Song: Time
Composing Artist: Hans Zimmer
As we have another long string of beautiful days ahead...
I decided to go on another back country drive with Bandi.
The temperature was about 40 F (about 4.4 C).
There was a light and fresh alpine breeze...
and driving all day with the windows down just felt so good.
I will be going on many more exploratory drives with Bandi...
but I will have to include at least a day of rest between them...
as long drives wear both of us out.
We were headed down our mountain here.
The mountains in the distance are part of the Continental Divide.
I am thinking of driving through them next time.
Shelf Road starts in Cripple Creek.
It used to be a main road for horse drawn stage coaches from Canon City...
to and from Cripple Creek...
in the old West days...
as it was the most direct route
(see the middle red route below).
As you can see the roads marked in red.
The one all the way to the right is Phantom Canyon...
the one I drove on the other day.
I then drove back on the red route all the way to the left.
On this day's drive...
I drove down the middle red route
(Cripple Creek is where the two right red routes converge)...
and I then drove to the right, and then North....
to Colorado Springs...
after driving Skyline Drive in Canon City.
This rock wall looked to be part of an old stone building...
perhaps as a stage coach rest and supply stop.
As Cripple Creek is over 4,000 feet higher in elevation as is Canon City...
I imagined how long and difficult the journey was for the horses pulling the stage coaches
up to Cripple Creek in the 1800's.
They must have had many rest and resupply stations...
as well as horse lodging...
along the way.
I can't imagine this trip being shorter than a few day journey up the road...
pulling supplies up to Cripple Creek.
Bandi just loves hanging way out the window with the wind in her face.
The hole in the rock is just a natural formation.
It is called Window Rock.
Don't worry...
I always periodically stop alongside the roads for water and bathroom breaks for Bandi.
I am sure panting with her face in the wind dries out her mouth.
We entered canyon lands...
and with the road narrowing...
and with drop offs and no guard rails...
I slowed to about 10 MPH...
as not only could a car coming up be around a corner...
but as I was heading down...
and the road being lightly graveled hard packed clay...
if I drove faster and then tried to brake on a corner...
the tires could easily lose traction...
and over I could go.
Bandi just loves the new sights, sounds, and smells of our journeys.
Bandi often leans way out of her window during our drives.
Bandi looked down as well as all around.
She could see the canyon river far below.
We were nearing the bottom of the canyon here.
Bandi was staring down at the river below for much of our trip down.
We soon exited the dirt road portion...
and shortly thereafter, entered Canon City.
As I drove through the outer reaches of the city...
I was transported back to my childhood in the 1960's.
I passed through very rural areas of horse pastures...
and of farmers burning hay...
lightly scenting the air with its delicious aroma.
I then passed through a section of houses which were
on old and large tree lined streets with houses looked to have been built in the 60's.
The neighborhoods were quiet and peaceful...
reflecting a much simpler and carefree time.
I then drove on Skyline Drive just outside of the city proper of Canon City.
It is a one way drive...
high up on a knife ridge with nice views.
I then decided to drive to Colorado Springs on a little traveled shortcut highway...
instead of the interstate.
I wanted to explore a new road...
and the scenery was so nice.
Cheyenne Mountain.
A view of Pikes Peak as I entered Colorado Springs.
I then went to a Mediterranean restaurant.
I got a combination plate...
and a Gyro.
While the food was very good...
I still like the one in Woodland Park more.
I then stopped by the Asian market to stock up on Yakisoba...
Somen...
as well as some sauces.
I then headed home.
A view of Pikes Peak as I was leaving Colorado Springs and entering Manitou Springs.
I was entering Woodland Park.
As I was leaving Woodland Park...
I saw this fantastic cloud formation.
Although I had missed the sunset...
the after glow was still beautiful.
I could see this same cloud formation for many miles on the way home.
I stopped in to gas up at this country gas station just 15 minutes away from home
(I just love the isolated and country feel of this gas station).
Bandi just loves seeing everything around her from her car window.
I had bought every package of Yakisoba they had (about 30 - three serving packs)...
and some more Somen...
as my sisters are planning on visiting in a month or two.
Both...
Bandi and I...
were worn out from today's drive.
Bandi almost immediately began snoring as she lay next to me.
Shortly after I took this photo...
I turned off the window alcove light...
and we both slept through the night until late morning.
Bandi gets especially worn out...
as she stands and leans out the window for most of the way.
She loves her country drives so much.
Whenever I look at her and ask....
