Felled 3 trees today, 1 pine and 2 elms.
This job kicked my butt. Too old for this work. Had to call in at SAME Cafe in order to help out Rich at the tree business.
After a long day went to Fireside to edit my Oct 8 column. My Oct 1 column coming out tomorrow.
See it at mortontimesnews.com.
Tomorrow working at Nelsons again. Bible study at 630pm.
Celebrated Rich's 57th birthday at the Texas Roadhouse tonight.
Rich's son Josh, his wife Emily and their little girl, Sierra hosted the celebration.
This is Rich's first birthday being a grandfather.
Attended church at Englewood Mercy Baptist. This was their first Sunday worship. Joshua Nelson, Rich's son is the pastor and started the church a few months ago.
Josh went to Bible College in Ok. He works part time at his dad's tree service as do I.
Looked like about 35 people attended service. A sumptuous meal followed afterwards.
After services and lunch went to Fireside to complete editing my Oct 8 column.
Bible exposition/ sermon was on John 3 where Christ told Nicodemus he had to be born again to be saved.
Admonished by my good friend from Quincy, Jim Burns for failing to post here on my blog the last few days. Seems like since I got to Denver interest in my trip has waned which makes sense since I am on a hiatus until I get started for the Mexican border.
So, hey Jim thanks for the kick in the butt! I needed it!
Writing my October 8th Morton Times-News column while drinking a Coca-Cola.
I already sent in my Oct 1 column but read it again today. Wouldn't you know it, after hours of editing the darn thing I found a misspelling. Will need to correct it and send it to Adam my editor to see if its not too late.
Read parts of a book Audrey at Fireside dug up for me. It concerns a man from Ohio who accepted the editorship of the Los Angeles Times Newspaper. He decided to forego taking a train and instead walked the 3000 some miles. Not totally unusual these days but this was back in 1884! There were very few amenities for travelers and lots of danger. Bandits, rogue Indians, animals and the like.
Also read about a 42 year old lady who hiked 10,000 miles across Siberia, Mongolia, China, Australia and other places carrying little or no food. Unbelievable NY Times story.
Live music going on not 10 feet from my alcove at Fireside. Older man playing an acoustical guitar. Played some hymns. Not sure the Mohammadens 20 feet away appreciated Rock of Ages. Haha! Hope there are no be-headings here tonight! Haha!
Sometimes you gotta slow down. That's why this picture I took of a sign in Denver tickled my fancy!
Finished writing my column for October 1. Will edit it tomorrow after my shift at the SAME Cafe.
Looking east from my perch at Fireside Books and Cafe a huge thunderhead has formed. Appears to go up 30,000 feet or more. Stunning. There was a double rainbow an hour ago.
Visited my all time favorite place to pray, to hike, to talk to myself and just wander the scores of trails on this craggy, barren high ground covered in rocks, buffalo grass and rattlesnakes.
I rarely hike this mountain with a companion. This is the place I go when problems need sorting, when I need to yell at myself or at God without intrusions.
The mountain sits atop 2000 acres of grassy plains at an elevation of 6800 feet and which abuts the Rocky Mountain Range. Golden, CO sits at the northern base. Golden was once the capital of Colorado. Now its a sleepy little western town, a tourist attraction.
There seem to be no more than 7 or 8 trees on this mountain. The sky is a dark violet hue showing the lack of atmosphere.
Denver and it's environs sit along the eastern side of the mountain.
Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs can be seen clearly even though its 70 miles to the south. Longs Peak in Estes Park can be seen as well if one looks north. It is 75 miles away.
Green Mountain was essentially Buffalo Bill Cody's back yard and he rode his charger throughout this mountain.
Yesterday, I encountered many wild daisies and goldenrods as well as prickly pear cacti. Up on the jeep trail as I trudged slowly to the summit my walking stick alerted me to a western diamond back rattlesnake on the north edge of the trail. I hadn't seen a rattler since the time I killed one on Hogback Ridge just a stones throw west across Rooney Road.
The snake was sitting in the middle of the very narrow trail with cliffs on both sides so I couldn't circumvent the serpent. So, I began tossing smallish boulders at it and finally one found its mark and did away with this vermin.
I remember carting its carcass home to scare the girls. It worked! Miss those days with my Griders!
It was an arduous climb even after walking across the country. The air was thinner too. It was hot and dry.
I really missed my mountain so it was good to be back home.
