Driving through the eastern Utah and western Colorado mountains is a thrill. We have not been here for multiple years and had forgotten how dramatic and timeless the scenery is and how the land dwarfs most of our puny human efforts in space and time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We recharged on the lone downgrade into Denver while snow filled the air. An electric car brakes by running its motors backwards, thus slowing the car by using gravitational energy to put electricity back in the battery. After an evening of catching up with Carol and Dave in Boulder, we enjoyably brunched with Dottie Lamm in Denver while catching up on her life since Dick\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n\n\n\n
I-70 manages to squeeze itself into Glenwood Canyon with the westbound lanes above and the eastbound lanes below and closer to the Colorado River. This has led to some terrifically damaging rockslides from time to time. But, thanks to the decision making by Dottie’s husband, Dick, as Governor of Colorado for 12 years, new areas of mountain landscape were not opened for second-home development as the highway remained in the canyon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the past weekend, we have been back at our old stomping ground of Colorado College. We have seen many, many old friends \u2013 we notice that our old friends, like us, are in fact older but still up and going!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Preparation for this celebration of our oldest friends, Ric and Dorry Bradley, have been underway for a year. Leslie has been planning with Stormy and Laurel with lots of input from Ric\u2019s daughters Jo and Helen and help from sons Rick Jr. and David.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Friday was a celebration of Dorry\u2019s life. Dorry died at age 94, a year and a half ago, though she had gradually left us for several years prior. Dorry died during Covid but not of Covid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Friday began with a concert by Ric and Dorry\u2019s granddaughter, Mahani Teave, who was born on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) where she divides her time between running a music and arts school<\/a> she created and performing on the international concert stage. Ric kicked off the event with a long and interesting narrative of just how Mahani came to be and came to be a celebrated international pianist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mahani played an hour of powerful and dramatic classical music from memory and then ended with one of her grandmother\u2019s favorites, \u201cClair de Lune\u201d. Here is Mahani in fabulous form. There wasn\u2019t a dry eye in the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/leslieval.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/PXL_20220603_170915834-scaled.jpg\")
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