"Wanna go...on a car ride?"...
she immediately perks up and jumps down from the bed...
drinks some water as I get dressed...
and she then waits by the door leading downstairs as I get my shoes.
She will then prance by the garage door...
and once inside the garage...
she will wait by her car door...
and then excitedly jump on to her car bed and look around as I back out of the garage.
Bandi will then immediately stick her body out of her window
in anticipation of our next journey.
I enjoy seeing Bandi's happiness just as much as I enjoy the scenery.
I have many more places to explore...
and Bandi has many more places to see, smell, and feel...
as the alpine breeze blows upon her face.
Bandi...
and I...
are just so happy everyday here.
As now...
Spring is almost here...
I constantly feel the call of the wild...
and the beckoning of the mountains...
both urging me to go on another country drive.
I will soon be going on much longer drives...
to much more distant areas.
There are waterfalls and alpine lakes to see...
wonderful mountain passes to enjoy...
and new restaurants at which to eat along the way.
I will soon make some eggs and sausage...
along with some Somen.
And then...
it will be music time once again.
Just as with everything in life...
I love making incremental progress...
especially in my creative passions.
-----------
Prepare well for your retirement.
This is what it is all about.
Travel to new places...
pursue your creative passions...
and do it all without a worry in the world.
Leave your cares...
and especially...
your past...
behind.
Allow no more sorrow...
allow no more grief.
Just look forward to your future...
and enjoy all that life has to offer.
Simplify your life so that you have the freedom
to just get up and go at any time of your pleasing...
to wherever you most wish.
But...
also...
make your home so pleasing that you will always look forwards to returning
to your refuge of peace and serenity.
Right now...
as I sit typing on my loft computer...
I have the third deck door open...
as well as one of the master bath windows...
allowing a cross breeze of fresh and cool alpine air
to waft gently throughout the loft.
Bandi is enjoying the views and the air on the third deck...
and life is just so peaceful and good.
--------
Never be the pitiful procrastinator in life.
Never be the one who never dreams of better...
or even worse...
the ones who dream, but never take positive steps towards achieving them.
Never be the one who takes on other's life problems as if they were your own...
or who allows parasites to drain you of your time and resources.
Leave all things not of your responsibility or control...
behind.
Never let your past control your future.
Be able to look only to the future...
so you may fully enjoy your present.
Above all...
never be the one who thinks he or she will live forever.
A race with no ending becomes paced at minimal speed...
and with nothing to look forward to...
there is no reason to savor precious moments...
for in their minds...
there will always be another (ho hum) day.
These are the people who become bitter near the end in life
(and, yes...I have seen it time and again)...
because of deep regret...
of how they...
and not anyone else...
had robbed them of their one and only shot at life.
WE WILL ALL DIE.
But this is what makes life so precious and special.
Savor all of the great simple pleasures in life...
and treasure your magical memories...
and live fully to create more.
SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE.
We all lack time in life...
whether it be from meaningless tasks not meant to engender deep happiness...
but to merely stave off boredom...
or of time robbed by non reciprocating emotional parasites...
cut loose any meaningless ties to those thieves of the night.
Leave behind angry and bitter people
(short term thinking naturally and inevitably leads to this)...
for you owe them nothing.
Without the freedom of time to pursue deep happiness...
life becomes meaningless.
KNOW WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST HAPPY...
AND THEN DO IT.
No one else is responsible for your life...
only you.
Don't be the idiot who thinks to dull the emotions is to never have to suffer.
It will only guarantee an empty and dull life.
Live the life of an eagle soaring the skies and braving the storms on a mountain top...
rather than living the life of a rabbit...
safe, but bored and scared in its underground den.
Your great day of judgement and reckoning
will be when you are facing your own mortality...
as you learn of your impending death
(as we all shall).
It will be then that you realize that heaven or hell
lies not in a fantasy afterlife...
but of what you had made of your one and only real life.
And...
there will be no harsher judge of your life...than you.
Just don't pretend that your life was not of your own doing...
for better or for worse.
Only by accepting full responsibility for your continuing path in life...
while alive...
will you ever do anything positive about it.
If you have someone in your mind...
or something else...
to blame...
well...
you just lost all responsibility...didn't you?...
and so...
you will have lost your fundamental drive for better...
in your acceptance of mediocrity.
Love your life...
or change it for the better.
Nothing more need be said.
You will either live your life fully...
or you won't...
but just don't pretend it is out of your control.
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