Mile Higher

Winter                                                            Seed Catalog Moon

One mile high.  And I can get higher yet if I can just find one of those spliffy new marijuana shops.  In fact, I plan to find one.  I want a hat or a t-shirt or a sweat-shirt.  Memorabilia from the state where the 60’s finally became legal.  Makes a guy a little sentimental when he thinks of his grandchildren growing up in such a place.

While still on the straight Minnesota side of this journey I had that familiar geezer experience of a hearing a noise that seemed, well, like something I’d heard before.  Yep.  It was my phone, tucked deep in my backpack trilling out its vaguely Celtic ringtone.  I found it.  It was Tom Crane and Roxann.

They had come down to my gate to see me off.  They had a later flight headed to Idaho.  It was great fun to see them both.  In this age of security the old family send off at the jet way is a thing of the last millennia.  Very nostalgic.

15 minutes through security which Tom who is a multi-thousands of miles a year flier said was pretty good and an on-time liftoff.  In Denver the skiers and snowboarders streamed off the planes and through the airport lugging their extra long baggage and wearing ultra-hip apres ski attire.  They’re ready for a week-end of cold weather sports.  Of course, it was 58 when we landed.  The mountains should take care of that.

Three things here this week-end:  skiing and snowboarding, the Great National Western Stock Show and the Broncos in the NFL title game Sunday afternoon.  I’ve already seen more orange jerseys than cowboy boots and Stetsons.  Denver is happening.

Oh, and I have to go to Radio Shack.  No charger in my kit.  It was on my list and I thought I had two but they turned to be other things.

The rental car is a Ford something, Fusion I think.  A nice car, tight steering, solid feel on the road.  The interior design is a little Transformerish, but functional.


One Response to Mile Higher

  1. Avatar tom crane
    tom crane says:

    There was a time, perhaps when we were truly youngsters, that it would have been the norm, the expected and comforting ritual, to be seen off at the local train depot or bus station. Friends or especially family would have thought it peculiar not to share a little wiating time with one we hold dear. Our collective belief in the need for security has rendered the personal embrace at the time embarkation more distant (“I’ll hug you here, before you go through security — and I’ll watch you… for as far I can see you… as you blend into the stream headed for the gates…. call me when your on the plane to let me know you made it….?!?”) .
    One should not trivialize the serendipity of sharing departure with loved ones. It happened for us today and the connection with one’s loved ones deepens as their journey is made tangible in the embrace of departure and good wishes (“hug the grankids…. I will… say hi to Amber for me…. we will!!”)

    These are the connecting and embelishing stitches in the tapestry of our lives. So, here we are, near the northern American end of the Rockies, and there you are, nestled into the front range, embracing families, life, and each other.