Colorado and Lovingkindness.

We've spent the last two weeks in Colorado, one at Marshall's aunt Robbin's house in Lyons, and the other at Shambhala. Life has basically been amazing. Robbin takes good care of us. Especially in the feeding and sheltering department.

Lyons is very close to Boulder, so we have had the opportunity to go to Boulder a lot. I even toured Naropa University. It might be just what I want. I have until January to decide if I want to apply, so there's plenty of time for considering.

We didn't take many digital pictures of our Lyons time (but we did take some polaroids). We mostly just lived simply here, with the river in the backyard and good company.



Here's one of Robbin and I working in her garden. Marshall and I helped her build this wicked fence.

Last Saturday, we drove two hours north and two thousand feet higher to Shambhala. It was beautiful. We stayed together in the children's dorm, and worked Monday through Friday with the facilities department. Really, we didn't have to work very much (six hours a day, tops) and we even got to see some snow!

Shambhala has delicious food and the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, Which Liberates Upon Seeing. The stupa contains thousands of tiny stupas inside its walls, the ashes and skull of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and an 18 foot Buddha statue. It amplifies all of the thoughts and intentions that are in its vicinities. Kind of like a beautiful spiritual satellite. Here are some pictures:




We could not take a picture of the front of the Stupa that did not show this distortion. Interpret it as you will!




This is some of the detailing on the walls. It is absolutely gorgeous.





Here is a marble pomegranate. We befriended Devin, who worked in the Stupa, and he gave us each a marble from the pomegranate to take home. It was a wonderful gift.






The Buddha, in all sort of peaceful glory.






This is a Shinto shrine. It is dedicated to Kami (a sun goddess from Japan).

It is pretty amazing that this place exists, especially in America. Come to the Rockies and spend time with it. You can volunteer over the summer, and live extremely well.

We drove back down to Lyons yesterday, to make samosas and stay with Robbin before we head out for Salt Lake City tomorrow. We ate a great dinner in Estes Park, and saw many elk.



Here are some elk!

We slept, and woke today to clean out and wash the car (a bar of chocolate melted in the backseat). We spent most of the afternoon sitting with our feet in the freezing Colorado river, until Marshall decided to brave the waters:

!!!

Life is pretty much great! We have decided to begin the circle that will bring us home. Look out for us, West Coast! We're coming!

Safe travels!
j


oh, p.s., we visited the hotel in which the Shining was filmed. Not really isolated, but very pretty, and supposedly it is actually haunted. It's called The Stanley, for those that are interested!

colorado mountain bodies

quick note to say that we are going to shambhala today. talk to you soon.

safe travels,
j

Here, in good time and well.

There has been some time to think while wandering around with time to talk and aspiring with time to relax. We miss our homes as we love our travels. And with all our stops and all our goes- weather is a wonder, never knowing what to expect.

(I often think of so many lyrics to come from all of this and I smile often.)

Nearly a week has passed since a post has been presented. Jeanie and I have since then traveled in and out of states. We count five as we settle in Colorado. It's beautiful here. The weather is warm as if it were spring!

So it goes-

We were conflicted in Missouri, debating wether we should go north, south, or directly west. While cold up north, we had both visited the states south and west of us. Finally, we opted for the cold unknown that was north.

Iowa has corn- lots and lots of corn. We gassed up with ethanol which is amazingly progressive especially because, in Iowa, you do not have a choice. (All they have is ethanol!) We expolored Des Moines and Omaha, Nebraska and later made camp in a state park near Onawa. We slept well, made a wicked fire, eat smores, and nearly froze to death.

Oh, Iowa also has the first ever train robbery site perpetrated by Jesse James.


Rested and thawed, we drove further north. I must say, if you ever have the chance to visit South Dakota, that the black hills are worth it alone. The drive is really pleasant (and different). There arn't suburbs or much of anything else for miles and miles. That is other than beautiful open sky, long rolling hills, the occasional truck stop with showers, and an endless supply of billboards advertising roadside attractions along I-90.

We stopped at a few.





Mitchell was about halfway through South Dakota so we decided to crash there for the night. After a brief viewing of the outside of the corn palace (yes, all of the art is entirely made of corn) we found a small christian college. There we made indian food from a box, played pool, watched Shaun of the Dead, and slept in a media closet. Colleges are best for free lodging.

