An evening at the Farmer's Market . . .

Grand Junction has a weekly farmer's market every Thursday night that takes up about 6-8 blocks on Main Street and I think the entire town comes out for it. There are the typical farmers selling their produce and honey, plus others selling homemade soap, baskets, and jewelry. There was a group of guys playing their banjoes, another group playing rock music, and some belly/bollywood dancers. And there was also this circle of people playing bongo drums and snare drums and tamborines and a variety of different percussion instruments, and anyone could come by, pick up an instrument and join in the rhythm. It was so cool. Old men and women, babies and toddlers were slapping bongos, rattling rattles, and hitting drums along with the truly skilled musicians that kept the beat. Really, really neat.

While we were walking along, we were stopped on the street by this radical surfer-speaking-dude named Brandon who was totally on fire for God. He asked all about us and was just totally calling us the rad and narly family. He was very clean-cut, except for his one earring, and he and his wife ran a booth for Essential Oils, but we never got around to even talk about that. He just wanted to know our story, who Jesus was in our lives, where we went to church and all about the children. Then he told us all about the way-cool things to do all around here man, like all the radical hiking and climbing and biking and, dude, it's a way cool awesome place to live, you know, man! :) He was a really nice guy, but it was so odd to hear him talk like that and not have long hair and carrying a surf board. He seemed like he should be in Malibu instead of the desert of Colorado! It would be fun to bump into him again while we are here. Who knows . . .

We went to the Visitor's Center and the most amazing thing about this area are the surrounding bluffs or mesas. You look up on one side and the rocky cliffs are straight up and completely flat on top - or at least - it looks that way from the road. Actually, the one bluff is covered with evergreens and lakes, much like the entire Black Hills area except the elevation at the top is 10,000 feet! The temperature can be 20 degrees cooler on the top than in the valley. It's called the Grand Mesa National Forest and is the largest flat top mountain in the world!! We plan to hike there this weekend, especially since Brandon told us how radically awesome it is!
And on another side is the Colorado National Monument that is a completely different type of mesa area with red sheer-walled cliffs with no vegetation on top to speak of. We can drive around that in a couple hours, I guess, so we hope to do that as well.
Then, on yet another side of the valley are these sandy dune cliffs called the Book Hills or Book Cliffs. The dunes lay sideways and look like books stacked on a shelf.
I'm telling you, it is sooo different here. So many different aspects to the landscape and terrain all in one place. You look around and can't help but sense the power of God and be amazed at all of His creation. It's so complex and varied and wonderful and just really makes you pause to take it all in. At least that's the way I see it.

One other interesting thing about this area is the way the streets are numbered. The address of a place might be 29 1/2 Rd. and D 1/4. That means, that it is 29 and 1/2 miles from the Utah border and 4 and 1/4 miles from the northern edge of town going south. (4 as in: the street named A would be 1 mile from the north, B would be 2 miles and so on) Total grid system. Makes perfect sense and you sure know exactly where you are and how far away some place is. But is it quite funny to drive down the street and see the signs: 8 1/4 Rd, 8 1/2 Rd, 8 3/4 Rd. - one right after the other! Again - just so different!

Well, time to sleep, perchance to dream. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
(What is this, the Shakespeare hour?!)

Blessings,
jill and all
Oh, PS. The suburban started, then stopped again, and started again, so we took it to a garage, had the fuel filter changed and it's worked since. Let's hope and pray that was the fix!