Not bad for the first solo trip.

[RedPill]

I had a lovely little visitor. Can anyone ID this bird? Zoom in. Bright yellow body with a red face and black and white on the wings. About the size of a sparrow.

I think that's Fred. He hangs out there a lot, I hear.

 

[MCRyder]

Great travel story and pics! Thanks for the heads-up on the exit for Hwy 69. I'm headed for the Top of the Rockies Rally in Paonia (my 7th) next week and I'm using that road for the first time on this trip.

 

[wanabeguru]

Nice job Soozy. Enjoy your trip & keep safe on your way back.

+1
Wally

 

[Gilk51]

Hey, Sooz - how long has your brother done those Zoom Floom photos? We had some done ages ago in the 90s. I figure different people have done it over time but it doesn't hurt to ask. We used the Four Corners rafting company.

 

[Soozy]

Ok...thank you all for the replys! The sticker is from a plane...Cessna...good work my detective types. A Fred bird...must be rare....when it is served over rice. (I apologize, it is the thin mountain air.)

Chuck...4 Corners is the best!

Komodore Obvious is due to join me up here early next week.

Today I am stacking out 3 cords of wood and doing a sweat lodge tonight. It will be four doors...I wonder how many doors I will make? Who knew I was spiritual? heheheh I really do think I controlled the weather on the way up here.

There will be pictures later!!

 

[ABlueCollarWoman]

So, are you planning to spend the summer up there?

 

[dukey33]

First, nice job with the pics and blog.

Today I am stacking out 3 cords of wood and doing a sweat lodge tonight. It will be four doors...

You could have saved a lot of work and travel by coming down to Houston for that. Take one 1992 Crown Victoria with no working a/c and vinyl seats. Park it anywhere outdoors in the sun during July or August, remove the wheels and Voila! a four door sweat lodge.

 

[FirstMan]

Great story. That ain't a scooter, that is a la-z-boy!

 

[voyagerrider]

Soozy,
Great story and pics! I am glad you made the ride there and home safely. Kathy and you should hookup and take off somewhere. She has been off on a couple of rides by herself and a couple with some other ladies.
Great job, looks like you had a great time.
Marty

 

[Soozy]

You could have saved a lot of work and travel by coming down to Houston for that. Take one 1992 Crown Victoria with no working a/c and vinyl seats. Park it anywhere outdoors in the sun during July or August, remove the wheels and Voila! a four door sweat lodge.

I owned one of those while raising babies! Brown on brown. No AC and it had a starting problem. I had to jiggle wires under the hood while the 5 year old started the car. yup...spiritual.

 

[Soozy]

Soozy,
Great story and pics! I am glad you made the ride there and home safely. Kathy and you should hookup and take off somewhere. She has been off on a couple of rides by herself and a couple with some other ladies.
Great job, looks like you had a great time.
Marty

Thanks Marty....I am still here. Blue Collar Woman wondered if I planned to spend the rest of the summer...yes if I can pull it off. I would happily move here. I would love to ride with Kathy any time she wants.

And Chuck...Josh and Christine own the photography business that 4 Corners Rafting uses for their customers. I am sure they were in place as long ago as your picture was taken. My brother Joe helps Josh out with the wireless set up which is very involved with antennas on mountain tops and solar panels and computer protected by a tent with deep cycle batteries. They put in a large format printer recently and can turn any of the pictures into large posters.

You know...cool geek stuff.

 

[Soozy]

Rode into town in the evening and parked the scoot. Everything fits in the seat except the boots but there was a solution to that.

Walked to the river access next to town and got a few shots of other river activities. Kayakers, swimmers, and a bridge (oh my)

And a couple views...

Here was my project this morning, helping Larry the land owner stack 3 cords of wood.

Larry borrowed two of his neighbor's lawn mowers.

Larry's backyard is a playground with rushing creek, trampoline, tire swing, towering cottonwoods, firepit and a motorcycle.

This is my bedroom. And an article from today's paper.

Joe informed me that his neighbors raised an abandoned lion cub then released it. It returns to look at them on a regular basis. Last visit there were two of them.

Here is Jimmers shop up the road. He is the Curtis of the Rockies. He wanted to show off his newest machine...I will call it a smasher thingy. He was making the ends of metal rods into aspen leaves by smushing them just so and then just so. He built the shop himself.

Let's face it...I love old cars. This rolled into town today.

He bought one for himself, but had to get the red one too. His wife wouldn't have any other color.

 

[TexasTri]

very cool pics, I am realy enjoying your report. keep it coming

 

[KenH]

Gee, Soozy, I apologize for getting you on two wheels.


















NOT!

Have a great trip! You'll never regret such a giant step as this.

 

[voyagerrider]

Thanks Marty....I am still here.

My bad! I was just scanning through your report at work and didn't have alot of time. So I missed that. Enjoy your trip and be safe. Still a great report.
Marty

 

[Sleepy Weasel]

Let's face it...I love old cars. This rolled into town today.

Now, if this was Squeaky telling the story, the next line would have been,
"So I asked if I could drive it..."



Keep it up, Sooz.

 

[Soozy]

So it was time to go to the Lakota Sweat Lodge Ceremony. On the drive, this was just sitting there for our viewing pleasure.

