Colorado Renewals
For a grande finale to the summer of 2022 (and relief from Florida heat), we journeyed to Colorado in September. As in 2014 and 2019, cousins Jay and Maxann hosted Allene, Jim, Kate, and us at their lovely home in Steamboat Springs and challenged us to learn more about the land that was once the summer hunting grounds of the Ute Indians. After a brief rain shower, we gathered on their deck to see a rainbow in the East, and later, a lovely sunset in the West. Surrounded by beauty and people I love, I felt renewed.
While the men played golf the next morning, we women visited the lovely Holy Name Church in Steamboat. There we learned about an amazing team who built this church and created its stained glass windows. In the 1980s, the church finance council had bought three small houses on the block the former church building then occupied. In the 1990s they started a building fund and began to pray. After the development committee designed a new church, prayers were said at every Mass from 2008 to 2014.
Many assumed that stained glass windows were a dream for the distant future, but parishioner Gregory Effinger offered to design the windows and another, Georgian Kalow, offered to gather a group of volunteers to put the windows together, as she had taught many people in Steamboat to do stained glass. A long list of volunteer artists shows their pride in what they have created.
Another miracle was that the church was completely paid for ($9.1 million) on, the day it was consecrated, September 14, 2014, three decades after the project began. Building on their successes, the church members founded Operation Good Shepherd and provide generous help to the poor and needy of Routt County. Any church seeking to renew their mission could learn from Holy Name.
That afternoon Jay took us to Stagecoach State Park marina, where he had hired Captain Rich to show us how to fish for trout. He was genial and we were successful! We caught enough rainbow trout for the next day’s breakfast and saw another lovely sunset.
September 18 was Jay’s 76th birthday The celebration started with trout for breakfast. The guys went skeet shooting and we women hiked to Fish Creek Falls. Here’s Kate, who especially loves waterfalls.
Lunch on fish tacos at Lupita’s in Oak Creek was next. It’s a place Steve’s sister Karen had recommended years ago, before she passed away, and it reminded us of her lust for life. From there we drove to the Lucky 8 Ranch, which raises bison and takes you out to meet them on All Terrain Vehicles. Steve drove our two-seater ATV well; jolts on the rough terrain gave me a free massage. We learned a lot about bison and the advantages of eating their meat instead of beef (lower cholesterol; bison emit much less methane than cattle).
Here are more photos of the bison and their habitat. Dinner at The Antlers in Oak Creek was a great place to conclude Jay’s birthday celebration. But it wasn’t over yet. On Monday Jay hired cowboy singer Steve Jones to sing for us. His version of “Danny Boy” renewed my appreciation of country music’s roots in Irish and Scottish songs. Maxann served a wonderful dinner. Happy Birthday, Jay! I trust that you, too, felt renewed.
On September 21 we bid our cousins farewell and drove eastward through Rocky Mountain National Park. I’m so glad I took this last photo of Steamboat Springs, because the Park had dense fog that day and was a challenge for Steve to drive through.
But we persevered and were warmly welcomed at the home of Karin and Giles, friends from Cherrydale UMC in Arlington who now live in Loveland CO. It was wonderful to catch up with them after seven years and to play Karin’s piano. The next morning we took off early for the Denver airport. Steve returned to Florida; I flew to Amarillo to visit my cousin Julia O’Dell, whom I last saw ten years ago. I’m very grateful to have renewed ties with people I love.
Leave a Reply