Half of a Century

Ladies And Gentlemen     Boys And Girls     The Chocolate Room      Hold Your Breath     Make A Wish    Count To Three    Come With Me And You'll Be     In A World Of Pure Imagination      Take A Look And You'll See    Into Your Imagination     We'll Begin With A Spin    Traveling In The World Of My Creation   What We'll See Will Defy Explanation    If You Want To View Paradise   Simply Look Around And View It    Anything You Want To    Do It    Want To Change The World   Do It    There's Nothing To It    There Is No Life I Know    To Compare With Pure Imagination    Living There You'll Be Free     If You Truly Wish To Be 

Gene Wilder ( RIP 1933 June 11th - 2016 August 29th )

Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory 1971

NUMBERS:

18,263 Days

2,600 Weeks

600 Months

5 Decades 

For my 50th trip around the sun, started the day off with a dawn patrol adventure. And all the little Bambi's came out to frolic and play reindeer games. The dogs were impatient and ready for this outing to commence.

The pack of dogs insisted they come along but they had no clue as to what was in store for them. Running along with me on my ride was not their cup of tea. 

During the first few minutes, they ran the hillside like pups. You can see the Brown and White dots in the above photo. 

That was about the only exploration of their morning. The rest of the run was keeping up with me and wondering when this adventure will alleviate. If Ever 

I stopped numerous times for photos and allowing them to catch up and pant. It was funny how they quickly knew to lay down in the cooler patches of shade. Smart little cookies they are.

I made a special effort to push hard when I saw an upcoming watering hole or crossing. We all gathered near the ice cold run off and caught our breath. Then, back at as we continued the relentless climb. 

After all, breath taking views under 360 degrees conditions. 

I wasn't on a mission by any means but if I was burning the cardiovascular system, they gotta be suffering a bit as well. The two boys were holding their own but Jazzy was slowing down. 

So right here in the above photo, we turned around. My original plan was to top off on Yule Pass but I could tell that Jazz wasn't having it today. 

So we made the turn around and I rode the brakes back down the road. Not a bad call as some of those sharp rocks along the rough terrain wouldn't be conducive for my older GT MTB. 

We are talking rim brakes, unlike the newer technologies of disk brakes. The tribe also approved of the pace. 

The one mistake that I did make was not accounting for the cooler mountain temperatures. The crips air floated around 37F/2.7C at 11,000ft/3352m and I was rather sweaty from the climb. So descending was a little chilly for my exposed ears but conducive for our four legged friends. 

I wish the above photo would have been shot with a $10,000.oo camera because the morning light was cascading through the transparent purples and red petals. The usual accountable iPhone just didn't do it justice by any stretch of the imagination.

My cousin Chris sent me birthday wishes from the British Open!! I was so stoked for him and wish I could have experienced that atmosphere with him. Couldn't imagine what that was like. He did tell me that he walked the entire course and that he really enjoyed himself. Good On Ya Cuz

This photo totally cracks me up. Poor Moochie appears to be on an indica. His eyes were so lethargic after all that run. But he claims he could eat if dishing out food was on the aJENda. 

PHONE CALLS:

The rest of that afternoon was me doing light chores, disrupting the dog's nap, talking with friends from around the world, and waiting for The Dude's arrival. Relaxing mid-day really and The Dude rolled in just after about 2pm with cooler in tow. 

As we cracked our first brew, four energetic house keepers appeared. Talk about a treat!! The Dude and I sat out on the deck while they cleaned the house from top to bottom. 

NOT that the house was dirty but they went for it. All awhile The Dude And I enjoyed our beverages living the good life. We laughed at one point about how this really could be a lifestyle. 

We both talked and texted while we sat under cooler temperatures, hearing the gals vacuuming, and our beer supplies never seemed to run dry. After the house keepers left, we decided to walk the dogs. Stretching the legs was a good thing and we eventually formulated a game plan for the evening. 

Personally, wasn't all that fired up for marauding around town with the Delta SH*T looming in the air. But The Dude insisted he wanted to buy me dinner as my birthday treat. So we cleaned up, threw on some fresh clothes, and walked towards the bus stop.

The first FREE mountain town bus was the local neighborhood bus. That bus loops through the"hood" and on down to the transfer station were the Town Route Bus awaited our arrival. 

We chatted as we walked to the first stop and pointed out various points of interest. Homes with hot tubs on their decks, wildflowers brightening our little path, and other wacky thing's in sight.  

We were the only two on the first bus and the Town bus was a popular choice. I was so thankful that the public free transportation mandates all passengers to mask up. No Mask No Ride

The ride was highly entertaining as it was a mountain town Friday night crowd in full effect. We are all so happy to be out and about and living the good life. And me, again, pleased with my fellow mankind for respecting each other under these unknown circumstances. 

We all piled off the bus and scurried away like ants in the park in search of a picnic blanket full of crumbs. The Dude and I casually strolled along Elk Avenue. At one point The Dude said something and I turned around to find him with phone in hand. I gave the hang loose birthday pose and he snapped away for sending to friends and family members. 

We knew we were headed to the Nepal Restaurant as its one of our favorites. I was a little dubious about finding a table because it was Friday night and the town was certainly a buzz. However, most of the restaurants in CB have taken over the public parking spots with outdoor seating. This SO Pleases Me

Our meal was just as desirable as always and The Dude filled me in on the new developments in his world over the past two weeks. It only felt like a few days since I saw him last but a lot has gone down in the past two weeks. I am way proud of the guy and he has two big announcements coming down the pipe. 

