Where does the time go?

Just where does the time go? Above is a photo of some friends who were visiting our area from Vermont. They own a home in our community and come out a couple times a year to visit. We had a marvelous meal at their home and this was breakfast at our house the next morning.They are counter clockwise, Mary, Lori, Rob, Frank and Carol. Someone had to take the photo so I was not in the picture. Served up was pinch cake, yummy, and coffee and orange juice. Actually it was somewhat of a miracle that any of us could eat after the grand meal at their house the evening before.

They were visiting for a week (actually less due to airlines foul ups) and the day they headed back to Vermont friends arrived from Florida. They were camped on their lot in the back of our subdivision. Lynette was setting up and using her new A-Liner camper for the first time. She was a real pro at handling things. Give that gal a book of matches and an egg and she can organize a banquet for any sized group.

It was really great to reconnect with friends that we only see on occasion. We stay in touch by e-mail and face book but those links are nothing like having the real person right here where you can give them a hug that will have to last for another year. It is great to enjoy stories, laughter, and good times together in person.

I said that I would post photos of the Colorado State flower which is the Columbine. The above two photos show the Columbine in full bloom. They are in my opinion the most intricate and unusual flower around. They are popping up everywhere now even though we have not had any rain. Everything is very dry but the wild flowers have bloomed none the less. They do not have any scent that I can detect like the wild roses but they are such an unusual and beautiful flower they immediately capture your attention. The more you look at them the more intrigued you become. As you study them you marvel at how they can come out that way. They are to me just as spectacular as our snow capped mountain peaks.

This photo was taken on our walk this morning and it is Indian Paintbrush which is also a plentiful wild flower. That is purple Lupine in the back ground. I don't believe there is any prettier place than Colorado meadows when the wild flowers are in full bloom. I suspect that I would get an argument from Texan's who think their Bluebells are the best, or Michiganders who think their Tulips are best, but we have vast mountain meadows full of every size and color of wild flower you can imagine. Some so small that you have to get down close to the ground to see the little beauties. It is like walking along a rainbow.

So to answer my first question, where does the time go? For us it goes by enjoying and spending time with friends who visit, walking the dogs and then having to just stop and admire the wild flowers; that like our friends are only here for a short time. It is making decisions as to what is important to us. For us that is spending time with friends, marveling at the beauty and intricate detail of a Columbine, and breathing in the smells of aromatic pine needles from the spruce and fir trees that are warmed by the sun. We go for our walks and those aromatic smells just seem to totally envelop you. How do you describe a smell that is so delicious that you can get lost in it? Hot aromatic spruce and fir needles can send me into times past where I would grab a handful of needles and crush them just for the smell. Here they are so profuse that it is 1000 times more powerful and it doesn't cost a dime to enjoy.

Hope you all have a good rest of the week and take time to stop and enjoy life. Seems we are all so busy with 'things' that we don't take time to smell the pine needles, admire the flowers or just spend moments with friends. My wish for you is that you get to re-connect for just a short while and enjoy those special times.