Observations from the road:
Illinois had the friendliest drivers
Nebraska was the loneliest state
Illinois had the jerkiest cops
Missouri was the prettiest state
Colorado was the most majestic state
Generally people were very kind
Missouri had the worst drivers
Easier to get drivers to pick me up in Illinois
Pastors seemed to be the least hospitable people
Quincy, Illinois was the friendliest city so far
Aurora, NE had the friendliest cops
The Mahnken Ranch in Salisbury MO: I spent the most time in one place
Worst night: Astoria, Illinois. Had to sleep in the gazebo located in the town square. Slept on the cold concrete with the wind howling out of the north making it around 25 degrees. Then a sheriff's deputy kicked me in the ribs around 2am told me I was breaking the law sleeping there
Best all around meal(s): Peg Haerr in Taylor MO. Unbelievable food!
Strangest event: Monica from Quincy pulled over on Rt 24 near Rushville, IL and offered to drive me to the next town and offered me a back massage. Stayed with her for 2 weeks
Most dangerous moment: nearly fell over backwards off bridge over a creek near Quincy, IL when I sat down on the ledge
Its day 5 the last day to count my blessings on FB. Here they are:
1. Protection from all things bad when traveling through the mile high city especially when walking the streets and trails at night.
2. My hosts, the Nelsons, Rich, Marge and young Jeremiah for putting up with my idiosyncratic behavior and for their generosity.
3. For those who oppose my views so I am forced to consider the other sides of an argument.
Finished writing and editing my next column. It's about the Cafe in downtown Denver for the homeless, the SAME Cafe where I volunteer every Tuesday.
I am at day 4 for counting my blessings. Those can be found below:
1. Reconnecting with old friends from the past;
2. My daily bread--God's provision;
3. The Morton Times-News and news editor, Adam Larck.
Worked the afternoon shift at the SAME Cafe. Spent most of my time peeling beets. The beets would later be roasted.
I then made some tea for tomorrow and closed by sweeping and mopping the dining room.
Met Jen and James Floyd James II--got to love that name, James James!, both of whom regularly volunteer. Regaled both with tales from the road. James seemed particularly interested in my stories of Quincy, IL where Monica the masseuse picked me up on Rt 24 took me to her home and gave me a badly needed back massage. I then stayed with her and her 15 year old son for 2 weeks. James wants to move to Quincy! He cannot believe how friendly people are in Quincy. Told him it's a Midwestern thing.
Jen moved to Denver recently from London. She spent her childhood in Florida. I believe she is a marketing executive who travels internationally.
After work I took the train to Englewood and walked to Fireside and worked on my September 24 column for the Morton Times-News.
Spoke to Audrey the lovely barista and fellow book lover. She and I decided that we will climb Pike's Peak together in 2 weeks assuming weather allows. Pikes Peak is 14,000 some feet the second tallest peak in CO. We both agreed that we love to test ourselves to see what we are actually made of.
This is day 3 of counting my blessings. The 3 things I am thankful for are:
1. The desire to change; to be willing to look at things differently
2. New friends like Audrey, the Birkys, Jen, Janelle, Cole, Johanna, Cecilia and other staff at the cafe
3. My new FB friend, Professor Mike Foster, perhaps the foremost expert on all things JRR Tolkien. He is the North American Representative of the Tolkien Society. He is, I believe, the first academician allowed to examine Tolkien's handwritten manuscript of The Lord of The Ring
The first pic is Jen. The 2nd pic is Janelle who runs the kitchen. The last pic is Audrey.
Worked at Heartland Construction today. Howard and I went looking for another company truck.
After work walked to Fireside and settled into my usual alcove to get some more work done on my book.
Audrey made whipped up my usual--a ginger iced tea. Perfectly done as usual.
Checked on whether the paperback book I ordered came in at Fireside. It did not.
Reviewed Marty Wombacher's blog about being back in Peoria. He moved from Peoria to Manhattan in the early 90s then came back to Peoria and is blogging about all the stuff Peoria offers. He is a very prolific blogger to say the least.
Tomorrow working my afternoon shift at the SAME Cafe on Colfax. Will hit the Tattered Cover an independent bookseller across from Union Station earlier in the morning.
Will continue my interview of the Birkys and other employees and volunteers at the Cafe. My Sept 24 column will center around the Cafe and its owners, workers and founding. Its a unique business model and humanitarian/philanthropic concept.I really enjoyed by first day there last week.
Its day 2 of counting my blessings. So here I go:
1. For now, relatively good health barring eruptions from my hyperparathyroidism;
2. My 3 children: Joshua, Andrew and Allyson. Could not imagine life without them. Want to include my ex-stepdaughter, Clara. She has been my dear stepdaughter since 2002 when she was only 3 years old and always will be my dear daughter.
3. My 2 lovely, talented and awesome former wives. I have learned much from both. I pray for their continued success in life.
