Memories of the Rocky Mountain State

It’s hard to believe that three years have gone by since our last trip to Colorado, in August 2015…and the bucket list experience that I had longed for.  For many years, I dreamed of experiencing an alpine wildflower meadow in the Rockies.  Our wonderful hosts that we stayed with, Al and Marty Rozman, assured me that we had planned our visit at a time that it should be possible to make that happen- and indeed they provided me the thrill of a lifetime by taking us the last day of our vacation on an open-air excursion in the bed of their pick-up truck/turned tour bus, outfitted with old van seats.  A perfect perch from which all the senses could be engaged as we drove through a remote part of the western slope of the Rockies that we never could have seen without them.

I can still remember the smell of the fresh mountain air, the short-windedness I felt while trying to walk a short distance at the high altitude….and the thrill of my bucket list dream becoming a reality as we stopped and walked through a high alpine meadow that was bursting with wildflowers of all different colors and shapes,  including the wildflower I hoped I might see- the state flower of Colorado, the columbine.  There were many beautiful sights that day, but this was the pinnacle for me- to walk in an alpine meadow that was almost shoulder-high with blooming wildflowers.

Shortly after we returned home, I painted this memory in acrylic on canvas.  It makes me smile and long to see this beauty one more time.