From the Ocean to the City

I love the smell of salt in the air. I find the scent of the sea intoxicating.

I ended the month of August by leaving Canada and meeting John on the Olympic Peninsula. We spent the first two nights visiting his family in Port Townsend. His family owns The Public House, a great restaurant right by the ferry. John and I spent a beautiful, blue sky day exploring Port Townsend. I really like this town. The beautiful Peugeot Sound and a lovely harbor on one side, and Olympic National Park on the other. Paradise.

After leaving Port Townsend, John treated Kodi and I to a cabin right on the ocean in La Push, WA. Anyone who reads the Twilight series of books knows this area, next to Forks. Although we didn't see any vampires, we still managed to have a wonderful time. The sunset that evening was one of the most incredible I have ever seen. The sheer beauty of it actually brought tears to my eyes. Very romantic!

After La Push we headed to the city. We stayed on Bainbridge Island, not far from the harbor and the ferry. It was such a refreshing break to park the car (I mean Gypsy wagon) for 3 whole days and just walk and ride the ferry to get around. We were brave and went to Pike Place Market on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Although the crowds were a bit overwhelming we had a really great time. We even figured out how to get free shots of gourmet espresso right at the market! (Sur la Table) We ended our time in the city by having a nice late lunch and a couple of beers at a table overlooking the sound.

Our last few days together John and I took it pretty easy. Just wandering around Bainbridge Island, hanging out at coffee shops, visiting friends and family and learning to play chess. I have always wanted to learn chess and I am finally getting around to it. Thanks to modern technology John and I can have an ongoing game of chess on our phones. So far I lose every game against him, but have hope that in 10 or 20 years I might learn enough to beat him!

After taking John to the airport and sadly having to send him back to Colorado, I headed south. My friend Trish, who I know from working together in Colorado, lives most of the year in a beautiful home overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. I've always wanted to visit her in the summer and am grateful I have the opportunity this year. This area by the Hood River valley is very bucolic.

With Mt. Hood looming stunningly over the horizon, vineyards and orchards everywhere, the lush abundance is striking.

Tomorrow I am off to Portland for bookstores and gardens. Everyone has told me I have to visit Powell's bookstore, and the Portland Japanese garden is world famous. I'll also be visiting family in Portland that I haven't seen in 25 years! I'm sure none of us has changed at all!

After Portland I'll be off to the Oregon coast for a few more nights of camping next to the sea. I need to smell that wonderful sea air one more time before heading back to my landlocked home.

With Labor Day over, the summer is winding down, and so is my trip. A month from now I'll be back to work. In the meantime, I'll savor these last weeks.

On the Move

"Time to get up. Time to get goin'. What lies ahead I got no way of knowin'. But under my feet baby, grass is growin'. Time to get up. Time to get goin'."

These words

from Tom Petty keep popping into my head these past weeks. There is definitely no grass growing under my feet lately. In the past 2 1/2 weeks I haven't spent more than 3 nights in a row in one place. But oh the places I've seen! From 100 mile long lakes to 100 foot tall waterfalls. From hundreds of glacial lakes to the beautiful glaciers themselves sitting proudly on top of mountains, struggling against time and climate change.

I've made it to my final destination in Canada. Tofino and the Pacific Rim National Park. It seems like ages ago that I started this journey and camped in Montana on my first night. Now I find myself at the ocean, camping in a rainforest and hanging out in a groovy little surfing town.

Tofino is the main reason I ended up in Canada this summer. Eight years ago I came up here with a friend after attempting to climb Mt. Ranier

in Washington. I loved the vibe and natural beauty of this place so much I have wanted to come back ever since. It's taken 8 years, but I finally made it!

This is Kodi's first time at the beach. He wasn't sure about it at first, it was a little scary and it tasted funny. But now he's already a full-on beach hound. Chasing sea birds, splashing in the surf, playing frisbee on the beach, it's a dog's life!

I am grateful every day that life has presented me the opportunity to take this fabulous trip. The freedom of travel is intoxicating. Although lately I do find myself occasionally longing for a little less movement. I'm looking forward to settling down a little this fall and getting back to work. At the same time still enjoying what's left of my summer of freedom.

Fall is already in the air up here. Even though the days are still long, there is a hint of the changing season in the way the light falls.

Tomorrow I'm heading back to the states. I'll be on the 3:00 ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, WA.. I'm looking forward to being back in the US, but I'm mainly looking forward to seeing John. We are going to be spending a week together on

the Olympic Peninsula and in Seattle. John even booked us a nice little cabin in La Push, WA. where we can have a fire on the beach. Very romantic!

After that, I'll be off to visit friends and family in Washington and Oregon. Then back to Colorado. Back home. Refreshed and with my thirst for travel quenched, at least for a little while.

