Jaded Nonchalance, the Ultimate Compliment

That she should mention my jaded nonchalance concerning fireworks affords me the opportunity to elaborate.

I've lived in Aspen twenty years longer than Bridget and have awed at the shows for years. They are the best fireworks shows you will ever see. Aspen can afford it. It is particularly spectacular in the winter with snow covered Aspen Mountain looming out of the darkness with each colorful explosion.

In the 'Old Days,' we used to ski in the 'torch-light' descent during the winter display. At that time all you had to do was show up at the base of 'Ajax' and go. Not that I remember this but I'm sure some years we just went to Little Nell's apres-skiing until it was dark and they fired the lifts back up. So much more convenient than going home getting out of all your ski clothes only to suit back up shortly again. Plus, it left a lot more time to drink.

I've dashed up the Ute Trail on the 4th. I was partying in Wagner Park and finally noticed that it was about to get dark. I bolted to Ute Ave and ascended. Ute Trail is a nasty little switchback infested affair that people train on. I didn't have time for switchbacks! I went straight up the steep creek made crease that gives Ute Trail its boundary. I wasn't cutting switchbacks on the trail. I was next to the trail. I popped over Ute Rock with sweat streaming and my tee-shirt firmly gripped in my teeth. The first people I saw were less than five feet away as I lunged over the top in my obviously agitated state. Their eyes lit in surprise as the first booming scarlets exploding below announced my arrival. I found my friends and tried to calm my heartbeat. The trip down the trail in the dark with no flashlights was harrowing.

I've watched the 4th of July display in Whitefish Montana over Flathead Lake. They shoot the fireworks off of a floating dock out in the lake. It is also quite spectacular, refracting the lake and hinting at the jagged escarpments of the Mission Mountains leaning back against the 'Big Sky' state.

But the second most impressive 4th. of July display I have ever seen was from a rocking chair on the deep porch of the Roosevelt Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. No, they don't allow fireworks in National Parks. It wasn't a bunch of errant teen-agers shooting off Bandito bottle rockets that they secretly bought in Nebraska while Dad was fixing something in the camper and Mom was in the service-station restroom, doing whatever moms do there. It was a slashing voracious thunder storm with tightly choreographed lightning blowing rents in the stacked, blackening clouds. It was Yellowstone, which alone is powerful enough. It was the lesser visited Roosevelt Lodge and the Lamar Valley area. The storm arrived as a northern Wyoming sunset was slowly wrapping up. The pines swung ponderously. Wildlife sniffed around and dashed away with the thunder.

That was all worthy, but the single most spectacular fireworks display I have ever witnessed, and I guess my wife doesn't understand this, it was so stupendous, as it was happening I knew it would never be repeated, matched or topped. It was the kind of show that can leave a person jaded and nonchalant toward any future attempt. I sat out on the grass. I was with this beautiful woman. It was all so new and exciting. I met her that day! I watched fireworks with her the first evening we ever hung out. She was obviously intelligent, articulate and lovely. The venue wasn't the best. We had a kind of sideways, partially blocked view of the event. It was another of the classic Aspen shows, where pretty much the whole time, it's going off as if it were a perpetual Grand Finale. Then comes the Grand Grand Finale. The show ended, the night got back to itself and we all dispersed.

I married Bridget two years later.

So, would someone please explain to me how I am supposed to be excited about any shows after meeting Bridget at an Aspen one?

And hey, lets not overlook the fact that last winter we walked up to Aspen Mountain for the X-Games fireworks. We took Ellie. It was fun and we even walked up the slope a little.