On a rural road near Mancos in south-central Colorado, Amy, Kiah and I were looking for Joe and Beccas home. I had been to their place several years earlier but everything looked different from what I remembered.
The GPS told us "you have reached your destination" but all we saw in the immediate area was scrub brush,rocks,prickley pear cactus, yucca plants and power lines stetching across the rolling hills. We did come up on several houses but nothing looked familiar. After a couple of times of slowly driving up and down rural 'Road P', we saw Joe standing in a gravel drive waving. Next to the drive was a silver mailbox with their name in large black letters, plain as day. How we missed seeing their place is still a mystery to me. Probably the long hours at highway speed(everthing passing in sort of a blurr) just blinded us once we got to slow, country road reality.
Anyway we made it!
We were greeted first by a large red dog with intelligent eyes. He trotted up to my door as I opened it. His large body blocked me from getting out. I spoke, saying complimentary things to him, hoping to win him over. He's the kind of dog you definitley want on your side!
When he started wagging his tail, I took my eyes off of him and looked at Joe.
Joe greeted me with a handshake and a hug. As the girls got out of the car, they too were welcomed first by Cliff (the big red dog) then by Joe.
Becca and baby boy Isaac greeted us in the yard and welcomed us to their home.
In a spot Joe had cleared for our tent, the girls got into the 'set-up tent' mode and we were quickly unpacked and ready for the two day visit.
After setting up camp, a tour of the house was in order. A sleeping blond headed boy (Orin) was oblivious to the commotion of 'the tour'. Becca assured us that we needn't worry about waking him as he is a heavy sleeper. It wasn't long though, that he woke up.He sat up and quietly looked at the new faces for a short time, then his dad called him over for an introduction.
Orin warmed up very quickly to the company and soon he and I were playing cars and trucks,and reading books.
Dinner time had us sitting around the table eating spaghetti and the garlic toast Joe had prepared for us.
After eating we all went for a short walk around their place.
And what a unique place it is.
Joe, Becca ,Orin and Isaac live in a Yert sitting on the southern edge of a 35 acre tract of enchanted land.
To the east and down a 500-600 foot hill is a pond. I took a tour of the pond in a kayak with Cliff swimming right along side. After getting out of the Kayak and taking the life jacket off, I was a bit embarrassed to find that the pond is only a few feet deep.
The pond is home to hundreds of frogs. (they did a fine job of singing me to sleep the two nights we were there).
Apparently a few snakes reside at there as well. Kiah cooled off in the pond on our second day, saw a snake and seemed undetered. The relief offered from the afternoon heat offset any fear of snakes.
Up the hill from the pond is a garden spot Joe and Becca have cleared for growing a variety of vegetables. It's soft- tilled soil and tender green plants are a stark contrast to the jagged stones and leather-like leaves of the vegetation just outside the garden fence.
A short tromp on a trail just north and west of the yert got me in the mood for more. The rugged landscape seemed to be taunting me. A toughness is required to venture here. But there are treasures here,as well, for those that are equipped to see them.
An extended hike,however, would have to be put on hold. Evening was quickly sliding westward.Instead of venturing out, it was time to settle in.
to be continued............
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2 comments:
Kiss our Samulski kin for us - sounds like a fab time in CO. xxxooo c
The Friday morning menu special was Chef Joe's Breakfast Burritos,juice and coffee.Orin and Isaac joined the rest of us around the table.Isaac was excited to have company but he was a bit uncertain about letting Uncle Pete hold him.As long as I kept my distance he was all smiles. Orin, on the other hand was ready for another round of books and cars.
After breakfast he and I played a bit before Amy, Kiah and I loaded up and made our way toward Durango for a scheduled 'campus visit' at Ft. Lewis College.
Once we got to Durango we saw a busy touristy town at the foot of a large hill.
Winding our way up to the top of the hill, we came to the college campus and to the visitors center.
After checking in,the girls disappeared down a hallway and I went back to the car.
While the girls were being given a tour,I cleaned out the car and rearranged the camping gear,ice chest, and all the things that get scattered on a long road trip.
I then took a book that Joe had given me and settled under a shade tree.'Reinventing Collapse'is a book about a very serious subject that is writen with humor. The author Dmitry Orlov writes about the growing similarities between the collapse of the Soviet Union and (in his words) the current unraveling of the United States.
The dark predictions about where the U.S. is headed would normally take the reader into a depressing state of mind but Orlov is able to use uncommon sense and silly sarcasm to lighten things up.His main premise is to be prepared for 'the big collapse' by being self sufficient.Don't be dependent on the things that we now take for granted in our everyday lives.After reading several chapters, I saw a group of 'prospective students' returning from their tour. With hands full of information packets and heads full of 'college confusion' the girls were ready to go.We made our way back down the hill to the busy little town.Time to eat lunch.....to be continued
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