Estes, Again!

I went to Estes again to take care of Susan's kids while she attended a conference. I had a couple of days to myself, so I found a few hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. The views were amazing, the workout felt really great, and it was nice to have a little solitude. This was the first trail, the Lawn Lake trail. I didn't go the entire 5 miles, but where I did hike was lovely:

This is the view from the second hike, the Deer Mountain trail. There were a lot of wildflowers along the way, as well as beautiful vistas:

A happy girl!

A blast to the past

I just got home from a trip to Glenwood Springs with Mom and Dad. We had a blast! I hadn't been to Glenwood probably for 7 years. I admit, I was a little nervous that memories of living there might get me down. But I didn't need to worry about that...we had so much fun! When we got in on Monday we walked around town and the Hotel Colorado. I visited with my old boss at the gallery and she was very kind and welcoming. We ate dinner on the Peppo Nino patio, which was the birthplace of the "long dinner" with Mike, Jason, Jess and I.

After dinner, I swam in the hotel pool and mom sat by the pool relaxing. We woke up Tuesday and went to the hot springs. It was so relaxing and wonderful, as the weather was a little cool in the morning. I took off a little while later for Carbondale and Redstone. It is such a beautiful drive along the Crystal River and I just love Redstone-it reminds me of a cross between Carmel California with all the cute cottage-like houses and Talkeeta, Alaska with this artsy but outdoorsy community. Everyone has a cute mailbox or some sort of cute garden art.

After Redstone Mom, Dad and I went back to the pool. We then went to the Glenwood farmer's market which was full of great produce and good music. We finished up the night, exhausted, after a full and delicious Mexican dinner. It was a great trip and I am so glad it turned out to be so much fun!

The Best...

...Summer vacation day while at home so far! Often I equate "time off" and "vacation" with getting out of town. It takes an immense amount of determination, will and stamina for me to consider a "vacation day" while at home. Because, at home, I can eat all day...watch TV...putter around the house...nap...and NOT shower. All very considerably low level activities. Thinking about leaving the house can be a bit of an event. Just thinking about it, even. I woke up today, missing the mountains but re-energized in my vacation time. I slept in a bit, and after breakfast and a dog walk I went to Lair of the Bear Park for a walk. It was beautiful, and cool, and had some interesting views along the way...that whole "Dunafan Castle" is a bit of an an eye sore but altogether fascinating. After my long walk/hike/whatever, I came home and had lunch. I decided to take myself to a movie which meant showering and getting ready. After all the prep time, I went to see "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." What a GREAT movie! Mom and dad, if you are reading my blog, you must go see it! The movie is about a group of 60 somethings, all individuals deciding to spend their retired years in a housing unit in India that is supposed to cater to the "elderly and beautiful". They all meet at the airport and when they get to India they find the hotel less than desirable. However, they find peace in many aspects of their lives with this experience. I actually could relate to Judi Dench's character...A recent widow, trying to figure out her life, and blogging about it all when she gets to India. After the movie, I decided that my recent bout of heartburn kept me from celebrating with Indian food. I went to Brio Tuscan Grille instead and had a salad and flatbread while reading Joan Didian's recent book, "Blue Nights." It was a beautiful day and I am going to treat myself to a date with myself again tomorrow. Meg's "V" gave me a VIP pass to the Yves St. Laurent exhibit at the DAM so I will take myself there, and maybe even to lunch at Palettes. Yes, vacation days are nice when they happen out of town, but they can be equally as nice while IN town!!

Estes with the Fam

I went to one of my favorite places of all time, the YMCA camp in Estes Park, with my family the past few days. Thursday, mom, dad and I along with Ches and Stan met at the visitor center and walked the riverwalk in Estes. We then checked in to the YMCA cabin and was so impressed by how big it was, as well as the fact that it had everything we needed. We settled in, had a little "happy hour" of chips and salsa, and then made dinner. After dinner, mom and dad took a little drive and the boys and I hung out. When they came back, I tried to teach them cribbage (it is a very complicated game!) and then we opted for Gin Rummy. Robert came up on Friday and we all drove to Rocky Mountain National Park where we walked a little trail called The Alluvial Fan. We came back to the cabin and had lunch. I was tired so I took a nap; Robert headed into town; and mom and dad relaxed. We then met Robert in town, walked around, and had dinner at Ed's Cantina. We got ice cream and popcorn after (where I left my popcorn someplace downtown) and then headed back to the cabin. Mom and I picked up some cinnamon rolls for the morning, and then went to a little concert while Robert and dad relaxed. We headed home today, filled with a lot of relaxation and good time spent together. Chester and Stanley had a good time, but they are really tired. Stanley spent most of the trip reinforcing the perimeter...he followed everyone around, making sure if someone left they would come back. They both had a good night's sleep night night. Here is me on the porch:

Here is a picture of Ches and Stan. I made them wear bandanas so they could get extra attention when we walked on the riverwalk:

Here is Stan pondering life:

This was a sunrise from our cabin balcony:

Finally, a good old fashioned family portrait!

