Day 29 - 2/17/10 - Day Off

"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired." - Jules Renard

Today is Wednesday February 17, 2010. I have opted to rest (or be lazy) after yesterdays time on the mountain. The combination of hiking and then tiring snowboarding runs did some work to my body. It was a great day. Hope you enjoyed yesterday's video. Truth is I am not really being lazy as I am in fact writing/typing to you. I may have neglected to share this with all of you, but typically when I write/type (and edit videos) I come to the Telluride Public Library. It is named the Wilkinson Public Library. Here is the "about us" piece of info from their website:

The present day 20,000 square foot library located at the corner of Pine & Pacific streets nearly wasn’t built. In 1997 every vote on the referendum to build the new building was essential. After a recount the referendum passed by a margin of only two votes. The new building opened in August 2000.

The front entrance of the library building is pictured above. If you can't tell I am building this library up. Prior to my time here at Wilkinson, I fully admit I have not been keen on library visits in general. As a matter of fact I have vivid memories of my last visits to a library. That would be the Babson College library (named Horn) approximately 13 years ago! I was a procrastinator and typically ended up with long nights studying for exams and writing papers. Anyway, the Wilkinson library is great. I'm not just saying that to make me look good either. Here's why it is great. I sit in a conference room (free), get on their wifi network (free) and can print (free). All things that allow me to type you this blog. And get this. At the end of my library day I walk downstairs and go to their DVD collection. They have lots of documentaries and regular box office type movies. And guess what? You check those out for a one week period...FREE of charge! To date I have watched about 10 documentaries and 4 movies. I've gone old school with the movies. I've watched A Street Car Named Desire, From Here to Eternity and just recently finished Casablanca. Next week I may watch some old westerns with Clint Eastwood and then branch off into some newer ones in following weeks. For the documentaries, the ones I have recently watched are Everest, An Inconvenient Truth (Al Gore global warming one) and Bowling for Columbine. I will not bore you with my opinions, but I have "appreciated" all of them. I am about to start watching a series on America's wars. Each DVD covers one war i.e. Civil, Revolutionary, WWI, WWII, Korean, Vietnam, Desert Storm....pretty much every major one. I like history because it defines who, what and where we are today.

On a whim I ended up emailing Justin Chandler at the Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club (TSSC) today. It was a good thing I did so. He asked me if I was interested in working for the Alpine races this weekend. It was a four day event beginning tomorrow (Thursday) so again my timing of reaching out to him was impeccable. Remember, for each day of race I volunteer I get two tickets, one to work the race and one to use whenever I want. Volunteering for the races has nice little perks.

So there is my day today. Nothing burning and not too much excitement. But at least you have met my home base from where I bring you this blog. I enjoy writing to it (and you). I hope you enjoy reading it. Good evening from Telluride's Wilkinson Public Library....they are about to kick me out as it closes at 8pm!

Day 28 - 2/16/10 - Telluride Mountain

"Assume nothing, pursue everything." - Kevin Riper

Today is Tuesday February 16th 2010. I have been in Telluride for 11 days and this will be my first full day on the mountain. I have spent my first week and a half looking for jobs, meeting people and getting used to what Telluride has to offer. As far as the mountain, I've been on it a few days working for the ski races and therefore have only been able to get a few runs in. Until today.

Some of my days I spend writing and editing video. Other days, I feel I'm establishing a routine in a new town. Today, I felt like I was on top of the world. The music is this video is "Open Your Eyes" by the band Snow Patrol. I apologize about the low volume level of my voice. You may have to turn it up a little when I speak and then readjust with the music. Some of the runs I took required me to hike up in order to get down. It was exhausting...mostly due to the thin air. It was a great day on Telluride Mountain. Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D2u5i4Lw2k

The quote of the day seems to sum up a better piece of my day and this video. When you are going up a lift and see an area off in the distance that you can only get to by hiking, you assume the experience of getting to it is hard, but rewarding. There is something gratifying about hiking up to places where a lift or some piece of machinery cannot get you to. You hike, you sweat and you work to get to where many others do not go. I came to Telluride to experience all that I can and pursue the ultimate rush. I came closer today.

