Author: Luna in Durango

In the past I’ve written what I call Chair Stories.  These stories would include things like, what inspired me to build it, where I found the wood, who it was built for, the magical or serendipitous events pertaining to it and so on.  When Josie and I started out on our Natures G.A.S. adventure, I had some specific ideas of how the journey would unfold.  One of the intentions is to build and share chairs that I built along the way with others.  The problem was, I just couldn’t find the inspiration to begin building them again.  It’s been approximately three years since I’ve built my last chair.  This chair I’ve recently built is dedicated to and inspired by a very special person by the name of Rob, our son’s best friend, whose life unexpectedly and tragically ended not long ago.  This story is in honor of his huge heart, outdoor adventurous spirit and contagious smile.  We love you Rob!  Your spirit will remain within us forever.

I’ve been building a strange looking chair for over a decade now with the intention of becoming rich!  What I’ve concluded is, I’ve been very rich and very lucky for a very long time.  It began I believe, the winter of 78’, when I saw a young girl ski past me near Sleepy Hollow at Buck Hill, in Burnsville, MN by the name of Josie.   Many years later, 2002 to be exact, I found myself skiing in the largest ski resort in the world, “The Three Valley’s” in France with Josie and a French chalet full of friends.  It’s also where the idea to build a chair using downhill skis and poles came to me.  Now I just cut down some dead trees, then assemble them with a specially designed chair kit.  How it works is this.  I travel to some of the most beautiful and natural places in the world, gather the adequate building materials, construct a chair, then share it with others.  In the case of Robs chair, it was built by using a modified chair kit and sticks I found in various states we’ve recently traveled to include, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon.  I’ve found the process of wandering the woods and forests alone in search of chair legs to be incredibly meditative.   After carrying the sticks around with us for hundreds of miles and over a period of several weeks, I finally built a chair while camping near Las Vegas, NV.  From there, I transported it back to Durango, CO. where the first two sticks where initially found.   I then cached Rob’s Chair in a secret location with only a select number of people knowing where it is hidden.  My intention is to continue this journey building, caching and teaching others how to build and Share-A-Chair.  In my latest book, Natures G.A.S. Station, I share stories about people, places and things that I find inspiring as our G.A.S. journey unfolds.  I’m not out to convert anyone regarding their religious or spiritual belief systems or lack thereof.  I simply ask that you open your mind and heart and begin to experience the world as it is.  A reflection of what you think, do and say.

As a parent, I believe one our greatest hope’s is that our children grow up healthy, happy, safe and become a productive contributor to society.  Josie and I have the honor and pleasure of experiencing just that and obviously very proud of our son Eric.  We’re also grateful to include our awesome daughter-in-law Lauren with those same feelings.  Both she and Eric have been volunteering at a place called Adaptive Sports Association (ASA) for the past several years.  ASA is a non-profit organization located at the foot of the San Juan Mountains in Durango, Colorado.  Adventures of a lifetime——-for people with physical and cognitive disabilities.   Their mission is to provide outdoor, sport and recreation experiences for people with disabilities.  Activities are provided regardless of individual financial limitations and create an atmosphere for learning and enhancing self-esteem.   Both management and fellow volunteers recognized Eric’s natural gifts and talents and he was offered a paid staff position with ASA, Durango.  He recently told me how grateful he is to get paid, doing what he loves to do!  And so, with the help of Elise, a young lady that just moved to Durango and having joined the Adaptive Sports Volunteer Program, I got to witness and experience firsthand the feelings one gets by assisting she and Eric with teaching a young man by the name of Colby, how to ski.  The gratification from serving others is no stranger to me.  Josie and I have volunteered in some capacity in every community we’ve ever lived.  However, it never ceases to amaze me how the feelings return as if it were my first time.  The reason Josie and I recently sold our home in Minnesota is of course a selfish one, we wanted live closer to Eric and Lauren.  Eric being a Military brat (children raised by a parent serving in the military), never lived in Minnesota and he and Lauren have chosen to call Durango their home.  And so here we are, temporarily living in our RV, calling Durango our home base.  Josie and I have many adventures awaiting us and look forward to sharing our stories with you.  In the meantime, if you’re not already involved serving your community, I highly recommend you do.  You won’t regret it.

