“They will drive us in, then we can walk back out whenever we’re ready.”
I looked down at my light sneakers — Keds to be precise — funky and classic footwear but not really that well-suited for a hike back from a canyon. I should have read the fine print on this assignment.
I was on the Cherokee Ranch & Castle grounds, 3,400 acres of beautiful nature near Sedalia, Colo., (oh and a castle, though we didn’t spend much time there on this particular day) that a group of artists was about to explore with paints and easels in hand. Along with reporter Joe Rubino, I was there to learn about the ranch’s Arts Afield program.
The Arts Afield program give artists of all kinds and skill level access to the private property to explore and create art.
Today the task at hand was to capture the surrounding landscapes, and perhaps a botanical details or two.
The ranch property truly was magnificent.
(I spy a bird who got the memo for today’s color palette.)
And then all too soon other assignments beckoned. So while the artists continued crafting their paintings, Joe and I turned back to the path upon which we had so recently bounced along aboard a flatbed truck, and began trekking back to our cars.
Which really couldn’t have been lovelier. We had these beautiful gals to keep us company.
That is, until they noticed us crossing their territory and made it rather clear that we had overstayed our welcome. We skedaddled through the nearby gate posthaste.
Check out Joe Rubino’s article for more detailed info on the program.
The end!
(Well, not really the end. Before we could properly vacate the premises we had to scale a several-feet-taller-than-us rock wall to get over the main property gate. Apparently the caretaker who trucked us in didn’t realize some of us would be taking our very own two feet back out. Luckily, the trusty Keds held up. There’s a reason they’ve been around since 1916.) (Yes, I looked up that date, I don’t actually know the history of Keds footwear.)
(OK, now the end.)