. They have bird feeders all around their deck which is colored, still, w/ their Summer annuals. They were itching to take us to Lookout Mountain. It turns out that Golden is not as high as I thought. It sits @ around 5600 feet in elevation. Centennial, where we live sits @ around 5300 feet. Colorado Springs, which almost did me in completely, is @ 7000 feet in elevation @ its highest point.  This is where we lived. Well, Lookout Mountain, I discovered is almost @ 7400 feet in the sky. Everyone was feeling fine, so off we went. The Autumn foliage is always a big draw across the country, and it is certainly no different here. I think I took over 100 pics by the time the day was over. This is their place, their park, their stomping grounds, so every rock and tree is familiar to them. For me, w/ my trustee little camera in tow, this was yet another playground, another deep feast for the eyes, quiet moments to soak in this new vista, God's mighty handiwork @ play once again. They loved pointing out some of the special places they have found along the way. There is a 5 mile trail which they are totally blessed to have traversed, and, often. We walked a much shorter distance, (they didn't want anybody to keel over...) but the beauty, the majesty, the big skies, the foliage just starting to say 'Autumn', such a gift. As it turns out, I was totally fine by the time the day was over. Lo and behold! But, Jimmy was definitely feeling the effects of the higher altitude. We kissed our Friends good-bye, and left the lovely place called Golden and Lookout Mountain, feeling well fed on every level, grateful, knowing we could go up to a higher elevation (and come back down) w/out being plagued w/ altitude sickness. Baby steps.

With this world still spinning on its axis, even w/ the madness we all see on a daily basis, I/we remain grateful beyond words that we can find quiet moments. I pray. I walk, I swim, I bike, I cook, I sew, I garden, I harvest, I take pics. I pray.

We are greeted up on Lookout Mountain..

More, 'hello's'...Jimmy and Edward, tiny, tiny blending in w/ the trees...

The Aspens, looking up...

A 'lean-to', hidden away in the thicket...

Some riders along the way...

Father and Son...

Driving down from Lookout Mountain, taken from the car...

A moment captured...if I had wings!!!

'You shall call upon me, and you shall go: and you shall pray to me, and I will hear you. You shall seek me, and shall find me, when you shall seek me with all your heart.'

                                                      Jeremiah 29:12-14