Happy Living Gathering Place

There is a group of people that when I return to them I feel like I can see myself better and better recall who I want to become. These are my fellow americorp-ites. Last night I went up to Boulder to hang out with Rachel and to see Rhonda, from the valley, play some music. Annie, Rachel, Rhonda, and I sat on Rachel's front porch, listening to Rhonda's music and chatting about the Valley. When we got to the place where Rhonda was playing - lo and behold- Muck and Kelsea appeared! Glorious Surprise! Rhonda was an amazing performer, her songs humorous and authentic. After she was done we returned to Rachel's to yet a again chat about the good old times and dream about future endeavors.

Rhonda

Rhonda is one of the most amazing and lovely people I know. I am by no means a close friend of hers but I love any time I spend with her. She seems to know herself so well and is not afraid to be herself. She lives on a mountain, working only enough to get what she needs (dog food and beer), and being content. She is real and honest.

Katie Bird

Our conversation, in the discussion of all things Alamosa and unique to the valley, we arrived upon Katie Bird (now known as Katie Sleeveless), an enigma. She is a musician, a squatter, an independent soul, a female bob dylan, a revolutionary, in all ways a mystery. She lives out in the country side, with but a few belongings, making her way with her music. I don't think this brief paragraph will describe her at all adequately but I think an introduction in person is the only thing that would clearly give one a picture of who she is. In this house she is squatting at (with permission of the owner- the house is literally falling in on itself) she got the water turned on but there was no outside picket for her to water her garden. So she went to a nearby church and asked if she could tap into the church's puquios (an ancient method of irrigation via trench). The church said yes and so Katie, with the help of many, dug a very very long trench from the church to her house. Here is a music video filmed of a party on the day she opened the puquio to her house- classic San Luis Valley. ( Ack!I cannot find the video. I will try again later to find it and load it, cause its amazing)