Upon revisiting the "land of long ago and so very far, far away"

Good morning everyone out there from here along the Western Slopes.  It's the early morning hours once again.  The sky is black and there's not one star to be seen out there and that would appear to be a sign that probably we are in for more rain today.  Montrose, Delta and Mesa counties are under a flash flood warning for yet another day.  We are thankful that here in the south western part of the state we are not experiencing the massive amounts of flooding being seen in the north east near Boulder and Ft. Collins.  For the least of things, wait I mean for the VERY least of things we should always give thanks.

I keep an eye on the weather these days and pay close attention to the changing seasons.  Funny, 10 years ago I would have never thought of having a cell phone in my purse that, with the touch of a screen icon, could bring up the weather in any one of a dozen places.  But now I do.  I've got Montrose, Olathe and Grand Junction, Colorado at the top of the list and the Kansas cities of Hutchinson, Haven, Wichita and Valley Center not far behind them.  Yet perhaps the one that I have paid the most attention to in the past few weeks isn't really a city at all but rather a landmark here in Colorado that I have come to learn to have respect for, Monarch Pass.

When I first made the trip out here to the West back in early January of this year, I came over Monarch in the dark, in the dead of winter.  I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and although I knew I was climbing in elevation as I drove, I had no idea that at the summit I was at over 11,000 feet.  Shoot, I was a very naive Kansas farm girl who was used to life at the 1500 feet level.  I remember as the sun came up and I was heading downwards towards the town of Gunnison, I looked back in the rear view mirror and saw this huge massive black thing taking up most of the landscape.  Then and only then did I realize what I had driven through.  Gotta say that truthfully, it was slightly unnerving but I made it.  I actually came back over the pass four times more before I moved here back in late May.

The skies were sunny when I took this photo on the way back to Kansas in mid-January.  Roads were clear but snow was all around me.  I honestly had never given that much thought in life that as a Kansan, I lived on the Atlantic side of the great Continental Divide.  Mr. McMurray, my old social studies teacher back at Haven Grade School, I am sorry sir that I must not have paid all that much attention some times.

Monarch Pass in mid-February on a much different day.  20 more inches of snow had fallen, cold mountain winds were blowing and the sun was having one heck of a time trying to make an appearance.  I remember taking this photo on the way home and thinking that whatever picture I got, one would be enough.  I just wanted to get down to the other side without any problems.  I learned to have respect for this geographical point from then on.

In less than a month we will be making the journey back home to Kansas in order that I can go to my high school class reunion.  Because the seasons are readying to change partners, I know there is a chance that we will perhaps encounter a little bit of snow up there on the mountain.  Since I'm gonna be at that reunion, NO MATTER WHAT, I am praying the the weather will be hospitable for us as we travel over.  October 10th is still a bit away from us on the calendar and who knows what the day will bring?  But I am going forward, in faith that we will make it home, safe and sound.

You know there are a lot of things in life that are worth the travel that it takes to attend and I know that as for me, the 40th class reunion of the class of 1973, Haven High School is one of them.  It wasn't a big group you know?  Probably if I recollect rightly, there were about 70 graduating seniors that year.  We were just kids, all of us.  We grew up together, shared friends and classes together, made a lot of memories with one another and most of us lived to tell about it in the years that followed. The lucky ones, the really blessed ones, are still living there today and watching an entirely new generation of "Haven Wildcats" grow up.  

When I told some of my teaching colleagues at Olathe Elementary that I would be gone for a couple of days in October to go back home to Kansas, they asked me how long it would take to go "over there".  I still smile every time I hear someone phrase it as such...I just never think about it being a journey that you have to go "over" there.  But they are right and climb both Cerro and Blue Mesa Summits we must and those are before we have to scale the pass at Monarch.  Most of the folks at school seldom venture to beyond the Front Range but they understand my need to return back to the Midwest from time to time.  

Well, in the time I've been writing this the sun has attempted to rise and the mostly cloud filled skies are out there, just as I figured.  It's 55 degrees right now and the high is anticipated to be at 75.  It will be a rainy day once again but with a bit of a break I can get laundry done and on the line this morning before the heavens open up and send down the buckets of rain that have been promised.  Somewhere in this world today are places desperately in need of rain so for the inconvenience we may encounter, we should probably just be satisfied to have seen some. 

The view, just now, looking off towards SilverJack Mountain to the south east.  I've never seen such varieties in shades of blues and purples as I have seen here in Colorado.

Time to get the day started and with the way time flies on the weekends, it won't take long for the day to be done.  I hope everyone out there is well and at peace in life.  Take care of yourselves and of each other.  Stick together, like glue ok?  

My dear friends and family back in Kansas, I cannot wait to see you all again very soon.  God willing and the "pass" on friendly terms with me....I'll see you in Haven!  Just 26 sleeps more :)

Dear friends from the class of 1972.  I was the "baby" of the bunch that day back in 2012 at the Fall Festival in Haven.  But it was so nice to just to be with this great group of girls who were a class ahead of me in high school.  Toni, Annetta, Joyce, Sara, and Cherry what great memories we shared.