Day 7 and week in the life of ......

Gosh--"A Day in the Life of...or is it A Life in the Day Of"? I think I'll do the latter. The day begins very early--we try to wake up before 6. Then on to back exercises while listening to Radio 4 Today Programme. What a blessing is the computer and its wonderful speakers.

Breakfast, and then we are off! I usually go to yoga or water aerobics at the Rec Centre, bicyling down the hill at speed. I can make it in 5 minutes. After yoga, I've recently had some gardening jobs to do! Mainly deadheading pots for Gracie of Pretty Petals--can you imagine enormous pots jam packed with pansies, trailing petunias, verbena, nasturtians, cosmos and on and on--absolutely gorgeous, and probably costing the clients about $500 each? And some clients will have 10 pots!!!! So I love doing that--working with such beautiful materials.

The Music Festival is in full swing, so after that, it's take in a masterclass, or a concert. We have heard the most amazing musicians, both professional and not (the latter sometimes being 13 years old, as at the master class today--playing the Mendelson Violin Concerto...) It is exciting to hear music played by professionals, but I think I enjoy hearing the stars of the future even more. And of course observing and experiencing the artistic process is fascinating! The Festival here in Aspen is so easy and laid back--students and attendees alike turn up at concerts in jeans and T-shirts, and the main venue has open shutters that the mountain breezes can blow through, whilst offering us a view of the mountains, as we listen. Bliss!

Home to a drink on the deck perhaps, then dinner, and early to bed. Everybody goes to bed early here as the days are so jam packed, and the early mornings so delightful.

So that's it. Ticks so many boxes for me: fresh air, exercise, natural beauty, intellectual and creative stimulation, and many friendly people. Dogs and cats are missing, sadly, but we google and fawn over everybody else's!

Must off to bed now--9pm is approaching!!!!

Mary

Days 6 & 7

Day 6
Started day gardening together at 270 ( see pics ) and at neighbours. Recession hitting hard here and not the same amount of work as in previous years . Thank goodness for the 20 plus hours per week driving for the Town I seem to be getting . Mary starting work for Gracie on Friday though.

Rim Trail - Sinclair to Horseranch right from house in pm on my own - see pics ( J & J will recognise the seat and will remember what a thrill ( and relief ) it is to reach it ! ) . Note also in last pic the type of trail on 5 mile or so descent from that spot to Horseranch . Magic . Biked back to 270 through golf course.

M went to violin masterclass with Cheng - Yin . Not up to usual masterclass standard though. But Cheng - Yin not playing. She'll be playing in the Festival Orchestra and Mahler 9 on Sunday.

Both of us went back in to Aspen in evening for delightful string duo and trio ( Mozart and Beethoven ) concert at Harris Hall. Back latish ( for us ) and straight to bed to prepare for 8 hour D2 driving shift next day starting at 6.30am.

Day 7
Over to Mary for this one and for a summary of `a week in the life of .... '

Day 5 The 4th July

The 3 main public holidays other than Christmas which Americans celebrate I always think are hugely impressive - Memorial, 4th July and Thanksgiving. All very symbolic, taken very seriously, and hugely important national and local bonding occasions. This 4th July celebration in Aspen today was no exception.

The day starts in downtown Aspen with 2 fund raising 5 mile and 1 mile races - the latter, a buddy programme event . We picked up our little buddy Gaby at the intercept lot on Hwy 82 , and with him did a little volunteering job marshalling for the 1 mile fun walk for small kids. Then to Paradise Bakery for icecream / coffee at favourite spot. Then to the hour long parade which features a mass of different group participants including war veterans, all the local fire departments , the local Snowmass rodeo and junior cyclists from up and down the valley . Biked back to Snowmass and then with Mike ( our basement tenant who works for security at airport ) biked back into Aspen for the Festival Orchestra Concert featuring Cheng-Yin in the 2nd violins. Dvorak's New World Symphony and a Gerswhin piano concerto. The former was divine with that hauntingly magical Engish horn solo in the 2nd movement. A picnic thereafter outside ' the tent ' with Heidi ( M's violin teacher ) and friends of hers , and Mike .

Day 3 & 4

Day 3 Very often at this time of year , heavy thunder storms roll in mid afternoon , so we made an early start and , again right from the house , using our mountain bikes did the Rim trail and got these wonderful views of Mt Daly , Capitol Peak and Snowmass Peak on first hitting the Rim Trail ridge. Quick lunch and then biked to Buttermilk ( our usual parking spot for music festival trips to Aspen ) and biked rest of way to Benedict Music Tent, for opening concert ( access for all concerts free for us on account of putting up music student ). There are 3 orchestras performing for the entire 8 week festival & school . This , tonight , was the Aspen Chamber Orchestra and Beethoven's 1st Symphony and Gil Shaham playing the exquisite Brahms violin Concerto . Superb.

