Knowing Each Other's Crazy

Most of my friends from my college days share in the gritty, unpolished, earthiness that characterizes my life. There is very little that takes them by surprise or requires adjusting when they visit, with the exception of that damn rooster.

Among my friends from childhood, however, I am a total freak. I can appreciate that they have little interest in my composting toilet, that they laugh at my disregard for showers and razors, that they admonish my hitch-hiking tendencies and struggle to understand the appeal of tipi-living. It's not like any of this is new for them...I've been wild, dirty, and arguably reckless for the duration of our friendship.

I found myself reflecting on what different people from the various chapters of my life represent during Rachel and Carly's visit to Paonia. Rachel's been my partner in crime since we were pre-verbal and Carly joined in when trouble stopped being accidental and became a sought after adventure. In spite of the vast differences between our lifestyles and shared interests, we understand each other's special brands of crazy and share a vault of hilarious stories for proof. Knowing someone forever eliminates the need for explanation because they've been there all along. Things like interests and lifestyle feel somewhat secondary when you know someones capacity for kindness and strength.

 Pix-elated documentation. Carly, Rachel, and me. Photo cred: Rachel

Dinner at Fresh and Wyld gets you a delicious, locally sourced meal .

This was an apricot upside-down cake that I failed to photograph because I feared I would miss out on a bite. I made the right decision.

Nothing makes Carly happier than a big box of farm fresh produce. That's my girl!

Mt. Marcellina--undeniably remarkable.

Second cutting. Did I mention that with the drought the cost of hay is steadily climbing along with the price of food?

I show off the local coal mines. Photo cred: Carly Frank

Photo Cred: Rachel

This is pretty much all we want to do when we are together: sit around and sing, make fun of each other, eat, and laugh.