Hearth and Home

Gracie was in town for a few days and the sky was blue, sun was shining and we took full advantage of the outdoors. Walking around town, traveling up to Silverton where all the real amounts of snow are (arcade) and we even treated Mom to a sleigh ride! We were sorry to see her leave.   

Mama Dukes and Southwest in Style

The Grand Canyon for sunrise and sunset. 

Traveling with mom from Tucson through Sedona, Flagstaff, onto the Grand Canyon for sunset and sunrise, through Monument Valley headed for our home in Durango. We saw and enjoyed good friends, amazing vistas, mesas, saguaros, mountains, trees, robin egg blue skies, sandstone landscapes and each other.  

Life Rocks!

The largest Gem & Mineral Show in the country for two weeks held in Tucson!! Crystals oh my! 

This is Wulfenite. My uncle has an amazing collection and I wound up with some really outstanding pieces. Wulfenite can be used for preservation and rejuvenation on all levels. It's orange-yellow-red chards of naturally occurring mineral are more remarkable than this picture can express. Mostly composed of lead ore it's found rarely in Arizona. I could imagine that it may exist in Silverton CO with as many minerals mined in the area. I acquired a lot of new minerals in Tucson including ocean jasper, meteorites from 3 different countries, azurite, a large amethyst, wulfenite & some crazy quartz pieces-the list goes on. Thank you Richard for being such a gracious host!

Plants of Life

oatstraw, horsetail, nettle, alfalfa, rapsberry leaf, & rose petals. 

"Weeds are flowers too once you get to know them."    Eeyore 

2.3.08

Herbalism is a deep tradition of spirit and life. I have a connection with the power of plants and for long as I remember respected what nourishment living things bring our souls and bodies. This is why I am so fortunate to have the experience of studying for six weeks with a dear friend and herbalist. Our first session (on the day it never stopped snowing) we began to learn about tea making and harvesting plants for medicinal use. We will continue with salve making, tinctures and extractions as we progress.  This is remarkable!

La Nina For Real?

2.3.08 front yard

This winter was predicted to be a la nina-dry/warm climate. Who does it surprise that it's not? 

With fresh, light and fluffly powder falling rapidly last weekend Justin went skiing about 2 hours away over 10,000 ft on the continental divide in Wolf Creek with about half the town of Durango. By the time they got off the slopes the mountain pass and roads were closed. Needless to say him and about 100 others bombarded the sleepy town of South Fork, jammed the lodges and ate all of the one mexican restaurant's food. Oh and he got Monday off from work to take the back roads on what would normally be a 2 hr trip into a 9 adventure. I having stayed home because of my herbalism class had a snow day with the dogs. 

Hot Springs All Over

Hot springs are a natural occurrence here and are a welcome tonic for my mind and body health. Pagosa Springs to our east and Ouray to our North are the more revered springs to visit as Pagosa Springs is the largest aquifer in the world and Ouray is located in a beautiful box canyon. For centuries the shaman of native tribes and army doctors of the civil war era to miner's and pioneers of the 1900's all have sought the healing waters. It sure beats the hot tub.

Medieval Snowdown

Jan 30-Feb 3

Durango's Annual Winter Festival Snowdown. This year with snow! It's such a blast to be in town for this weekend, with so many events taking place the town gets crazy. Durangonians don't hold anything back with events like slalom mountain biking, polar beer plunge, beard growing contests, hot air balloon rally, softball on ski's, doggy costume contests, night time parade, pancake breakfast and of course a theme, this year-medieval style lords and ladies. So one night I was a beer wench instead of a cocktail waitress at Carver's-it was fun! 

 

You Can Call Me a Copywriter

Overlooking the town from atop the mesa working at the Fort, or Fort Lewis College for those afar, has been lovely. For now I am on contract and write for the marketing department in Admissions. My office view is great and I just love hanging out with the deer who frequent the tree cover outside my window. 

STS9. Denver. The Fillmore. The Gothic.

Jan. 25-27 2008

Getting out of town was a blessing. Living in SW Colorado in the four corners area is very majestic and wide open country so sometimes it seems infinite from point to point. Traveling to the city for the weekend in 50 degree sunshine and seeing girls in flipflops was reminiscent of the South East. It does grow very cold in Denver but Mother Nature gave us warmth and we walked about the city. Sts9 was unreal and I was replenished with hours of dancing, music and smiles. Two nights at the Fillmore and a late night set at the Gothic Theatre and I just can't get enough!

Chapman Hill Ice Rink and Ski Hill

Just a few miles from home 4 days a week, one of my pleasures is instructing ice skating. It is so good for my soul. Having grown up in upstate Ny skating 5-6 days a week it's thrilling to see young kids get so passionate about it. These are some of my learn to skate girls, Abby, Maya, Emma & Cecilia.

Enchanted Reality

Jan 29 2008

There is a special mystique about the Southwest region of Colorado. It can be felt among the ancient Anasazi Indian cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park and in the quiet of rugged mining ghost towns high in the San Juan Mountains. 

What a great place the west. 

Durango is having a fierce winter this year! In town at 6,650 ft in elevation we have been blanketed with over 7' of the fluffy powder so far and it's not stopping anytime soon. If you've heard about the torrential downpours in Cali & Az then you could imagine what's happening to us.

It's not stopping people from being mobile. I love watching those slide by on ski's and bikes. Acutally I haven't attempted to bike ride in snowpack but promise to by the time it all melts. Last month I did ski for the second time ever! Typically I snowboard but as I expected the fundamentals of skiing run parallel to ice skating. I know Justin was stoked to see me join him on the snow sticks.