Since I have blogged. And it is because I took a vacation. Yes, that strange, foreign concept of time off and away. I did take my computer but wonder of wonders there was no internet access at our lodging. No. Internet. Access. Astounding. It threw the lot of us, let me tell you. The kids were speechless, JC and I felt the floor slip out from underneath us, and all of us to varying degrees felt slightly derailed. We have become a connected world. There was cell service so the smart phone crowd could still access email, weather, mapquest. And you know... it was kind of restful.
We went to Colorado for a family reunion - one side of the family and even that incomplete - but there were enough of us there and from far enough away that the time spent together was precious and rare and good. When I was young we used to have frequent family reunions in Oklahoma but then the generation of my grandparents began to pass and the reunions ended. There really isn't anything like getting a bunch of family together.... bonded by blood and marriages we have to search for the threads of common interests or at least enjoy our differences.
Two houses, four days. Days were left unstructured and we set out each day to explore nearby towns. Dillon, Frisco, Breckenridge, Vail, Leadville, Georgetown. We met each evening at the big house for dinner. Everyone in the group did one dinner. I got to cook with JC, my beautiful niece, my handsome & funny great-nephew, and one of my gorgeous sisters.
I took many photos during our days - mostly of old buildings. Colorado has a rich mining history and many of the old buildings have been maintained. Some of the towns have built up a different identity - particularly the ski towns - but even in those quasi-Scandinavian burbs you will find remnants of old Colorado.
I could have this chandelier.... I really liked the combination of bent ash, rawhide, and the antlers. This is a mountain chandelier.
Lots of bikes around. Plenty of road bikes but of course I like the cruisers. This one was for rent in Breckenridge and we regretted not renting bikes for a day and just riding around the back streets and bike paths.
There were plenty of bronze statues around but this caught my eye (along with the moose I posted above) in Frisco.
The blue reminds me of high, alpine lakes or tarns - the ones up above tree line. With the ice just breaking up.
Or - tailing ponds. I'll never forget riding down from above Pine Creek and looking down on the tailing ponds of the tungsten mine. The color of the water in those ponds blew my mind.
I saw enough peeling paint, wavy glass, and old rusty metal to last me for a little while.
Thank you Colorado for not tearing down your old hotels and storefronts - for encouraging people to live in and keep up the historical buildings. Thank you for having history and uniqueness and not turning your mountain towns into cookie-cutter ski resorts. Of course, you could have left the outlet malls down in Denver.
Strange isn't it? I complain about not having wireless in our rented condo but all I want to take photos of is a world that predated electricity.
But ok, how about this? Breckenridge has a distillery! It was closed on Sunday so I couldn't check it out beyond their great logo - but I do really like the idea of a mountain distillery. Small lots, locally grown grains (one would hope, anyway) and an artisan distiller. (Is there such a thing?)
Leadville is the next post. I loved Leadville. I could move to Leadville tomorrow.
We're home now and climbing back into the saddle of work and home. Came home to sparkling clean windows and suddenly, summer. Filled to the brim with warm memories of cousins and aunts and sisters and parents and nieces and nephews.
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