Finally, I am at the end of the marathon shifts at #TheNuggetCafe… I just have to work #breakfast and half of a #lunch shift then I can go explore these wonderful surroundings… Folks, I must have been a #MountainGoat in a past life because I can’t stop looking at these #mountains… It’s like your creativity just kicks in when you stare at them for more than a minute… Everything in everyday life drifts away and you go into this dream like trance, trying to absorb all of the beauty you can muster and there’s plenty to muster out here…
When you get into the late morning, it’s like all those low clouds graduated from the bottom of the mountains to the top of the sky… The #landscape is ever changing out here with every little slight change forming a new picture for your eyes to appreciate…
As soon as I got out of work, I grabbed John and we headed on a half hour walk to the #Marina… We decided to take the road there and go on a #nature #hike back…
It’s crazy how out of breath you get out here… After about 5 minutes of #walking, I was gasping for air… You go a little light headed also… You have to remember, this is my first long walk out here and I am still trying to get used to this #altitude… Not to be gross but I have been having some bloody noses up here… I never realized how affected people are by being this high up but it is a different feeling all together… You feel like a different person… You feel more fresh and clean yet tired and struggling to breath… If you rush for just a few seconds, you will find yourself exhausted and trying to catch your breath… There are even times when you just get up out of your chair and find yourself breathing hard, trying to catch your breath… It’s hard to explain… It’s almost like you are on speed and your body is moving too fast for it’s own environment… Very weird yet a interesting experience… I wouldn’t say pleasant but will say very interesting…
Today was quite gloomy and chilly… I had to wear a jacket for this #hike because it looked like it was going to rain any minute… When you go for a walk out here, you better be prepared for anything… I just bring a hat and a jacket everywhere… You never know when the temperature is going to drop or when it’s going to rain out here… One minute you could be enjoying the hot #sun, the next minute you could be freezing, shielding yourself from a cold down pour…
John informed me on this walk he was thinking about leaving…. I guess he doesn’t get along with Mike and they got into a scuffle the other night which Chris jumped in and broke up… Why can’t people just get along and if you don’t like someone, just try to avoid them… The way I look at this job is, even if I vementley hate it, I know it’s going to be over in a few weeks…. Just suck it up and if it gets violent then I guess you can choose to leave… It would take a lot to push me out considering I have no where to go until #TheMillenniumFalcon is fixed… I just try to respect everyone and work and get along with them… Life is too short to care about what anyone thinks… A couple of people have tried to drag me into their drama but I just was honest with them and told them I am way above this kind of shit! I have been doing this for too long to get dragged into some high school bullshit!
Not to sound like a dick because I like John but it looks like I moved in at the right time… I just may end up with a place all to myself and we all know how #TheTravelingMac likes his alone time… lol…
Here we are embarking on the Marina… John and I decided to grab a 12 pack and enjoy the evening relaxing, watching a movie… The Marina sells bait and snack food inside… then there is a little closet in the back where you can get liquor and beer… It almost feels like you are in one of those convenient stores that has a back room for nudy magazines… I couldn’t help but feel seedy buying beer from this place… The small room even had it’s own register like it was controversial to pay for such things up front…
As soon as we started our short nature hike back it started to #rain… Glad I brought my jacket, which I almost left behind…
It really started to come down hard and #lightining was striking in the near distance…
Now, I’m not the type to mess with lightning… I have heard too many stories of people getting struck up in the #mountains… So, John and I found some shelter under the #trees and drank a beer as the #storm passed… Damn that beer tasted good! Hell, everything seems to taste better up here!
About 15 minutes later it didn’t even look like it rained… Look at that #Lake! It’s like a mirror… Actually they have a lake out here called #MirrorLake, which is about 8 miles away… You know I am going #fishing in that #lake!
If “Mirror Lake” is anything compared to this lake, I know I’m going to love it… Look at the lines between the lake, earth, mountains and sky… Wow! Bob Ross would have a hay day up here! lol… I know… I’m showing my age…
After you pass the lake there is this beautiful #river running down through a flat #meadow where #cattle sometimes graze… I spent about ten minutes shifting through the stream’s soil… It was all sticky gray clay earth… I was hoping to see some #gold flakes in the earth knowing this area was panned for gold in the past… That’s how a lot of these towns formed, around all of the gold seekers hoping to make it rich… I have to admit, I did day dream about finding a big #nugget… Or even a small one at that… That would pay for all of #TheMillenniumFalcon’s repairs and could possibly finance me for a year… But we all know that money rarely comes that easy… but a man can dream can’t he?
Here we are heading back to #TaylorPark… All of those cabins are apart of the #ColoradoDreamRanch, which is essentially #TaylorPark… People rent them out or they can stay in the #RVPark if they brought their home with them…
I was pretty tired when we got back… We only went on a two hour hike but I was gasping by the end of it… Can’t wait to get fully used to this #environment… Once I tackle one of those #mountains then I will be forced to get used to it…
There’s nothing like a #sunset at #TheColoradoDreamRanch… I was doing laundry when I got back and couldn’t resist taking photos of my surroundings from the porch… The laundry, which is also free, is above #TheNuggetCafe and I am taking these shots from the upper level porch… These two shots above are from behind the cafe… These are all #cabins the guests stay in, with a little fishing pond, if you want to squeeze in a quick cast…
Here’s a picture from across the parking lot, from the same porch…. On the right you will see the #TaylorParkGiftShop and #TradingPost, which I now live above… The owner Bruce lives right next to me… His place is the one with all the windows on the upper right… My place is just to the right of him and at the far right where the upper level porch ends… To the left, in the above left picture, you will see where they rent out the four wheelers… They are pretty busy all day, renting out #ATV’s for two hours at the price of $99…
Here’s some pictures of the park as I walk over to my place… To the left is the #Cafe and to the right is more cabins… Actually the dish washers live in that cabin to the right, on the right side of the road… This seems to be the cabin where everyone on the staff meets to smoke the good stuff and do a little winding down… The dishwashers are kids who graduated high school a few years ago and are just looking to make a buck this summer for college… I will be talking more about them later… Two of the young guys are my favorite peeps on this ranch… I’m starting to like the youth these days… They seem to be more on my liberal level… I like what they are teaching these guys in school because these two kids are so cool and well put together…
Then there’s that mountain I am mesmerized by… You can see that peak right in the middle as the sun sets on Taylor Park…
I’m going to tackle that mountain! Mark my words… The locals seem to think I’m crazy wanting to climb it, never mind sleep overnight… I’m thinking of hiking “Park Cone Mountain” first… She’s a little smaller and will prepare me for my huge, impossible excursion up on “Matchless…”
I have to say I am so glad #TheMillenniumFalcon ran into some troubles… As much as it sucked at the time, I wouldn’t be in this wonderful place if she didn’t break down in #NewYorkCity… It’s funny how life guides you unwillingly to places you should be in life… As I experience more and more of this adventure, I realize how little control we really do have on our own lives… It’s almost like there is a plan for you and this life will guide you to where you want to be… just as long as you listen…
I know I am supposed to be up in these #mountains right now and I am so glad the turmoils of life guided me up to such a beautiful place… I am learning new things about myself and where I should be at this point in my life… These mountains have all of my answers folks… Now to just get up there and ask the questions… Goodnight…
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