Happy New Year from 8,700 Feet

We were here New Year's Eve Day, up the canyon at Telluride...

to meet up with Daughter #1 and The Boyfriend and The Boyfriend's family for lunch, which was very enjoyable and then it was up the mountain to watch the kids " shred some nard." whatever that means...

Then since parents are such a downer to a day of "Nard shredding" we let them loose, warmed up with some hot chocolate, and headed back down...

 to the old mining town's main street, that has to be one of the prettiest in Colorado...what an amazing undertaking for the merchants who came to sell to the miners so far back in such a desolate place. 

 

 By 2 o'clock, the sun had already given up on the south side of the canyon, where ice had claimed the roads and alleys...

And would not be melting until Spring. Snow on the other hand was late in coming to this ski resort along with the whole of Southwest Colorado. The north slope still covered with its Fall brown blanket...

and Colorado Street barren of snow...

But Christmas had definitely come and gone, the merchants of Telluride making sure that the store fronts were properly decorated and a glow to entice the chilled passerbyers to come in out of the cold...

Of course it is Telluride so at the end of December there were more than a few bikes around. See those grey lines on the tires...

snow chains, no kidding!

And there was a dog, tied up in front of  Steaming Bean Coffee...

waiting for someone to come out. We went in, chilly after walking around and this time got some hot, hot tea...

and perused my Christmas gift from Jon, a Kindle Fire. Actually, Jon perused it, I watched life go by and got inspired to do an illustration from inside the Steaming Bean, which still has the Victorian stamped tin ceiling and high windows that provided another interesting view of the lab waiting outside and the passerbyers. I loved  the warm glow of the coffee shop, against the cold darkening street outside- might be kind of interesting in a fabric collage...

But since it is just a gleamer of an idea this last day of 2011, it will have to get in line behind the pieces waiting on my work table- Migration through Moab, Rush Hour on the Rez and the more formed idea resting in the files of my computer- View From a Tent.

May 2012 bring this illustrations and many more to completion and may you also have a lovely and productive year!