F is for...

...Fort Collins!

(The Trolley!)

I have lived in the Loveland/Fort Collins area for 11 years, which is longer than I have lived in any area in my life. And 5 years ago this weekend, I finished up my move from Loveland to Fort Collins with bringing my kitties (3 of them) to meet Best Dog Ever and the Cat Who Would Be Queen. It was a fortunate turn, because, if you recall, we had that St. Pat's Day blizzard 5 years ago, and my poor kitties would have gotten mightily hungry down in Loveland for a few days!

(This was on my way to work this morning.)

I love this place more than any other I have lived, and I have lived a few other places in my time. Before my father died, I am told we lived in Greensburg, KS, Fruita, CO, Big Piney, WY, Kindersly, Canada, and Holland, MI. I have vague and dreamlike memories of Kindersly and Holland. After my father's death, we returned to Greensburg for my grade school years, then moved to Shawnee Mission, KS (Kansas City) for my jr high/high school years. I attended college in Oklahoma (Enid and Lawton). As an adult, I have lived in KCMO, the panhandle of Texas, central Kentucky, and central Missouri, before moving to Colorado.

(I've been everywhere, man, I've been everywhere...well, maybe not EVERYwhere....)

(This is Old Town, Christmas, 2007)

Anyway. I do like Fort Collins for many reasons. Interestingly, besides the time in KC, this is the most populous town I have lived in, and I feel the size suits. I love being able to bike, and feel the people here are more environmentally conscious than other places I have lived. The climate is great. I appreciate the drier climate which prevents the deep, frigid, icy, frozen, bone-chilling, frosty November to February winters that I was used to experiencing, along with the heat, energy sapping, humidity-wilting April to October heat seeking summers. I love the accessibility to the mountains for hiking and skiing (...maybe someday I will get to do that again....) This is the place where I have experienced a personal renewal and rediscovery of who I am.

I may not be able to stay here forever, but Fort Collins, and Colorado, will always have a special place in my conscious and story.