Sleeping Under the Stars

Knowing we were headed to a new home, we were energized and drove 900 miles from Boulder to Boise.  Just outside of Boise on the eve of Dave's 30th birthday we pulled off the freeway and took an old road into the dessert.  It was around midnight and no one was around.  We decided to set up a bed under the stars and finish the trip in the morning.  Neither of us slept very well, but we enjoyed looking up into the stars and wondering about the source of all things and the deeper meaning of life...

On Dave's 30th birthday we celebrated coming home to Bend, OR.  We were still frayed from the road and the turn of events, but we managed to find a wonderful home on the westside of town walking and biking distance to downtown, parks and trails.  We have four bedrooms in the house and a large sunny backyard.  There is room for guests, so please come visit!

Dave has been on Maui for three days now and I am settling here in Bend.  I spoke with Dave yesterday and he is enjoying reconnecting with everyone.  We are committed to trying Bend as our home for a year.  If things don't gel easily for us by then, we will be back on Maui.

Here are some pictures of our home in Bend. 

Bolder Boulder in Colorado

Boulder Colorado is so hip.  It is a college town set against the foothills of the Rockies.  There are bike lanes and bike paths everywhere, farmers markets, outdoor malls with street performers, and parks everywhere.  Health food stores, vegetarian restaurants and yoga studios on every corner.  As well, the architecture is wonderful.  So many unique new homes and restored Victorians.  Very few McMansions or cookie cutter track homes.  The gardens are lovely and the city keeps parks and roadways thick with flowers and greenery.

We landed at Keith and Ria's house on the west side of town.  We rented the studio above their garage which was way too hot. We parked our truck and rarely got in it.  We biked everywhere.  We knew we would be here for at least two weeks so we bought passes at Om Yoga thinking we would get a good dose of Anusara Yoga there.  We were disappointed that most of the yoga was astanga-based, but we did get one great class in with Jeanie Manchester - wonderful Anusara teacher.  

We met up with our friend Tammy Perkins who is a Maui resident living temporarily in Boulder, CO.  She told us she would be traveling back to Maui for two week leaving 5 days after we arrived.  Great serendipity.  Dave took her to the airport and we house-sat her little downtown bungalow for the rest of our time in Boulder.  Here is he view from our favorite hike up one of the ridges on the west side of town.  The hike is 3.5 miles round trip with a 1300 foot elevation change.  Great for getting your heart pumping and sweat dripping.  The first time we did this hike we were with Tammy and her 5 year old daughter Kaylee.  We went very slowly and mom had to coax Kaylee into continuing many times.  Dave offered a piggy back ride, but Kaylee was too shy.  Amazingly, she made it all the way then was ready to play more once we got back home.

Tammy's home is right around the corner from the pearl street mall so we were incredibly stoked.  We walked and biked everywhere.  We were right around the corner from the Laughing Goat Cafe where we saw some wonderful live music.  Before she left, Tammy showed us some great hikes and parks.  Here you see Tammy helping her daughter walk the slack linein North Boulder Park. 

Because his hands were still healing, Dave spent alot of time Slack Lining at our favorite North Boulder Park.  I spent my time riding, running, hiking and practicing yoga.  I also worked on my writing projects at the wonderfully air conditioned Laughing Goat Cafe.  Boulder was scorching hot!

We met some great friends there and on our last night in Boulder we had a little dinner party. 

On one particularly hot day we headed to the Eldorado Swimming Pool.  A giant pool built to catch the run off from the mountains and offer the community some cooling off fun in the summer months.  The pool at the base of a beautiful mountain and has shady picnic areas all around it.  There is also a diving board which offers loads of poolside entertainment.  Dave did a few reverse back flips and received hearty applause.

Even tough we enjoyed the nature and people of Boulder, CO we were both going through very rough times.  As my new hair was coming in, my old hair continued to fall out and I was looking more and more comical.  I had to get everything cut short and even then there were some uneven patches.  So I wore a hat everywhere but was still uncomfortable in public. 

Dave was in one of the best places for rock climbing and his hands were not getting better.  On top of that he was dealing with some difficult issues with the Maui business.  So among the play there was also confusion, frustration and tears.  We knew we had to make a decision and change our game plan.  That's when Dave decided to go back to Maui and work to set the business right as his hands healed.  I wanted some time alone to finish healing.  So we headed to Bend to find a home then part ways for a month.