We recently visited the Chiricahua National Park in Southeastern Arizona, pronounced “Chair-a-cow-a”, named, The Land of Standing Rocks by the Chiracahua Apaches.  Although the campground at Chiricahua wasn’t nearly as spectacular as our previous stay at City of Rocks, New Mexico State Park where each of the sites are nestled within and among the rocks, the Chiricahua campground has its own beauty and charm located in the middle of a lush forested valley oasis surrounded by desert grassland.  The magnificent beauty of this park is not immediately revealed to you as you enter the park.  It’s not until you begin your journey up the eight-mile narrow winding Bonita Canyon road that you start to see the towering rhyolite pinnacles of rock surrounded by sycamore, juniper and oak trees.  As you ascend the canyon, the landscape changes and you begin to encounter a fir woodland of pine and cypress trees.  We broke camp early and made our way to the top of Massai Point as the sun was beginning to reveal itself, providing us with a gift of solitude, being the only human presence in the parking lot.  After enjoying breakfast with a private viewing of The Standing Rocks, we descended into a magical labyrinth of stones.  Using our imaginations, the sculptured pillars took on many different familiar shapes.  It is believed by many indigenous peoples that places so majestic looking as this, is where the Great Spirit can be heard, if you sit long enough and listen from within.  I’m especially grateful to President Teddy Roosevelt for his launching of the New Deal and creating the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) who were responsible for building not just this spectacular park trails system, but countless others across the United States.  Unlike many of the other National parks we’ve visited so far that seem to be overrun with people, we only encountered one other hiker on the trail during our three-hour morning hike.  If you find yourself in the southeast corner of Arizona, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to fill your G.A.S. Tank in The Land of Standing Rocks.

I recently had some very negative and threatening feedback on my blog and would like to share some insights I got from it with you.  I believe what allowed me to interpret this less then favorable feedback differently this time, meaning, without being my old defensive and reactive self-absorbed ego maniac I used to be, is the lessons I’ve learned about myself these past several years.  Being aware of the voices that automatically pop into my head has allowed me to understand how I’ve been with others in the past, a real asshole, as many of us are or can be from time to time.  I call it “Doing the inner work” or developing a practice of meditation and or self-reflection that increases ones’ awareness and clarity, that in return, leads to experiencing powerful intuitive feelings; as if you’ve just been allowed to see the inside joke of your life.  Each of us has the power to directly influence the experiences we have by taking responsibility for our thoughts, words and actions.  In other words, don’t believe anything your mind tells you, question everything.  As I consciously chose not to react to others out of fear, that in my past resulted in a passive-aggressive behavior toward others, allows my best self to respond from an open space of love and compassion.  While this sounds good in theory, is far easier said, than done.  The last thing I want to do with the remaining time I have on this planet is to be distracted and affected by others unhappiness and emotional dramas.  Life is far too short for that.   Nor do I want to give others the impression that I’m some righteous enlightened being of the world and placate them with what would appear as some great theological wisdom.  No, I would rather be an authentic person that calls it the way l see it and if you experience what I share offensive, then tell me and we can have a heartfelt conversation with G.A.S.   Embracing the second agreement “Don’t take anything personally” from Miguel Ruizs’ book “The four Agreements”, has enabled me to resist being offended or angered by what others think and say about me (most of the time).  When you begin to understand and apply Ruizs’ The Four Agreements into your everyday life, you’ll begin to experience profound changes in how you engage with the world and how it responds it return.   Although nothing I wrote in my blog was directly intended for any one person, obviously I touched a nerve in this person and they took it very personally.  Since undertaking this G.A.S. journey, I’ve become aware that I have and will most certainly continue rocking the boat and if someone falls out, then perhaps they weren’t meant to remain in the boat with me.  So, metaphorically speaking, I’ve become the captain of my ship and If you don’t like where this ship is headed, you’re free to get off.  But if you insist on telling me how to sail my boat, your opinion will most likely fall on deaf ears.  Unless of course, I sense of bit of truth, then I’d love to have a G.A.S. conversation with you.

