Rafting the Poudre

Well, here's a motley crew of adventurers. No denying serious fun had by all - I'm just glad they all came home with all of the same parts they left the house with! The river was at peak and moved at a serious clip. Water temperature was in the 40s - which is why they are decked out in wet suits and fleece!

Time flys...

One of the most difficult things we've had to face in this transition is the amount of time we've spent apart as a family. We call. We write. We try to keep one another apprised of how life continues to move forward even though we are not together at the moment.

It's particularly hard when you are not there for the major milestones. For David - his prom. And, for Jane - end of year field trips and annual field day events. All the ceremonial indicators of another completed year of school and the passage of time.

I can't wait to be there for David's high school graduation this week. And, to help Janey kick-off a little summertime fun before it's time to return to Fort Collins. And, to just do average, run-of-the-mill family "stuff".

Our house can't sell fast enough as far as I'm concerned...

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You know you're city folk when...

you can't stop photographing the local farm animals. Seriously. Kate and I were laughing about it the other day wondering if they are used to running away from tourists.

Y'know - just like Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo would lament during high tourist season at Jellystone Park: "Every summer it's the same thing - Look at the bears! Look at the bears!"

Poor tormented farm creatures...

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White water on the Poudre

Which is pronounced "pooter". These pictures were taken in the Poudre Canyon on the way to Red Feather Lakes. Lots of kayakers, rafters and canoeists were out today. The waters were raging on the Cache La Poudre today!

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The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya

at Shambhala Mountain Center is located on 600 acres in a mountain valley approximately one hour northwest of Fort Collins at 8,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains. (www.shambhalamountain.org)

The Great Stupa was built in honor of the meditation master, author and artist Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and his contribution to bring the spiritual teachings of Tibet to the West. Some of his ashes are enshrined here.

The Dalai Lama blessed this Stupa in the fall of 2006 to dedicate it to aspirations for peace, harmony and liberation from suffering.

Thousands of Stupas have been built around the world.

This was an amazing experience. We hiked for about a mile up the side of a mountain slope to see it. I have to say it's unlike anything I've ever seen. This buddha is inside the Stupa. The ceiling holds representative art depicting the Buddhist astrological signs, every month of every year, every day of every month, every hour of every day, every minute of every hour and every second of every minute. Jeff was our tour guide. He radiated serenity.

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Double-click on these...

After returning from the mountains, Kate and I drove the 30-mile course she cycled on Saturday for the single-gear bike race. (ahem...first woman to cross the finish line BTW...) As we were driving the course to the east of I-25, we caught these views of the Rockies which we never see because we live so close to the foothills. As we drove, the view was more and more amazing. Again, if we could only photograph what we see with our naked eye. Double-click on these and see if you can see the interior snow-capped peaks.

Poudre Canyon adventure on Mother's Day

We left in search of black bears, mountain lions and Sasquatch (apparently lots of Big Foot sightings in the Northern Front Range!) We only saw one deer and one jackrabbit (no Marty, not a Jackalope...) But, we also took in some terrain that kept us gasping for a few hours. Kate and I kept saying, "I can't believe WE get to SEE this every day!"