After our beautiful meal, not sure what direction to take, The Dude offered to buy me a beer. Once again, I was hesitating because of that damn virus. Just our luck, the Eldo has a balcony and nobody was up there. So we tritty trotted on up the stairs to the bar and ordered our first round. The bartender took a shine to us as the other patrons where the usual unkept scruffy bar flies. I pulled out my ID and asked," What Is Your 50th Birthday Policy?" Our rounds were taken care of and our views of Elk Ave were priceless. Right On

Shooting stars capped off the night as we walked home from the Bus transfer station. Thankfully, we camped out on brews throughout the evening, lots of H2o between rounds, and no spirits or shots. Talk about a veteran move and not waking up all hungover was refreshing.

SATURDAY MORNING:

So after I whipped up a stellar breakfast of fresh fruits, potatoes, onions, and eggs, we threw the leads on the pack and adventured towards Snodgrass. the dogs were stoked and the brown dog on the right laid cable not once, not twice, but three times. It was a much needed hike apparently. 

DISC GOLF:

The Dude and I headed down into town for a very unusual round of disc. The photo below was by far my favorite hole of the day. Thank You Hole #9

The commanding views were worthy of the drive. The slopes covered in vivd wildflowers made the day. We are talking bushes of raspberries, blueberries, rose hips, and elderberries lined the narrow fairways. But the course itself was totally lame. No description for distance or location of basket placements. 

The layout to the course probably made sense to the locals but not to us. We made the best of it and kind of played our own layout. You know, play the hand you're dealt with.

The photo below, that is the basket number to what appears on three of the baskets, This Basket Is Marked Hole #8. Thats right, there were three hole number 8's??? 

And basket number 12 turns out to also be basket number one. The Dude and I threw to basket number 3, thinking it was basket #1. But roaming around and just throwing to throw was the perfect recipe for the day. Par For The Course 

This uphill approach was my best drive of the day for a Birdie. My tee off was just OK but I was rewarded with a righteous skip. My driver awaited me just below the basket for that wonderful Birdie toss. And a presentable lie of baby pines cropping the basket there for me. As a bonus, the forest smelled earthy and alive from this shot as well. 

We talked, we walked, and we played about as good as we could for what it was worth. A quick spin around town for a look and then back up the mountain to the house we headed for a well earned lunch. Lunch consisted of turkey on sourdough with a beautiful sharp cheddar and avocado. On the side was a cold sprouted salad with fresh cucumbers, bells or two colors, ginger, and jicama. How Refreshing 

MOOSE:

Could NOT believe my eyes!!! For the first time in my life I finally saw a live moose. Not a taxidermy Moose but a wild massive Moose in its element. This sucker was standing in a creek and shredding the vegetation that cascades shade down onto the water hole for good fishing. 

Let me tell you first hand, these animals are powerful. You could see the definition of each muscle group as the Moose anchored its hoof upon those river rocks. Now, the one and only animal left on my checklist, the one and only elusive Mountain Lion. 

RADIO SHOW:

After taking care of an obligation Saturday night back in GJ, I hosted the Global Groove time slot on Sunday the 18th of July. I was a wheeeeee bit rusty and all over the board with my musical choices. It was a decent show but nowhere near one of my top 10 shows ever. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of phone calls though. Turns out that a number of locals listen for that particular time slot. Apparently KVNF in Paonia broadcasts a rough day of programing on Sundays and those folks stream KAFM. Didn't dawn on me until about the third or four caller from Paonia calling to ask about me, my next show, or to hand out well received and appreciated accolades. 

If you are interested in hearing this show of mine, I will walk you through it. Very Simple!!! Click on the WEBSITE of KAFM. Across the top is a drop drown link labeled ON-AIR and click PLAYLIST. The word CALENDAR will be highlighted in blue and click on it. Simply scroll back to SUNADY JULY 18th at 9am and you will see the name Dan Yankee in that time slot. Click on Dan Yankee and the only song listed will be John Lennon's Imagine. Click the play button NEXT TO The DATE, do not click on Johnny Boy!!! The show actually starts at 9:03am, after three minutes of advertising ( children's hour ) and other promotions. I thank you in advance for streaming. 

After the show, drove over to the food donations pick up. Scored on all kinds of goodies!!! Filled the auto with fuel, threw in my duffle bag, and loaded up the pack of dogs. We left GJ with a temperature on the dash indicating 102F/ 38.88C. Lucky for me and the tribe, we drove through a rain shower over Kebler Pass. Here was the current temperature in between showers...

LAST NIGHT:

Ready for this??? Crested Butte offers a free concert series every Monday Night in the park. You have the opportunity for a free bus ride, a free outdoor concert, and all you have to do see be kind. So Cool

So in the above photo would be the bus stop on Paradise Road. I walked on up to that specific location and timed it out perfectly as the bus appeared before I could say Catz Scratch Fever. The concert in the park kicks off at 5:30pm and I was on the 5:15 shuttle. Nice 

The band on tap just so happened to be a Grateful Dead Tribute Band from Gunny. So needles to say, the whole town turned out and filled the park. I flopped my carcass on the upper lawn just behind the Orange fence. A meliorate placement for people watching and not exposing my ears to any more late night tinnitus. My bare feet were planted in the coarse blades of cool grass and those cumulus clouds captured my attention. The band was just ok but it's my first concert while in my 50's now. The price was right and the location was beyond ideal. Stoked 

GOALS:

1. Climb 1,00ft A Day
2. 50 Push Ups A Day
3. 2 Nalgene's Of H2o Per Day 
4. Check In With Friends
5. Continue To Project Gratitude 

Until Next Time, Stay COVID Free,

Cheers