For now; "Time to get goin', what lies ahead I got no way of knowin'"

Twin Falls Chalet

One of the things I was most looking forward to on this trip was the chance to meet interesting new people. Friday I met one of the most interesting women I have ever known.

I arrived at Kicking Horse Campground in YoHo National Park Thursday night. It was the first night in a week of camping that I actually paid for a campsite, but the hot shower was well worth the fee!

Before I left for Canada, John loaned me a couple books on hikes i

n the area. One hike in YoHo and 2 hikes at Lake Louise end up at tea houses. This sounded like fun to me, so Friday I headed up to the Twin Falls Chalet where the guidebook promised afternoon t

ea was served. It's about a 5 mile hike to the Chalet, and a mile or so into the hike I met Fran.

She was heading up the trail loaded down with an old school external frame pack. As she was clearly an older woman by herself heading up the hill, I offered a word of encouragement as I passed by. We struck up a conversation, and she asked me where I was heading. When I told her I was hiking to the tea house, she said it was closed. We I questioned how she came about this information, she told me she knew it was closed because she is the owner and she was in the process of bringing up supplies!

I was immediately intrigued by this tiny woman. She told me she has been running the Twin Fall

s Chalet for 48 years, and backpacking supplies up and down the mountain all that time! Since I was going her way I offered to shoulder her burden for her. We switched packs and I carried h

er load up to the Chalet.

When I asked Fran her age, she told me she is 70ish. She runs the Chalet more or less by herself. She has a work crew come in the spring to help bring some supplies and split wood (wood is used for both heating and cooking at Twin Falls), and she has a local guy help her from time to time during the 8 weeks she is open. The Twin Falls Chalet is not affiliated with the Canadian Forest Service at all. Fran calls it her "labor of love".

I was rewarded for my efforts in carrying up supplies with lemonade and a sandwich when we reached Twin Falls. But my biggest reward was meeting Fran. I am so inspired by women like her! She shows me that you never have to give up your passion for doing what you love.

Turns out, Fran is a bit of a local legend. No surprise there. One lady came by the Chalet while we were visiting and said she had been wanting to meet Fran for years. I guess Fran and her Chalet have been featured in a PBS special and several books. Of course Fran is very humble, she just smiles and says, "yes that was me in the PBS special". She acts as if most 70ish people have a 5 mile hike with a backpack into their work! I don't think your average 30ish person would envy that task. Although I think it would be a fantastic job!

The next day I hiked to both tea houses above Lake Louise. One is at Lake Agnes and the other is called the Inn of the Six Glaciers. Even with big chunks of glacier calving off and crashing down the mountain at the second tea house it just couldn't compare with Fran and her Chalet.

I've been blessed to be able to take this amazing trip this summer and see some incredibly beautiful places. But it is the beautiful people I have been meeting along the way that have made this a truly memorable experience!

Canada - Land of Giants

Everything seems bigger in Canada.

Kodi and I crossed the border into Canada on Saturday. Crossing into Canada is easy, even with a dog. I can only hope it will go as smoothly going back into the US.

Our first destination in Canada was the town of Nelson, BC. located on Kootenay Lake. Kootenay Lake is over 100 miles long, and in places it is over a mile wide. It's huge! But for Canada, it's just another lake. They have so many big lakes in BC it makes Minnesota look almost like a desert.

It took me a little while to find my campsite on Saturday when I got into Nelson. Luckily I got into the area early in the day and had plenty of time to look around before dark. I realized as I was searching around for camp that my map of the area was lousy, so I picked a better one up at a bookstore the next day. A good map is essential on a trip like this, where my campsites are sometimes going to be 10 miles or more down dirt roads!

The campground I found was worth the search. At one point I stopped off at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park Campground thinking I might

camp there for the night. They only had overflow campsites available which were basically in a parking lot with a little grass, and these sites were $28/night! I ended up at 6 Mile Lake Recreation Site which was 10 miles down a dirt road next to a beautiful mountain lake and was free. A much better deal!

The picnic table at my campsite looked like it had been constructed from a giant's Lincoln Log set. It was huge!

The trees here seem enormous also. In general it looks a lot like the same trees and flowers we have in the Colorado Rockies, but everything is just bigger. I think maybe it's because the days are so much longer in the summer this far north. Even now, it doesn't get dark until 9pm. Just a theory, I'm not really sure.

Shortly after setting up camp Saturday, a fisherman told me he had seen a Grizzly Bear not far from camp just 2 weeks before. Then later that evening a guy camped above me said a bear had walked through camp just 2 days before! Maybe when you cross the border into BC there should be a sign saying; "Welcome to Canada, We hope our wildlife doesn't eat you!" Thank goodness for Bear Mace, it at least gives me a sense of security, even if it is a false one.

