WHERE THE COOL IS

Where the Cool Is

To all who sizzle at a hundred three,

Come to the mountains and camp with me.

See on your road map the color green

Shows the mountains cool and clean.

For every thousand feet you climb,

Four degrees are left behind.

Keep on climbing and it’s for sure,

You’ll find the perfect temperature

Somewhere between the heat below

And the chill of mountain snow.

Find a spot near aspen trees;

Let nature cool you with her breeze.

WE ARE IN THE COOL--AND COOLING OUR HEELS  while the pandemic rages across the country.  We have camped at 5 spots on the Colorado Plateau  which covers 5 states with altitudes around 7000 feet. (Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Utah)

You may remember yhat a handful of us chose not to scatter for the summer but hung around this lovely free spot 30 or so miles west of Phoenix to wait out the corona virus pandemic.

Got a bit warm so me alll moved uphill

to the Mogollion rim, high country of Arizona outside Payson
till we tired of it and moved on---

to this lovely lakefront spot near Concho, az for 2 weeks.

By this time I sorely needed a haircut.

We moved to this terrific spot outside Springerville, Az at 9000 feet elevation and perfectly cool.

Then crossed over to New Mexico

and through the flatland plains 

passing the El Malpais Nat'l monument 

and settling in at Bushrod's place--my oldest friend.

where I bought a badly needed new chair.  Christy approved kt.

Then goes with me to the Taos high bridge across the Rio Grande.

Notice anything dirrerent about me?  I got a haircut

People sometimes come to this bridge to die--jumping to the river and rocks below in about 3 seconds.  Several of these machines beg them to think things over, press that red button  and talk to someone.  THERE IS HOPE it says in large letters..

Christy and I stayed the night

so as to appreciate these wonders next morning,  They are called EARTH SHIPS by the locals---made of largely recycled materials, lovingly and artfully constructed as off-the-grid, self-sufficient  homes.

There are about 50 of them in a vast meadow----cost about $40,000 upward to build.

And then we made our way to a grand plateau--elevation 8,250 ft--perfect--near Salida, CO.

7 of us are nestled along a cliff and among the trees.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  SWEET PEOPLE--THIS IS THE LIFE YOU HAVE BEEN FANTASIZING---living as cheaply as a flock of sparrows, connected like a herd of wild horses, free as the wind, embraced by a great set of friends.  It's doable and we are living proof.