Driving through the Rockies

As we headed east into central Colorado we had the pleasure of crossing the Rocky Mountains.  Anyone who has been there can speak of their grandeur.  The massive mountains have rock faces on their sides that make you feel you are passing through a gigantic castle.  Among the thick green trees, rock spires jut skyward like noble sentries watching the ant-sized humans go by.  And wide rivers wind through it all. 

We came upon this mountain valley town and thought it looked so idealistic we just had to take a picture.   We imagined it snow-covered in winter and thought of the magic of watching the seasons come and go with such distinction.

As we continued up and over the Rockies, I just could not stop exclaiming over the big beauty of it all.  Dave was busy searching his iphone for the nearest health food stores and sending text messages.  I had a moment of "technology hate" because I wanted to share the moment with Dave and he was junked out on the iphone.  We had a tiff and he said, "I know you think the iphone is the devil, but it gets us where we need to go."  To which I replied, "the devil may deliver but if he ruins the journey by doing so he owns your soul."  Of course the resolution is finding the balance in all things.  We finally came to peace on this but we continue to call Dave's iphone "The Devil" and when we want directions, he says, "Let me consort with the devil to find out..."

Hands that Hurt

After a love affair of climbing in Flagstaff, Dave's finger tendons are hurt.  He waited a few days for the pain to subside but it didn't.  It was such a crash-after-crescendo situation.  He met a well known climber in Flag, and he was inspired.  They were climbing together and this was exactly what Dave wanted: a mentor to push him.  Well, being the zealot he is, Dave took on too much.  And the edge is so fine with this hand-intensive sport.  After a good day of climbing at "The Pit" Dave decided to try a route that was just out of his league.  It is called "The Joker".  Dave is pretty sure The Joker is what tore his finger tendons.  Of course he is frustrated as we drive from Flagstaff to Boulder Utah, but he was still thinking the hurt would be gone after a three-day rest at Boulder Lodge.  Now as we travel from Boulder Utah to Boulder Colorado Dave is coming to terms with the possibility his hands will need a good long rest. 

As we drive past the rich greenery of the Utah hills Dave turns to me and says, "I am just happy I am on this trip with you.  Now we can spend more time together while my hands heal."  Such a sweet sentiment, but we all know how challenging it is to stay happy and kind when your biggest passion has been pulled from you.  I was thinking so hard about what it takes to stay kind and connected when your hair falls out, when your finer tendons tear on your climbing trip, when you find yourself divorced and alone at age 55, when your house is now worth half what you owe on it and your wife lost her job.   And the thing I realized is that we are all in this together.  And releif comes when we reach out and remind each other of this.  So I reached over and squeezed Dave's shoulder, "I lost my hair, you lost your hands, we're quite the pair!  Let's see if we can enjoy the road to recovery and come out softer than before."

Onward to Boulder CO...

Hell's Backbone Grill ... Heavenly!

Laurie and Steve, our friends in Chico, had a cookbook from a restaurant called "Hells Backbone Grill".  Laurie told us how much she loved the food and the people who ran this local organic cafe in the most remote region of Southern Utah.   Boulder, UT, population 300, is a quaint and quiet farm community in the midst of a seemingly barren landscape.  Solid rock ridges surround the village, protecting it from development and industry; its mostly uninhabitable and just too far away.  The town itself is mostly pasture, green and lush, and it sits upon a deep aquifer, providing endless sweet-mineral rich water for drinking and irrigation.  The town folk are mostly farmers and ranchers, with a smattering of small business owners, and of course a token fire station, post office, elementary school and church (though the town could never support more than one of each).  This place has attracted burnt out city folk who come to live a more peaceful existence, and wary travelers (such as ourselves) who relish a pristine and tranquil ecosystem and exuberant starlight in the evening.  You see, Boulder, UT is devoid of noise and air pollution, traffic, billboards, and all the other factors that disrupt our natural state of well being.

And in the midst of this fertile environment, there is a sanctuary.......The Boulder Lodge.  In such a remote locale, one might fear the village fare to be deep fried, conventional, white bread.  But no!  Hell's Backbone Grill delivered the most exquisite food we've ever tasted.  They are committed to using local and organic ingredients.  To support this commitment, they have several gardens and mini orchards around the area.  They also like using wild ingredients such as tumble weed.  I enjoyed the jack cheese tumble weed quesadilla with chipotle red onion salsa.  The cafe itself is in a octagonal building surrounded by thick flower and herb gardens, little ponds and waterways, outdoor decks and stone pathways winding through the gardens up to the front door.  We just wanted to stay there all day.

