Occasionally, it occurs that a day is
experienced so fully, that it seems more than a day—but rather more
like three that are condensed by alchemy. The moments weave tightly
and seamlessly, full of wonder and excitement, with variation. The
mind is exploring while the spirit soaring. I have felt this magic
before and it is usually during travel.
Yesterday was such a day. Heidi Of The
Mountains and I had drove north into Colorado for a four day sojourn
and ended up in
Crested Butte, a gem of an outdoorsy town situated in
a broad, lush valley surrounded by pristine mountains. In winter it
is renowned for skiing, and in summer known as the wildflower capital
of Colorado.
To begin the day, we left our
condominium apartment and headed to an organic bakery for quiche and
coffee. The place bustled with patrons, yet we found a quiet table by
a window where we leisurely ate. Then we drove along a river that
goes into the mountains. Following the curving path, we found an
overlook that revealed the river below and mountains up the valley in
the distance. For the next two and half hours we created, making oil
paintings while standing in wildflower strewn surroundings with the
sun on us and occasional fly bites. Our artwork complete, we
clambered down the slope to lay by the cold flowing river on a pebble
strewn bank, and let our feet get wet. A beaver dam was only step
away. I remembered a spiritual verse: “Cleanse the rheum from out
thine head, and breathe the breath of God instead.”
Riding back toward town, the
condo-hotel is by the ski area, just a couple miles from the town
center. We took our paintings to our room for a review, then napped.
Soon, Heidi wanted to shop so we drove a couple miles to where the
main street is lined with eclectic shops and restaurants. We walked
and I held the dog, Gracie, while she went into boutiques and bought
clothing. Plant baskets filled to overflowing with blooming flowers
were hung everywhere, and profusions of poppies bloomed along the
clapboard house fronts. I snapped pictures.
When the shopping was done, we headed
farther up, into the mountains toward a lake, where we parked our car
and hiked on a trail up into the primitive and pure alpine terrain.
The late afternoon light gave more drama to the breathtaking scenery.
We climbed steadily higher, with the landscape becoming more wild
and free with each step. To wander off the path was to step into
flowers. Although at a high elevation on steep terrain, I commented
to Heidi that I felt perfect, without fatigue. The beauty was like an
aphrodisiac and remedy. Standing up to my chest in a thick glade of
leafy flowers, I felt like a child again in a magical realm of
wonderment. I composed pictures and took photos—some will become
paintings in the future.
We turned back and found our car, then
headed into town. It is the peak season for visitors, and every cafe
was packed. Everyone seemed ebullient, as if just back from exciting
adventure; either mountain biking, hiking, fishing, or camping. Our
dinner was in a retro establishment called BONEZ, serving a Colorado
style Mexican cuisine. Over a big community table in the middle of
the cavernous main room hung hundreds of empty white glass bottles,
illumined with electric bulbs.
Sunburned, relaxed and happy, we
returned to our room, opening our books to read before sleep.
