3rd Deck / Beautiful Sunset / The Flow

 

Song:  This Time

Artist:  John Legend

(I love this song)

Today...

I decided to complete the 3rd deck railing...

and then put a coat of sealant on the house facing the 3rd deck.

But...

before I began...

I had a craving for a breakfast Quesadilla...

and so...

I headed to Cripple Creek to the Rascally Rabbit...

of which is less than 15 minutes away.

I had a vanilla latte coffee...

my favorite.

This was by far...

the best breakfast Quesadilla I have ever had.

The tortillas were filled with fluffy and light scrambled eggs

(I tip my hat to the chef...he really knows how to make eggs)...

Chorizo (of which I absolutely love the taste)...

melted cheddar and pepper jack cheeses...

and with sour cream and salsa to top each section...

 the flavor was just so soul satisfying.

After resting a bit before starting on the deck...

I finished up the 3rd deck railing.

You can see the sheen off the railing...

which repels water and prevents UV degradation of the wood.

I then began sealing the wood on the house which faced the 3rd deck.

I started on the 3rd deck because it is the single place which gets the most weather and sun...

and so...

needed the most immediate attention.

As a man who owns his own home and property...

I take great joy and pride in working on it.

And...

as I don't work myself to death trying to rush a chore...

I get joy from doing things a little at a time.

I had to use a smaller applicator as the each plank of wood is curved on the outer surface.

The tint of this sealant is slightly darker than the original stain used...

but as the UV rays are so strong at my altitude...

the slightly darker pigment protects the wood far better from the UV rays.

I finished the left portion of the house

(minus the top most plank and under the eve...

which I shall get tomorrow with a ladder).

I still had to get the right side...

but I decided to rest inside for a few minutes...

and to drink a flavored sparkling water. 

I just rested on the bed for about 15 minutes before resuming.

As you can see...

although the tint is slightly darker...

the wood is far more protected now.

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As evening progressed...

a beautiful sunset formed.

My wife came to me as I was typing this blog up on my computer...

to let me know of the sunset...

and so...

I grabbed my iPhone and went up to the 3rd deck to capture the sunset as it unfolded.

(wide angle setting)

I just love standing out on the 3rd deck...

as the way our house sits...

we get views of the East...

 as well as the West from the decks...

and so...

we get to see the most fantastic sunrises...

as well as sunsets.

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After I complete the 3rd deck portion of the house tomorrow...

I have a couple of lamps to assemble...

and...

if there is time...

I will start installing special security locks on the doors...

as I had gotten the tools needed to complete the installation today.

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Life just continues to improve...

and once again...

this is by design.

However...

it becomes more frequent for people of my age

to begin to experience the loss of others of importance in their lives.

That is why it is so important to have your inner happiness...

the sacred and serene place in your heart...

your refuge from grief...

a place from which one may recover...

the safe harbor from the tempests sure to strike in each of our lifetimes.

Music, writing, the colors of a beautiful sunset...

and deep exercise...

are the keys to the door of the flow for me.

The flow is where time slows...

and where serenity and deep love rules.

It is where solitude leads you to your inner world...

a place where no matter what happens in the outer world...

you will always have your deep inner happiness.

Once you have your inner refuge...

as the probability of our own death approaches...

you don't fear it...

for you will have already experienced the best that life can give.

You will have no regrets...

and so...

you may release yourself from life with...

 a beautiful song in the orchestra of the heart...

and a beautiful sunset in the movie of the mind...

as both fully resonate throughout your soul.

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The absolute beauty of the above song

(This Time by John Legend)...

especially after having had experienced such a grand sunset...

had me automatically enter the flow...

a place of sweet melancholy that gently wrings my heart...

and where I remember with deep affection...

certain people of my past...

and where I project myself into the future.

I love life so deeply.

Deep happiness should be the default mode in everyone.

Prioritize deep happiness in life...

know what puts you in the flow...

especially as you age...

and you will find yourself automatically entering your refuge...

a place where music and colors resonate throughout your body...

more and more...

and where magnificent beauty is everywhere...

and strikes you so profoundly...

it reverberates within your core.

It is only when you are deeply happy in life...

that you have anything of worth to give to others.

And...

once again...

it is only when you give from the heart...

that you automatically double your pleasure in life.

Autumn Fair / Trading Post / Sports Store

 

Song:  Tao Home Blues

Artists:  Paul Horn / Steve Halpern

The other night...

just as I will sometimes do...

I got a craving for a meatball sandwich at The Rascally Rabbit...

in Cripple Creek.

Their meatball sandwich has a great taste...

especially with the optimum amount of melted mozzarella cheese 

on top of the meatballs.

Bandi loves her great room bed...

and will sometimes just opt to sleep there for the night.

Yesterday morning...

as we were driving to the community center for the Autumn Fair...

we saw this buck walking near the road...

as some of the does had fled into the forest.

This year there was only a small turnout...

and my expected artists weren't there...

although there was a new vendor...

and from whom we had bought some things.

After departing the community center...

my wife and I decided to go to The Garden Of The Gods gift shop...

but on the way...

we would stop in at another craftsmen store...

and then afterwards...

we would go to a sports store...

and then out to eat.

We were on the way to Cripple Creek...

where we would take Highway 67 towards our destinations for the day...

and I would show my wife the entrance to Mueller State Park...

and the trailheads to some trails she wishes to hike in the future along HWY 67.

We are at The Garden of the Gods in this photo...

on our way to the Trading Post within.

We had bought some fudge...

and as my wife shopped around more

(souvenirs for Japanese friends and family for our trip)...

I decided to get something to eat to hold me off until we went out to eat later that day. 

I sat outside as I ate a delicious chili cheese hot dog.

After finishing up my meal...

I went in search of my wife.

After finishing up with our souvenir shopping...

we then drove into Colorado Springs to do some shopping there...

at a sports store. 

We didn't find much there.

I just bought a shotgun sling.

We then stopped in at a very good Mexican restaurant.

Their food was so good.

We then drove home.

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This morning...

I tried some of the fudge we had bought at the Trading Post.

It really is a very rich and creamy fudge.

We had bought this handcrafted wooden mockup of our State of Colorado...

complete with cutouts of trees which fit into areas around the State

which are State Parks.

As we go to them in the future...

we will fit in a tree into the location

designating our having seen it

(both of us).

This is the same theme...

but for National Parks.

My wife and I are going to have fun throughout our future years...

just filling in trees to where we had gone on a little adventure

during our travels together.

We had also gotten a few other things at the trading post...

and these caramels are also very good.

This is my new shotgun sling I will use to reverse carry my shotgun 

during my wife's and my morning walks and long hikes.

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As yesterday was a bit of a long day for us...

today is just a day of relaxation.

My wife is searching for new places to hike...

as she had gotten excited the other day by having found 

a fairly nearby hike which leads to a beautiful alpine lake.

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There is another sports store which we must visit...

as I am in search of getting a good pair of hiking boots.

We plan on going to the largest Sports Store in Colorado Springs tomorrow...

and pick out another new restaurant to try as well.