On top of that the people who worked there were just delightful.  Our favorite server Stacy was a woman in her late 40's who upon visiting Boulder Utah last year, immediately quit her job as DOD counsler for Guantanamo Bay, and settled in this peaceful oasis working at this simple joy-filled job; that is, growing, preparing and serving phenomenal food.  Oh!  I share blood with that woman!  She was a perfect server and someone I would like to get to know some day.  She enjoyed our delight over the fresh fruit over local handmade ice cream.  Dave indulged in the chocolate mouse pie and was so enraptured he couldn't talk until he had finished the last bite.

All that great food and deep sleep energized us for an adventure.  We went to seek a swimming hole deep in the creases of the Utah rock.  The pathway was obscure because we were walking over smooth sandstone, but other travelers had placed rock stacks as landmarks to help us get down to the stream.  It was blazing hot as we hiked down for three miles.  We were dripping with sweat when we found the deep green swimming hole.  And no one else was around.  So we just had to go skinny dipping!

The water was clean and cold.  We went for several rounds of diving in getting chilly then laying out on the rock like lizards.  We never saw another soul while down there.  Of course the hike back up was very steep and we dripped with sweat.  Before we left, I took one more leap into the cold water and did not even dry off before donning just bathing suit and hiking sandals for the hike up.

There was a moss-covered mini water fall that fed the pool and we though about trying it out as a slippy slide, but neither was willing to risk a scraped bum. 

In the mornings we look a jog around the area and discovered a small herd of sheep pastured with two llamas.  The rancher told us the llamas protect the sheep from dogs.   Apparently they aren't afraid of anything and will charge any creature that threatens the sheep.  This rancher also told us that Boulder UT was the last city in the US to get mail by motor vehicle.  Just ten years ago their mail was still delivered by horse back!  Now that's remote.

Before leaving Boulder Utah for Boulder Colorado, we took another adventure to a slot canyon.  The road to it was impressive as well.  Here Dave is looking up at the high red walls lining the road.  The slot canyon itself was about 15 feet wide with walls on either side about 150 feet high.  The morning light played beautifully among the rock and trees.  Both Dave and I have a new appreciation for Utah.  Gone are the images of endless desert and tumble weed.  And we will always hold the sweet energy of Boulder Utah in our hearts.  It was just the type of quiet rural area we would like to settle in.

Bryce Canyon Utah...Awe...Awe...

Just before coming to Boulder Utah for our visit to Hell's Backbone Kitchen, we stopped at Bryce Canyon.  This amazing natural wonder looks like gigantic rows of orange and sand colored stalagmites lining a huge canyon floor.  We were in awe.  We were also ready for an invigorating hike after being in the car for 6 hours.  So we donned our walking shoes and headed down down down the base of these mighty spires.  On the way we heard several foreign languages; an international destination!

Dave tried to joke with a few guys we thought were American.  When his joke was met with blank stares we realized we were in the company of non-english speaking Swedes.  So we smiled Shrugged and moved on.  At the bottom of the trail we looked up.  Wow.  These trees had to grow very tall to reach the uninterrupted sunlight above the towers.  The shade as we walked between the towers was welcome releif from the scorching afternoon sun.  We lingered at the base hoping we'd get some cloud cover for the hike back up.

Here Dave is posing in the shadows of the deepest pathways.  The literature on the park tells us that, unlike most canyons, these formations are not made by running water, but rather rainfall and wind.  They were referred to as "the world's largest pothole"  which sounds insulting given the awe-inspiring beauty of the place.  The canyon is home for a very small species of prairie dog.  They were about the size of a two-week old kitten and not too shy.  When they got close to us, Dave lumbered after one saying, "C'mon little fella, let's have a play, don't you wanna play little fella?"  I fell apart laughing, the prairie dog ran scared and the foreigners looked on like we were crazy.  I suppose we are...

As we started the climb back up we surrendered to the sweat.  It dripped freely as we climbed steadily.  There were a few families we passed trying to coax their kids to keep tromping onward.  Dave and I remembered similar times from our childhood and had a moment of deep honor for the offering parents make to their kids.  Here I take a rest on the base of an old fallen tree.

