A few new things

Three things to report.
1. We are in Arizona.  It's bloody hot.  The new "home" looks nice.  More on that later.
2. A new page has been added.  It's called Travel Tips and it's about things to think on before, during and after travel.  It's an ongoing project and as it gets bigger, I will index stuff.   Comments, tips and suggestions are welcome.
3. Well I suppose this is the same as the one above, but I'm starting a cool things to see and places to visit page.  As I travel, I'll add things of interest and expand upon it.  This too will have an index eventually.
Cheers for now.

And timing at its best - a meditative break.

Michael's been reading a book for ages - a general book on Buddhism.  The other day he just happens to read a page that says there's a Buddhist retreat here in Santa Fe so he looks it up.  Sure enough, it's here and still active so last night we decided to go to share in their evening meditation.
First time Michael has ever been to a  Zendo and the first time he's participated in a meditation session in a "formal" Buddhist environment . 
It was a lovely experience.  I spent my time in their labyrinth and walking the gardens as Michael joined the group in the temple.  I had forgotten how deep and calming a meditation could be.
We both came away with a great sense of peace and a promise to do it again.  Thank you New Mexico
Upaya Buddhist Retreat - Santa Fe New Mexico

Santa Fe

What a lovely place. Spent a beautiful Saturday wandering around admiring adobe architecture.  I love the fact that the buildings fit the landscape, an organic growth of mud and soft angles.
Forgot my camera and got only a couple of interesting shots with the phone (ain't technology amazing?). 

The Cathedral in the centre of town.  Got there at midday and wasn't sure I admired the bells...

And found a cool shop with Steampunk hats and leather gear - I was in heaven and Michael is now sad cause we couldn't buy this hat.

Jeannie - there was one with Kraken on it...

Denver Returning with Glass

Our visit to Denver was all about friends.  It's the one thing I miss no matter where I go - the places can be great but the people are what draws me.  So, my first visit to Estes Park was lovely.  I was fishing with Bruce, Kate and Ken.  I caught a duck.  No photos of that but it was fun all the same.
And I have to say, the visit to Left Hand Brewery with it's dark flight was a great end to the day.  No photos but here's the link to a great set of beers.
http://lefthandbrewing.com/  Even their logo is fun.
Then, the Botanic gardens and Chihuly - glass in nature.  It was truly beautiful and made me understand how Man does not have to be intrusive in a natural environment.  Bright coloured glass weirdness should not fit well with plants but it does.  Loved it.

 Bees and rock candy come to mind....

 The last sight seen by the Titanic - ice on water.

 Those green growths in the middle are glass.

 And here's the vista.  Again, green spouts of glass, fully supported by purple - now why would I like that?

And for you Denverites, the display is there for a couple more months and in October they have a display under lights - drooling....

The Little News Site

Well here is the first post in my new micro blog.  The idea is to let folks know where we are and what we're doing.  Photos, links and notes on places we want to share.  Over time I'm going to go backwards too - so many little places we've seen in the last year that it's worth knowing about.
There'll be a burst over the next couple of days but then it will slow down. Cheers

Tacoma - Chihuly public art.  Just as a start.