MUSINGS BY JOAN #17
I have a new respect for the power of water.
Why, you ask? Because my daughter Andrea and I just spent a full week without it. Actually, it was available, just not where we were living, 9200 ft. up in the mountains of Colorado, in a metropolis called Divide.
Divide is a stunningly beautiful mountain setting with a killer view of snow capped Pike’s Peak. We were visiting Andrea’s half sister and my “surrogate” daughter, Alison, her husband Jon and their “family”. . .three large rescue dogs and six assorted cats. Neither Alison nor Jon ever saw an animal in distress that they didn’t immediately take to their collective bosoms
The arrangements were for Andrea and me to stay in a wonderful A-frame home perched on the side of the mountain, about a quarter mile from their home. The house was not only delightful, but for the first 24 hours, totally normal. Then the water pump stopped working.
It was the start of the weekend and there was not a plethora of plumbers in Divide, so Jon and several of his friends tried to work their magic. No luck. The faucets, and need I mention the toilets, were dry as bones. Our elegant bathroom with the huge marble Jacuzzi tub stood reproachfully empty.
As a stop gap measure, each time we visited Alison & Jon’s home, we would haul back 5 gallon plastic jugs of precious water. We became very scientific in our distribution of these jugs, with one jug saved for “cooking” purposes. . the morning coffee, an afternoon cup of tea, a glass of water to take morning vitamins and evening pills. Even an occasional handwash. (God bless the bottles of antibacterial waterless hand foam I happen to have with me!) The rest of the precious liquid was doled out for, you guessed it, flushing purposes.
The house had three bathrooms and we assigned them thusly: Andrea owned the bath on the lowest level of the house. I owned the one on the main level. ( And never the twain shall meet.) We shared the one on the loft level where we slept. This one was reserved solely for “light use”.
Once the weekend was over and no plumber was still in sight, Alison and Jon urged us to move into their home, but we were feeling like pioneer women by this time, and as I said, we had the situation down to an exact science. Despite the fact that at 9200 feet a flight of stairs leaves sea-level Floridians and North Carolinians gasping for air, we had become very adept at lugging our water jugs up and down the stairs of our three level home.
Every couple of days we would arrive at Alison’s home with clothes in hand for a hot shower. Wow! What a luxury. We had to be careful not to overdo it, because Alison & Jon’s water came from a cistern that had to be refilled once a week, and we didn’t want to leave them in a waterless state as well. Colorado, we learned, has a severe water problem. Water is limited and very expensive. Who knew????
We had a fabulous week, despite our lack of liquidity. The incredible aspen trees had just burst into bloom and all around us was such beauty it was a delight to sit on our deck, read a book, and enjoy the beauty of nature. I’ve been to Colorado skiing many times, but this was my first experience of spring in this area.
Nobody cooks like Alison. . . .we literally dined every evening surrounded by Maggie, Louie and Bodhi, the dogs, with cameo cat appearances by Molly, Ellie, Sophia, Zoeie, Cleo and Mr. Miles Davis. We visited the wolf preserve one day, the fabulous mountainside zoo in Colorado Springs another. One day was spent in the adorable western town of Manitou Springs where we lunched in a castle. Another morning we breakfasted at The Hungry Bear in Woodland Hills, famous for its giant pancakes.
The week flew by and before we knew it we were in the airport at Colorado Springs, headed for home. Before boarding my plane I visited the ladies room and spent five minutes washing my hands with delicious hot water. The lady standing next to me thought I was nuts, but I was in heaven.
I will never take water for granted again. That’s a promise.
# # #
Photo caption: The view of Pike’s Peak from the deck of our house.
The kids from the top: Bodhi, Maggie (with Jon), Louie
I have a new respect for the power of water.
Why, you ask? Because my daughter Andrea and I just spent a full week without it. Actually, it was available, just not where we were living, 9200 ft. up in the mountains of Colorado, in a metropolis called Divide.
Divide is a stunningly beautiful mountain setting with a killer view of snow capped Pike’s Peak. We were visiting Andrea’s half sister and my “surrogate” daughter, Alison, her husband Jon and their “family”. . .three large rescue dogs and six assorted cats. Neither Alison nor Jon ever saw an animal in distress that they didn’t immediately take to their collective bosoms
The arrangements were for Andrea and me to stay in a wonderful A-frame home perched on the side of the mountain, about a quarter mile from their home. The house was not only delightful, but for the first 24 hours, totally normal. Then the water pump stopped working.
It was the start of the weekend and there was not a plethora of plumbers in Divide, so Jon and several of his friends tried to work their magic. No luck. The faucets, and need I mention the toilets, were dry as bones. Our elegant bathroom with the huge marble Jacuzzi tub stood reproachfully empty.
As a stop gap measure, each time we visited Alison & Jon’s home, we would haul back 5 gallon plastic jugs of precious water. We became very scientific in our distribution of these jugs, with one jug saved for “cooking” purposes. . the morning coffee, an afternoon cup of tea, a glass of water to take morning vitamins and evening pills. Even an occasional handwash. (God bless the bottles of antibacterial waterless hand foam I happen to have with me!) The rest of the precious liquid was doled out for, you guessed it, flushing purposes.
The house had three bathrooms and we assigned them thusly: Andrea owned the bath on the lowest level of the house. I owned the one on the main level. ( And never the twain shall meet.) We shared the one on the loft level where we slept. This one was reserved solely for “light use”.
Once the weekend was over and no plumber was still in sight, Alison and Jon urged us to move into their home, but we were feeling like pioneer women by this time, and as I said, we had the situation down to an exact science. Despite the fact that at 9200 feet a flight of stairs leaves sea-level Floridians and North Carolinians gasping for air, we had become very adept at lugging our water jugs up and down the stairs of our three level home.
Every couple of days we would arrive at Alison’s home with clothes in hand for a hot shower. Wow! What a luxury. We had to be careful not to overdo it, because Alison & Jon’s water came from a cistern that had to be refilled once a week, and we didn’t want to leave them in a waterless state as well. Colorado, we learned, has a severe water problem. Water is limited and very expensive. Who knew????
We had a fabulous week, despite our lack of liquidity. The incredible aspen trees had just burst into bloom and all around us was such beauty it was a delight to sit on our deck, read a book, and enjoy the beauty of nature. I’ve been to Colorado skiing many times, but this was my first experience of spring in this area.
Nobody cooks like Alison. . . .we literally dined every evening surrounded by Maggie, Louie and Bodhi, the dogs, with cameo cat appearances by Molly, Ellie, Sophia, Zoeie, Cleo and Mr. Miles Davis. We visited the wolf preserve one day, the fabulous mountainside zoo in Colorado Springs another. One day was spent in the adorable western town of Manitou Springs where we lunched in a castle. Another morning we breakfasted at The Hungry Bear in Woodland Hills, famous for its giant pancakes.
The week flew by and before we knew it we were in the airport at Colorado Springs, headed for home. Before boarding my plane I visited the ladies room and spent five minutes washing my hands with delicious hot water. The lady standing next to me thought I was nuts, but I was in heaven.
I will never take water for granted again. That’s a promise.
# # #
Photo caption: The view of Pike’s Peak from the deck of our house.
The kids from the top: Bodhi, Maggie (with Jon), Louie
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