Once we reached the top again we took a long look at Bryce Canyon and soaked in the mystery of earth's origins and the miracle of our lives and the opportunity to enjoy all this beauty and take time to revel in the mystery.  As we headed to the truck we saw these mini tractors being pushed through the parking lot by park service people.  Turns out they are "trail sweepers" keeping the trail clear of rolly polly rocks.  We thought the flat trays on top should be used as serving trays for delivering martinis and lemonade to the thirsty hikers.  Jen for mayor, right?  In my next entry I will tell you all about the magic of Boulder, UT and our trek over giant rocks to the secret canyon swimming hole where Dave became the moss monster...

Sedona Magic

We've all heard about the mystic powers of the Sedona Arizona region.  Apparently there are portals that make the love and wisdom of God more accessible to us.  Not sure how we'd measure the truth of that, but I'm pretty sure we experienced it.  Certainly the beauty of the region inspires higher thoughts and a feeling that earth has a grand designer whose creative power and eye for grandeur are most superior.  Well, in our three weeks in Flagstaff we traveled to Sedona five times and each time received an uplifting dose of healing and inspiration.  The drive from Flag to Sedona is about 25 miles but takes 45 minutes.  The elevation drop is 4000 feet which makes the drive down very dramatic; switch backs down a canyon wall that looks out across adjacent canyon walls striped with sandstone and limestone and packed with pine trees.  Any of you who have traveled on hwy 89A into Sedona know what I mean.  Here is Dave on the side of that highway.

The drive takes you into Oak Creek Canyon - a deep canyon with a cool stream running through that collects in rock pools to create wonderful swimming holes.  Along the canyon floor there are oak trees, apple trees, and aspen amoung the ponderosa pines.  We went to a swimming area called Grasshopper point and enjoyed jumping off the hot rocks into the cool water.  We hiked upstream through the water to find a private quiet part of the stream.  There we sat on a big boulder in the middle of the stream and had one the deepest heart to heart talks ever.  We left feeling so blessed to have each other and to be on this great adventure together.

On another occasion, Dave took me on an "off road" hike right up some of the big sandstone towers.  He saw them from the official trail we were on and some how knew how to navigate up them.  He packed a blanket and picnic and asked me to adopt my most adventurous attitude.  He led me up crags and gullies, across mesas and up steep rock slabs.  At times I cursed him and was scared, but once we came to our destination, all was forgiven.  What a breath-taking view and the silence... We enjoyed a fabulous lunch 500 feet above the trail and for a while I didn't even worry about the hike down ;-)

We found a large flat area to do some handstands after lunch.  On the hike down there was some butt sliding and tree root holding, but it was a great adventure and once again we left Sedona feeling rich and satisfied about our love, our life and our deepening connection with nature.

There are several vineyards and wineries in the Sedona area and one in particular we wanted to visit called Caduceus was founded by one of Dave's musical hero's Maynerd Keenan.  He made a wonderful documentary about the progess of estabilishing a vinyard and making wine.  It is called "Blood into Wine" and he talks about the humbling and enlightening eight-year process he went through to get to know his land well enough to grow grapes worthy of wine-making.  He also talks about how his love for his mother helped drive his passion and he named his first wine after her.

The Caduceus winery and tasting room is in a town called Jerome and was a most interesting place to visit.  It was a copper mining town in the mid 1800's.  The town is built on a steep hillside and the roads through the town zig zag up the hill.  There is an old west ghost town feel to the place and many of the buildings have a haphazard yet charming way of fitting themselves into the hillside.  We enjoyed a tasting at the winery then wandered through the town as the sun set.  We found a vista just outside town to have a tailgate picnic dinner then drove home under a stunning sky.  The clouds looked like they were filled with lava as the sun made its final descent.  Dave was singing loud to Queen and with the window down I let the desert air blow across my face.

We also enjoyed an interesting yoga class in Sedona at the Seven Centers Yoga Studio.  It was called Five Elements Yoga and the teacher took you through postures that emphasized the earth element - getting energy into the legs and feet - then sat us in meditation and passed out aromatherapy sticks so we could breath in a plant essence that was earthy.  And we sat in silence for a few minutes taking all that in, then moved on to the the other elements: water, fire, air and space.  It was engaging and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Dave was able to reconnect with one of his Guitar teacher's Randy J and they went on a "man hike" together while I worked on my book.

Our time in Flagstaff was wonderful.  We left two days ago feeling a strong bond to the area and to our generous host Todd Nelson who shared his home with us for three weeks.  Here is a picture of one of the tunnels we passed through on Hwy 12 driving through Utah. We are now in Boulder Utah and boy do we have stories for you about this place.  it is AMAAAZING!  Details coming soon.