I think of early Fall in Colorado. Conclusion

Thought for the Day

The trip to Estes Park in the early fall is what started this whole thing. We needed to have a little fun before I loaded up with classes and my bride of two years went to work.

We traveled pretty well together telling stories and reading historical markers. We sang songs, made up stories and she'd read to me while I was driving, an activity I quite enjoyed. It was a very personal version of books on tape - in person. I was a kind of driving machine once I got started so I'd just go on auto pilot until we either got hungry or had to go to the bathroom.

Driving in New Mexico was an interesting activity in those days. The total population of the state was under a million people. So as you traveled there was a level of familiarity that most people would not expect. You could travel for hours without seeing any traffic. Then, when you saw a car or truck more often than not, the driver would acknowledge you with a wave. It took us a while to become accustomed to it ourselves. But, it was a charming feeling to wave back and then, look at each other and smile at the child like behavior. Everyone in the state was a neighbor.

Another part of driving in New Mexico is the diversity of scenery. This is the state that taught me to pay attention to my surroundings. In many ways we are slaves to our conditioning. If we live in an area that has lots of trees and water we expect to see lots of trees and water where ever we go. If we do not we think something is missing and therefore somehow lacking. That's a big mistake. Deserts may appear to be desolate and lifeless. They are not. Deserts are rife with variation, creation and adaptation. If you look you can find a richness and beauty that will stun you. Most people forget why they go on trips. Isn't it usually for a change of scenery?

From Cedar Crest, New Mexico to Estes Park, Colorado is 502 miles. We saw a lot of diversity in flora and fauna. When we got there we called Jim and Patty. They gave us directions to the cabins. Their cabins were rustic. If you had just come from New York or London that would not likely be the adjective you would choose to describe them, but it was ours and we loved them. Their resort was in a river valley and it was classically Rocky Mountain. Our cabin was a one room log cabin with an oil burning heater and a single bed, a bathroom and little else. What else could you ask for?

Once we settled in, had dinner and a visit with Jim and Patty. We realized how tired we were from the trip. It had gotten very cold, very fast. That's typical in the mountains in fall. After we said our good nights we were off to bed.

The little cabin was filled with quilts, pillows and comforters just like you want when you experience that first blast of cold air after the summer heat. The idea of loading up the bed with covers and crawling in to snuggle away the cold became the first order of business. While my wife tended to evening ablutions I checked the heater and turned it on low. When she finished I brushed my teeth and tended to necessaries in an already chilly cabin. I made a dash for the bed, rumpled under the covers and snuggled close. With all done that could be I slipped quietly off into the arms of Morpheus.

Apparently I had overcompensated for the cold because sometime during night I awoke a bit overheated. The cabin was small, well-sealed and we were covered with blankets. I have a natural heating system that tends to run rampant sometimes. My body heat is on the high side. In any case I slid out of bed to turn down the heat. I stood up and immediately passed out.

I guess the sound of me falling to the floor woke up Mary. She slid out of bed and went down on the floor to see what was wrong with me. I don't know how she woke me but she did. She realized that what had happened was the oxygen in the highest parts of the room had been burned off by the heater. That left whatever oxygen there was near the floor. One of us crawled over to the door and opened it to let in fresh air. That was the first time she saved my life.

So when the leaves begin to turn and the air offers it's first touches of coolness. When Autumn peeks 'round the corner and invites me to ready for the coming chill, I think of early fall in Colorado and how beautiful it is to be alive to see the changing colors of my life.

©Herb Ratliff, September 22, 2012, All Rights Reserved