Sunday I had a break from traveling and spent the day enjoying the Nelson area. Nelson is a groovy little town. Lots of good coffee shops, restaurants, art etc. Just north of Nelson I got to soak in Ainsworth Hot Springs. My first Canadian hot springs experience was wonderful! Ainsworth has hot spring caves where the natural spring water goes through a horseshoe shaped cave. I tend to be a little claustrophobic, but the caves were well lit and it was a very relaxing soak.

Today I'm off to Radium Hot Springs near Invermere, BC. I'll also check out Fairmont Hot Springs while I'm in that area. For now though I need to cross a lake made by giants. I think I'll take the ferry.

Paradise Found

I think it was Wordsworth who coined the phrase; "The earth laughs in flowers". If this is true, I've been in one never ending laugh fest in the mountains of Colorado.

Just when I was starting to think the peak wildflower season was over, Mother Nature proved me wrong. Last week John and I went backpacking for 2 nights up at Jasper Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. Carrying a 35lb. pack was definitely a humbling experience! The pack wasn't bad

while standing still in the living room. But it felt a little heavier once we started heading up the trail! Luckily John and Kodi had infinite patience with my slow pace, and we all had a good time hiking 5 miles in to the lake.

Thunder started voicing itself about 20 minutes before we got to camp. By the time we started setting up the tent, it was just starting to rain. We got the tent set up in no time, made ourselves something hot to drink and snuggled up in the tent to read. Reading quickly turned into napping for both of us, and we spent the afternoon lulled to sleep by the sound of rain on our tent.

The next morning was clear and beautiful. Kodi and I got up first and got some good swimming in first thing in the morning. Kodi was doing the swimming and I was doing the stick throwing! Afterwords John and I relaxed on a rock in the sun with our coffee.

Mother nature is a very good landscaper. We had wildflowers in our front yard, wildflowers in our backyard, wildflowers around our breakfast rock... The natural beauty of the Colorado high country in the peak of summer is truly indescribable. We camped next to the inlet of the lake in a fairly secluded spot. The stream from the lakes above us coming into

Jasper was right next to us. We had beautiful waterfalls, wildflowers and a high mountain lake just steps from our tent.

I was feeling a little lazy on Thursday, so I stayed at camp keeping the wildflowers company and reading while John and Kodi went exploring. The boys bonded on this trip. After almost 3 hours they both rolled into camp looking a little tired and very happy. They had

hiked wayabove our camp and had great adventures. I'm glad I've found them both such a good playmate!

Thursday afternoon John and I decided to go up to the falls above our camp and have a little wine and cheese. John was nice enough to put a 1.5 liter bag of wine in his pack on the way up. I think we had the nicest spot for happy hour in Colorado that day!

Friday we headed back down to reality. We saw a lot of people heading up the

trail for the weekend and were glad we avoided the crowd b

y camping during the week. We hit Kathmandu in Nederland on the way back to Boulder for the all you can eat Indian Buffet and ate ourselves almost into a food coma! You can really work up an appetite in the back country.

Unfortunately my summer adventures in Colorado are coming to a close. Tomorrow I start heading up to British Columbia for new adventures in Canada! Kodi is going with me, but we both are going to miss our friend John. It's time for Kodi and I to have fun alone for awhile.

I'm sure the wildflowers will still be going strong in the mountains of Canada. I'm looking forward to seeing how the earth laughs up there!

Colorful Colorado

Kodi and I are living the Colorado dream.

This past week or so I've been luxuriously sleeping in most mornings. Feeling wonderfully indulgent and a bit like a spoiled princess. Then, when I finally do get up my biggest dilemma facing me most days is choosing which fun outdoor activity I would prefer for the day. Do I want to ride my road bike? Do I want to hike in the front range? Do I want to hike in the mountains? So many choices.

Most days I have been choosing to hike. Mainly up in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area which is only 45 minutes to an hour out of Boulder. Although the weather has been fairly nice in Boulder, it's been even nicer in the mountains. The amazing thing about Colorado is that I feel like I could hike a new trail every day I go out, and not hike the same trail twice for the rest of my life!

I've been having a lot of fun exploring new trails, and seeing new mountains. Kodi thinks he's died and gone to heaven! Hiking or playing frisbee every day. He's going to have a bit of a shock when I go back to work this fall.

I've also had some time to meditate and work with Reiki in my own healing. The stress of the past 5 years definitely took its toll on my system. I went from having a relatively carefree lifestyle to an incredibly stressful lifestyle almost overnight. I didn't give my body any time to adapt. So now I'm catching up with myself and giving myself the care I need. As my friend Kathy just told me today, no one can truly give anything to anyone else until you first take care of yourself.

