Summer's onset is glorious. Bands play in the park, children frolic and sail Frisbees, whilst beautiful barefoot girls in sundresses twirl to the music. Let libations flow like a river, till cheeks are as rose colored as my glasses. Let silver reline the darkest of clouds, and may the white light at the end of the tunnel be neither train nor Grim Reaper, but simply the dawn of a new day.
Tourists have descended on Lovely Ouray. They come here to stroll our inclined Main Street, lick ice cream cones, relax, and to sample Heaven's cool, clean, mountain air. What a joy to escape the suffocating heat and humidity and bugs of home.
The RV parks and campgrounds are full, and will probably stay that way through July into August. Bulldozers are hard at work in the mountains, trying to clear this past winter's bountiful snow from the remaining 4 wheel drive passes in time for the Fourth of July. There will be the traditional fire hose water fights on Main Street, Ouray, where spectators get doused with errant streams of ice cold Rocky Mountain spring water. It's a brutal sport and a real crowd pleaser/wetter.
I have a few hikes under my belt since the last post. Today I took a long walk with Bobbie while pumping hand weights. It's been nearly seven months since I've been able to do that. I must say I'm out of shape and found it hard to lift my cereal spoon at breakfast. Wildflowers are only a couple weeks away and I intend to be "up there," wading and photographing and wallowing in their resplendent colors.
The Boonster has been in and out of town lately. I broke out our 4 wheel drive pickup and towed his newly converted utility trailer up the steep, rocky, and loose road where he prefers to camp. He did an good job on the interior and I think it suits him perfectly. From camp, Boonie makes daily treks to town with Coffee Girl…who is the best social "ice breaker" I've ever seen… a kid and chick magnet if there ever was one.
John Q will be joining us again this July, this time bringing his wife along for her first Colorado camping experience. That should test the bonds of marriage :)) Walden Steve has hinted about coming out again, but can't seem to land the right rig. We'll see, he may just hop a plane and rent a car. Chris and Mindy will be showing up too. They enjoy Jeeping the most difficult and dangerous 4 wheel drive roads Ouray has to offer. On a sad note, Mindy's dad, a longtime Box Canyon Blog fan, passed away a few weeks ago. It's sad for me to think he is no longer following along. But who knows, maybe he is…
And now some random photos from around the area, starting with yours truly, Gallery Boy, hard at work on Main Street at the Skol Fine Art Gallery.
Good to hear you are on the mend and beginning to gain back your strength:)
ReplyDeleteLaverne here:
ReplyDeleteMark!.....you look great.....I wish I could say that we would be strolling the main street in Ouray soon, but our health
problems keep us at home these days....Thank you again for the pictures, I soak them up like a sponge.....Lovely Ouray !
Glad to see you up and about and in good spirits ... gorgeous ... gorgeous pictures. LOVE lovely Ouray...
ReplyDeleteMark,
ReplyDeleteWe spent last summer in Ouray at the KOA and wish we were there right now. Love your pictures and avidly follow the blog. Like Laverne, I soak it up like a sponge. All the best on your recovery. When we come back, perhaps next year, I will look you up at the gallery.
We wondered if you towed Boonie's new trailer up that hill again.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you back out there hiking. Sounds like between work and all the visitors you will be busy this summer, as usual!
Gayle
SO glad you are back on the trail! Ouray sure is a gorgeous place in the spring/summer. Amazing that the flowers are yet to bloom...we are in places where the flowers are long gone! Perhaps as we continue North over the next few weeks that will change. Fingers crossed your return to maximum health and fitness continues apace!
ReplyDeleteAs everyone is, I'm glad you're recovered and gaining strength. At least you get to do it in a beautiful place--lovely Ouray. :) By summer's end you'll be good as new.
ReplyDeleteYeah, hiking again and just in time for wildflower season. Sounds like progress. Thanks for the kind thoughts of my dad. He loved your blog and would usually call me with a blog update as soon as you had posted.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, I could swear I detect a whiff of bliss in that first paragraph. Good to see living proof that you are amongst the living! Just don't take that "starving artist" look too far. ;-)
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you're out and about again. And just in time for the resplendent Ouray summer. Enjoy, enjoy!
ReplyDeleteBe still my beating heart. I can see we need to move Ouray up on the travel bucket list. We'll have to shoot for early July or so to see waterfalls and wildflowers at their best. Thanks for your generous sharing of photos of your town.
ReplyDeleteI've been following your health ordeal and I am glad to see you are on the mend. Soon you will be challenging some old guy to hike to Ice Lake -- like you did five years ago. You will have to find another old guy. It won't be me. Maybe next year when I am tentatively planning to explore/travel western Colorado and the mountains. Perhaps we can make a deal where I could rent the studio apartment -- if it's available. 2015 is just planning at this time.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, you have a great collection of postcard photos. Good job!
Wishing you a full a speedy recovery....
One of these summers we'll join you, but next year it will be Newfoundland instead. Glad you're getting around well and that you won't miss your wildflower hikes. Love those horses at the gallery!
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