2003 Soap Box Archives

Impressions Of The Four Corners 05/23/03

To say that Colorado is beautiful is like saying that the Pacific Ocean
is a nice pond.

Colorado, land of the long sundown where the setting sun paints colors
unknown to any artist’s palette, deep purple shadows and brightly lit,
snow covered mountain tops standing in deep contrast all on the same
huge ever changing canvas. Where the wind comes howling down the
canyon in thundering fury, the silver aspens and stately pines bowing
before its awesome onslaught.

Colorado where the cold night air tastes so pure you could almost drink
it and the stars stand in brilliant clusters against a black velvet sky.
Where the elk make paths in the deep mountain snow on their way to who
knows where.

Where a full moon shining down on the blanket of virgin snow does
wondrous things to the nighttime landscape, bathing the trees and rocks
in silver splendor.

Where a distant lonely light speaks volumes about serenity and solitude
and the nocturnal villages, so warm, so inviting in their currier and
ives setting that they can almost make you homesick.

Colorado where the nights can be so quiet that you can hear the gurgle
of the half frozen river at the bottom of the canyon. So peaceful, so
soothing.

Where a bald eagle can come and sit in the top of a tree, just feet
outside your window, where the sassy magpies fill the early morning
with their incessant chatter.

Where the countryside can change from snowy mountainsides
to high desert emptiness in a matter of minutes.

Colorado breeds daredevils who fly down the slopes on skis and
snowboards with such abandon, where the snowmobilers
speed through the high mountain passes and avalanche areas
fearlessly exploring the back country, miles from any sign of
civilization, where hikers and bikers pedal and stride in altitudes
where the air is so thin that an ordinary person has to gasp for breath.

Colorado where the troubles and problems of the world seem
miles and centuries away until you turn on a television set or pick up
a newspaper. Where water is precious and conservation
is intense but sensible, where wonderful local bakeries make the best
bread you ever put in your mouth and the affluent and the not so
affluent sit shoulder to shoulder in unique little restaurants, well
off the beaten path.

Colorado people love their state and want to preserve it’s pristine
beauty, but they are generous enough to share it with someone who loves
it as much as they do, vigilant enough to protect it from those who
would destroy it, and wise enough to understand that they live in a
very special place.

Colorado, wild and wonderful, beautiful and barren, high mountains,
deep canyons, crystal sunshine, blinding snow, rustic and modern
yesterday and tomorrow side by side.

Colorado, what a wonderful place.

What do you think?

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels