“Wonder’s Never Cease! “
(A banner outside Denver’s Museum of Nature & Science) 

The Cycle of Life.  Birth.  Death.  Rebirth.   Leaving familiarity behind we set out to explore new regions of this vast country of America.  A vibrant display of Autumn leaves was announcing the impending descent of winter.  From Great Grandma LaVerne’s home in the Midwest to the newest, sweetest member of our family, 8 month old Kayla, along with parents Mariah & Shane, we were drawn to the rugged Colorado Rocky Mountains.  When talking to foreigners visiting the U.S.A. we are interested in their chosen itineraries.  Just as we may choose London, Paris, Rome and Athens to visit in Europe, they in turn may choose New York City, Miami, Denver and Los Angeles.

Raised in some of the most beautiful places in the US and Canada, Hawaii and Vancouver Island, it is not surprising that our kids ended up in the magnificent splendor of the Rocky Mountains.  With the snowy peaks as a backdrop we reveled in the gift of lazy, warm Autumn days.  Having just a week together in Wisconsin, we noticed the recent changes of Kayla, Sweet Kayla.  It was a pleasure to watch her caring, loving parents delighting in her antics and contagious smiles.  This new little being, an unmolded bit of clay, is still remembering where she came from, before the mores of our culture form her into a functioning, acceptable member of society, with the accompanying array of problems and baggage.  If it is her path, she later must then dig deep through these layers of untruth to once again discover the Source.  Wouldn’t it make our lives easier just to remember?  This tiny free spirit, filled with light stole our hearts and reminded us of our true intention – to connect and lighten up .

We spent 2 fun-filled weeks taking walks to the nearby lakeside parks, shopping trips to overwhelming mega-malls (unheard of in Africa), dinner with long lost cousins, visiting the impressive Denver Museum of Nature & Science where Joseph donated his entire e-text library, sneaking away to taste delicacies of the modern Wild, Wild West, cooking with spices brought from Zanzibar or Rwanda in international vegan cuisine whipped up in a modern, yes modern kitchen (not over charcoal fires in a small hut).  And simply luxuriating in and being thankful for their beautiful home full of all the modern conveniences like flushing toilets (Hallelujah!) a dishwasher and a washer and dryer, etc.  All these things are taken for granted in this land of plenty.  As we have said before we have so much in America yet often the complaints far outweigh the smiles of a ‘developing’ country.  Scratch that.  Outdated, condescending thinking allows us to describe such countries as a ‘developing’ or ‘third world country’ indicating that we in the west are superior; yet it is we who have everything who lag behind.  Far too busy to squeeze in an attitude of gratitude or have a sense of humor.  I’ll be happy when……….. ?

We prefer to use our newly coined phrase, “an E.D. country, economically different country.  Different, not better or worse.  As we all do our part to learn about and emphasize the similarities between our country and the cultures of far off corners of our planet, the fear perpetuated within America’s boundaries will turn into knowledge, wisdom and acceptance of the amazing variances of this astonishing world of ours.  It all starts at home.

The Wild, Wild West, with wide open plains, big skies, cowboys driving cattle, and a fringe of majestic mountains to the north describes our current state of residence, Wyoming.  Cheyenne is a great state to visit in the summer but the yellow quaking aspens reminded us to go south young man!

Colorado is a beautiful mile high state overflowing with scenic National Parks. The Rockies are a rugged chain of mountains running 2000 miles from New Mexico to neighboring British Columbia.  The Great Divide runs through the center with western rivers running into the Pacific Ocean and the eastern rivers flowing into the Atlantic.  Fifty peaks tower above Colorado with altitudes of over 14,000 ft.  We took off one weekend exploring the ghost towns of historical mining communities and crystal clear lakes near Georgetown.  The majestic Rockies covered with pines sentinels and dusted with snow, stand firm as life progresses before them; from the wild, wild west, to gold mining, to quaint homestead settlements, to large ranches, and now modern little mountain communities or cosmopolitan Denver.  Few states rival Colorado for it’s array of scenic wonders, parks and year round sport activities.

The diversity of America is unparalleled.  Immigrants settled here from distant shores creating a melting pot of cultures.  Accents are as distinct as the regions they represent.  Get a ‘New Yorker’ or someone from Texas, Boston, or Alabama with their southern drawl trying to talk to a resident of ‘New Joisy on Thoisday’ and it is immediately apparent.  How can one compare the ‘city that never sleeps’ New York City with its 14 million, to the still farmlands of America’s breadbasket, to the rich forests of the Appalachian Mountains, to the bright lights of Las Vegas, to the stunning west coast beaches, to the stars of Hollywood, to the cowboys in Texas, to the mellow Hawaiian culture & pace, to the alligator infested Everglades in Florida?  Wherever you travel one can’t help but be impressed with the friendly, outgoing nature of the people you meet.  Creative, innovative, full of life, at times outrageous, these daring pioneers of only 3 centuries ago left their homes to start a new life in the wilds of North America (much to the disdain of the millions of Native Americans).  This mixture of the most courageous and daring spirits from each country has made America what it is today – as with the rest of the world: 95% good, 5% with problems.