Day 27 - 2/15/10 - Simple Yet Powerful

"So remember to look in the sky at the birds in flight, smell the grass in the air after it's been mowed, look for the Big Dipper in the evening sky, skim flat rocks across the pond and when you see an enormous tree, think to yourself, wow,imagine all the life and history that tree has seen"

- Coleen McGeachey

I've recently received a blog comment and several emails regarding my Day 19 (2/7/10) tribute to Bob McGeachey. The things that have been said in the comment and emails have struck a cord with me. I leave it for you to determine if they do with you.

A piece of Coleen McGeachey's comment to the blog is quoted above. In another email, Jeff Thoreck, sent a story from a recent day of his. Jeff is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. McGeachey. Jeff wrote to me that he was in his yard with his wife and daughter when he looked up to see a hawk flying over head. He thought of what his fathers response would be to a hawk flying over head. He said his father would stop everyone from what they are doing and make sure everyone else was viewing and appreciating what he was.

I left Boston 26 days ago. In that time, I have dealt with new experiences and new emotions. It's easy to have all of that when you leave a routine and do something that you have never done before. With Coleen and Jeff''s reflections and at this stage of my journey/adventure, something has developed into a significant and provoking thought:

• Take time to enjoy the simple things in life. They can sometimes be the most powerful.

Coleen's words in the quote of the day are a reflection of how her husband lived his life. He appreciated the simple things. Jeff's encounter with the hawk flying over head and his thought process was powerful. I have enclosed a picture above that I had taken a few days before my exchanges with Coleen and Jeff. It was a picture of an elk, roadside, that I did a dangerous uturn for just to snap that picture. To some it is just a picture of an animal. To me, it was a simple shot of something (wildlife) I appreciate and rarely get to see. It was simple in nature and powerful in imagery.

Read the quote a few times over. You have all done bits and pieces of it. I think the question is, have you (and I) done it enough? Or is life too busy and chaotic to stop and take time to look at the stars? I'll never forget being young and on the back porch of the McGeachey home. We looked, looked and looked...until we final saw one. A shooting star. My mind ran a million different ways after it happened. That was powerful. I suppose being young was simple in general. But it does not mean we cannot tap into that simplicity and remember (or learn) to appreciate the simple things. Like Bob McGeachey did.

From a place closer to the stars....good night from Telluride.

Day 25 & 26 - 2/13 - 2/14/10 - Telluride, CO

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention." ~Oscar Wilde

Days 25 & 26 - Volunteer Work (pictured above)

This weekend marks the dates of 2/13 and 2/14 2010. The weekend was full of a new experience for me. As I mentioned on Day 23 (Thursday 2/11) I met Justin (Chandler) during indoor soccer. Justin is the Executive Director of Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club (TSSC). TSSC is a non-for-profit organization whose mission is to instill and nurture a passion for all snow sports along with developing character, discipline and desire, which encourages young athletes to reach their highest potential. That is their actual mission statement and here is their web site http://www.tssc.org/. TSSC was who I volunteered with this weekend. While many people called it "volunteer work" I will suggest that this was a unique opportunity for me to be a part of a team that brought order to an Alpine Racing event i.e. I was on a mountain, I got a sunburn (a bad one) and this really was not work! I want to thank Justin for giving me the opportunity to be this close to the action as well as meet another great set of people (volunteers, coaches and racers) in Telluride. This weekends event was the USCSA (United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association) Men's and Women's GS (Giant Slalom) Race. These guys can explain it (and anything really) better than me http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gs_skiing

Day 25 (Saturday) was Day 1 (of 2) of the USCSA College Race. I've made the wise decision to NOT take video and pictures. I figured it would be in the best interests of my "work" reputation to focus on the tasks at hand, learn the process and meet the people. I met lots of people today. Donna and Ray were the two people who headed up different areas of the race that I was exposed to. Donna was in charge of the starting gate area and Ray was in charge of the Gatekeepers. I'll explain. At the starting gate 4-5 people keep track of 1) official start times (electronic), 2) unofficial star times (manual), 3) ensuring racers are in order and at the start gate in time, and 4) informing the rest of the staff, via radio, of any changes. Changes could be a no show, a racer being late and thus changing the order, etc. They do other things as well, but that is the jist. Donna was really nice and she sets a high bar for running a good operation. The folks at the start gate were welcoming and funny (during down times). We had a good time. Further form the start are the Gatekeepers. The "Gatekeeper" job includes monitoring a given section of the course to be sure each racer passes though the gate correctly. Gates are essentially the flags that the racers have to pass through. On the course today the gates are alternating sets (a set being two flags about 10 years apart) of red and blue gates. The gates alternate in a "S" shape to make the racer weave back and forth. For the racers it is balance, power, speed and focus. I gained a whole new level of appreciation for these athletes. Especially the ones screaming in pain as they come down the course with their muscles burning from repeatedly digging into the turns at high speeds.

