10 year reflections: 6. First Spring and Summer; Still Adjusting

There is a danger with couples who have worked hard and lived semi independently for the whole of their married lives and suddenly thrust together for every waking hour in retirement, of feeling  understandable anxieties. Strike a chord with anyone ?


With our jobs with Skico that first winter, that was not a problem we were faced with.  We cam eback exhausted each night and of course for any part of any day we were not working, we were skiing. And of course we both enjoyed hearing about the other's tales of the day's adventure. Never a dull moment. We were apart , but yet together and always with common interests and activities to discuss and recount.

Spring came and we sort of had that feeling we had to make the most of our new found freedom while sufficiently fit to do so.  Thus the first bike tour  - on which a separate blog entry will follow.

When back from that trip at end of May, we found the true delight of Aspen and realised the truth of the "mind, body, spirit experience' that Aspenites had been telling us about since we arrived. So many people told us ' they had come to Aspen for the winters, but had stayed for the summers ". Of all the many treats we've come to appreciate here,  the 8 week Aspen Music Festival and School is the one we've most treasured. Concerts , operas , masterclasses  and many of the world's leading and budding musicians. We've had a music student stay with us most years (giving us free access to events) and so have cone to know well 8 lovely young people embarking on their professional careers. 3 oboists, a flautist, 2 violinists, a timpanist, and a conductor. Gives us huge insight into the inner workings of the Festival and School and to the world of professional musicians generally. How this has enriched our lives.

 We fitted work into that first summer too - working for Gracie at Pretty Petals. Mary as a skilled gardner/landscaper on whom Gracie came to depend a lot, me as a labourer. Compared to the Mexican crew Gracie uses , I didn't really shape up but I survived and she was good enough to give me the hours I wanted. Mary has continued a close friendship with Gracie ever since.

All the above helped us to integrate into the community. To say that it was a challenging and highly rewarding 1st year would be a major understatement. We had landed on our feet. Office desk and High School classroom seemed light years away. Much as we missed family and pets, we had no regrets.

Benedict Music tent

270 in all its summer glory

Gracie and crew on a ; smart ' job on Red Mtn

Mary in her element

Preferred this leisure activity to the manual labour with Gracie

Next installment - Cycle Touring - The Experience to Beat All Experiences