I think learning how to love and care for ourselves, especially for women, is undervalued in our culture. We are taught to put everyones needs before our own, and we buy into this mindset. When this summer started, I honestly didn't know how to love myself. I was so used to loving and caring for everyone else, but I didn't know how to give it back to me. Any energy system based on energy flowing in one direction is destined to fail. By learning to give love and care to myself I am creating a circular energy system that can sustain itself. At least that is my goal.

Tomorrow John and I are heading out on a 2 1/2 day backpacking trip. I love backpacking! Yet somehow I just haven't found the time to do it in almost 6 years. It feels so wonderful to be doing the things I love again! This is why I live in such a beautiful place. Not to work 5 jobs just to pay the bills, but to have fun.

Living the Colorado dream. Fun. What a fun idea!

Land of the Lost

What, exactly, is the definition of lost?

Thursday morning John and I headed to East Vail and the Gore Creek campground. The campground is located at the trailhead for the Gore Creek trail. This trail heads west out of East Vail towards Summit County. Eventually the trail goes over Red/Buffalo pass and down the Willow Creek trail into Silverthorne. John and I have been planning on doing this hike from Silverthorne to Vail for years, but the logistics never worked out. Needless to say, Thursday morning we were pretty excited to be finally heading out on this adventure!

Everything went fairly smoothly Thursday morning. We got a little later start than planned (as usual), so I was a little concerned about getting a campsite. We had to take 2 cars since this is a one way hike, so John went ahead an found us a great site while I ran errands in Frisco. We did a short hike up the Gore Creek trail Thursday evening just to get our muscles moving and then went to bed very early so we would be well rested for our long hike the next day.

We started up the trail in Silverthorne around 9 Friday morning. The weather was great and the wildflowers were off the charts! I don't think I've ever seen so many wildflowers in one day. That's saying something considering I've lived in the high country of Colorado for 11 years now and have definitely seen my share of wildflowers. But Friday was the best ever! Indian paintbrush, monkshood, showy aster, columbine, and lots of others that I don't know the name of!

Everything seemed to be going great.

After a few hours of hiking, we were above tree line and headed towards the pass. Both John and I had topo maps of the area in our packs, and the trail seemed really straightforward, so neither one of us was too worried about taking a wrong turn.

Around 1 in the afternoon we summited the pass, head a little lunch at the top, and started heading down the trail. We were excited to be just 7 miles of downhill away from our camp and some cold beers! Not long after we got off the pass, John started to notice that something wasn't right. We should have been heading almost due west into Vail, but instead were heading southeast towards Frisco. After 2 miles we realized we were on the wrong trail. We had actually summited the wrong pass!

Instead of being on top of Red/Buffalo pass like we thought, we had summited Eccles pass and were on Meadow Creek trail heading towards Frisco instead

of being on the Gore Creek trail heading towards Vail. I know this sounds like a really stupid mistake to have made. And in a lot of ways it was. But at the point of the trail where it branched off one way to go to Eccles and the other to go to Red/Buffalo it really looked like only one trail.

To make a long story short, we decided to go back over Eccles, find the correct trail over Red/Buffalo and still head down into Vail. It was going to be dark by the time we reached camp, but we had head lamps and plenty of food, so we weren't too worried. I do have to say that it makes you pause for a moment when, after 9 miles of hiking, you realize that instead of being 5 downhill miles from camp you are really 10 miles and 2 mountain passes away! It took a little convincing on John's part to get me to commit to this. I thought it would be better to just continue down Meadow Creek and go back to the car. Ultimately though I just put one foot in front of the other and headed back up Eccles.

Once over Eccles pass for the second time we saw where we thought our wrong turn had been made. Ironically it was near a spot we had stopped for a few minutes while I filtered more water! The trail up to Red/Buffalo pass is

apparently not very well used. There really was almost no trail to be seen, but we could see a bit of trail higher up, almost at the top of the pass. We headed in what we thought was the correct direction, but the trail started to head downhill not up. We still hadn't found the right trail!

At this point we decided to call it a day. Our much anticipated hike to Vail would have to wait for another day. We turned around and headed back the way we came. It was a sad moment when we realized we weren't going to accomplish the goal we had set for ourselves. But at least we had a beautiful day in the mountains with incredible wildflowers and good company. Kodi wasn't complaining! Over 9 hours and 15.31 miles later we were back at the car and driving over Vail pass back to our camp.

So what is the definition of lost? John and I always knew the way back to the car, even if we didn't know exactly where we were. And we didn't really mind being off course, except for the effort it took to get back on course. So I guess the term lost is relative to one's desire to know where you are. We knew we were playing in the mountains, which is our favorite thing to do. After that, what's a little lost among friends?

Back to the Land of my Youth

Whoever said "you can never go home again" was right.

