I never would have thought that I would someday travel through the beautiful mountains of both Colorado & Utah. But, as life so often does, it can throw you a curve, make out a different path than you might have imagined. Not only did I have the pleasure of getting to see these gorgeous places, but I got to see them from the back of a motorcycle!! And, I got to see them with the love of my life, my best friend, my husband Ronnie.
I was raised and spent most of my life in Texas, with a short stint in New Mexico. Mountains, real mountains were something I had not seen. Well, once on a family vacation to Mexico I did, but that's a different story. The mountains in and around the place we eventually ended up, Vernal, UT are really beautiful. Driving through them in a car you can be awestruck by the colors and winding roads.
But, on the back of a Harley, well, that is an entirely different experience. I know Ronnie enjoys his ride, he loves riding his bike and he's in his own world when he does. Between the wind and the sound of those loud, rumbling pipes there is needless to say no conversations. So, you converse with yourself, or maybe with God. It's comfortable back there, I completely trust him and so I just sit back, relax and ride.
I look up and the sun is shining through the tops of the trees, pines and aspens. The pines a dark green and the aspens bright green with their stark white trunks. The sky is a brilliant blue the clouds really do look like big cotton balls. You can smell everything. Good and bad!! I can smell the leather of my jacket, the scents from the cedars and sage, there's a sweet smell every so often that wafts down on me. The sun is warming and feels so good, I can turn and look up and it's shining on my face, bright and warm. As the roads twist and turn, they go steadily up, your ears begin to pop, and the temperature will drop a few degrees, this is when I'm always grateful for the leather jacket and chaps. There will be spots in the road that are in the shadows of steep hills or thick forest. You will see the occasional cow and deer. There are beautiful meadows with tall green grass and wild flowers yellow, pink and white. The steady rumbling of the pipes is soothing and your thoughts just run freely through your mind.
After the ride up the mountain there is the bridge at Flaming Gorge Dam, this is the Green River. The dam is a fine example of engineering and design, and always standing guard, are the State Troopers. It's easy to drive down and get right up on the bank of the river. Looking up at the expansive dam it's very impressive. The river along that spot is so pretty. The water is absolutely clear, the sound of the water rushing over the rocks is a beautiful sound. I sit on a rock and listen to all those sounds, the wind, the water, birds, leaves rustling and those sounds coupled with the sight is breathtaking. It's a perfect spot for taking off your boots and socks and dipping your toes in the cool, clear water. A nice spot for a conversation or simply enjoying the beauty.
On the way back we stop at Red Canyon lodge for a late lunch. It has a large wooden deck and the tables have big green umbrellas. There are chipmunks scurrying all around, looking for bits of bread or maybe a stray french fry, hummingbirds buzzing in and out around the feeders. After lunch you can walk up to the overlook and that is truly a spectacular sight. The river miles and miles down below loos like a thin blue green line cutting it's way through the mountain.
The ride home is nice and I might tend to wrap my arms around Ronnie rather than sitting back, it's been a nice day, nothing to exciting, but oh so special and memorable.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Today is Saturday April 26, 2014. It's chilly, overcast and raining. As I sit here listening to the sound of the rain on the roof I'm remembering those week-ends so long ago when I was a child.
I was the oldest of 6 grandchildren so I got the pleasure of being able to spend Friday nights with my grandparents, my Mother's parents. They were Mama Morene & Daddy Bill to us kids. It started right after school on Friday afternoons. I would gather my things and go straight to their house, I only had to walk across the field to get there. The afternoon was lazy to me with the thought of a whole 2 days without school stretched out in front of me. My grandmother on the other hand was always busy. She was cleaning, doing laundry, cooking and helping my grandfather with the running of the farm we lived on. In the evening while dinner was finishing up we would watch the CBS Evening News, with Walter Cronkite I believe, and then it was Wheel of Fortune. Then came dinner, to me one of the highlights, my grandmother was an astounding cook. Most of our food came from our farm, the vegetables, the meat, the eggs and milk. I can remember my grandmother giving each of us kids a mason jar filled with cream and we would shake it until we had butter. It was a soft, creamy consistency and it was good. Only I always wanted margarine from the store like "everybody else"!!
We would all sit down together at the table and have our dinner, simple country food, maybe a casserole, or pan fried steak possibly as simple as red beans, country fried potatoes and cornbread. My grandfather always said the grace. After dinner I would help my grandmother clear the table and then while she was finishing up my grandfather & I would retire to the family room. He would sit in his recliner and read his paper and his Bible, I would watch The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family.
Then it was bath and bedtime in a big comfy bed, the sheets were always crisp and cool and they smelled so good. Each of them always stuck their head in to make sure you were tucked in, to make sure you knew you were loved, reminded to say your prayers and wished a good nite with sweet dreams.
In the morning my grandfather was always the first one up, he would creep down the hall and if it wasn't already done, he would make sure my fan was on, the curtains pulled tight to block the early morning sun, then he would ever so quietly leave the room and shut the door. He didn't want me to have to get up early unless it was for school and Church. He did that for all us kids, he was thoughtful that way. Saturdays were spent playing with my cousins. We were climbing the big tree in the backyard, I think it was an Oak, we played down at the corral. The place we lived was large and there was a lot of room for us to run and play, the hay barn, the chicken coop (but that smelled bad and all those chickens kinda scared me!), we even played on the tractors pretending we were Daddy Bill plowing or harvesting. It was always a good time. On Saturday evening I would gather my things and once again make my trek across the field. Saturday evenings were pretty much the same at our house.
