Word-Of-the-Week #721: Prescient
May 31, 2018 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #721: Prescient
Prescient – perceiving the significance of events before they occur; psychic.
How do you react when things don’t work out the way you expected? Do you get angry? Or are you able to “roll with the punches” and come up with Plan B?
This week Bill Marvin, The Restaurant Doctor shares more perspective on dealing with the unexpected.
“In one of my more prescient moments, it hit me: Things always work out for the best, they just seldom work out the way we thought they would. Author Richard Bach put it better [of course] when he said, “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly.”
Looking back on the rather convoluted path of my life, I can recount countless examples of the truth of this notion — events that seemed like the end of the world at the time but which caused me to take a path I never intended, one that has made all the difference.
The most recent example is the “septic incident” that befell us on Easter Sunday, just a month before our house was scheduled to go on the market. It has been crazy around here recovering from all that, but it looks like we will, in fact, have the house back together and ready to go on schedule … with a re-designed septic system and a lower level sporting fresh paint, new carpeting, upgraded countertops, new tile and a nice new shower.
Aside from eating the deductible, what’s not to like about THAT?
An old mentor of mine once remarked that life appears to be a series of things to handle. That observation has a deeply simple wisdom to it. You do what you do, you get what you get, you deal with what comes up and move on to the next adventure.
How do you react when things don’t work out the way you expected? Do you get angry? Do you blame others? Do you make excuses? Do you feel guilty? All those responses, however human they may be, are a total waste of time an energy. They may make you feel like you’re doing something about the situation, but don’t fool yourself — these reactions do nothing to correct the situation and often just make it worse.
When stuff happens — and stuff will ALWAYS happen — notice it, handle it and press ahead. When you’re back on track it may be worthwhile to look at how you might avoid the same negative outcome in the future, but first get it handled….competently and without a lot of drama.
[As an aside, two days ago my computer suddenly stopped recognizing my main data drive — the one with all my graphics, documents, photos and the like. I’ll be interested to learn what the hidden blessing in THAT will be!]”
This week’s focus is on being prescient. Have you ever had a premonition that turned out to be true? Do you believe that things always work out for the best? What unexpected lessons have you learned?
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FUN-travel: Too Cute Telluride, CO
May 30, 2018 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Too Cute Telluride, CO
- This quintessential mountain hamlet…
…situated in a stunningly beautiful box canyon…
…with jaw-dropping views…
…& pristine Victorian homes…
…started the same way Aspen did…
…prospectors struck gold and silver in the 1880’s…
…& like Aspen they struck “white gold” in the 1970’s…
…with the creation of a ski resort.
- Twelve blocks along the town’s main street…
…comprise a National Historic Landmark District…
…& include the site where notorious outlaw Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank in 1889…
…stealing $24,000 in mining payroll!
- Bridal Veil Falls — is Colorado’s highest free-falling waterfall at 350 ft & can be seen from downtown.
Proof That the Late Bird Gets the Worm Too!
FUN-fact – Rumor Has It…the town was named for the famous send-off given to fortune seekers headed to the southern San Juan Mountains…”To-hell-you-ride!”
More FF – Mining created 350 miles of multi-level tunnels within the mountains.
FUN-travel: Oh SO Expensive Aspen, CO
May 29, 2018 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Oh SO Expensive Aspen, CO
- 1880’s – Aspen started as a mining camp…
…during the Colorado Silver Boom…
…that abruptly ended…
…when the Panic of 1893…
…led to a collapse in the silver market.
- 1950’s – brought the 1st ski resort…
…& the start of becoming…
…an international resort destination.
- 1970’s – became a popular retreat for celebrities…
…Hunter S. Thompson worked out of a downtown hotel…
…John Denver wrote two songs about Aspen after settling there.
- Both popularized Aspen among the counter-cultural youth…
…as an ideal place to live…
…& it continued to grow…
…even as it gained notoriety…
…for some of the era’s hedonistic excesses (particularly its drug culture).
- 1990’s – The influx of wealth… created some of the most expensive real estate prices… in the US.
- 12 Miles –The Maroon Bells…14,000 + foot peaks… are the most photographed peaks in all of North America.
FUN-fact – It was named “Aspen” because of the abundance of aspen trees in the area.
More FF – You know how to tell the poor people from the rich people in Aspen? The poor people have propellers on their planes!
FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Recap
May 28, 2018 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Recap
- A safari is an expedition to observe animals in their natural habitat. And that is what we did. However, if you think you get
to off road in a jeep in Yellowstone, you would be sorely disappointed. Anyone can drive the same roads we did and hope you see some wild life near the road. What you are paying for (and it’s not cheap) is a guide who knows the area where the animals tend to congregate and has a powerful scope. Neil, our guide from Brushbuck Tours, was extremely knowledgeable and his enthusiasm was infectious.
FUN-fact – We saw all the park wildlife listed on the guide…except the Yellow-tailed marmot sitting on the rock next to the road that I missed!
Not so FF – The 2 nights we spent near Yellowstone were barely 3 star hotels by our standards & we would have preferred staying in one of the nicer park hotels.
FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Day 4
May 27, 2018 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Grand Tetons & Yellowstone Safari – Day 4
Today’s Animal Adventure…Up Close & Personal!
Mammoth Hot Springs
- 1st sighting – Moose & calf…
…feasting on fresh green…
…really tall willows.
- Rest of the Day– RFOD…
…Really Far Off & Distant…
…can’t even begin…
…to get near these critters!
- 2nd sighting –thru the Lamar Valley…
…Wylie Coyote…
…slinking across the lower valley slopes.
- 3rd sighting – herd of bison…
…& “red doggies”…newborn calves.
- 4th sighting – Gray Wolf pack…
…w/den of 6 black pups…
…roaming high on the ridge.
FUN-fact – Dead center of picture is gray wolf, then go up to 11:30 to see the black pup & continue up to top at 12:30 to see 2nd wolf walking down. (sorry it’s so blurry!)
Bison & Red Doggies Relaxing
Old Faithful
- Mammoth Hot Springs – so different from other thermal areas…
…because limestone is relatively soft rock…
…& allows travertine formations to grow much faster…
….than other sinter formations…
…best described as looking like a cave…
…turned inside out.
- Grand Prismatic Hot Spring – Old Faithful may be more famous…
…but the Grand Prismatic Hot Spring…
…is the most photographed…
….thermal feature in Yellowstone…
…& that’s because of its…
…crazy-bright colors & enormous size.
Not so FF – the trail that overlooks the hot spring was closed…& on top of that…
…we got pummeled with hail on the path leading to it!
What We Didn’t Get to See!
- Old Faithful – named for its frequent and somewhat predictable eruptions.
- Late afternoon… ended up back in Jackson… where we started
On Path to Grand Prismatic Hot Spring
FUN-fact – Not only is Yellowstone one of the largest active volcanoes on earth, it is also home to over 10,000 hydrothermal areas (hot springs, mud pots, & fumaroles) & includes more than 300 active geysers.