We’re currently camped at the “City of Rocks State Park” in Southwest New Mexico.  It is by far one of the most unique and beautiful campgrounds settings we’ve ever stayed at.  Many of the camp sites are tucked into incredible volcanic rock formations that were formed about 34 million years ago. New Mexico.org has this to say.  “The park encompasses a one square mile area in the scenic Chihuahuan desert region of southeastern New Mexico at an elevation of 5,200 feet. The “city” is a geologic formation made up of large, sculptured rock columns, or pinnacles, rising as high as 40 feet and separated by paths or lanes resembling city streets. Erosion over millions of years slowly formed the sculptured columns seen today, creating a stunning, otherworldly landscape. Located about halfway between Silver City and Deming, City of Rocks offers camp sites, hiking trails, excellent mountain biking, wildlife viewing, birding, stargazing, picnic areas and a desert botanical garden. The uniquely designed, new Visitor Center includes a large display area and modern restrooms with hot showers. City of Rocks State Park is your official sponsor of adventure!”  Need I say more?  I’m placing this at the top of my G.A.S. Stations list where you can get, “Your G.A.S. Tank Filled Up”!!!  We’ve been hanging out with our good Friends, Bob and Ruth here at the City of Rocks for the past several days and plan on staying a few more.  We first met Bob and Ruth when we lived in Ely, Minnesota, another top of my list G.A.S. Station locations I recommend you visit.   Like Josie and I, they’ve chosen to escape the harsh Midwest winters and traded it in for a life filled with adventurous travel in their RV, while being of service within the communities they find themselves in.

What defines and reflects who we are as individuals is directly related to the communities we serve.  Josie and I recently visited a city known for its riches in Silver, Silver City, New Mexico.  What many may not be aware of is the Gold that has recently been refined, mentored and exploited, its rich diversity of talented Artists, the cities children and the Gila National Forest.  Like the mining town we lived in back home, Ely, Minnesota, there is an underlying tension between the free thinkers and the miners.  This however is not a story about the differences or tensions, but instead the similarities they both share and care about as a community, their youth and sustainability.  Josie and I spent a day there and found some real Golden treasures to report on.  The first and foremost reason we visited was is to attend a concert performed by Carlos Nickai and his Jazz Quartet.  I’ve been a fan of Carlos’ for many years, being attracted to the natural mythical rhythm and sounds of his flute.  We’re not big fans of Jazz, but the quartet didn’t let us down as they engaged with the audience and we were transported to another realm as they engulfed our senses.  While visiting this artistic little town I had two issues I needed assistance with.  My computer had recently crashed, as did my mountain bike and me.  A record for me, having broken my second front hand brake handle within less than a week, I needed to find both a bike shop and a computer repair center.  At least I can claim that my technical riding skills have improved these past several weeks and have the battle scars to prove it.  Our first stop was “Bikeworks : All for Bikes : Bikes for All” “A community Bike Workshop Demystifying bicycle mechanics since the last century”.  This is one of the coolest non-profits I’ve come across in my travels.  I especially love non-profits that not only give, but have resources available along with mentors to teach a skill that enhances, liberates and inspires the mind, body & soul. Bikeworks embraces it all!  Like the old saying goes, don’t just feed’em a fish, teach’em to fish.  This Bicycle shop achieves this philosophy by mentoring their youth on how to fix-up and maintain their bikes while emulating how fun and rewarding it is to serve their community instead of just taking from it.  This little shop also houses a for profit company called “Binary Circuits” a computer repair G.A.S. Station.  We met a local volunteer by the name of Gabe and he was not only helpful with our computer needs, but was also one of the most cheerful people I’d met that day.  Another example of how doing what we love affects everyone and everything we encounter in a positive way.  Since they didn’t have what I needed in terms of a new brake handle, Gabe directed us next door to the Gila Hike and Bike where I was helped by a cheerful and knowledgeable bike mechanic, Erika.  She set me up with all I needed to finish an upgrade to disc brakes I’ve been wanting for years and a set of new brake handles.  Another shop employee Martyn, a young man originally from England, gave us some great insights for some local trails along with a map and technical descriptions of the trails themselves.  From there, we perused a few more shops and we’re met by Arlan and Lynne in Guadalupe’s at 505 Bullard Street.  We found lots of beautiful things you may want to add to your G.A.S. tool box.  They have a unique selection of “Spiritual Art, Gifts & Books From Around The World”.  Just off the beaten path is the Tranquil Buzz coffee House run by Dale Ruckos the owner.  Dale has a plethora of books lining the shelves to investigate while sitting in one of the many comfy chairs and couches that fill his shop.  He also has an intimate little porch in the back where you can escape the world and find some shade beneath the trees.  After enjoying a cup of Java and a relaxing contemplative moment, I was moved by spirit to ask a local by the name of Anna of RavensongArts for a reading.  Her authenticity was confirmed shortly after entering her center when, in her own words and without my solicitation, voiced the exact question I was going to ask.  She primarily uses tarot cards for her readings which I’m vaguely familiar.  I prefer to use the animal spirit Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams and David Carson for my own personal guidance and affirmations.  I would recommend Anna to anyone who is seeking good vibes, wisdom and Art.  Her Spiritual Arts Center can be found at, 106 W. Yankie Street.  Finally, I’d like to acknowledge the Little Toad Creek Brewery and Distillery.  Josie and I split a Ruben sandwich between us for dinner and must admit, it was the best I’ve ever had.  They also have a wide variety of other delicious foods and a good selection of locally brewed beers and distilled spirits to choose from.  We’ve only scratched the surface of what the surrounding area has to offer in terms of diverse natural landscapes and, so we plan on spending a few weeks here to explore more deeply this region known for its Silver, Gold and G.A.S.!

