July 4th And 12 Days Of

Living On A Lighted Stage Approaches The Unreal        For Those Who Think And Feel      In Touch With Some Reality Beyond The Gilded Cage        Cast In This Unlikely Role      Ill-Equipped To Act     With Insufficient Tact      One Must Put Up Barriers To Keep Oneself Intact      Living In The Limelight   The Universal Dream       For Those Who Wish To See     Those Who Wish To Be     Must Put Aside The Alienation    Get On With The Fascination    The Real Relation    The Underlying Theme 

Rush

Limelight form Moving Pictures 1981

Now with my jocular demeanor shinning on during the 4th of July, I quickly responded to everyone that sent me a lame emoji , horses A$$ meme, or any other ludicrous copy paste CrackBook Bull SH*T Happy 4th with the above photo. My added caption was Happy 100th America. I cracked up because some of my friend were rather baffled by it. So when you send me a lame cartoon American flag happy 4th, you kinda deserve a thinker reply. Am I Wrong?? I engaged with friends that sent me real life happening photos and that shared with me a part of their lifestyles and what nots from their 4th experience. But those home bodies got Jack. Redrum 

July 3rd's Fireworks In Fruita Colorado

The Dude & I spent a relaxing afternoon on the trickle of the not so Mighty Colorado River. However, the river was packed with so many cool floaters on this 4th day of July. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was waving and splashing around like little school kids enjoying recess time. 

The above photo was me actually showcasing my give-a-ways pop tops. The Dude made a quick appearance in this selfie and check out the line of river runners in the background. Anyway, I cut apart a few six pack holders here and gave them my own creative flair. Recycling 101 my friends. I started giving them to boaters at the put in. What Are They You Ask??

They are can covers for your open containers while rafting through "rapids"or splashing around. Aren't they cool?? Everyone I gave them to were stoked as can be and swore they would pass along the tradition of excellence. Way Cool

As you can see in the above photo, they even have a thumb lip for popping off with ease. The whole afternoon on the river was pleasant and an epitomizing way to beat the Valley Heat. And below, another long exposure photo. Still rocking that Sh*T. 

After floating the Town Run, a date with the two wheel cruiser in sued. For those of you that know me, Yes, up on the roof top for sure. Well, the roof top being the parking structure. How else does one start a field trip??

The above photo is for our Shadow People Eileen and check out that sky. Talk about a sweet Colorado Sunset on the 4th of July!! Sign Me Up Please 

CAR CAMPING:

My first week of July was basically a blur of work, organizing, and problem solving. Not complaining about it but it was a hectic week for me. 

A lathered up , rinse , repeat work week played out like this. Walking behind the noise maker, cleaning/repairing equipment, watering, and working with clients in the office. I stacked up all my appointments for that first week of July knowing that my time would be limited. 

So on Monday afternoon, hit the road for the night. I was anticipating long days of work on Wednesday and Thursday before relocating to CB. And those work days consisted of 108F / 42.22 for an all time GJ High!! Only 106F / 41.11 on that Thursday before bogeying out of town. 

CYCLING:

My overall numbers have been piss poor as I have mentioned before. But in reality, my legs are fresh and my low back has been rather pleased with me as of lately. 

Spun a decent ride and pushed the envelope through this section that I was well aware of for a Strava Leaderboard Sections. Opening up the legs felt tremendous and hit the start of that section wide open. I guarantee that I did NOT have another 2mph in me.

I looked up/ clicked on the riders above me and their profiles are all pretty studly. Pro looking glasses and higher end bikes. Me, not so much. A GT 1990's mountain bike and ratty old t-shirt. Maybe that is where the extra 2mph deficit went.  Classic 

But finished the week in second spot of our group. So Thats Cool. Nothing to brag about but it's better than the whole month of June for me. So I got that going for me. 

NEW HOME:

Loaded up the pack of dogs and headed for Created Butte with high expectations and goals. You know what that means.

Crested Butte is one of my favorite places and holds deep fond memories for me. The wild flowers are blooming and those first few days were awe inspiring to say the least. 

Every morning these yellow beauties are facing the east. by sun down, they are facing west for that last little bit of photosynthesis. I mean, just check out that patio. It is where I enjoy my morning cup of Joe. And the sunsets??? Oh Baby

Now for the challenges in my happy little world. Three dogs are a real handful. Two dogs are totally manageable but the third dog brings in a whole new dynamic to the arena. And if you wanna catch up on some sleep, forget about it. 