This is the lodge which Deeda built about 20 years ago when she lived here. While visiting from Canada, she decided to fix the site back up and invited a group of us to participate in the Ceremony. Here are shots of the area.

Across a creek there is the prayer garden. This special tree has ribbons and braided wires tied to the branches representing prayers. Deeda showed us some that had been there since she built the site. The branches of the tree have been chewed bare by a linx that spends time in the tree.

We collected sage from the fields by pinching only one or two stems from each plant and then spread the sage on the floor of the lodge. It is a lovely scent.
The fire pit was lighted in a ceremony and from that moment we were allowed to move only clockwise. If you needed an object to your right, you had to move clockwise around the entire site. We made prayer ties as the fire burned down and heated the rocks for the lodge. To make a prayer tie, you take small cloth squares of various significant colors and wrap a pinch of tobacco in each (like rolling a tiny burrito). These are tied onto a string and draped in the skeleton of the lodge when you enter it.

Colors and their order are thoughtfully chosen by each individual. Deeda explained significance of the colors to us.

The ceremony in the lodge was "four doors". Seven rocks are passed into the lodge and the lodge door is closed. Water is poured onto the hot rocks. The discussion and ceremony are private in each door and a door can last 30 minutes to an hour. At the end of a door the lodge is opened for a short time. If you decide to leave, you cannot re-enter. Seven more rocks are brought in and the lodge closed for each of the 'doors'.

We emerged soaked and sage scented at the end of the 4th door and smoked the ceremonial pipe.

I would do it again ANY time. It was truly awesome.

So on to the next part of the evening. The next morning I woke up.... somewhere...with no ride or stuff. heheheheh..... Being the responsible adult I am, I combed my hair with my fingers and walked back to town, an hour and half away. As I walked, I started giggling because I just put together a new rule...never follow a sweat lodge ceremony with jello shots and crown. And I waved at all the people riding bikes.

My children will be proud of that last paragraph because they know how out of character that is and they always want me to lighten up.

Tonight there is a full moon river trip with no jello shots.

 

[ABlueCollarWoman]

The next morning I woke up.... somewhere...with no ride or stuff. heheheheh..... Being the responsible adult I am, I combed my hair with my fingers and walked back to town, an hour and half away. As I walked, I started giggling because I just put together a new rule...never follow a sweat lodge ceremony with jello shots and crown. And I waved at all the people riding bikes.

My children will be proud of that last paragraph because they know how out of character that is and they always want me to lighten up.

Tonight there is a full moon river trip with no jello shots.

Wow... I wasn't quite expecting your post to end this way either... but, I'm glad you're having such a great time and I hope the rest of your summer goes well. Stay safe... and, uh... where was your ride anyway?

And are you sure about that "tobacco"?

 

[Mutt]

Not bad at all. You picked a great place to go. Thanks for the log and pics. I was up in New Mexico for a week last month, and one of the rides took me up near Walsenburg... in fact...

If you want a nice little side route that's WAY more interesting than I-25 from Walsenburg to Trinidad..., catch 160 west out of Walsenburg, and go left (south) on CO HWY 12 through La Veta. It is a beautiful run up through the Spanish Peaks. You'll go up through the passes and beautiful lakes... It is great. It will take you into Trinidad and dump you right back on I-25. Wont take you much out of your way and you'll ride on of the nicest roads in the area.

I don't post here much, but I'm workin' on it.

- Mutt

 

[Soozy]

Ok...that is exactly what I will do on the way home. I wanted to stay a night in Trinidad State Park on Bill's recommendation. Thank you for that!

 

[Soozy]

Wow... I wasn't quite expecting your post to end this way either... but, I'm glad you're having such a great time and I hope the rest of your summer goes well. Stay safe... and, uh... where was your ride anyway?

And are you sure about that "tobacco"?

I heard a VW fire up and leave during the night...Joe got cold and left and my gear was in his car. I remember thinking then....hmmmm....I'll be walking. I have to be careful to not be dependent on any person here. They all have wild schedules and are working hard for the lifestyles they enjoy. I try hard to not add to logistics of their days because they are so kind to include me in so many interesting activities.

The tobacco....I questioned it myself and was assured it was a special blend. I am not a smoker. I just had promised myself before the first mile of my trip that I was going to partake fully of all this trip offers.

I didn't back off yesterday. heheheheh

OK background here: For 10 years I have been completing the parenting of my 4 children by myself. During 7 of those years I worked 7 days a week. I loved all the jobs, never felt sorry for myself, just did what it took. In December I got to quit down to one job. Imagine how I feel about this trip?

I felt like my post was very risky, but it was a report of the day and I am not backing off.

 

[ABlueCollarWoman]

I felt like my post was very risky:

Risky? No, I don't think so... I was just pokin a bit of fun atcha... I'm glad you're having such a wonderful adventure! I'm staying tuned for future installments

 

[ed29]

Nothing to back off from.... we are enjoying your trip through your descriptive stories and pictures.

You are enjoying your trip, telling your story in your words and we appreciate riding along.


Wish I was there.

 

[dukey33]

A couple of burly jackbooted agents from the DEA would like to speak to you.....

Glad you're having fun. That's a lot of years of pent up stress.

 

[KenH]

... I felt like my post was very risky, but it was a report of the day and I am not backing off.

Sounds like making up for lost time. You'll regret what you don't do more than what you do do. Just don't get into any do do you can't get out of.