I just got back from the midwest, which is where I grew up. After 9 years in Colorado it just doesn't look the same to me anymore. My parents sold the house I grew up in this spring, so I literally can't go to the home of my childhood. But this trip back everything seemed to look a little different. Not in a bad way. It simply didn't have a familiar feel to it anymore. Like a place I was visiting on vacation, not the place I was from.

Even if it didn't feel like home, it was a lovely place to go on vacation. My friends Stacy and Jeff have a

beautiful home outside of Lawrence, Kansas. Their place is becoming quite the little farm. Organic garden, chickens, horses, dogs, cats.... I was hoping for a fresh laid egg from one of their chickens, but the girls aren't giving them up yet!

I also got to see their beautiful daughter, Lilli. Lilli is 13 months now and it has been a year since I have seen her. She is great! My favorite thing about her is

when I see her mischievous look right before she does something she isn't supposed to do. I've seen this same expression on Stacy's face many times! Stacy's mom, Diana, thinks this is funny. Lilli is just as much of a handful as Stacy was at her age.

We had a great time taking Lilli swimming for the first time. We went out to Clinton reservoir and Lilli took to the water like a pro. She loved bouncing in the lake and playing with the sand. She's going to be quite the little fishy!

On this trip, I also had time for a girl's weekend with Stacy and our friend Perky. We all went to school together, all the way from elementary to high school. It's great getting to spend quality time with friends you've known a long time.

We went to Rocheport, Missouri. It's a charming little town just west of Columbia on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri river. The Katy trail bike path goes through Rocheport. It is the longest rails to trails bike path in the country. There is also Les Bourgeois winery, where we had an excellent dinner the first night. We also caught some great live Blues music at the General Store Friday night. Fun times.

On our second day we took canoes out on the Missouri river. This was a very cool experience! We went with Mighty Mo Canoe Trips, and our guide Brent was great.

He was very knowledgeable about the history and ecology of the river, which made the trip a fun learning experience. I was so nice to float down the big river on a hot day. At one point we stopped off on the shore to check out a spring, and Brent brought a watermelon that we all shared. I highly recommend both the Katy Trail B&B and canoeing for something different and fun to do in Missouri.

On my last full day in the midwest, I got to visit my Grandma and aunt Sherry in Sedalia, Missouri. We had a very nice visit. I hadn't seen where they are living before and it's a very nice place. It is an old school building that has been renovated into spacious apartments. Grandma is still going strong at 83!

Monday it was time to head towards Colorado and home again. Being technically homeless this summer I've really had a chance to think about the meaning of the word "home". I'm not sure I can yet define home for myself, but I do know Colorado feels like home to me. Maybe home is the place you feel most like yourself. Maybe it's simply where your stuff is. Whatever the definition, home is truly "where your heart is". It's good to be home.

Reiki, Taos and Coming Home

Reiki: a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.

I had the wonderful opportunity to receive my Reiki master certification at Peace Place in Sedona. It was an incredible experience! My instructors, Laurelle and Michael, are so centered and in tune with the Reiki energy that the whole process of getting my Reiki master through them was a sacred experience.

As a Reiki practitioner, I am able to help others achieve higher levels of health and well-being. What an blessing to be able to share this with others! One of the best benefits of giving Reiki though, is that when I am giving a Reiki treatment, I also receive the benefits of the Reiki energy myself. Talk about a win win situation! Thanks and gratitude to Laurelle, Michael, my classmates and everyone at Peace Place. Thank you!

After 9 days in beautiful Sedona, it was time to point my wheels towards home. I took a different route home to Boulder, so I could go through Taos and visit with my friend Steph. Taos has been one of my favorite places to visit for years. I love the natural beauty and the thriving art scene. Steph and I had an excellent visit. Lots of girl talk and a chance to hang out in Taos wandering through art galleries! The weather couldn't have been more perfect. Sunshine, no humidity and about 75 degrees. A nice break from the 100 degree heat in Sedona.

Leaving Taos on Thursday, I finally made it back to Colorado. I ran into some beautiful thunderstorms along the way. Even a little hail, which is always a bit scary. I did do an excellent job of perfectly timing my drive so I could hit rush hour in both Colorado Springs and Denver! What was I thinking? I estimate I have spent 50 hours driving this month traveling from place to place, and most of it has been easy and painless. But by the time I got through the Denver traffic and stopped to see John at work, I definitely needed a glass of wine to calm my nerves. The last hour was brutal!

Being back in Boulder is wonderful!!! I've really come to enjoy this town over the last few months. I've spent the last few days taking Kodi on some wonderful hikes. On Saturday John and I even had a chance to wander (we definitely took the scenic route) up to Summit County. We had a fun day running errands, doing a bit of work and going on a chilly, rainy hike. Good times! It's pretty blissful in my world when I get to spend time with my best friend and my dog hanging out in the mountains!!!

