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Cathy Walton-Smith: Life’s not the same as rest of world " it’s better

Cathy Walton-Smith
View from the Lake

May showers bring June flowers. That doesn’t have quite the ring to it as the original. But at our altitude of 8,000+ feet above sea level, life is just not the same as everywhere else in the world ” it’s better. A couple years back, I wrote a little poem reflecting on that, and a reader asked me to print it again. So, here goes:

Life Is Grand

by Cathy Walton-Smith



What to do … It’s so true … I’m afraid I’ll be blue

So far from the fast lane … this lifestyle’s so new



No hustle and bustle ” No shop til you drop

No postal delivery ” Just a view from the top

It’s cold in the winter

It’s cold in the fall

In spring it’s still winter

And the summer is all

It could rain … It could hail … I’m afraid it could snow

And forecasters won’t say when the winds will blow

But the sun is so bright ” And the sky is so blue

And the air is so fresh “There’s so much to do

See the rainbow at dawn

See the sundog at noon

The night is so clear

You can touch the moon

Ride a bike … Ride a horse … Keep your camera nearby

Take just one short hike and then you’ll know why

Catch a fish or a star ” Catch a steer or a cold

Catch a train or a ball ” Find a rock full of gold

Spot a moose or a rabbit

Spot an elk or a deer

There’s a fox in the road

Any time of the year

Hail a friend … Hail a neighbor … And the strangers wave too

Plan to chat in the post office with others there too

The checkers will talk ” The tellers have news

Some of it’s wrong ” But most of it’s true

You need water and snow skis

You need hiking and snow shoes

The weather is perfect

Whichever you choose

In Grand County … It’s a Grand day … Slow down, settle in with the flow

You’re on mountain time now wherever you go

Don’t need a suit ” Don’t need a dress

Wear jeans to the office ” Who could have guessed

Go to work if you must

Go to play when you can

Sit back and relax

Because life here is Grand

June is ready to bust out with some great upcoming (please do not say “up and coming,” it means something totally different) events. June 3 is the Welcome Back Party for the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre cast at the Daven Haven at 5 p.m. For a $10 donation at the door, you’ll meet cast members, enjoy an appetizer or two and be entertained by cast members. This exciting event is always a treat.

Congratulations to Tom and Lynn Ludwig at the Rapids on celebrating 10 years in business in Grand Lake. June 1 through 10 they are inviting us all to help celebrate by offering a 10 percent discount on your food order ” you just have to ask. They are now open every night at 5 p.m. For reservations, call (970) 627-3707 and wish them a happy anniversary.

Opening Night of Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre’s fortieth season is June 13, at 8 p.m. with Oklahoma! This all-time favorite showcases some of the most beautiful songs ever written for the stage and has something for the entire family. Season tickets are still available at the box office. Call (970) 627-3421.

The Grand Lake Elementary PAC invites you to buy and sell merchandise at their June 14th Flea Market. Anyone is welcome to rent a table for $25 in the Grand Lake Elementary parking lot from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 14, to sell their “stuff.” Proceeds will go toward local youth programs and help pay for a truck to pick up unsellable items at the end of the day. If you have any questions, please call Schelly Olson at (970) 627-9402.

Tickets are now on sale for the Art and Architecture Home Tour on Saturday, June 28, from 1 to 5 p.m. This year’s tour also offers a Sixth House Gourmet Dinner catered by Caroline’s Cuisine. The tour only is $25 per person. For a really spectacular day, the tour, 6th house and dinner is $150. Advance reservations can be made now by calling Barbara Ahrens at (970) 627-3097, or get tickets at the Grand Lake Art Gallery or Elk Horn Gallery in Winter Park. This tour is limited and is always sold out.

I am encouraging everyone I know to complete the Grand County Master Plan Survey, since these kinds of plans rely heavily on public input during the development phase. The county is also staging a series of meetings to gather information for the plan. The dates have been regularly posted in the local papers. I hope you will take a moment to download and complete the survey. http://www.co.grand.co.us/planning/links/MasterPlanSurvey.pdf

June is bustin’ out all over.


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