By Day 26 (Sunday) I could have worked for the Apline skiing events in this winter's Vancouver Olympics. I had been trained by the TSSC pros of Telluride and I was ready to be on my own. Today I was a Gatekeeper. I was in charge of gates #13 through #16 and I had to watch as 55-75 racers (per heat) come through my assigned gates every 20-30 seconds. You actually need to stay focused just because of the repetitive nature of 75 racers coming through per heat. Women go first and then minutes after the Men start. There is a heat in the morning and one in the afternoon. The more I watch and get to see these athletes the more I appreciate what they are doing. And the top racers....let's just say I was shocked at the speed and balance of their runs. It was impressive. Today I also met some of the coaches. One coach in particular was Chris Grover, from the Purgatory Ski Team (of Durango Mountain Resort). Chris attended the Killington Mountain School (in Vermont) and has been in the Telluride ski area for 8 years. Chris was an Apline racer himself so his take on all the racers was cool. Chris was the women's official for the race and he was also kind enough to shoot some video of what Gatekeeping responsibility is like. Thanks to Chris for videoing and best of luck to his team the rest of the season. Couple quick hits on the video:

1. With the first few racers, note the platform I am standing on. I had to dig this in the snow because the slope was steep and hard to stand on regularly.
2. I did not include music because I wanted people to hear some of Chris' coaching. You can hear him say "Downhill ski, downhill ski, downhill ski.." It was cool for me to hear the coaching lingo.
3. At the end of the video is a clip of the men's fastest racer of the day. He flew.
4. Though she did not make the video (because I was in awe) the top women's racer (from New York) was unbelievable to watch come down the mountain. Her center of gravity was low and strong. I can't tell you how fast she was going, but she was whipping down the mountain, hitting every gate and blowing away most women (and men!) in her times.
5. Here is the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnLiXlp9uy8

And finally, Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. Hope everyone has a great day with your loved ones. Good night from Telluride.

Days 20 - 24 - 2/8/10 - 2/12/10 - Telluride, CO

"People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built." - Eleanor Roosevelt

I'm here in Telluride and I am not sure I mentioned this, but Telluride has been my final destination since the outset of this adventure. For most of my journey and while getting used to new settings in Telluride, it can be difficult to stay current with my write-ups. In an effort to get caught up, I am going to cover this first full week (2/8/10 through 2/12/10) in this one post. I write the bits and pieces every day so the memory bank is in check (sometimes it is not) and then I sit to organize, edit, make video and send to you. Thus the delayed days. So before we get into it, check out this cool video of my very first drive into Telluride. Couple things to note. First, is that this is a long winding road...the only one that leads into Telluride and the only one that can get you out. The town is as remote as I have ever seen and it literally sits in the mountains. Second, the first real view of Telluride Mountain is at the 1:16 mark of the video. Look off in the distance. It's a dominant view when you first see it. When I first get into town you can see the High School off to the left (big brick structure) in the near distance. Last thing. Probably the most historic buildings in Telluride are the San Miguel Courthouse and the New Sheridan Hotel. Both are next to each other and both are around the 3:05 (Courthouse....with the clock tower) and 3:14 (Hotel) marks of the video. I end the video with a scenic view of the entire town of Telluride (from a Gondola). Music is "Speed of Sound" by Coldplay and I like how it fits the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoGjI4JpEtw

Day 20 - 2/8/10 - Today is Monday and where I might normally feel gross from Superbowl Sunday unhealthiness, here in Telluride I feel ok. The establishment where I viewed the game is here http://www.browndogpizza.net/ and fortunately I was able to control my eating and drinking. What I could not control were the somewhat crazy New Orleans Saints fans that were in attendance. Here they are, after a Saints touchdown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oclSMrJr1hA. Brown Dog Pizza has a New England flare to it. It's owned by one Boston guy and another guy who was roommates with Tom Brady at one point while attending Michigan. Pretty cool. They have some Brady signed jerseys and other New England paraphernalia. Makes me feel right at home. Until I walk outside and see enormous mountains!