Unfortunately I also found out some disturbing news recently. Apparently my ex has found it necessary to spread some pretty malicious lies about my friend John and I. It's really a sad moment when you find out someone you used to care for is really a bad person. After 5 years of supporting him, nursing him through illness, etc., he has chosen to behave in a shameful manner. I pity him and his need to make up stories to make himself feel better. I am just grateful to all my wonderful friends who are standing by my side through all of this. I love you all so much and cherish your presence in my life every day!

On a much happier note; tomorrow John and I are planning a fun bike ride in Boulder and then Wednesday I'm off to visit my best girlfriend Stacy, her husband Jeff and daughter, Lilli in Lawrence, Kansas. After the heat of Mesquite and Sedona I'm actually feeling pretty fearless about facing Kansas weather in July. At least a long as I don't think about the humidity!

I'm really looking forward to some more great girl time with Stacy and our friend Perky. We're going to be canoeing on the Missouri River and then biking back to a winery! Yeah! I also can't wait to see Stacy's beautiful daughter, Lilli. Yet another little girl who's parents honor me with the title "Auntie Kim". I was able to visit Stacy and Jeff last summer when Lilli was about 13 weeks. I'm sure Lillii is much changed now that she is a little over 1! I apologize if I sound too much like a grown up right now, but they really do grow up too fast!

For now though It's time to do a little Reiki on myself. In the course of my training, I realized my heart needs a lot of TLC right now. Reiki has been incredibly helpful in this difficult healing process. So have all of my dear friends, especially John who shows me every day how to be more kind and loving. I'm counting my blessings, and they are infinite.

High Camp-A week in Sedona

I've found the secret to happiness in the desert... stay near water. Yesterday I spent a blissful afternoon at Red Rock Crossing in Sedona. Laying on the red rock in the sun, and just when I was so hot I couldn't stand it any longer, jumping into the cold waters of Oak Creek. I don't think I've had so much fun swimming since I was a kid! I can see how someone could spend day after day doing just that sort of thing, just watching the summer clouds pass by.

My week in Sedona has been a wonderful experience so far. I've seen ancient ruins, visited vortexes, forded a river to explore caves, and lounged by Oak Creek. Of course there is always the special beauty of Sedona all around me.

My decision to try camping up on Schnebly Hill Road has saved me! I think I would be suffering with the heat if I was still sleeping in it every night. Instead at the end of the day I get to go up a couple of thousand feet and camp in the cool pine forest. What a relief. I've started thinking of this area as "High Camp" and recommend it to anyone wanting to camp in Sedona. There aren't any campgrounds up there, just great places to pull off and do what I call "primitive" car camping. I laugh a little at the term primitive though,

as I spent one night editing photos on my laptop!

The next few days bring me to the highlight of this leg of my journey. Tomorrow I start my Reiki master class! I am very excited to take this next step on my journey as a healer.

There is something very important I must do before by class starts tomorrow morning. In fact this is so important, I think I'll do it within the hour. SHOWER!!! I have to admit, I've been camping for 6 nights straight and I haven't showered for a week! I did fill up my sun shower Wednesday night and washed my hair, but I don't think this really counts as a shower. I have a great room in Sedona that I found on VRBO for the next three nights, and the shower looks absolutely blissful.

Like I said, the key to happiness in the desert is to stay near water. Even if that water comes out of a shower head!

Taylor's Mural

This is going to be a little back track.

Before I left on my journeys this summer, I had an opportunity to do a fun project for a friend of mine. My friend Taylor just turned 2 in May. For her birthday this year her "Auntie" decided to make

a mural for her.

After discussing ideas with her parents, Robin and Brad, we chose

Colorado wildflowers. We are certainly blessed with an abundance of summer wildflowers in the high country, so we picked these for Taylor's mural.

Starting from an assortment of photographs, I made a black and white sketch to use as a reference for the mural. After taping the area off, I painted a border and then used a faux finish for the mural's background. Thanks to my friend Randy for teaching me this particular finish! From there I sketched the flowers in freehand, then painted them in by building up layers of color.

I think the end result turned out great! There are still a few more details to add (hummingbirds and dragonflies), but I probably won't get to these until fall. Taylor loves her new bedroom, and Mom and Dad are pretty happy too!

Cedar Mesa and Points Beyond

The west is certainly a beautiful and varied place.

After the brutal heat of Nevada, cooling off for a couple of days in the mountains felt wonderful. Kodi especially enjoyed hiking up by Buffalo mountain on Saturday. There was water, cool air, warm sunshine and squirrels! Needless to say he thought he was in doggie nirvana.

Sunday morning I left Kodi with his buddies John and Uncle Mike in Boulder and headed for Sedona. I love making the drive on I-70 from the foothills all the way west into Utah. Driving this route always gives me an appreciation of how beautiful the variations of topogr

aphy are just in Colorado. From foothills to snow-capped peaks to the beautiful orchards and wineries of Palisade all the way to the desert by the time you reach Utah. This is really just a small picture of the west in general. Beautiful mountains, harsh deserts, bucolic farmland, we've got it all out here.

