MANITOU

Driving into Manitou springs was like going through a time warp. It was the late 60's early 70's all over again. hippies everywhere. Hippy shops everywhere. There was a dulcimer shop...A DULCIMER SHOP. Hand crafted dulcimers. The place was crawling with grateful dead posters and reeked of patchouli.
I was now living there! It was so cool. My little cabin, buddy, a good job and good friends. It was so exciting. I was also very homesick. As I said, I was alone for the first time, I mean truly alone.
I was ok at work and ok while hanging out after work, but at the end of the day it was just me and buddy.
I got him when he was less than six weeks old and he went everywhere with me with the exception of work from day one. I put a pillow on the passenger seat of my car for him to sleep on when we were out late.
We walked a lot, around Manitou mostly. Manitou is in the first folds of the front range, it looked to me to be surrounded by mountains. Mountain ranges at sunset are a sight to behold, let me tell you. As I battled the homesickness, the mountains insulated me and made me feel safe.
Homesickness would win out in the end, but it was an amazing year or so.