Day 21 - 2/9/10 - It is Tuesday in Telluride and unfortunately upon my arrival to town I came across a scene that has the entire town in shock. Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoWk-xvDUM. I have only been here for a few days and it did not take me long to understand the impact of this event. Baked in Telluride (BIT) was one of the more popular establishments in the town. I have included pictures above and I am sorry that this town lost a piece of its character. It still has plenty left.

Day 22 - 2/10/10 - By Wednesday of this week I felt comfortable about having my feet on the ground here. Part of my issue is that I do not like the "throw yourself out there" attitude. In one respect that makes it hard for me to meet people. In another respect I am not the new guy in town that is too loud. And I have seen it before already; someone walks into a bar and makes too much an appearance. People are so nice here and they likely would not tell the guy he is a jackass, but they eventually pay no attention to him. Basically, I am not that type, nor do I care to be that type. I've taken a slow approach. Today I met a woman who is the President of Telluride Youth Soccer. I told her my background in coaching and she was immediately interested in seeing if I would coach. This was great because I definitely miss that part of my life back in Boston. She also opened the door to several other individuals who I met today. Mick is the owner of The Steaming Bean and that is a coffee shop on Main St. He is English, loves soccer and immediately invites me to indoor soccer tomorrow (Thursday) night. The day just keeps getting better. I make my way up the Gondola to go into Mountain Village. This is what I see when I step off the Gondola http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoZNG3yJ9so. If you can't tell it is tiny kids learning to ski on a tiny slope. The have a pseudo conveyor belt (the black strip between the snow areas) that takes the kids up the hill, then they ski down. They ski about 30-40 yards down the hill and without missing a beat they hop on the conveyor belt and get back up the hill. It cracked me up to watch it, but I could not help but think that these tiny kids will be the next best thing on the mountain in a few years. Kids are fearless and most of them that I see on the mountain are fast and near flawless.

Day 23 - 2/11/10 - Today is Thursday and I've had a busy day. I started off in Telluride dropping my resume off to a few places. When you work for certain outfits in the town and on the mountain you get a season pass for free (or a significant discount). Given the price tag of $1,800 I figured I would try. And it is also a great way to meet people so there is no harm in that. Trouble is I am coming in mid season and there is not much available. I'll give it a shot and see what happens. After I dropped off the resumes I went to the public library and got the lay of the land there. The place is amazing. I know I use that word a lot, but it really is. The people are very nice and they have a ton of books, videos and everything. It's all free. Basically I can check out as many movies as I want for a week. I was signed up with library card in hand after ten minutes there. Sara worked the magic and she got a kick out of me and my reaction to how generous the library is in their approach. Are other libraries like this? I then made my way into Montrose, the closest dwelling to Telluride that has larger retail stores. I basically made a grocery run.....50 miles there and 5o miles back. The way it works here; you go to Montrose, you spend a 30-40% less on food. Remember my factoid from a previous post? That Telluride has no main stream chains and retail shops at all? That can sometimes equal out to a higher price tag. I also stopped at the Sports Authority in Montrose to pick up indoor soccer shoes for my debut tonight.

I met Mick (coffee shop owner) at the High School gym for indoor soccer tonight. He introduced me to Justin and Anthony. It was a good time although the 8,750 altitude had me struggling a little! I was grateful Mick invited me. Justin is from NH. Not only are Mick and Justin associated with Telluride Youth Soccer (both coach), but Justin works on the mountain and asked me if I would be interested in volunteer work....in exchange for free lift tickets. Two per each time I volunteer. How cool is that? Anthony is from Dublin and unfortunately he flies home tomorrow. Very nice guy and the four of us enjoyed playing on the same team and then hitting a bar after for food and a drink. Good news is they asked me to play again. Bad news is I hope my lungs recover by then!

Day 24 - 2/12/10 - Today is Friday and I have energy. So I am a little embarrassed. I've been here for a week and I have not been on the mountain yet. Truth is, I am not too worried about it. I am taking my time to get acquainted with the town and the people. The mountain and I will have lots of time together in the near future. So I found this help wanted ad in the daily newspaper. It's a company called Elevation Imaging and they are looking for an on mountain photographer. I jumped out of my chair. Many of you may not know this, but I enjoy photography a lot. I have a camera (it was a generous gift) and ever since I received it in June 2009, I have taken approximately 2,000 pictures with it. I suppose that is not a ton, but it's a good amount. Anyway the camera is with me, it has been the source of many of the pictures (not videos) that I post to this blog and I enjoy it. Like I said, I jumped out of my chair, hopped on the Gondola and went over to Mountain Village to the location of Elevation Imaging. I had a resume in hand. When I got there, here was the extent of the conversation. Keep in mind it took me one hour to 1) go to my car and get camera, 2) walk back to the Gondola and 3) take the Gondola from Telluride to Mountain Village:

Me - Energetically - "Hi, I am interested in the position I saw advertised in the daily news."