Since it takes around 13 hours to drive from Boulder to Sedona, I decided to make this leg of my journey in 2 days. The destination for my first day was an area called Cedar Mesa, just south of Natural Bridges and north of Valley of the Gods in southeast Utah. This area is one of my favorite places to camp anywhere. I try to go there every year in either the spring or fall for a week or so, but the past couple of years have slipped by without me making it.

It was almost 9pm by the time I pulled into my campsite on Cedar Mesa so I didn't really get to do much more than spend the night. The sunset was incredible as I made my way down to where I pull off. I've been blessed to see a lot of beautiful sunsets from this area. I found a great spot to park under what might be the biggest juniper tree I have ever seen. What a beautiful place to camp! Not another human being for miles! I was surrounded by cedar, juniper and a variety of cacti and desert flowers (just past their peak). I made myself a small fire with dead cedar branches I gathered from around my campsite, relaxed and spent a couple of hours enjoying the beautiful silence of this remote place. Let me tell you, one of the greatest smells on earth has to be a campfire made of cedar logs!

It was an interesting feeling camping totally alone like this. For the past 7 years Kodi has been my camping buddy on almost all of my trips. The only time I have camped without him, I was in a campsite with other people. Being totally alone in the middle of nowhere was unique. At first it was a little uncomfortable, but then I started to relax into the feeling of aloneness, noticed the beautiful silence and enjoyed myself.

Monday morning I headed out of Cedar Mesa bound for Sedona. Yet another wonderful drive. I started off going down the Moki dugway. This is about a 1 mile section of gravel switchbacks that drops from the top of Cedar Mesa, about 2000 vertical feet down into Valley of the Gods! Fun times. Once I hit Arizona, I was in the Navajo Nation and going through Monument Valley, then Flagstaff with it's beautiful Ponderosa Pine forests. Driving south on I-17 you drop down from evergreen forests to the desert south of Sedona.

I camped for 2 nights at Beaver Creek campground in the Coconino National Forest. This campsite wasn't really that great. There was a little swimming hole, which you needed because this area is HOT. A little too hot for me. Tonight I am going to try camping up above Sedona off of Schnebly Hill road. The road goes up pretty high, into Ponderosa pine forest, so it's nice and cool. No campgrounds, just primitive car camping. Perfect!

That's the west for you though. Desert, evergreen forest, whatever pleases you, all within a small area. Beautiful.

The Grand Canyon and a Slight Detour

I've been told the native Havasupi in the Four Corners region called the Grand Canyon the "navel of Mother Earth". I can see why they would give this place such an awe inspired name. This is my second visit to the North

Rim of the Canyon and I am just as overwhelmed by its beauty as the first time.

Unfortunately my family seems a little less impressed. They definitely enjoy the Grand Canyon, but they also just seem in a hurry to head back. It's OK though, I've learned a lot about my relationship with my family on this trip. I love them, but we a very different. We simply don't enjoy doing the same things, which make visits a little strained. But if everyone had the same interests the world would be a boring place indeed. So I'm very happy for them and their new house in Nevada, and it's time for me to continue my travels.

Nevada didn't suit Kodi at all. It was just too hot for a big dog. He kept looking at me like "why did you bring me here"? Even with regular walks in the heat and chasing lizards, he wasn't a happy guy. My original plan was to head to Sedona from Mesquite and have my parents watch him for a couple of weeks. It was really nice of them to offer to do this for me. It's just too hot this time of year in Sedona to camp with a dog. But ultimately I decided he would be happier in Boulder. So yesterday I loaded up all my gear and spent 12 hours driving him back to Colorado. That means I have a 2 day trip starting Sunday to get down to Sedona, but Kodi is so happy to be in Colorado it's worth it.

I have to send out a huge THANK YOU to John and Uncle Mike for taking care of my best buddy while I'm off getting my Reiki Master in Sedona. They are my heroes! They say it takes a village to raise a child. Apparently it takes a village to raise a Kodi also. Thank goodness for the village!

It's nice for me also to be in a cooler climate for a couple of days. Tomorrow John and I are going to do a fun hike up to Red/Buffalo pass in Summit county. This will be just the first part of a long hike we want to do later in the summer from Silverthorne to Vail. It will be nice to be up high in the mountains. Of all the wonderful places I am fortunate enough to travel to, nothing beats the high country of Colorado for me.

Beautiful places. My life is filled with beautiful places. I am very grateful.

Next, Sedona, an amazingly beautiful and special place. The energy of Sedona is unique and it has been held as a sacred place since humans first came there. Just as the Havasupi held the Grand Canyon to be sacred.

