Earl and I went for a ride in Northeastern Colorado today. Starting near Denver International Airport, we headed north along U.S. 85 to Greeley, east along U.S. 34 to Brush, south on State Route 71 to Last Chance and then back west on U.S. 36 to Denver. All in all the ride was around five hours, including a stop for dinner in Fort Morgan.
I love the flat, rural landscape of the High Plains. I love it a lot. My ideal setting would be a ranch house in a bunch of trees, surrounded by plenty of farm land, a dozen or more miles from the closest town. There’d be a storm cellar close by, just in case things go feisty. We’d rearrange our grocery shopping habits to a once-a-month schedule. Whenever I stepped outside there’d be lots of room for me to spread my arms wide, smile and drink it all in.
I’ve contemplated whether I wanted to live in a similar setting somewhere in the desert, but while I love the desert, I like the sights and sounds of the High Plains more.
I don’t think that I’ll ever convince Earl to live anywhere near a sign that says “No gas for the next 75 miles” or in a town called “Last Chance”, but we can certainly visit the area from time to time and enjoy a ride throughout the awesome area.
Many see a rural setting of nothing. I see a wide expanse of possibilities.