The day before leaving Durango, Josie and I were walking along the Animus River and fell down a rabbit’s hole, the White Rabbit Books and Curiosities to be more precise.  What a magical place it is.  We’d passed this little treasure many times before but never stopped in.  I’ll be sharing more about the White Rabbit another time, but felt it was worth mentioning now.  We had our first snow fall last week in Durango and, so we decided it was time to head south to a warmer climate.  Our current plan is to reconnect with our good friends Bob and Ruth we know from when we lived in Ely, Minnesota and meet up with them in the City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico.  We left Durango Saturday morning following Eric and Lauren to La Rito, New Mexico, where we met up with their friends Ross and Brittany to do some rock climbing and camping.  I continue to be amazed at all the little niches (natures beautiful landscapes) we find in the middle of nowhere.  Places that by first appearances to look plain or ordinary until you venture more deeply into its surrounding area.  I like to equate it metaphorically to the journey within ourselves.  On the surface we tend to look at ourselves as just plain or ordinary.  Which in fact is farthest from the truth.  You’re an amazing person with lots to share with the world.  We often try too hard during our lifetime to impress others intending it to validate our own worthiness.  While this is a natural way for humans to evolve, it is not the most efficient nor most successful approach to life.  If all your time is spent trying to please others instead of exploring and nurturing your own creativeness and curiosities, you’ll find yourself sitting alone with an emptiness that we call depression.  The key to life is to get out of your shitty little pity party and help others or do something good for the environment, be of service.   Witnessing others in relationship has given me much to contemplate in my own relationship with Josie over the course of our lifetime together.  I’ll just say it hasn’t been easy living and traveling in such close quarters, but we’ve grown by leaps and bounds both as a couple and as individuals since undertaking this G.A.S. journey.  One very powerful thing that has sustained our marriage and commitment to one another is our communications. Our willingness to continue learning more about how positive interactions between us not only as a couple, but as individuals helps us respond and engage, rather than react to and blame the world around us. At first glance these two words, respond and react might not appear much different.  However, if you delve a little deeper in to these two powerful little words, you’ll discover that one instills you with power, while the other gives it away.   It’s from this awareness that you’re able to better cope with or be empowered in the everyday challenges you face.  This morning we listened to a podcast called “The evolutionary power of mindful communications” at “Daily Good, New that Inspires” and was excited to share it with you.  My hope is that you’ll find this information useful and incorporate it into your everyday language and become witness to the change you wish to see in the world.

