America the Beautiful

No blog?
Well, who cares?
Nothing seemed funny.
New puppy.
And Dr. Motes off in South Africa: featured speaker at the South African National Orchid Conference close to the platinum mines. Dr. Motes, right by the platinum mines and brings home two boxes of tea, two hotel shampoos and a piece of slate with a Vanda painted on it. (Award for best Vanda in show.)

Off to Salt Lake City (Utah Orchid Society) with Dr. Motes: Bright Future for Vanda Breeding. (Will puppy be OK?)
Drive from Salt Lake to Denver (Denver Orchid Society.) High country. High Country! Berkshire girl who grew up on cowboy films, here, in the high country: small ranches, sage brush, October, no one looking except us, a little snow on distant slopes. Too dry this year, everyone says. Lower down, Romney /Ryan signs.
 
Land so vast, so immense- too incredible for cameras, for adjectives. Mountain passes, Grand Canyon rocks and boulders, all forms, all colors. Cottonwood trees turning golden yellow below, along the river banks. Black cows in golden stubble. Aspens golden too, among the pines.  That's why Aspen CO is called Aspen CO.  

Circle of old men, boots and camouflage, in Net's cafe, hunting season starts on Saturday, they say. Can't see Obama here; be like Blazing Saddles- It is Blazing Saddles- black sheriff in town!