The Hills Are Alive

Early in July, we took a family trip to Telluride Colorado. Every moment of it was doused in deja vu and a light mist of nostalgia. We went nearly every summer when I was younger, and since then when I pictured paradise, I would picture Telluride Colorado, not just because of the breath-taking scenery, but because that place is packed with fun-filled memories of family. We haven't been back in quite a few years, and in our absence, time has donned rose-tinted glasses. I was slightly apprehensive to return and find it not as grand as I remembered, but what I found is that the mountain streams are flowing with the waters of Tuck Everlasting. Not much changes in Telluride. The mountains never age, and they are alive as ever. 

I found one of the few things better than a memory looked back on with rose tinted glasses, is a moment that doesn't need them, which I found was every moment in the quaint and beautiful historic town of Telluride. 

This was the top of our 10.4 mile hike. We had The Sound of Music going through our heads. 

They're a little hard to see in this picture, but one of my favorite things about Aspens are that all the little knots on them look  like eyes, keeping a solemn watch over the forest. 

When we got to the basin and heard thunder, we were worried it would rain. Not to worry, it decided to hail instead.
Meanwhile, the thunder was incredible. We were in this tiny basin just beneath the clouds and the thunder sounded like the mountain was going to crack apart, and it bounced back and forth inside the basin with the buzzing frenzy of a wasp caught between the blinds and the window pane. It was the best thunderstorm I've ever heard. 

My wonderful Dad, to whom belongs the majority of the photo credit. He is an excellent photographer. 

Telluride is a historic mining town, which means there are restrictions on how many houses are built, how far up the mountain you can build them, and whether the exterior matches the rest of this archaic little town. I think there must also be a rule that there must be AT LEAST six zeros on the price tag as well . . . I'm sure, because it's in Telluride, even this little mining shack would sell for a couple million. I think it would make a nice summer cottage, don't you? 

We found the biggest dandelions and we couldn't resist. Dallin found it's hard to blow when you're laughing . . . 

This was possibly the fluffiest, cutest little dog I've ever seen, and I got to hold him! I was in heaven. 

The gondola in the top left corner of the picture runs from Telluride, up the mountain, and over to Mountain Village on the other side, with a stop at the top. It's a family favorite. And the best part: it's free. 

The deal was, if you want your hair painted, you have to be in the parade. Jacob was all in, and Kaitlin had fun too. 

All decorated for the fourth of July parade. These people go all out. 

See that little black speck in the sky? That would be the start of the parade fly over. It's hard to beat a fourth of July parade in a town where main street is from the old west, the scenery is from a fairy tale, and the budget is from your wildest dreams.

If the parade was elaborate, the fireworks were INTENSE. Forty-five minute, non stop firework show, and the best one I've ever seen. Not to mention the rattling, booming echoes off the mountains, as if every tree was a rain stick, and every boulder a base drum. If I'd been blind, it still would have been the best show. 

After enduring rain, sleet, hail, heat exhaustion, starvation, a pack of ravenous wolves, an angry mountain lion, and enough photos to make your smile permanently crooked, we finally reached the top.
 We may be guilty of a little embellishment. 

This was the river that we had to cross on our 10.4 mile hike. It doesn't look like much, but allow me to complete the picture for you. This water is from still-melting ice caps. It is freezing, not to mention fast. IN order to keep our shoes and socks dry, we crossed it barefoot. It's hard to imagine something could be so cold that it is seriously painful, until you've experienced it, which I have. If that's not enough, check out the picture above. That's what we were crossing, not too far upstream. 

No wonder we got cold . . .

We found Dallin's twin. 

When we were little, Kylie and I would hike ahead to this spot and read. Now that we're all about the same pace, we didn't have time to get out our books to pose for the picture. Ah well, we made do.

Lovin these Aspen forests and that handsome little man who is not so little anymore. 

And that would be Telluride. Yep, that's all of it. 

It was hard to say goodbye. 

Candidly,
Cookie

Concerning Ourselves and Our Celebrities

I'm aware that my last post left you salivating for some gorgeous colorado scenery and just itching to hear our adventures, and I promise, they're coming, but in the mean time there are some things that have been dwelling on me as of late, that, in light of recent days' events, have come once again to the forefront. So forgive me as I make of my writing a sort of whet stone upon which to sharpen my thoughts to a point that I believe must be made, and I ought to make it.
It concerns this:

