Well, it's been a time!I did take a wee bit of a holiday with our daughter, Julie. We spent some "Mommy and Me" time in Boulder, CO over the Memorial Day Weekend. We drove to the Rocky Mountain State Park in Estes Park, hiked one of the trails and then drove to the top of the mountain.
It was, in a word, breathtaking.
Well, here, have another look.This was one of the stopping points on the ride to the top of the mountain. We pulled over to the side of the road to take a "comfort break" and drink lots and lots of water - one of the ways, we were told, to avoid "altitude sickness."
Well, it didn't exactly work. I had to sit down, the dizziness was so profound. Here we are at the top where, just five minutes before this picture was taken, it SNOWED. Honest to God! BIG FAT snow flakes. On Memorial Day!I finally approached a Park Ranger for some advice. "I've been drinking tons of water," I said, "and yet I'm still very woozy. What else can I do?" "He looked at me with great seriousness and intoned, "Miss, there's only one thing you can do for altitude sickness.
"Really?" I asked expectantly, "what's that?"
Without missing a beat or cracking a smile, he said, "Go down."
How many times to do you think he's used that line?
We returned to our hotel room completely exhausted, but completely jazzed and ready to shower, get some supper to go and make the 45 minute drive to Red Rock Outdoor Amphitheater in Morrison, CO.
What an amazing place!
The theater is carved into the midst of a huge formation of red boulders
There wasn't a bad seat in the house - and every seat was in the "nosebleed" section.We got there about 45 minutes before the opening act and sat in our seats and ate a delicious Cobb Salad and sipped on our wine under a beautiful evening sky. The sun was setting a vibrant red which made the red rocks turn lovely warm colors of salmon.
As the sun set, you could begin to see the city lights in the distance.An almost full moon began to rise high in the sky, setting a perfect stage for the performer my daughter and I had come to see.
That's right. That's her. The one, the only, the incomparable, Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks who sang out her heart and soul - twirling and hovering around her musicians with her shawl - for over 90 minutes in front of thousands of her fans.She sang all of her best stuff - including some of my very favorites: "Leather and Lace," "Rhiannon," "Stand Back," "Sorcerer," "Landslide," and "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around."
She introduced my all-time favorite "On the Edge of Seventeen (White Winged Dove)" with a story about how the song came into being. She had written it, she said, right after John Lennon's death as a tribute to him, and her uncle John, with whom she had been present as he died.
It would have ended up being just another 'piano song', she said, if Waddy Wachtel (her guitarist and musical director), hadn't listened to it and began playing that incredible opening guitar lick, probably the most famous in the history of Rock 'n Roll.
When she dedicated the song to all the soldiers in Iraq, well, the energy in the place was positively electric. But, when Waddy Watchel started to play that opening guitar lick, the place practically exploded.
It was an incredible night.
No good deed goes unpunished, however. I got home, put on my roller blades, and haven't stopped since. The parish is just absolutely on fire coming to the end of the program year. There are pastoral concerns to tend to, as well, and a Youth Mission Trip to Belize in just about a month's time. Which is why I haven't been blogging. Or, reading anyone else's for that matter.
Turns out, there is life beyond the blog. And, it's pretty good. Amazing, in fact.
Thanks for all of your notes of inquiry and concern.
It's been a nice respite, but I'm back. And, happily so.
Well, mostly.
All things considered, I'd rather be back on top of the Rocky Mountain, altitude sickness and all, and sing my heart and soul out:
"And the days go by
Like a strand in the wind
In the web that is my own
I begin again
Said to my friend, baby
Nothin' else mattered
Just like a white winged dove
sings a song sounds like she's singin'
Whoo, baby, whoo, said whoo."
How wonderful! Glad you're back. I was, in fact, just about to leave an "are you o.k.?" comment if the Dave Walker cartoon came up as the most recent posting again!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a great time and the photos are fantastic. Now get back to work! ;)
So glad you got a chance to see the mountains, but I have the same problem with altitude. And Red Rocks is awesome, especially the acoustics. I was there as a young child when there wasn't the kind of sound systems that they have today and it was awesome then too.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're home.
Oooo...I'm jealous.
ReplyDeleteI love Stevie Nicks. My mom and I used to belt her out in the car all the time, and my first boyfriend was a major Fleetwood Mac fan, so I have all kinds of puppy love associations to F.M. and all things Stevie.
Looks like you had an excellent time, and you are right, there is life beyond the blog.
Whoa - so close to Wyoming and yet so far. I was in Grand Teton National Park that same weekend. Alcohol is also a no no until one gets acclimated to altitude. 1 drink is x2 at 5000 feet. Glad you were having fun and not neglecting your blogosphere fans.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, you've been playing around in one of my favorite playgrounds. The icing on the cake was the concert. I'm jealous, too.
ReplyDeleteNext time you go way up high, you won't be bothered so much by the altitude sickness. You get acclimated and it appears to stay with you for a long time, or so they say. It worked for me.