On Christmas day, 1886, Mat Hammond arrived with his wagon heavily loaded with lumber that would be used to construct the first buildings for the city of Cortez.  Un-like cities that where populated and developed because of its natural resources like a river or transportation, Cortez was built to house men that would build irrigation ditches, tunnels and laterals to divert the water from the Dolores River into the Montezuma valley.  This fueled speculation that the sandy red soil in the Montezuma Valley would produce a wide variety of crops.  It appears to have been a very successful undertaking as an unprecedented number of organic farms in the area support the surrounding communities with fresh locally grow foods.  Josie and I ventured out of Durango to check out this quaint little city more closely and weren’t disappointed.  Our first stop was the newly built, beautiful architecturally designed Colorado Tourist Information Center filled with a plethora of information about this epic state.   It was an honor and pleasure having met one of the local tourist center volunteers, a Navajo Native by the name of Ben Benally, allowing me to find yet another common thread to my G.A.S. (Gratitude, Awareness and Service) theme.  It turns out that both Ben, a proud 74-year-old Vietnam Veteran and I served as U.S. Army Paratroopers supporting what is referred to as “Black Ops”, Top Secret military operations that remain highly classified and unknown to the general public for generation’s.  Of course, we shared a few war stories, comparing notes as veterans tend to do with each other, then spent our remaining time talking about fishing.  I look forward to revisiting Cortez in the future and having Ben share some of his secret fishing holes with me.  Josie and do our best to keep up physically with Eric and Lauren on their adventurous outdoor pursuits and have found great joy in just being their support crew if what they are doing requires more talent, strength and stamina then we currently possess.  So, finding the Hawkins Preserve was more in line with our present state of physical preparedness. “Hawkins Preserve, a 122-acre tract of land within the southern city limits of Cortez, was donated to the Colorado University Center of Cortez (now the Cortez Cultural Center) by Mr. Jack Hawkins in the 1990s. The Preserve is a valuable asset for the residents and visitors of Cortez because of the environmental setting, the diversity of plant and animal species represented across several biotic communities, the historic and prehistoric cultural resources, and the accessibility of these resources to the Preserve’s visitors.” My favorite part of our hike was along what is called the “Slickrock Trail”, a short 0.33-mile hike comprised of relatively flat rolling smooth rocks meandering through the preserve.  We then traversed a series of cliffs along the 0.55-mile Rim Route that overlooks this picturesque valley and ends at a place called “Patrick’s Point, a look-out with a couple of benches where you can sit and enjoy natures stillness.  Caching painted stones seems to have become a way to share places of natural beauty among the Artist communities we’ve visited lately.  Josie and I found some of these painted treasures in several places along the Northwestern Coast to include Whidbey Island and the town of Sequim, Washington.   This practice of hiding painted stones is obviously done here as well, for we found several in the Hawkins Preserve near the “Jump” sculpture.  After our hike, we treated ourselves to lunch at “The Farm Bistro”.  “When The Farm Bistro opened in early 2009, the farm to table concept was just gaining steam across the country. To owners Rusty and Laurie, farm to table just made sense. In the agricultural community of Montezuma county, they knew that locally grown food was fresher and tasted better than food from the big distributors. In 2013, 55% of the bistro’s food dollars were spent within 75 miles of Cortez!”.  After our delicious lunch we spoke with Rusty, Bistro Owner, Chef and Farmer and were impressed by his down to earth humble demeaner, his passion for sustainability and the mutual support he and his local community share. The bistro’s warm and welcoming setting, along with its outstanding service is a must-check-out destination to relax, eat and socialize.  Just across the street from The Farm Bistro we found “fb organics, your locally owned natural & organic market”.  I briefly spoke with the proprietor, Melanie and discovered she recently returned to her roots after traveling and living in different parts of the world.  Melanie and her husband Darrin moved from Texas back home to Cortez and offer healthy life style product choices.  I recommend their gluten free macaroons, very taste indeed.  I look forward to returning to Cortez in the future to further explore the area, learn more of its rich history and to hopefully catch a fish or two for dinner with the help of Ben.

Since our son Eric and daughter-in-law Lauren work and live in Durango, CO, we’ve chosen to make this beautiful little tourist town own home base as we continue our G.A.S. Adventure.  The Durango area has an abundant source of beautiful geographical and Natural resources that provide a wide array of outdoor activities.  According to the Durango Area Tourism Office, “Durango has many claims to fame, from Mountain Bike Mecca to Best Water Town in the West; best scenic train ride to most friendly vacation and ski town.  Our restaurants are award-winning, our scenery awe-inspiring, and there are endless ways to reinvigorate, rejuvenate, and just plain relax.  Durango is a real Colorado town with endless recreational opportunities, a rich history and countless stories to tell.”  With that said, I’ll share a few more stories of my own.   I’ve had the honor and good fortune to meet and speak with a few of the shop owners and workers that help make this little gem of a city thrive.  The first shop owner I met was Micki of “Sticks & Stones Handmade”.  She and her husband Tim are both artists and offer a unique selection of hand make art work.  Shortly after arriving here in Durango nearly five years ago, they became aware of how powerful it is to support the dreams of others.  And so, they’ve become one of two galleries in town that showcases a few of the local artists.  Micki and I shared a few magical stories of our own over a cup of tea, some of which I’ll be sharing in my current book in the works “Natures G.A.S. Stations”.  If you’re in need of a great hair cut then I suggest you check out “Incognito Hair Salon, owned by Doug Boykin, Master Barber-Stylist, a hip, Vibrant hair salon that makes every client feel like they just walked into their favorite beauty shop”.  Ask for Rosie, my personal favorite hair stylist, friendly, thoughtful and inspiring.  When you see her, tell her Pat sent you.  Since I stumbled upon this next place the first couple of days after arriving in Durango, I’ll Include him in this segment.  Folk and Finer Art is a funky woodcarving gallery found just west of Durango at the intersection of Hwy 160 and Rd 38 in Mancos, Co.  This is where you’ll find an eccentric character by the name of Dave Sipe, owner and Woodsculptor.  He like most artists, prides himself on his original and sometimes wacky concepts and designs.  I must admit, I found a couple of (Got to have) sculptures, but since our most recent home (Rosie) is on wheels, I’ll wait till we find some land and build our next dream home alongside Eric and Lauren’s own dream home.  While visiting Dave in his inspiring, creative space and considering myself a passionate artist, I shared with him and a young visitor by the name of Christopher, my own creative art design in the form of a chair that I call, “The Peace Chair”.  Once again, I’ll share my insights and aha moments about that encounter in “Natures G.A.S. Stations.”  Finally, I want to share with you a serendipitous story about the most recent, reopened Gas Station by the name of Ernie’s, or “The 11^th street Station Bar”.  While keeping with its’ long history and mirroring the various gas and food stations that have called this location home between the 1920s to 1970s, Jaime Wisner along with his son Marcos, have continued the legacy by offering fuel in the form of food and Spirits.  You can choose from a wide variety of delicious meals from local food trucks parked on site.  Plenty of seating can be found throughout the place while being surrounded by antique mementos.   A couple items worth mentioning is Jaime’s old V-8 engine block made into the patio’s fire place sculpture and a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air built into the back of the Bar.  These along with numerous other collectibles create lots of visual stimulation while you get G.A.S.ed up.  I briefly spoke with Jamie and his son Marcos and shared with them my excitement of finding and sharing this newly established treasure in Downtown Durango with my readers I’m calling a, “Transformed gas station”.  A location previously operated as a gas station, but is now a “Natures G.A.S. Station” where you can fuel up your, Mind, Body and Soul.

This past weekend we traveled to Denver, Colorado to see Bob Dylan, live in concert.  Neither Josie or I have ever seen Bob Dylan in Concert and both of us being from Minnesota thought it would be a great opportunity to see him since we would be hanging out in the Durango, Co area for the next couple a weeks.  While I love Bob’s older music, I wasn’t aware of his latest direction of music genre he plays these days and was disappointed that I didn’t recognize any of the songs they played.  In short, it wasn’t the Bob Dylan we expected, or the type of music we enjoy.  On the up side, we stumbled upon the South Pearl Street Farmers Market in a suburb of Denver.  It’s one of the best Farmers Markets we’ve experienced.  You can feel the uplifting energy as you walk among the venders.  The market is a pet friendly event, so you can be assured to encounter lots of four legged friends.  There are many quality vendors that can assist you with filling your G.A.S. tank.  Since we had a limited time to spend at the market, we focused on a few that attracted our attention.  The first we stopped in to investigate was The Joy Nut Co.  Inspired Snacking.  Brandon Barnhills’ mother Debbie shared some of the history of her son Brandons’ journey.  Being a single father, Brandon was inspired to create a healthy snack for his daughter Taytum Joy, meaning “Bringer of Joy”.  His dream became a reality and has created a delicious line of taste healthy snacks and granola.  Another vendor we visited was Cultura Craft Chocolate.  Owner/operator/chocolate maker Damaris Ronkanen created her own line of chocolate influenced and inspired by ingredients and techniques she experienced during her childhood trips to her family’s hometown in Mexico.  This bean-to-bar chocolate making company has a mission to create truly amazing chocolate that has greater transparency, sustainability, and accessibility.  Finally, we stopped to check out the Altan Alma Organics booth offering wonderful, hard to find organic dried fruits, nuts, grains, flours, legumes, spices and seeds for sprouting micro-greens. They also have a variety of local Colorado products. You can visit their organic store at 4593 N Broadway in Boulder, Colorado or visit their Facebook page.  If you find yourself in the Denver area on a Sunday between May and November, it’s definitely worth checking out.