Elevation Imaging - "Great, what's your name?"

Me - Eagerly - "I'm Nick Richio. I submitted a resume on line and I figured I would drop a hard copy off as well as put a name to the face"

Elevation Imaging "Great. Can you come back tomorrow morning at 9:30am?"

Me - Not like I had a choice - "See you then. Thank you."

Anyway, I meet with them tomorrow morning. I am excited about it as it involves something I am truly passionate about. Oh, I spoke with my sister today and she received a package that I had sent for her, her husband, my nephew and niece. I am glad they received it and it is always good to hear her voice. Remember she and her husband lived in Telluride for five years. I know they love me, but I think they temporarily dislike me because I am here and they are not. They live in Eugene, Oregon. Sorry family. Telluride misses you.

Well, there it is. One week in one post. It was an eventful week. Through things I have done and people I've talked to, I feel like I have been here for a month. Some people (locals here) say it takes years to break into a place like this. I am not close, but I believe if you do things in an effective and subtle manner, then people will respect you up front and maybe, just maybe, have a genuine interest in getting to know who you are.

Day 19 - 2/7/10 - A Special Tribute

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal" ~From a headstone in Ireland

What am I supposed to do here? I really wanted to do this, but how can I possibly say the right things? I even asked Jason (McGeachey) if it would be ok to write about his Dad and he said it would be ok. Jason is one of my closest friends from Cape Elizabeth (Maine). This will be my most challenging post thus far. I can't even decide if I want to call him Bob or Mr. McGeachey. Bob was the man I did not get to see enough through college and post college years. Mr. McGeachey was the man who supported me in all my endeavors on the soccer fields and in the very important youth and teenage years of life. I'll be all over the map with who I refer to him as. As you can see from the picture above, Bob passed from his family and friends far too soon. Today, February 7, 2010, is the one year anniversary of his passing. And because he touched the lives of so many, this is my small tribute to him.

Bob McGeachey was an amazing man. He still is an amazing man. He was a great husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend to so many people. Bob took care of others as if they were more important than he was. I saw this first hand with many days and nights spent at the McGeachey household during my youth. Mr. and Mrs. McGeachey treated me better than they did their own sons. He was a hard working man. The sole proprietor of McGeachey Tree and Lanscape he worked magic with his hands on some of the most beautiful property in the town, state and I'll even throw in the east coast. Like I said in Day 7 of my blog, Cape Elizabeth is one of the most beautiful places in our country. His work was admired and respected by all. Bob had an incredible aura to him when he was around his grandchildren. He loved them passionately. But where his greatness shone was in his ability to be a "grandfather" to those who were not his grandchildren. Kids loved him and though I rarely witnessed it, I heard it often and viewed it first hand when people, including so many kids, celebrated the life of this beloved man. Quite simply Bob McGeachey was a man who took all the love, caring and unselfishness in the world and spread it to anyone he came into contact with. My and my parents love for his entire family has made me part of who I am today. I thank Mr. and Mrs. McGeachey for the many years where they treated me as their own.

Of all my quotes, I am most happy I found this one. If you read it a few times and digest it, it is emotionally moving and I think it applies to all of us and the close people we have lost in our lives.

To Mrs. McGeachey, Jeff, Jason, Josh and all of the McGeachey/Thoreck family, each and every one of you are in my thoughts and prayers. Please know that Bob's funeral prayer card travels with me, in my car, each and every day of my journey. If time could stand still, I would be back on Orchard Rd. with the stories keeping me laughing and the signature wood stove fire keeping me worry free. He built everyone of those fires for the family and friends in his home and not for himself.

I hope everyone can pass along a prayer to Mr. McGeachey and those close to you that have passed. Good night from Telluride.