On Sunday morning everyone in the family went to Church. My grandfather was an elder and that was something that was not negotiable, unless you were sick enough to need medical attention, (and back then, that was rare since home remedies more often than not worked!), you were to be in your seat and ready for services. Everyone dressed up, the men in their suits, the ladies in pretty dresses sometimes with hats. My grandmother always looked so pretty to me, she always had shoes and a bag to match her outfit which was always perfect and then her jewelry always matched, necklace & earrings. Just a little bit before services were over my grandmother always left, she went home to start preparing the Sunday lunch. She always made the most amazing pot roast, there were always mashed potatoes & gravy, the vegetable would depend on whatever was available from the garden, corn, blackeyed peas, green beans, tomatoes, and there was always fresh watermelon and cantaloup. Again, we would all sit together at the dining room table and my Grandfather would say grace.
After lunch my Grandmother, Mom, and Aunt would clean the kitchen with us kids helping to clear the table. My Grandfather, Dad and Uncle would retire to the family room and there we would all watch the Dallas Cowboys play. If it wasn't football season, everyone spent a lazy afternoon reading, playing board games, etc. whatever you did it had to be quiet. In the evening we would all put back on our Church clothes and go back to Church.
When services were over on Sunday evening everyone went home to their own homes, my aunt, uncle & cousins, our family and our Grandparents. That is how I spent my week-ends as a young girl.
I was the oldest of 6 grandchildren so I got the pleasure of being able to spend Friday nights with my grandparents, my Mother's parents. They were Mama Morene & Daddy Bill to us kids. It started right after school on Friday afternoons. I would gather my things and go straight to their house, I only had to walk across the field to get there. The afternoon was lazy to me with the thought of a whole 2 days without school stretched out in front of me. My grandmother on the other hand was always busy. She was cleaning, doing laundry, cooking and helping my grandfather with the running of the farm we lived on. In the evening while dinner was finishing up we would watch the CBS Evening News, with Walter Cronkite I believe, and then it was Wheel of Fortune. Then came dinner, to me one of the highlights, my grandmother was an astounding cook. Most of our food came from our farm, the vegetables, the meat, the eggs and milk. I can remember my grandmother giving each of us kids a mason jar filled with cream and we would shake it until we had butter. It was a soft, creamy consistency and it was good. Only I always wanted margarine from the store like "everybody else"!!
We would all sit down together at the table and have our dinner, simple country food, maybe a casserole, or pan fried steak possibly as simple as red beans, country fried potatoes and cornbread. My grandfather always said the grace. After dinner I would help my grandmother clear the table and then while she was finishing up my grandfather & I would retire to the family room. He would sit in his recliner and read his paper and his Bible, I would watch The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family.
Then it was bath and bedtime in a big comfy bed, the sheets were always crisp and cool and they smelled so good. Each of them always stuck their head in to make sure you were tucked in, to make sure you knew you were loved, reminded to say your prayers and wished a good nite with sweet dreams.
In the morning my grandfather was always the first one up, he would creep down the hall and if it wasn't already done, he would make sure my fan was on, the curtains pulled tight to block the early morning sun, then he would ever so quietly leave the room and shut the door. He didn't want me to have to get up early unless it was for school and Church. He did that for all us kids, he was thoughtful that way. Saturdays were spent playing with my cousins. We were climbing the big tree in the backyard, I think it was an Oak, we played down at the corral. The place we lived was large and there was a lot of room for us to run and play, the hay barn, the chicken coop (but that smelled bad and all those chickens kinda scared me!), we even played on the tractors pretending we were Daddy Bill plowing or harvesting. It was always a good time. On Saturday evening I would gather my things and once again make my trek across the field. Saturday evenings were pretty much the same at our house.
On Sunday morning everyone in the family went to Church. My grandfather was an elder and that was something that was not negotiable, unless you were sick enough to need medical attention, (and back then, that was rare since home remedies more often than not worked!), you were to be in your seat and ready for services. Everyone dressed up, the men in their suits, the ladies in pretty dresses sometimes with hats. My grandmother always looked so pretty to me, she always had shoes and a bag to match her outfit which was always perfect and then her jewelry always matched, necklace & earrings. Just a little bit before services were over my grandmother always left, she went home to start preparing the Sunday lunch. She always made the most amazing pot roast, there were always mashed potatoes & gravy, the vegetable would depend on whatever was available from the garden, corn, blackeyed peas, green beans, tomatoes, and there was always fresh watermelon and cantaloup. Again, we would all sit together at the dining room table and my Grandfather would say grace.
After lunch my Grandmother, Mom, and Aunt would clean the kitchen with us kids helping to clear the table. My Grandfather, Dad and Uncle would retire to the family room and there we would all watch the Dallas Cowboys play. If it wasn't football season, everyone spent a lazy afternoon reading, playing board games, etc. whatever you did it had to be quiet. In the evening we would all put back on our Church clothes and go back to Church.
When services were over on Sunday evening everyone went home to their own homes, my aunt, uncle & cousins, our family and our Grandparents. That is how I spent my week-ends as a young girl.
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