It began rather innocently, as it often does. I'm eating my lunch with some friends, chatting about things of such paramount importance as what we're planning (or hoping) to have for dinner, with a pandora playlist humming over the speakers, when someone recognizes a favorite artist. I'm asked if I know said artist and it happens to be one of the many thousand I just can't keep up with. So then a race ensues to see who can be the first to pull up a picture of the strapping young man on their phone.
"Isn't he gorgeous?"
Uhh, well, maybe . . . I guess. I don't know. And frankly, I don't care.
This is followed by a breakdown of his life, or at least the parts of it that, thanks to the media coverage's so incredibly accurate portrayals, we are experts on.
It's obvious that every word of it is news to me and this seems to astound and rather interest them.
"Seriously, you don't know who this is?"
Uhh, I think we've been over this, but even after your perfect recounting of all his past crushes and breakups, no, I still don't know him.
By the time this is through another song has come on and I am asked once again if I can identify the singer. Once again, I don't have a clue. This spikes their interest and it becomes a sort of game. Name after name is rattled off. I catch one that I happen to know is an athlete and that's my only cue that we've stretched beyond the realm of musical idols.
"Johnny Dep?"
"Nope."
"Arnold Schwarzenegger?"
"Nope again."
"Lionel Messi?"
"Wait, who?"
"Selena Gomez?"
"Kierra Knightly?"
"Nope, nope, nope, nopity nope."
"Wait. How do you not know ANY of these?"
"Well, I don't watch TV, I don't listen to the news much, it's not a hot topic of conversation with my friends either because they don't care or they know I really don't care, and I don't read People Magazine."

So then came the question that struck gold.

"Why not?"

I had to think for a moment. I had lots of reasons for it, the trouble was boiling it down to one reason that could say it all. And so it came down to this, "If I were famous, I would hate having the paparazzi and the media stalk my life, blow it out of proportion, take creative liberty, and then advertise it to the world as though there were no better news to cover and as though everyone would be in absolute peril if these reported 'facts' ceased to stream through their digital devices or onto their coffee tables."

I know I wouldn't appreciate it. I've seen and known it to ruin good people and to drive them insane. It was something Kate struggled with and hated when she began dating Prince William. So why do we support it? 

Could it honestly be because, with millions of libraries worth of knowledge at our fingertips, and the greatest streaming and spread of knowledge the world has known of yet, we have nothing better to read, listen to, and talk about? Is it because we feel the need to live vicariously, to create idols out of men, or to measure our comparative beauty and success against the top .0001% most successful, most beautiful, and most photo-shopped people in the world? We know that gossiping isn't good, but celebrities aren't people, so it doesn't count right?

I don't mean this to come across as an assault, nor to point fingers at anyone in particular, but I do hope that we can take stock on what we choose to listen to, read, and talk about and the effect it has on us and those we discuss. Though admittedly there are some good uplifting stories out there, overall there are few uplifting things about People Magazine. I don't mean to attack just any one magazine, but since it's the only one I can think of off the top of my head, it bears the brunt and serves as an icon to encompass all the rest. I'm not saying I think it's a bad thing to follow up on your favorite sports team or track the new releases of your favorite artist. I'm not saying we need to burn all the magazines and shut off the gossip-news either, but if you should feel so inclined, I wouldn't be one to stop you. 

Food for thought. 

Candidly, 

Cookie

Road Trip

A car trip with my family means endangered leg room, almost nonexistent pit stops, seemingly non-stop audio books, hilarious games of I Spy in the middle of Arizona and Texas, endless rounds of Rubberneckers, 100% chance of rain, laughter, photos, family, and LOTS of luggage. 

Our drive took us through Batten-rouge where we stopped for the night in a hotel, then on to Houston Texas to visit my mother's friend from college and her seven children before arriving at my Uncle's place in San Antonio. We stayed with him and his family for two days, which was all too short, but when it comes to seeing them, it's never long enough anyway. 

After our short stay, we drove up to Carlsbad Caverns and then on to our final destination: Telluride Colorado. 

See where that little white car is headed? That's where we were trying to go.

Such would be our luck. And might I mention, the train wasn't just passing through. No, it was stopped, two cars away from the end, right in the middle of the road. 

Fish's travel position. Dallin wanted to be sure he was safe and secure. I thought it was darling.

My on-going project that I worked on while we listened to Unbroken - a fabulous story that I highly recommend.

Rubberneckers: super fun car game.  I especially like the card that gives you points for getting a truck to honk its horn, though they rarely do. 

While at our cousin's house, we decided to do nails, not realizing it would be a day-long endeavor. I found a new favorite way to do my nails, thanks to Elina's Pinterest knowledge. You dip a straw in the nail polish and blow and it creates awesome patterns. I suggest covering the skin around your nails with vaseline first though, because as you can tell, your nails aren't the only things that get painted.

The road from San Antonio to Carlsbad New Mexico is about as exciting as watching paint dry. We passed the time by playing "I Spy . . ." to which the most common answer was "nowhere" so we eventually changed the game to "I don't spy . . ." That made things interesting.

And we're off to Colorado . . .

Candidly,
Cookie