The next morning we drove to Rapid City and visited mount rushmore. Along the way we saw maybe a million deer, super friendly mountain goats, we climbed way passed the no go zone and dominated mt. rushmore, infiltrated the blast zone of Crazy Horse (which will not be finished until 2099), and stood in awe under the largest 'stache ever.



Pictures to boot.









(and maybe this was attempted)


Just as the sun was going down we left the beautiful badlands and black hills and crossed into Wyoming. Driving South to Colorado, we were amazed by the night. There have never been so many stars before! We counted those that were shooting.

Now, staying with my aunt in Lyons, we are having a great time. Today we built a fence for her garden out of rope and tree stumps, walked her two dogs, hung out in boulder and relished in thoughts of our friends, those met in transit and those back home. We hope to be with you all soon. (beautiful)


Well-

Live well little life livers,
Marshall

hopping and skipping

Holy Toledo!!!!!!


We've been trying to ascribe to ideas of westward expansion since D.C., but have had a tough time of it due to the weather. Boo, cold fronts and snowstorms (mainly, boo for you showing up in April).

Our first jaunt was through the rolling quiet parts of Pennsylvania. It was incredible. The mountains were actually purple at dusk, when we passed through them and into Ohio. We felt a little inspired to sing about them, but couldn't quite remember the words to America the Beautiful that didn't deal with mountains. That's how magnificent they were.

Then, we drove through Ohio to Lake Erie, listening to Mount Eerie. We took a rest at a park that jutted into the water. There was a penninsula completely covered with roller coasters there. We neither rolled, nor coasted, but we did stare across the lake at them for a while.

We also saw a for real life nuclear power plant in Ohio. We talked a lot about dilapidated buildings organically returning to the earth. This is the evil that is invading and employing North Ohions:

I don't actually know what to call people from Ohio.

Our friend Tyler lives in Kalamazoo, so we met him there for some hard hanging. We rode our bikes for an hour, then it began to rain, which continued until it turned into this:



The storm would have been less of a nuisance if we hadn't been lulled into having faith that spring had actually arrived. Winter needs to learn its place. (I actually saw on article on weather.com entitled "Winter Assaults Spring!" hahaha!)


From Kalamazoo, we headed to Chicago. It was still cold. Another friend, Carolina, let us stay with her and weather out the weather. We were in pseudo-hibernation, and managed for our only Chicago related adventure to be riding the Metra for around an hour. Then we made breakfast on Saturday. Carolina fried plaintains. I am excited about frying plaintains in the future. You should begin to prepare yourself for the excitement of eating them.

Ryan called while we were in Chicago, and we had the opportunity to meet him in Indianapolis. Ryan, Alyssa, Marshall, and I all went to an elk farm. This is an elk. He is king of the forest, and his horns are fuzzy.





An elk and I touched noses while we were there. It's nose was wet and cold. My nose was, too.


We're currently in Columbia, Mo, being sleepy and hungry. We have potato salad in the car that we should (and probably will) eat. People are lovely and kind to us, especially when we start asking for a little kindness. Sometimes, they even give us free coffee.

Love love love and safe travels,
jeanie

Quickie

We're in Chicago!

(more when we are a little less cold)

It has been so long now.

We are 'oh so' warm in DC. It is eighty degrees- Oh' my my!

So we are out of New York and back in Washington DC. We decided we still wanted to check out what parts of the capital we had missed when we were here for the march. It was perfect timing too, we got here when all the cherry blossoms were blooming around Tidal Basin. Also (all of) the Smithsonian and the National Zoo are free! For the taking!

We walked around the zoo for a bit and saw some giant pandas!


Then we parked our bikes at a bicycle valet and met Henry and Julia, two awesome bicycle enthusiasts, who were running the valet. They told us some of the hot spots in DC and informed us about a wicked show at the Black Cat. Then we scrambled around the monuments and museums for a few hours.








We made gourmet bagel sandwiches on the sidewalk in front of some frat dorms at George Washington University. (The doors have card locks but there is such heavy traffic it is easy to get in) So we took easy advantage of looking like students of any school we happen to be by at any given moment.

After our picnic we met up with Henry and Julia at the show and watched Do Say Make Think! The music was awesome and the people we met were wicked awesome. They housed and homed us for the night and fed us fancy vegan mac and cheese. (thank you so much)

Now we are sitting at a local coffee shop thinking about Chicago, maybe straight to the West Coast, who knows until we get there.

Love always and safe travels,
Marshall