Day 4 Saturdays during festival feature the opera masterclasses at the Wheeler. These are always a sell out . Although we get free access, we have to be at ticket office early to get in queue to get our tickets - always very front row if we can get them. As usual we biked into Aspen - bike path the whole way - got our tickets and met at the square opposite Paradise Bakery where we have a very pleasant 45 mins before the 2 hour masterclass from 10 to 12. So, so exciting. Caught a quick look and listen to a student string trio performing Brandenburg concertos in downtown Aspen and then back home again by bike for lunch - 50 mins uphill - in time for evening bus driving shift 2.50 to 11pm.

A week in the life of an Aspen summer - days 1 & 2

An Aspen summer with all its diverse opportunities for nurturing the 'mind , body and spirit' experience is truly remarkable. This is just a sample.

Days 1,2 & 3 -

Day 1 On back road from Old Snowmass to Emma . Back via Basalt and Rio Grande trail to Intercept Lot and bus up to Meadow Ranch. Violin / oboe practice , assisted by our resident music student Cheng-Yin and then a 7 hour evening shift on Route 3. Pics 1 & 4 from bottom

Day 2 Another day bus driving - this time picking up 20 3 to 5 year olds with 4 teachers from Little Red Schoolhouse and driving to ACES ( Aspen Community and Environmental Studies ) and then a public park for a picnic. Able to catch up on a bit of reading ! Back to take out our little buddy Gaby and brownie cooking at '270' followed by 'wall climbing' at the Rec Centre. Pics 2 & 3 . Note Aspen Highlands in background and bike rack on bus . All of them have them at front and rear taking 6 bikes.

Day 3 . Up early and usual back strengthening / stretching with M going to rec center for water aerobics. Another day bus driving , and M tending gardens in Meadow Ranch. Evening mountain bike ride - a 1 hour loop right from the house , up Wood Rd and on to the Tom Blake Trail, back down via Two Creeks , up to top of Sinclair Meadow and back to 270. More music practice in evening and bed as usual by 10.

Our 4th Summer in Snowmass

1 Straight back to action at Meadow Ranch with M being appointed gardener for the Residents' Association. Not a great money spinner , but fun and it may lead to more independent work. Recession biting hard here though and nothing like the work of previous years. Bus driving got off to good start and a full 2 weeks of driving immediately on return. Slowed down a lot since though.
2 Much time for mountain biking with many new trails in Snowmass opening up . Elk Camp gondola and upper Elk camp chair open this summer for first time . This was taken from cross mountain trail above the ` government trail ` at bottom of Big Burn lift.
3 Katy's parents, Judy and Murray from Australia, en route to Columbus. A lovely visit and the bike ride to Basalt via Old Snowmass ( this one high up the Old Snowmass canyon ) and
4 hike up to Maroon Creek and Crater Lake were highlights in addition to a delightful day biking round Aspen and the gondola to top of Aspen Mtn.
5 Both of us back to violin and oboe practice respectively . Amanda's parents' Figaro duets have been fantastic. M's violin teacher Heidi seen here on her big end of term pupil concert - M just visible behind her young Susuki co-pupils.
6 M & I had a delightful hike up to Lost Man Lake - except that we never made it - despite our having left bikes earlier in day at top of the loop close to top of Independence Pass
7 Thwarted by deep snow at about 11,500 ft - at top of this pic.
8 & 10 These taken on solo bike trip over Divide to Old Snowmass and from there , where road meets Hwy 82, down all the way to Glenwood Springs entirely on dedicated Rio Grande bike trail ( 40 odd miles in total - sheer bliss ) - a) Mt Daly and b)Lower Roaring Fork river close to its junction with the Colorado river at Glenwood. RFTA bus back to Snowmass made a great day.
9 One of the purposes of trip to Glenwood was to explore how we get to Portland Oregon next year for our trans Am bike trip . This is the answer - Amtrak. Means that we can bike right from 270 Meadow Ranch and no need for Uhaul trucks! Glenwood direct to San Francisco and straight connection north . 3 days though and not cheap. May still be the best bet.

The long drive home

1 The start of the marathon 4 day drive from Asheville back home to Snowmass. The first 800 miles in this UHaul truck with Betty seeing us safely off the Deerfield premises. Ridiculous as it may seem , this was the least expensive option of getting back to our car in St Francisville , Louisiana.
2 The Buick , as reliably as ever , cruised back through Texas to Santa Fee , NM where , for the first time ever , it stuttered to a halt with complete loss of electrical power after allowing us to free wheel ( with no power steering ) right into the forecourt of this service station in downtown Santa Fee. Remarkable , after some of the country we had just come through. One of the main leads to the battery had burnt out . A new part ( delivered from another garage within 15 minutes ) and 5 minutes of labour from a very obliging mechanic saw the Buick restored to full health and us happily on our way.
3 & Exploring on bike the state legislature of New Mexico in Santa Fee and a hugely impressive statue of the old pioneering ` covered wagon ` days .
5 Staying the night with tent in garden of an old school friend of M's, Hannah and her husband David and their 2 children Tony and Sophie in Lamy just outside Santa Fee.

The drive next day through southern Colorado and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was stunning arriving back at 270 Meadow Ranch in late evening.