Recently a friend and I discussed that it is amazing how the simplest of words and music can have such an emotional impact. Autumn Leaves, 1945, written and sung in French first, has been an American favorite and sung by more artist than any single song. The metaphor of falling leaves symbolizing a lost relationship is brilliant. Roger Williams made it number 1 in 1955 (remaining there 4 weeks), the only piano instrumental to reach number one.
But I miss you most of all my darling, when autumn leaves start to fall!
Johnny Cash recorded, 'Your Wild Colorado.'
'Rocky Mountain Way' by Joe Walsh is a rock song with catchy lyrics about the Colorado mountains. |
'Rocky Mountain High' by legendary, John Denver, is the number one song about Colorado and describes the peace he found in the mountains. 
For purple mountains majesties / above the fruited plain!
Stillwater Pass is 19.7 miles of trail located in Grand County, Colorado at an elevation of 8,768 to 10,631.
This is a beautiful and scenic pass, located just outside of Grand Lake with most of the dirt road graded, however, water and mud after a hard rain can make it slow driving. It is a wonderful mountain drive with bluffs that offer great views. It is a wonderful area for camping access for anyone looking to get off paved paths and see what Colorado really has to offer.
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| A picnic along the way with Ed & Kathleen, our neighbors and friends. "The love and the laughter will live long after," lyrics from 'My Old Friend'.  |
America! America!
America the Beautiful is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katherine Lee Bates and the music composed by a church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward. Bates originally wrote the words as a poem, 'Pikes Peak.' The poem was titled 'America' for publication. Ward had originally written the music, of the 19th century hymn, 'O Mother dear, Jerusalem' in 1882. Ward's music combined with Bates poem was first published in 1910 and titled America the Beautiful. At the age of 33, Bates, an English professor at Wellesley College took a train to Colorado Springs, Colorado to teach a summer school session. The sights of her trip inspired her and high atop Zebulon's Pikes Peak, the words of the poem came to her. Ward was also inspired to compose his: it came to him while he was on a ferryboat trip from Coney Island back to his home in New York City. He was so anxious to capture the tune in his head, he asked a fellow passenger and friend for his shirt cuff to write the tune on. Perhaps, the 'off the cuff'' analogy developed there.
Garth Brooks sang, "Cause I got friends in high places / and the beer chases the blues away." These guys don't look blue but Stillwater pass is a 'high' place. Actually, I think Garth said 'low' places.
The Blue River, runs through the high country and offers great fishing.
Highway 9 from Kremmling gives access to Silverthorne through this enormous valley surrounded by the Gore Range and Arapaho National Forest, creating views like a rare piece of art.
America! America! / God shed his grace on thee / And crown thy good with brotherhood / From sea to shining sea.
America the Beautiful is not our national anthem but is held in high esteem by most Americans and the popularity increased following September 911. This song can be very emotional for me sometimes and even Dan Rather cried as he quoted it after the 911 attacks.
There are many working ranches and dude ranches off highway 9, don't expect cell phone coverage in this remote area. I love all the names, 'Trail Boss Road,' 'Little Beaver Trail,' 'Rabbit Ears Pass,' and ranches called the 'Rusty Spur Ranch.' People live on the ranches and there are other residents there because it is an attraction for hikers, camping, fly fishing, ice fishing, cross country skiing and snowmobiling.
As we were driving Highway 9 my friend, Sandy, said "the hills are alive with color." Immediately I had the lyrics of 'The Sound of Music' in my head. The songs from the musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein became standard with Edelweiss, My Favorite Things, Climb Every Mountain, Do Re Mi. The movie won five academy awards.
When my kids were little and we were raking leaves, I would teach them to say this poem. Leaves are falling / one fell on my nose / one fell on my toes / one fell on my head / yellow, orange and red. Nothing children like more than jumping into a pile of raked leaves.
Who can forget Julie Andrews singing 'My Favorite Things'?Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels:
I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad.
The colors are fleeting, one week and the magic is gone!
We have the beautiful pines year around.
We have the beautiful pines year around.Recent studies have cast some light on the phenomenon of song-stickage. We all have had the experience of hearing or thinking about a song and it seems to float in our head for the day or longer. There is even a name for this,"earworms." Researchers at Dartmouth University used brain imaging and a collection of Cd's and found that the auditory cortex, the same part of the brain that passes information from the ears to the brain, also holds musical memories. If people are listening to familiar music, they automatically call on those auditory memories to fill in the gaps when the music stops.
(Apologies to anyone that now has any of the above songs playing in their heads)
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