09/01/2003 - 8:32 PM

So I didn't end up ditching Ted and Devin yesterday, much to my surprise. I just decided that I didn't feel like being anti-social, so I sucked it up and went to the festival, and all of us had a lousy time, so we left quickly. Grabbed dinner at the nearby mall, and did a little bit of shopping, but since I'm on a budget, I didn't buy anything. Restraint occurs, but not often (note the bathroom fixtures purchased above that were replacing less-than-desireable items, not non-functional items).

My internal alarm clock woke me up at 6:30 this morning, despite my wishes the night before to sleep in and relax. While most people would have rolled over, pulled the pillow over their head and gone back to sleep, I jumped out of bed, dressed quickly, grabbed a water bottle, and headed up to Boulder to do some hiking. First stop was Wonderland Lake, and that was okay, but not all that scenic. The only thing I was wondering was why they called it Wonderland. Back East, we would have called it a POND, but I try not to let my Northeast attitude slip out.

Feeling that the hike had not been much of a challenge, I then drove about 45 minutes to a place called Peaceful Valley, which is northeast of Boulder. If you ever visit Colorado and want an amazingly scenic drive, take the Peak to Peak Highway between Nederland and Estes Park. So beautiful...I could have driven that road over and over and seen something new each time.

Upon entering Peaceful Valley, I thought I had made a wrong turn, as I started driving through campgrounds that weren't mentioned in the directions. However, my trusty trail guide was right on the mark with the mileage, and I found the parking area with no problem. The trail was a bit uphill, but nothing I couldn't handle, and the reward at the end made it all worthwhile.

Timberline Falls was awe-inspiring. I've seen waterfalls rage over rocks and through crevices like this before, but never in September. Normally rivers run like that in April, as the snows from the mountains start to melt. I climbed up on a rock formation, and just grinned from ear to ear. There is something about fast-moving water that draws me in, and I'm sure there's mulitple reasons for that. The kid in me kept creeping closer to the edge, trying to get a slightly better perspective, as the adult in me said that if I slipped, there would be nothing to stop my fall, so I found a happy medium. That view was impressive, no matter where you stood.

Normally I would have had a notebook with me to record my thoughts, but something inside said not to bring it along. So the only thing I did was just BE...no analysis, reminiscence, misery, fantasizing...it was just me enjoying the moment, and what a moment it was, too. Not that the diary wasn't there in some form...a few of SquirrelX's disciples were checking up on me, and I saw a view from the top of the falls that looked like it could have been from a non-descript template.

So tomorrow is two years in Colorado. I thought about going back to the Continental Divide and watching the sunset like I did last year, but with all the driving and nature-viewing I did today, I would have a hard time of topping that, so I might just leave it as is. Besides, I haven't seen Matt since Thursday morning, and tomorrow IS "must see Gay TV on Bravo", so maybe I should just continue living my life in honor of the anniversary. And what a wonderful life it is, too...

What I'm Listening To: Jill Scott - One

First Word That Comes To Mind: waterfall

What I'm Currently Reading: