This video is to follow up on the article I recently wrote in the conclusion of the article series Getting Better, Not Older. And this is: Together.
In that article I talked about the three elements. The three points I made were:
- To keep a youthful mind set,
- To play more, to play enough, and
- To have community, connection with people.
And that community/connection thing has been especially challenging during this covid pandemic the past 13 months now. Things are loosening up, but there are ways to be together without physically being together.
[Stop #1] I’m taking you on another tour of the paths through my property. This is what I call the South path in my back 40. This is a wonderful example of this article for me, because walking this path keeps me younger, because I’m enjoying my countryside, my trees. I’m looking at the juniper; I’m standing in the middle of the scrub brush, which I’ll show you in a minute. I’ve got my pinyons nearby and more Colorado blue skies. And of course, there’s the cactus. And the neighbors are telling me that I might see some cayo- or coy-wolves, which are coyote wolves. I don’t know if I will or not. I do hear what I call coyotes on my property. But all of that keeps me youthful because it keeps me curious and excited, and having a good time.
It also keeps my playfulness going because the walking challenges me. I’m looking at quite a lot of terrain that’s been broken up by the machine that cut through the trees. And I’m going to show you something he made for me that just delights me. It doesn’t look like anything right now, but here in another month or two, ah, it’s going to be delightful!
He cut a path through there. And now you see the pink ribbon — I’m marking the trail with pink ribbons so it’s easier to find regardless of what’s going on. But, that is going to be fresh, green leaves with little white flowers real soon. It’ll be green leaves all summer. And in the fall, it’s going 
to be orange, yellow, gold, brown, green, all kinds of stuff. I think that’s really cool. And that keeps my playfulness going. And I’ve got all these sweet little yellow flowers. I think they’re ranunculus* They are very sweet and they tend to be in these damp areas. This just tickles me. *Note: Confirmed after the video was posted.
Maybe the most important part of this is the community that’s helped me create this. The fellow who has cut the trees in the bushes down is going to come back and make some mulch for me later in early summer. At least I hope that’s when it’ll happen. He’s part of my community.
Friends have commented on the joy that they will have in walking it, or in watching or listening to me talk about it, and that gives us all something to share together. And the Labyrinth, which I’ll show you later, also has been community because everybody’s sharing their ideas. And people are sharing ideas about how to do the paths. So, all right, this is our first stop. Let me take you to some other places, see if you enjoy those, and I’ll bring you back as the summer progresses or spring and summer come along.
[Stop #2] And here I’m in a lovely little pinyon grove surrounded by pinyon. I don’t know if you can see the ravine over there. It’s just a nice little wash or gully. Ravine is probably too big a concept for what it is, but it’s just more of the topography that I get to walk through and explore. Those ravines act like highways for the deer, probably the bear, I think I said this before, and the bobcat and mountain lion, whatever it is we have around here.
So, this is more of my playground. I’ll turn slowly so you could appreciate my little pinion forest — little because they’re short. I’m in the heart of the tall section. Let’s see if we can see how big it is. See how big it is? You see my pink ribbons every so often. So, there we have this section, and I will keep showing you my playground that has been pulled together by community. And my husband and I’ve talked about it and planned it. I’ve talked with friends who’ve done similar things on their properties here and elsewhere. It really has taken a community, and I’m going to love bringing my friends on this walk. So, hold on. Let’s go see another place.
[Stop #3] All right. Here is yet another little grove that’s got less of the serviceberry and scrub oak than some of the other places I’ve shown you. (I’m going too fast. I don’t throw up on me.) There’s a lot of dead wood in here. I’m sure with time we will thin that and trim it up. It’ll make good mulch for me to walk on. So more of my playground. More of my community. More of my youthful mindset right here.
[Stop #4] So this is going to be my final stop on this tour of the South 40 or the South Trail. I have come almost full circle, and I will take you full circle. I’m standing next to or in one of the washes. And I know that rabbits live here. It’s pretty, a nice little spot, especially in the summertime. I don’t know if wildlife care about the seasons, but here we are. And you can see, here’s some of the scrub brush. I’ll just call it the serviceberry and scrub oak. But this is it. This is my playground. This is part of what keeps me getting better.