Sundays in Paonia Coloraado are awesome!

The day had been long on Saturday what with the miles covered and the subject-matter subjugation on a whole host of topics ranging from soaringly intellectual right down to the satisfaction of the gullet, i.e. Sunday I was tired. Aunt Suzanne and I ate a light breakfast strapped the bikes on her car and headed for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, man what a sight. Driving up to the rim you'd never know that there would be such a gapping slash in the mantle of our earth. Having not yet seen the Grand Canyon I think this one might take the cake in a few regards, I believe that it is one of few canyon's whose sides are taller than the distance between the rims hence the name "Black" because the walls are almost always in shadow.
When we headed back to the compound we stopped in a couple places to see if the famed rocker/cowboy Joe Cocker was to be seen but no he wasn't. We did however find some great fruits and vegetables, the western slope of the Rockies and therefore Colorado are known for many wonderful varieties, which we promptly ate upon setting home. The next project was the window into the wall of the Art Shed/Studio which went rather quickly what with the promise of some nano-brewery beer from right there in Paonia down the street around the corner and bellied up to the plywood bar and mason jar glassed. Yes sir y bob I thinks its the fastest window I've ever put in. The brewery was small but they knew their craft pretty darn well and were brewing to my estimation the "greenest" beer you can find in the country.
Last event of the day was playing the open-mic at the local bar/pizza joint which advertised with a foldout sandwich board on the side walk. We got there about 8:00 and I ended up playing for a good hour they kept askin for another song, well we hung around and heard some of the other acts and before long the place cleared out and me and the owner were havin a jam session. Turns out he's a luthier that builds about 3 guitars a year and owns the bar on the side, or the other way around I'm not sure which is the side business, I had him take a look at my little lady (my guitar) to see how she was on the trip and she got the a-o-k. We bumbled home after the beers on top of beers sequence that the day had taken both of us enriched and floating from good people and libation abounding. I really did like Paonia and cannot wait to head back through when the time is right. That reminds me I do have a standing invitation to play at the pizza joint when I do roll back through so I guess that means I'm gonna.
I love Sundays in Colorado

Corrections

Yeah that window didn't get installed on Saturday it wasn't until Sunday afternoon.

Rocky Mountain High

Route 70 entering the foothills of the mountains is a continual climb as you would imagine the fence wire zig-zagged across the high meadows I stopped for gas in Limon had a bite to eat at a non descriptive fast food place. The Song Rocky Mountain High has been in my head for most of the morning now and I have been stuck on the lyrics about being "born in the summer of his 27 year" which this is and I am heading for the Rockys but just maybe 2 months late. Dad called and told me that his cousin David Linke was expecting me in Denver, now my plans had been to drive straight on to Aspen but this should be interesting. So I called David up an got directions and a tangent that I will not soon forget had begun.
In a suburb west of downtown up the hill a bit I found the humble abode of a second cousin that I had never had the pleasure of meeting, so many stories were told of him that I wasn't quite sure what to expect. A big man in body and spirit he and his wife Linn took me in like a son we toured the city ate wonderful food had conversations about most anything and everything from the economy to solo bass guitarists. Thursday night they hosted a dinner party that they insisted I stick around for well it was quite the do. Cocktail hour of Colorado peach margaritas, corn shucking and the insistence that I serenade for my supper. I left Friday about noon to head over the pass to Aspen with a full belly a refreshed mind and some new books not sure if the vans transmission would like the climbing....
The Eastern slope was nifty but the drive down the other side through a magnificent valley with a river and train and the highway with old telephone cables running 30 thick and the water alternating rapids and calm till the whole thing spits out into Glennwood Springs where I turned off to get down to my Aunt Suzanne's house in Paonia where the cell reception is just awful. I pulled into town about 5 and we had a tough time playing cut in and out phone tag till it finally stuck and then there I was the famed cottage on the edge of town. As I write this Suzanne is on a kayak trip in the Baja down Mexico way eating great food paddling between the main peninsula and the different islands along its coast. Anyway we had a great ole time packed so much into 2 days my head nearly poppped off. Saturday morning we shot up to Aspen and poked around went to a thrift shop, ate lunch in a park by the river, went up to Independence Pass (which was kinda like the moon), drank a beer or two at the Woody Creek Tavern (Hunter S. Thompson's Fav. bar), stopped in to her pottery studio, went dumpster diving, bought and ate tortillas from a tortillaria, installed a new window in her shed, ate dinner and went to a Bluegrass concert that night.... man was I tired.
I'll flesh this out tonight for the next installment

Edifice of Eternity

So here are some shots in the first one you can make out the Hollywood sign, I will get a better shot of the skyline at night during the day the smog is so thick that is obscures the horizon, crazy. The Deck is in pieces note the small dog in the third shot that would be Elvis a very skiddish dog that annoys me to no end. I bought a doggie gate to keep him away from my big feet. The saga of traveler will continue tomorrow so tune in and tighten up it get hairy from here on out.

Full Moon

Here's a quick one I am safe and happy but super busy and I am trying to get into the swing of things sorry that my correspondence and blogging are slow, however they are on the list of things to get moving again, kind of like a band in the river jamming up the logs I gotta lotta logs goin right now. Miss you, Love you heres a pic of my room!
Talk to ya real soon.