Ella's House

Watching one of my younger daughters run around the other afternoon something occurred to me. When Ella talks about "my house daddy" she means something bigger then the structure itself. She is talking about her home, her family, her young life. She doesn't see the drafty old windows, or the broken fence, or the sun faded deck. She seems a home that is filled with love and more often then not a little chaos. She sees things from a smaller point of view then her mother or myself, and yet her view seems bigger to me. She hasn't had the mind narrowing experiences of a lifetime like we have. In her mind it's simple, their my family I love them and they love and take care of me. I only wish that it could stay that way for her when she talks about "my house daddy."

The 4th of July Crush

Here they come. Yes here they come. The pilgrims that descend on our small town every summer around the 4th of July. I must admit I am always in awe that someone would drive over 1500 miles one way to come to a small town like Ouray to celebrate a national holiday. Now I'm not complaining, I know that the business' and the town coffers depend on the tourists to bring the much needed funds into our small community. But I would like my family to be able to enjoy the holiday as well and it's hard sometimes. When someone from Arkansas gets to main street at 6 am to get a spot for the parade, or to the park at 12 pm to view the fireworks at 9 pm, it's hard for local folk to compete. You might say "well get up a little earlier, or get there before them." buts it's hard to get motivated to do that when normally there is never a line to wait in or a stop light to wait for because you live in a town of 900 people.
Last year a lady was bending over to pet a dog and her rear was literally in the face of my 2 yr. old who was strapped in a stroller. "Excuse me" I said, "your bending over right in her face". "Parents these days are so touchy" she said, what I said next wasn't so nice. But the nerve of someone to act like we were somehow in her way when we're here shoveling the snow, chopping the wood, supporting the school, and paying the taxes so they can have a town to invade every 4th. Don't get me wrong let em come just give me a tiny bit of breathing room and we can get along just fine.

The Summer Rains Begin

Well now that the Telluride Bluegrass festival is over, (check out my video on youtube of Monks Chanting)

we can get ready for our usual rainy season here in the southern San Juan Mountains. Aimee and I are super excited, we just got our tickets to see Roger Waters perform The Wall Live in Las Vegas. For me I compare it to someone from the 60's seeing the Beatles perform Sgt. Peppers live. For many people of my age The Wall started a journey that is still going today. So with these tickets our summer concert season looks like this;
Telluride Jazz Celebration (can't wait for those warm Jazz breezes)
Phish in Telluride (should be freakin ridiculious!)
Rush (in Vegas with my son, his journey begins)
The Wall Live (Thanksgiving weekend)
It's going to be a good 2nd half of the year.
Chris