Day 17 & 18 - 2/5/10 & 2/6/10 - Telluride, CO

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." - Alan Cohen

Let's get to the quote a little later on. For now, I have arrived in Telluride and here are some fun facts about the place where my adventure has taken me to:

• Telluride has the only free gondola public transportation system of its kind in North America.
• At 9,078 feet above sea level, the Telluride Regional Airport is the highest commercial airport in North America.
• At the east end of Telluride, Bridal Veil Falls is Colorado's tallest free-falling waterfall at 365 feet.
• Ski Magazine rates Telluride Ski Resort in the Top 10 ski resorts in North America.
• Telluride Helitrax is Colorado's only helicopter ski company and has been in operation since 1982.
• Telluride was the first city in the world to have electric streetlights.
• Once called the “City of Lights,” the world's first alternating current (AC) power plant was built here.
• Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank in Telluride on June 24, 1889, walking away with over $24,000.
• The Galloping Goose's oldest bus, #101, runs on non-toxic, biodegradable, vegetable oil-based biodiesel fuel.
• There are no chain restaurants or shops in Telluride.
• The nearest stoplight is 45 miles away.

There. Just some background on what I am dealing with here. From these two days, 2/5 (Friday) and 2/6 (Saturday) I can tell you that a few of those items on that list are true. There are definitely no street lights. One of the pictures I took above is of the town of Telluride center. It has unbelievable character to it....and not one street light. This fact is actually not a huge deal to me because my hometown of Cape Elizabeth (ME) installed it's first stop light near the high school sometime in the past decade (I think). It always had one flashing light on Rt 77, but no stop light. We also had a huge police force with three patrolling cops at any point in time. That's intimidation. While breaking up high school parties was common, pulling people over for running red lights was not. The other picture above (right) is of Mountain Village and the FREE Gondola that runs through it. I have to emphasize free because not much in any part of getting up a mountain is free unless with your own feet. The little party area below the Gondola in the picture is a place called Hop Garden. Good food and some good microbrew beers. Oh, here is one more thing I did not realize until I spoke with my sister. She lived in Telluride with her husband for five years. Telluride is it's own town and Mountain Village, with all 1,370 residents (2008 data), is its own town. I thought Mountain Village was just the area of Telluride's ski mountain where all the condos, restaurants, shopping, ski lifts were. Nope. Mountain Village is an incorporated town (1995) in the state of CO. Interesting because each town takes up a side of the ski mountain. What's even more cool about it is there are two FREE Gondolas. One goes up a face of the mountain in Telluride, hits a peak, then descends (on the same gondola line) into Mountain Village. Basically you go town to town on one FREE Gondola. It is something you have to try to really appreciate it. The second Gondola (the one pictured) runs from a ski plaza in Mountain Village to the Mountain Village Town Hall building and Village Market that are somewhat situated from the ski area.

For these two days, I walked around town, spoke with quite a few people in shops, markets, libraries, a bakery and a coffee shop...where I got a hot chocolate. It was good. It was a couple days for me to get my feet on the ground and see what the towns of Telluride and Mountain Village are like. One thing for sure is that everyone knows everyone, like all small ski towns.

So there it is. I bet you all want to visit now. And only after two days here, I think you should. It is beautiful and clean and the people here are very friendly. I'll try and capture it more in future blogs, but the way this town is nestled into the mountains is truly spectacular. And that is about the only reason you should need to come here. I have not seen any place like it.

Today's quote was cued up from some time back and I decided to use it today because someone emailed me and said "It takes a lot of courage to do what you are doing" It took me some time to think about that as courage was nothing I thought about with respect to what I am doing. It is such a powerful word to me. However when I thought about some of my moments on this trip, the elements of unknown, not having my typical comforts, it occurred to me that you have to be somewhat fearless to hop in a car and go. Again, courage is a strong word to me and its not like I had one canteen of water, no form of communication and a compass for this trip. I had modern technology to help.....well, my courage. The one part of the quote that I agree with, but does not apply is "But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful." I have not enbarked on this adventure because where I come from means nothing to me. Boston and Maine have always been home for me and I probably take for granted how secure I feel there. Anyway, I've tried to explain this before. This adventure is about opening your eyes to things you have never seen before, it's about seeing something truly majestic and it's about discovering new things about yourself that you did not know. It's really a great quote in any case.

No videos for today. Sorry. There will be some in the following days. Actually my blog for tomorrow (2/7) will be a special tribute. I hope you can all take the time to read it. Thanks for checking and stay tuned!