23 October 2018

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star/ Being Happy Where You Are

Twinkle twinkle....


Last night, Carlos was barking his head off over, from the sounds of it, a bear or mountain lion, but from appearances, a squirrel.  I let him out on the back deck and followed him out because, of course, my first instinct is to see if it really might be something big and dangerous.
We stood together on the deck, him staring into the woods, me trying to figure out what he was staring out. A glass of red wine in my hand, plans for dinner in my head (chicken tortilla soup) and the awareness that once the dog quit barking it was a still evening with perfect temperatures. I was overcome with the feeling of contentment. Happiness at being in my cabin in the woods, working at a job that I (mostly) enjoy, with friends within walking distance. All was right with the world.

No bears, just squirrels.


I came in to a text from friend Martha letting me know there would be a meteor shower overnight. Nothing I love better than a big celestial display. The Orionids, crumbs from Halley's Comet, would be entering our atmosphere and streaking across the sky.


Because of the bright, almost full, moon the best viewing time would be EARLY, some time between 4:00am and 6:00am. I didn't set my alarm but awoke automatically at 3:45am. Dressing in the dark (this morning I realized I had been wearing two different color Uggs) I slipped into boots, a sweater, a down jacket and grabbed some blankets. A quick check outside showed the moon was just about to dip behind the mountains, but it was still a little bright. Since tortilla soup had been my dinner, I was hungry. A bagel made in the dark, quickly eaten, constituted "first breakfast".

Back outside, the rocker and tree stump foot stool pulled out into the yard, blankets under me and over me...I settled in.
Three streaks of light flew across the sky, all within a minute of each other. They were so quick and so close together I forgot to make a wish.

I waited, in the dark, listening for Carlos to come back...of course he had run off into the night as soon as I let him out. That dog is not afraid of anything.  More streaks across the black. Wishes made.

Eventually the dog came back. The clouds were starting to gather and the flashes were less frequent. I bargained with myself...one more and then I'll go in. A couple more little streaks and the cold was starting to get to me. I waited for the best last one.

At 5:00am I came back inside. The thermometer registered 33º.  Probably saw ten to twelve shooting stars in the hour I was outside. Not a spectacular display but then I realized how many YEARS went by living in Texas, light pollution everywhere, where I did not see stars, much less stars flying across the blackened sky.

And I felt it again.
Contentment.
I  am in a wonderful place.

My night sky, on a cloud free night. 

Many thanks to those who have sparked my interest in the skies.  From the high school friend who pointed out what is still my favorite star cluster- Pleiades-to the twenty something friend who took me off to the country back in the late 70s to see the Perseids to my friend this summer who aligned the camper window (serendipitously and accidentally)  with the Milky Way so that, lying in bed, the galaxy floated above. And to Martha who has been fabulous about alerting me to sky exhibits I might have missed (such as this one!) and also for introducing me to Sky View Lite, the iPad app that identifies the constellations for me.

I marvel at what I can see and wonder just what the Native Americans and early Pioneers must have thought, being surrounded here in the West with the vast black night sky. It amazes me that I am seeing what they once saw. You can look out of your window tonight and see the same moon that I see, the same moon that our ancestors saw.  We are all connected under the same sky.

Contentment.

The Colorado sky insists on showing off. 
Daily. 

Some other sky posts here and here and here.






12 October 2018

Musings on Mountains, Majesty, Men and Murder

Musings on Mountains, Majesty, Men and Murder...


The mountains and skies around me have been drama queens. We got our first snow this week which is a big event in Colorado. The skiers get hyped up, predicting when the resorts will open. Boots and sweaters come out. Everyone is excited.

Before the snow came rain, and through all of it...amazing skies.

Rainbows on the way to work.

A double rainbow to start my workday


Sunrises to knock your socks off.

 No filter. Just your basic sunrise in paradise.


 Pink mountains with pink clouds behind. 
Pretty amazing, huh?!


The cool front coming in.
Sun shining on the foreground, mountains behind shrouded in clouds. 

And then SNOW!

I woke up to a car covered in white.

Had to run down to the basement for the snow scraper!
LOVE my new windows. 

The front yard got a good dusting.
The Twin Sisters are in hiding...

The view from my parking lot at work is pretty amazing. The Collegiate Peaks off in the distance, with snow caps on!

I'm surrounded by mountain ranges!


By the end of the day most of the snow is gone.

I love these first fall snows. They dump a couple of inches of white stuff, then the sun comes out, the temperature rises and it's another gorgeous fall day. Soon enough the temps won't rise above 40º. I'm in no hurry to get there.

Thursday morning's temps.
I'm not too big on turning the heat on in the house overnight so, yes, 
it was 58º in the living room.


And men? Sigh.

Inspired by my friend Libby who obviously has a stronger constitution than I do, I briefly signed up for online dating. So briefly my picture never got approved before I took my profile down.  Less than 12 hours. And why did I stop before I even  started?
Take a look.

Give Theatreguy points for smiling. At least I know he has teeth.
Bandit? What are you planning on stealing? The silver?
And the other two?  I can't even. 


These may be lovely gentlemen but seriously. Are these the best pics you can come up with? Just what/who are you trying to attract? Here's my bit of advice for guys on dating sites. Put down the fish. Have someone else take your picture. Smile so I know you have teeth. Come up with a name that makes me believe you won't rape, rob or carve me up at the first coffee date. 


This guy had about twelve different names, all with the same lovely picture.


However, as bad as these might be... Libby made me feel better. These are a couple of her favorite shots from Texas.  


Just No.



Again. No. 


I'll pass.

And murder? Maybe that should be mercy.

On my way to work this morning I passed a truck on the side of the road, three men in their thirties standing next to it, with a doe on the ground, calmly staring straight ahead. My brain snapped; they had struck her. Then I realized she must be very hurt to not be running off. A quick glance in the rearview got me an image I won't soon forget. A hand raised, two men turning away slightly, a trigger pulled and a head flying back.

I believe that is the first time I have ever witnessed something be shot. I'll be just fine if it is the last.  I'm grateful one of those guys had a pistol- the poor deer did not need to suffer. I know it was the right thing to do. Just a rough way to start the day.

Deer in the road. It's a fact of life around here. 
It's not a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when" you will hit one.
This is Bunny's car after she hit a BIG buck a few years back. 
The sheriff had to put that one out of his misery.


So...I'm going back to looking at the mountains. Tonight's drive home was magnificent.
And when I got home?
The Twin Sisters shining in all of their glory.

Snow at the higher elevations, nothing near me. 

Life here in South Central Colorado is different. So very very different from where I grew up in Houston, Texas. I marvel at the path that brought me here. I marvel at the things that are part of my daily life. 
Bear scat on the road behind my cabin,  a black widow spider on the wall outside my office door, mountains everywhere, beautiful skies, and freezing temps, sometimes indoors AND out.  It's now my life.  

Lucky me.