After two cloudy days, one of which was a little drizzly “down here,” we woke this morning to bright blue skies. As I was sitting at the breakfast table I noticed that the mountains in the distance had snow on them, and were transformed. Their changed appearance added contrast and texture to the entire landscape. 🙂 I would go on the deck and take a picture of Pikes Peak as soon as I ate the last bites of scrambled egg.
I forgot to do it, but I did take a picture of my sourdough sponge that I had put to ferment the night before. There isn’t a large enough bowl here for it so I had put it in a casserole and then set the lid on. It was nice and bubbly this morning and I put the lid back on. In a couple of days it will be sour enough for me to want to make some kind of bread with it.
I forgot to take that mountain picture because I was so excited about my trip to the Denver area today to see blogger Pom Pom! She and I have known each other through our blogs for nearly ten years, but this was to be our first in-person encounter.
It took me 45 minutes to make the drive, in Soldier’s little Honda Fit with its stick shift. It makes me feel younger to drive a manual transmission; when my back is not out it is fun. The short trip was pretty nice, watching the sky and few clouds, and the fascinating and varied terrain, which I resolved to read more about. What is this — the high desert, the high prairie, a high mountain valley, or something else? I got more views of the snowy peaks on my drive there, and again late in the afternoon on my return. The topographic high point of the drive was Monument Hill, 7300 ft.
My time with Pom Pom was quite lovely. Of course she is a much fuller and whole person when encountered altogether and not just through words, and I already knew that I loved her. We did talk and talk, and we took a walk around her neighborhood that is very colorful with turning leaves. She gave me a yummy lunch, with the slenderest candles burning like sun rays out of apples decorating our table. I wanted to take pictures of everything in her house, but I didn’t take one picture, because she in her shining self commanded my interest — my very self-centered interest, it appears, because I do believe she got me to talk about me 80% of the time. Well, we will meet again and I hope again, when I visit Soldier and Joy in the future.
Here is something so surprising, that Pom Pom and I found out today. We talked about our book groups, and what we had been reading, etc., and discovered that the current selection for each of them is a collection of Flannery O’Connor’s stories. How unlikely is that? Her group is meeting before mine so she may help me prepare for a challenging discussion.
This evening I interrupted my dinner when I saw the sunset, already fading, and took its picture. Next week we may get some snow, before I return home. And one day maybe I’ll get an image of the snowy mountain view posted here. For now, to you, a Colorado evening turned to “Good-night!”
Gladsome Lights 
Your meeting sounds like fun.
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So nice to meet up! We had a 2013 Honda Fit stick & drove it from OH to OR on vacation, when we were a family of 4, with a tent, as we camped out the way there & back! The landscape is lovely there with the mountains, I bet the snow made it even prettier.
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How wonderful that you got to meet Pom Pom. Glad you had such a lovely visit with her.
Happy Fall dear Gretchen ~ FlowerLady
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How very lovely!! I am so glad you got to visit Pom Pom! She is a joy to have here in our online communities and I can just imagine how wonderful it would be to actually have a sit down and walk around town visit!!! yay!!!!
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I’ve been thinking about your bread baking. I may have to put a recipe into the bread machine this morning. Wasn’t it fun remembering Laurel’s Kitchen and our early homemaking days? I found some Flannery O’Conner stuff, but I know I have more to find. I’ll share it in an email soon.
Oh friend. YOU are a wonder. Everyone who knows you is indeed blessed. I’ll love you forever.
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I love reading both of your accounts of your visit. I can shut my eyes and see it all in my head. I am so glad you both finally got to meet.
I am so glad you are in Colorado. I bet it is so lovely.
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Enjoying your blogs… You know you are not that far from Lake George, that’s where Holy Protection Monastery is. Beautiful Fall day today, went for a little walk after Liturgy!
M. Seraphima
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I’ve only met one blog friend in person but that was a delightful time so I know how much fun you two must have had. It’s strange how you really do meet as old friends, isn’t it? And I think it’s a good sign of how much you enjoyed the visit that you did forget to get pictures!
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I enjoy a stick-shift and we still have a couple ranch pick-up trucks with a stick that we drive all the time. What a fun meeting you had! Sweet friendship.
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I enjoyed reading about your visit with Pom Pom both here and also on her blog. So great that you had a lovely time meeting “in person”.
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Oh I’m so glad you and Pom Pom met! How wonderful to meet after 10years of blog friendship! It sounds like a great occasion and how strange about the book club choice conciding!
I’m meeting 2 of my older blog friends next Saturday and looking forward to it greatly!
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As I told PomPom, how I long to be with you two around that table. Well, I wouldn’t want to intrude on your two-person time, but I’d love to be part of a three-person time 🙂 It sounds wonderful. I have a couple of collections of O’Connor stories. I ought to pull them out and give them a read. She’s deep and heavy, but very good. I think I read her more years ago, in college. I agree about driving a stick shift – fun!
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What a wonderful day! Colorado is so beautiful – and a new grandbaby and new friends to make it an even better place. You must be full of peace and joy these days!
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How delightful! My son, Three, lives in Denver and we make it up for a visit two or three times each year. It is one of my favorite away places. If you have the opportunity, the Botanical Gardens there is wonderful.
I so glad you and PomPom were able to share some time together.
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Thanks for the tip about the Gardens! I would love to go there!
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