A total monkey see monkey do factor in affect. One barks, they all bark. One drinks from the dog water bowl, they all become frantically thirsty. And do they ever drink with gusto. The other thing that I have noticed that is beginning to bother me, they continuously step on my bare toes. If I have shoes on, no worries. Bare feet, damn it hurts when they stand on my pinky toe. WHY 

Up in the hills, when they have the entire forest to roam, they all mark the same spot. If one has a whiz, the other two have gotta mark it like right now. And can they ever run. I tend to forget just how much ground a dog can cover. Not like Bambi speed but still.  

Those first few days up here was some thing special and I never took it for granted. I snapped off tons of photos and shared them with my friends from around the world. Just the peacefulness and tranquility of this place brings true happiness to my heart. Serenity 

There are moments of stillness. Red Tail Hawks surfing the thermals. Cascading creeks flowing over smooth river rocks. Full spectrums of color patches throughout every meadow is something every inner suburban child should experience. 

The tribe is satisfied with our morning adventures but they all claim that we just don't eat enough. They swear to me that their humans simply leave their dog bowls full 100% of the time. Eating twice a day is for the birds. Nobody can live on bread crumbs they tell me. And this would be nappy time here below. Sawing Logs  

But for me, the dogs are great and all, CB is flipping beautiful for sure. But I so wish I could share this magical landscape with someone. To romp around the wilderness, share in giggles, and lay as one would be the icing on the cake. The dogs and I were walking along a single track trail yesterday and it was wonderful but holding hands with someone you can truly trust would have been anachronistic or beyond meaningful. I mean the placidity of the hike was perfect. Don't get me wrong. I am not dwelling on it but someone special would have been exemplary. Thats All 

WELL SH*T FIRE:

And now for the bad news.

Oregon is currently battling an uncontainable wild fire right now. California, I drove through that valley of Beckworth Easter Weekend, has exploded by an out of control wild fire with hundred of thousands of acres of crisp fuel waiting for embers to fall upon. When I was researching west coast forest fires, talk about mesmerizing, there is a time lapse  ( here is that time lapse & it is about 5 minutes long. scroll down THIS link to the YouTube window )  of that Beckworth fire. UNREAL 

Nevada is also burning up and Utah is doing their best to follow suit. So needles to say, it's another depressing August 2020 slated to come down the pipe. The smoke is so thick and nasty here in Colorado. So as for the entry of the title Sh*T Fire, having high hopes and expectations, So Bummed!! I envisioned long bike rides while burning up my own cardiovascular system, playing with the dogs in the rushing cold clear creeks, and basically spending every possible moment outside in the clean fresh mountain air. Now, just lacking companionship under hazy smoke filled skies. Think Rain And Southernly Winds Please 

Oh, by the way, he could eat. Just in case anyone was wondering. Seriously, our humans feeds us 24/7 and you're not doing it right. Like really hungry right now. FEED ME!! Look into my eyes and feed me please.

Can you believe these two brothers??? And the below photo is of Jazzy. I was left with written instructions that Jazz needs to eat separately from her brothers but Jazz feels happiest eating here in from of the oven while I prepare my own meals. She Is So Adorable 

My other self loathing complaint is the lack of sleep that I am getting. These dogs all take turns throughout the night licking themselves, scratching those itches, and jumping off and on the bed. This pack is the definition of a relay Olympic team passing the baton for doggie needs all night. Two dogs hang in the living room laughing while the other dog jumps on the bed with me for a session of deep biting of their hind leg belly area. Then, they switch, same action, different dog, all night long, this perpetual frenzy of late night bathing. SUCKS 

These are just my own selfish first world problems. Life could be so much worse. Overall, the dogs are fantastic and very lovable. Here is a funny tale for ya. The first three days I was here in CB, No WiFi. I had the password but was linking up with the wrong network. The network I was latching onto was the owners name and I was continually denied access. While I was walking the dogs last night, Duh, the street is Paradise Lane. Pulled out the iPhone and sure as SH*T, Paradise 52 was one of the options. Typed in the password with lightning fast precision and Wah-Lah. I now have High Speed WiFi. Living Large I Tell Ya

So more photos coming from this enchanted mountain town, a better attitude shall follow as well, and a sense of rhythm is not too far off in the distance. Now, bring on that All-Star Game tomorrow night. Fingers crossed that the host network highlights Colorado and all its glory. Play Ball 

Thanx So Much For Checking In!! Stay Hydrated!! Be Well,

Cheers