DocAndersen
In the pictures that my father left I can still see through my father’s eyes. The pictures shared today more of his Wildflowers collection. My favorite memory of my dad outdoors comes from a family trip to Colorado. It was my dad’s dream vacation, staying in a cabin and lots of hiking. We were on the edge of Estes Park that is in the mountains above Denver. Denver is called the Mile high city, so you can imagine how high the mountains that tower over Denver are. Not, having been to the Himalayas and the Andes anything like two mountain ranges. But in North America, they are the highest mountains. Stretching from Canada all the way through the US they are the purple mountains majesty.
I was going to try my hand at fly fishing that vacation. I wasn’t very good, but it did get me out of at least one forced march (I mean hike). The hikes were in the woods and always in search of something. Be a lake with perfectly blue crystal water. Crystal water is different than the water you have in most ponds. At least different than the brown water you can’t see into in most Indiana Ponds. Or the somewhat almost not quite water of Ohio. The Ohio River they say is to thick to Navigate, to thin to cultivate. It is, as far as I know, brown year round as is the Chesapeake Bay by the by. But these lakes you look into and see what was on the bottom. The water was clear.
It sparkled in the pictures — each one, each hike further and further away from our cabin. The forced marches were dad’s vacation. We did get to see Mule Deer and Moose. I got to try my hand at fly fishing. I did manage to hook one trout but wasn’t able to reel it in. I was learning the reality of fly fishing. There are, and I will share some, many pictures from that vacation. It was a slice of life with my father. I realized two years ago when we went to Europe that I was my father’s son. The twins said “we don’t want to go to x in Amsterdam.” I asked why is that? They said going to any place is just an excuse for you and mom to make us walk more. 23,000 steps vritually every day we were in Europe!
I do not have so many beautiful memories from childhood. I and my parents walked once a year to the sea, and this was also the only trip.
sounds like the walk to the sea was fun each year. But sorry to hear you don’t have many happy memories.
…and I love wildflowers. Makes me wanna sing:
?Let her cry, for she’s a lady
Let her dream, for she’s a child
Let the rain fall down upon her
She’s a free and gentle flower, growing wild?
??
Let her sing because it is a beautiful song!
I tried my hand in fishing and that was when I realized I was not born to be a fisherwoman ?. So I gave it up. And 23,000 steps a day? After feeling like I am going to lose my feet, legs and thighs from all the walking in China – and still gaining weight because we had been eating too ? – I surely can understand the feelings of your kids.
We got to see the Copenhagen and Amsterdam that residents see, not what tourists are shown! Where in China? I’ve had the chance to go to Shanghai and Beijing.
We are not quite fond of cities. We fly to Guangzhou City but stayed most of the times in Yangshou and Guilin. We were in Guangzhou for 2 days only.
I understand that we stay away from big cities when we travel, other than Europe!
We can feel his love for nature and the beauty around though these photos!
Dad did love being outdoors! Funny how you realize things like that after the person is gone.