I think the energy of these ancient, sacred places is just as important to mankind today as it was to ancient peoples. Possibly even more so. With our lives of smart phones and Wii games, sometimes we lose connection to the rhythm of Mother Nature. Spending time in the sacred beauty of nature restores this connection.

That is what I am hoping for this summer. To get back in touch with the rhythm of nature, and ultimately the rhythm of my life.

Kodi's Change of Season

Kodi playing in the snow on Friday...

and roasting in the desert on Monday!

Welcome to the Desert

Sweat. There may not be much water in the desert, but there is definitely a lot of sweat.

Thanks to Jeremy (aka Opie) at Go Honda my car is up and running again! Thanks Jeremy!!!

Saturday was a long day of driving from Boulder, CO to Mesquite, NV.. Lots of beautiful country. From the high mountains in Colorado to the red desert of Utah. Sun, tunes, books on CD (thanks to John) and lots of miles.

There is something liberating and somewhat distinctly American about road trips. I've lived in Europe, and although I loved the experience, the place just isn't that big. There just aren't that many places on earth where you can get in your car and drive for days without having to use your passport or learn a foreign language. It's what brought me back from Europe, the longing for more space.

There is lots of space in Nevada from what I have seen so far. Lots of pretty barren landscape dotted by oasis's of civilization. The desert is beautiful, no doubt about it. The colors, especially in the morning and evenings, can be incredible. The stark nature of rock and cactus has an austere beauty also.

But the main characteristic of the desert on the solstice is the heat. It's incredible and relentless. I know that the 105 degrees it got up to here yesterday isn't as high as the mercury goes, but for a mountain girl it was quite a shock. I look around at all the new development in Mesquite and realize none of it would be happening if air conditioning hadn't been invented! Laying by the pool yesterday afternoon was wonderful, but eventually you have to seek respite from the sun and heat indoors.

Kodi keeps looking at me like I've lost my mind. Friday we were playing in the snow up by Diamond Lake in the Indian Peaks wilderness area above Nederland, CO., and now we're in the desert. He's definitely questioning my sanity. I'm thinking he would have been happier staying in Boulder, but I would have missed his company. I take him out here in the mornings before the heat sets in and again after the sun sets, but it's still too hot for his taste. He has also noticed a distinct lack of squirrels here. Squirrels and frisbees are like religion to Kodi. Although he finds the lizards that occasionally scurry across the sidewalk entertaining, they are not squirrels. Anyway, who has the energy to chase anything when you're in the desert wearing a fur coat? Hopefully he'll forgive me later this summer when we are back in Colorado camping and then up in Canada. I keep telling him about all the squirrels in Canada!

Tomorrow the whole family is piling in the car and heading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I'm the only one in our clan who has been to the North Rim before and I can't wait to see it again. With beautiful views, cooler temps and fewer people, the North Rim is my favorite.

For today though, I see a swimming pool in my immediate future. I did do a bike ride this morning. Even by 9am the temperature was climbing and I was melting. Sweat was pouring off me like a waterfall.

So there is water in the desert. It's just called sweat.

Getting Started

Tom Petty wrote a song that said "waiting is the hardest part". I'm trying to leave on the first leg of my summer travels on Saturday, but right now I'm in a bit of a holding pattern.

Luckily my friend John is letting me stay at his place in Boulder. Boulder is fun and the weather has been beautiful. It's the kind to place you can ride your bike to just about anywhere, which is especially good right now since I've had to put my car in the shop. Murphy's Law right? Getting ready to take a summer-long road trip and my car decides it needs some attention. I'm just grateful it happened now, and not in the middle of nowhere on the road. Hopefully it will be all fixed up by Friday and I can leave on Saturday as planned.

The first leg of my journey will take me to Mesquite, Nevada to visit my parents. They just moved to Mesquite this month, and the timing is perfect since Sunday is Father's day. I can't remember the last time I was able to visit my dad on Father's day. My brother is also in Nevada, so it will be nice to have the whole family together. I have to admit, I'm a little afraid of the heat. I checked the forecast yesterday and it's looking like 100 degrees and lots of sun while I'm there. For a mountain girl like me, that sounds like visiting the surface of the sun! Sounds like a great time to lay by the pool and work on my tan.

I'm not particularly good at just sitting around. That's one of the reasons I decided to take the summer off. I want to learn to be a little quieter, a little more still. I normally fill my time with projects and to do lists. I want to get to know who I am when I'm not taking care of everyone and everything else. I'm curious to find out what happens when I take all the giving energy that I put out into the universe and focus it back on myself. I know it sounds a little selfish, but sometimes a little selfish is what we all need.

Waiting sometimes is the hardest part. Then again, maybe that's when the best stuff happens.

Taking the summer off to take care of myself.