From today through Sunday, my husband will have to hold down the fort alone, as I will be enjoying the Spanish Peaks Celtic Fest in Walsenburg and La Veta, Colorado. My friend Betsy has taken up the harp and will be participating in four days' worth of harp workshops at the festival. I, on the other hand, have no plans, other than driving her down for a roadtrip.
After looking over the festival schedule, there are a number of free events I might try. I can learn to play the dulcimer or whistle (?) in La Veta, or try beginners' harp back in Walsenburg. (I can also attempt to play the bodhran, which I found out is an Irish goatskin drum.) Several musical sessions/concerts are also free of charge, including a session at La Veta Inn Pub led by members of the traditional Scottish music group the Old Blind Dogs on Saturday afternoon. I can picture myself right now with a pint of Guinness, surrounded by musicians playing up a storm in an historic town.
The Spanish Peaks area of Colorado is absolutely gorgeous, so if I skip out on some of the festival, there's lots else to do. From the linked website (great info--check it out) at sangres.com:
The Spanish Peaks of south central Colorado have been among the most important landmarks of the southwestern United States, guiding Native American tribes, Spanish and French trappers, gold seekers, hunters, and American settlers. The Ute, Comanche, Apache, and other, earlier Indian tribes held the Peaks in religious awe and named the mountains Wahatoya, meaning "Breasts of the Earth." Even the ancient Aztecs believed the Peaks were a source of hidden treasure. Later travellers named them the Twin Peaks, Dos Hermanos (Two Brothers) and Mexican Mountains.
Walsenburg, by the way, is a former coal-mining town. Read more about its history, and that of La Veta Pass (gateway to Great Sand Dunes National Park), here: http://www.spanishpeakscountry.com/Walsenburg.aspx
Anyway, looking forward to a great time down in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with a good friend. Enjoy the week and weekend, everybody. I'm sure I will.
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