Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Blissful Fall Days


Just back from experiencing an incredible week in San Francisco taking in all the sights and sounds of the city and the Northern California coast.  As we return to Crested Butte Autumn's golden glow surrounds us all over the valley with its beauty and warm sunny days and I am feeling refreshed and energized.

With lots to do to catch up on orders and designs in advance of leaving this gorgeous landscape in ten days for visits to other beautiful locations in North Carolina and Florida I live in the moment of bliss while looking forward to my next adventure.

This afternoon I am enjoying cooking a fall dinner for friends of butternut squash soup, roasted chicken, and fresh vegetables all from our local organic CB Farmer's Market.

Wishing you blissful fall days of being energized and creative doing what you love!



Friday, September 17, 2010

Fall Splender in the Mountains

As the leaves on the trees turn to welcome Fall and embrace the coolness in the air my senses are filled with breathtaking beauty and color everywhere.  Autumn brings with it a bounty of earthy shades of turmeric, paprika, cumin, quince, burnt orange, rusty brown and many shades of bright gold and vivid yellow. Trees, bushes, shrubs and rocky mountainsides are ablaze with a vibrant explosion of color.

Cows graze and nap in striated fields of lime green and soft brown...stacks of rolled hay piled high in giant rectangular displays sit prominently on open land...rustic logs are piled high along the roadside...rock and gravel in shades of spices are beautifully poured in piles that call out fall to me...Blue Mesa shows signs of fall all around the lakeside in golds and yellows.

September's beauty is all around and Vinotok celebration is going on in Crested Butte, Colorado complete with dancing maidens, mumming, a trial and a Grump.  This pagen fest ushers in Fall while ridding the town of negative gripes and complaints which are written and collected in decorative boxes around town, then burned in a hugh bonfire with the Grump.

The entire week leads up to this even with storytelling and an outdoor harvest feast, provided by the CB Farmer's Market this year.  It's the most fun example I found so far to recognize the change of seasons and to say goodbye to our very short yet spectacular summer season.

Wishing you abundance and grace in this beautiful season!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Summer's 10th Birthday




Our dog, Summer Island Mountain Girl is the sweetest dog you could meet.  She is a pure yellow lab and her gentle loving personality is a pleasure to be around.  She turned 10 yesterday which inspires me to share her with those of you who have never met her.

She is a happy dog and her calling in life is to be a greeter.  When you meet her for the 1st, 10th or 100th time she will greet you with such exuberance and enthusiasm it will almost bowl you over.

She is a quiet dog and has always been that way.  She finds little reason to bark when someone arrives to visit us.  Its only when she is on the front porch and another dog passes by, that she may feel inspired to say hello with a bark or if she sees a dog on the street when she's riding in the car she may shout out a hello to him or her with a loud bark.  Another occasion that prompts a bark is during our drive to go hiking, but that's not really a bark its more like a yelp almost the entire way with excitement while she is pacing back and forth in the back of the car.

She is a playful dog and loves going on hikes in the mountains in the summertime AND during the snowy winter season. She even has her own Nordic ski pass. She's a trailblazer leading the way ahead of us but will stop and wait if we call out to her to do so. She sniffs the flowers along the way and greets all the dogs and others on the trail.  She does her best to not cause an accident on the trail with a biker or skier while she is excitedly greeting them.

She is a hungry dog who wins contests by being the fastest eater and will quickly finish any visiting dogs food if they are too slow to finish it first. Anything left unattended on the coffee table is fair game too and it doesn't matter if its adult or kid food, its gone before you know it. No matter where she is in the house, she can hear the fridge door open and she comes into the kitchen looking for treats.  Cantaloupe and watermelon are her favorite snacks besides lots of natural dog cookies.

She is a sleepy dog who loves a full nights sleep and lots of naps in between activities and she is always willing to take naps with any of her family.  Her favorite spot during the winter is by the fireplace and in the summertime you'll find her sleeping on her bed upstairs with the sun shining on her.  She may also be found sleeping under her dad's desk while he is working and she really loves to nap outside in the salty sunshine when she is living by the ocean.


She is a boat dog who loves to swim.  She rides sitting up on the seat with her face toward the wind and her ears flapping all the way, smiling.  When the boat stops she can't wait to jump into the ocean, swim to shore, shake off and bask in the warm sun.

She is a traveling dog who loves road trips.  She sits up on the back seat looking out the window at the sites along the way and she travels well on airplanes in her large crate too.  She loves all the attention she receives at the airport and in hotels where she is petted by adults and children alike.  On airplane trips we listen intently as we land and can hear her barking, and before long the entire plane can hear her cry "Don't forget me!"

She is a Florida native who loves the warm sunny weather in Florida but hates the humidity.  She has learned to love the snow and is invigorated by cool mountain air and is at home any where she goes.

She is a hostess dog who loves company.  As soon as the guests arrive she literally becomes attentive to them and never leaves them alone.  She lays by their feet, sometimes on top of their feet and follows them around even sleeping by their door unless she can get in their room.  She lays on their clothes while they are away waiting for their return.  One of her favorite guests is a special three year old boy who thinks Summer is his dog, calling her Summer Bummer. The two are inseparable.  Its very cute when he plays his toys on top of her but if she lays down on top of his toys or train set he demands she move over a bit.

She is a social dog who has many friends. Lucky, a golden retriever is her boyfriend.  Twister, a black lab is her young neighbor friend and well as sweet Lucy who visits from next door.  She has many cows who come to visit her, as well as a red fox, a deer, iguanas and even a crocodile has stopped by to say "Hi."

She is a sweet dog and a wonderful friend and loyal companion. She recognizes all of our family and many friends by name and will run to the window and wait for hours for them if you just mention their name out loud.

She is an incredible dog and my inspiration for several children's books I've been working on with ocean and mountain settings including one about her 10th Birthday Party!