March 14, 2002

I believe my last Colorado Tale was before Christmas. December was quite a busy month. We hosted 4 parties within a two week period. I kept reminding myself that it is all within two weeks and you can do it. Well they went well and although being tired, it was wonderful to have friends over and entertain.

This area gets really high winds. A few weeks ago we had a raging windstorm and thick swirling dust clouds. You don’t want to be outside without protection for your eyes. Actually, you don’t really want to be outside for any length of time. This one particular dust storm was so dense that you could not see the homes on 65^th street. It was amazing! I recalled James Michener’s book “Centennial” where he wrote about the settlers on the plains and the dust storms that would occur for weeks. Our house is tightly built, but back then, the cracks in the walls must have let in quantities of sand dust. The early settlers must have been a tough breed.

We had the Olympic Flame travel thru Longmont, and along with thousands of others I stood over any hour in 15 degree temperatures to view the flame. (A once in a lifetime happening.) The long wait was due to the fact that one of the Olympic buses was involved in an accident in Ft. Collins. Well, when the runner finally came by I had to operate my camera quickly to get a couple of shots of both the flame and runner. All runners who carried the torch were allowed to buy their torch for I believe $350. A bit of money, but quite a piece of memorabilia. While we waited, a Longmont cop kept coming by pushing us back onto the unshoveled sidewalk. We were not out in the middle of the road, but standing between two vehicles in a parking space. Maybe he considered us threatening individuals to the people carrying the torch (right!) but I think he was exercising his authority and making a pain in the ass of himself. He finally took yellow plastic tape and stretched it between the two vehicles sternly advising us to stand on the unshoveled sidewalk in 6 inches of snow.

Ken has been busy with his Suzuki Samurai and converting it to off road riding. We are traveling to Moab, Utah for a very popular off road event called the Easter Jeep Safari. As I understand it thousands of these vehicles and enthusiasts converge on Moab and crawl up incredible steep vertical rocks daring the vehicle to roll over. The local Spidertrax guys and their wives will be at this event and wives and I intend to do some hiking and painting in Arches National Park. The wives are in their late 20’s and when they attend these events usually become pretty bored. Well, we had them over to dinner a few weeks ago and I invited them to hike into Arches with me and to indulge me for a couple of hours of painting. Samantha illustrates and sets up web sites and said that I would probably have to pull her away from her drawing. I said great! We’ll bring lunch and plenty of water and make a day of it. I’ve got all my canvasses ready for backpacking in with my pastels and am really psyched about going.

A few weeks ago during a shoveling episode, or it may have been the run I did with our running walking group in the snow, I developed a problem with my sciatic nerve. It’s mostly a problem in the morning, or if you sit for a while. You must get the body working. After several minutes, it is fine. You just can’t give in to it. You must be like the Eveready Bunny and keep on going.

I have paintings in several venues. The lastest venue is the Longmont United Hospital “Artwalk Hallway”. It was really exciting to be able to place my paintings there. Besides working in oils, I am doing a lot in pastels and really having fun. Soon it will be time to turn my attention to gardening, but until then, it’s paint, paint, paint.

We recently had a Rocky Mountain Ragtime Festival Board Meeting. Being my first year on the board and involved in the Festival, this is a learning process. I understand that from June things should be really crazy busy into July, the month the Festival will be held. Scott Kirby, the driving force of the festival was in town for concerts in Denver and Colorado Springs and while here, gave a concert at our home March 11^th. There must have been about 25 people, many who did not know about the festival nor the type of music connected with it. Scott is good at explaining the piece he is to perform, its origination, and a little bit of historical background. What a talented fellow! More importantly, having him perform in a small “Salon” type setting allows everyone to talk with the performer and have a more personal contact with him. It was a wonderful, successful evening. I’m sure many of the people who attended will attend at least once of the concerts in Boulder during the festival.

News Flash! My son, Scott, will be working at the Grand Canyon. He called to let me know he would be leaving Virginia the end of April. Instead of being a couple thousand miles away, it will only be a few hundred miles and I will be able to visit him and the Grand Canyon too.

Well, that’s all for now.

Love to you all,

Diane and Ken