Sunday, February 10, 2008

Welcome to My World!

I have shared with you all what my winter drive is like as I travel back and forth between Gunnison, Colorado so I thought it would be nice if I posted some photos so you could see the splendor that is mine throughout my 1 1/2 hour one-way commute. Sadly, I am not a good enough photographer to fully capture the images I see before me each day, nor do I have time to stop and shoot regularly.

This is what much of my drive looks like every day, minus the snowpack on the roads that I often have to traverse.


I travel around miles and miles of frozen lake, crossing two bridges. It is the most beautiful sight early in winter as the reservoir begins to freeze over, and the lake effect fog shrouds the nearby terrain in mysterious white clouds hovering just above the water. Suddenly I find myself surprised when I glance over one day to find that the water is no more, it is replaced by a solid sheet of glass. In early spring I witness the entire metamorphosis as the ice thaws, the ice fisherman's huts are removed, and boats once again inhabit their secret coves and favorite haunts.



As far as my eye can see for much of the drive I take in the wonderous sight of snow peaked mountain ranges, solitary roads weaving towards solid, sturdy little farm houses, rocky inclines reaching skyward.


The wildlife is abundant with herds of elk and deer crossing my path often coming perilously close to meeting their own demise, bald eagles soaring along the banks of Blue Mesa Reservoir lighting on leafless branches, Aspen groves awaiting spring so their small musical leaves can once again join in concert with the rushing water in streams below.


I would argue with any New York Executive with the corner office window view of Central Park...the view out my work window is beyond breathtaking, it is soothing and draws you in. We may have 20 people in line who are anxiously awaiting their flight, asking us to "hurry, hurry...HURRY" with their food, and one glance up from the cash register and I smile, realizing that they don't know what they are missing, scurrying around as if the world will stop without them. The airlines are why we are there, and it helps pay the bills, but my "benefits package" is better than any Forbes 500 company can ever offer.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Looks just beautiful...for a visit! It in the 70s here most days right now, and that suits me just fine :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing yet another part of your life with us. The photos are gorgeous, and I have a special appreciation for them, because, as a native Southern Californian, pictures of snow will always be somethin' special to me, since I get to see it so very rarely!
I enjoy my commute from my home to the freeway, because I get to see agricultural fields and mountains and hills, and they change from brown to green and back again .. but yeah .. nothing beats YOUR 1 1/2 hour commute!! (Mine is only 45 minutes!) I also admire anyone who can transplant themselves from So. Calif. to anywhere where it snows and adapt!! I swear I don't think I would have the courage (or coordination) to learn to drive in snow/ice, (yes, yes, I know I would if I HAD to .. so they say)
All this to say thanks again, for sharing the photos and stories that encompass your life!!
As always, your blog is a joy to read, and the pictures are WONderful!
Jen