Wilderness 2012

I got home yesterday after a week at Wilderness Ranch. It is a truly special place! This year I stayed most of the week, which means I took a lot of naps, read a lot, and hung out with some great people. Here is my little cabin called "Pyramid"along with the view from my porch: Here is some Wilderness scenery: This is as close as I will ever get to Johnny Depp. His upcoming movie, "The Lone Ranger", was being filmed in Creede near the mine: One day, the whole Schultz/Tarman gang went to Freeman's to ride horses. Jess, Big Pa, Olive, Julian and I went to watch as they went up the trail: One night, Jess, Leah, Big Pa and I went to Road Canyon Reservoir to fish. I am not very good at fishing, but it was fun being on the lake on the boat. I didn't even know such a beautiful lake existed! Finally, Saturday I left the ranch to go to Leadville and spent a little time in Mikey's favorite town. First, I stopped at Twin Lakes. Another beautiful spot in Colorado! It was a great week away, spending time with some special people in a special place!

Smells

Most of the time, I use bath and lotion products that come from places like Crabtree and Evelyn or from a natural product vendor at the farmer's market. I recently purchased a number of soaps-lavender and lemon, patchouli and orange, coffee ground kitchen soap-from a woman at the Pearl St market that is there every year. I also purchase the Loreal shampoo, conditioner and leave in conditioner from my salon. I figure since I spend so much on color I should have a good product. I also associate smells with places where I have lived or visited. Crabtree and Evelyn's rose lotion and bath gel reminds me of Paris. Anything cucumber-melon reminds me of living in Glenwood. Dewberry from The Body Shop reminds me of being 16 and in high school. Caress soap reminds me of staying with my Aunt Kakie and the smell of her linen closet or after she would get out of the shower. I was at Target today and I was lured by the wall of hair and bath products that lined the walls. It was all the cheap stuff-Clairol, Suave, you get the picture-but it was lined up according to color and it popped. It was luxurious to look at. I was drawn in. I bought Herbal Essences shampoo that smells like pomegranate and a Suave body wash that smells like the ocean breeze. I was drawn to these items because I am going to Wilderness Ranch again this year and wanted a smell-a fresh, bright smell-to remind me of the Ranch. There is nothing better than after a day of hiking or fishing to take a hot shower with smells of bright colored products. I love it when a bathroom is full of these scents-citrus, fruit, fresh linen, ocean breeze...just as much as I love a bathroom that smells like lavender or rose. Here are two pictures from last year's trek to the Ranch...just a taste of what is yet to come... I did pamper myself Sunday night and stayed at the Highland Haven B&B in Evergreen. There, I used the product they had in the bathroom...a "fresh cotton" revitalizing shampoo, conditioner, and soap. It was a lovely place to stay and the morning breakfast was exceptional. It is geared more toward couples, I think, because you can buy a paving stone with you and your sweetie's names on it. I liked this one-I wonder where Dusty and Kat are now? These are other pictures of how relaxing this place is. Yesterday, I enjoyed the smell of suntan lotion, although I didn't use enough of it. Liz and I sat by her pool for almost two hours and I only used one application of SPF 30. Oops. Needless to say I have a nice patchy little sunburn all over my arms and legs. I will need to fix that sometime this summer. Smell can be an important self-care tool, and I intend to take complete advantage of it.

Documenting Summer

School is out for the summer! It was a brutal school year, balancing the internship, school, homework as well as all the emotions that come out of a social work program. It feels so good to sit back and just breathe. The weekend went by fast and needless to say I think I was still in processing mode but now I feel like summer vacation is official! My yard is looking great! Here are some pots I planted as well as my little side garden: Today I felt like I needed to get out of Denver so I drove to Evergreen and walked around the lake. I brought a little lunch and sat for a while. Tomorrow Susan and I are going on a hike. We don't know where yet, but I am so glad to find a hiking buddy! When I was in Evergreen I was reminded of a little B&B right in the downtown area and made a reservation to stay there Sunday night. There are a lot of little shops and restaurants that I haven't visited before so Sunday afternoon will be about strolling, dining and relaxing. Summer, I have missed you! Let's make this one great. XO Mel